TromboneChat

Hey guys,
I am the owner of a Shires Bass for six months now and I absolutely love the instrument.
I am just wondering about the slide, there is some black abrasion after maybe two days of playing.
Should I be worried about this or is it quite normal?
Thanks

If there is black gunk in the slide, give it a good cleaning with cheesecloth on a rod (or a Brass Saver if you have one). Clean until no black stuff rubs off on fresh cheesecloth. Apply some fresh lube and repeat. You may have to do this for a couple of months periodically to get the last of the lapping compound out of the slide. Also, you need to have the lube build a coating on the inside of the outer slide to prevent further oxidation of the brass. Consider it a "break in" process. Once you have developed that coating and removed all the leftover lapping compound you should be good for years.

Thanks for your reply. I should have mentioned that I did not buy a new horn - it is already about 10 years old I guess.
Can it still be lapping compound?

Lapping compound is not used in handslide production.

Has the slide been professionally cleaned recently?

Is it that the slide gets black "gunk" on it from the lubrication you are using? If that is what it is, it probably needs a nice cleaning, probably from a professional.

The Slide Doctor used to use something that produced that condition. I don’t know if he still does or someone has picked up his practice. If that is what it is repeated thorough cleaning will eventually eliminate it.

How does the slide feel after cleaning and lubrication? Is the black residue truly gritty?

I'm using the slide lube from Yamaha. Didn't notice something on the slide of the XO bass I had before I bought the Shires.

The slide really feels fine after cleaning. It's not gritty, it's as fine as verdigris looks like - but black.

Could it be that the handslide bumper or stopping felt (I don‘t know how it‘s called in English) is made of felt? I remember having the same problem with a horn years ago where this felt was dissolving and I had this black thing on the inner slide. I let replace them with new stopping felts and the problem was solved.

Agreed that slide tubes are NOT "lapped"!!

The black residue is probably buffing compound, will eventually clean out with repeated swabbing with the cheesecloth.
Yamasnot and Trombotine have good cleaning properties long with the lubrication, so just keep cleaning the slide.

Also, be sure to use ENOUGH lube on your slide!!
A common misconception that "a little is better"!! Remember that you're trying to coat the ENTIRE inner surface of the outer tubes!!
AND use a water source that gives you bigger drops of water as THAT is what the slide eventually rides on!!

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I had similar experience with a Yamaha 697 slide when it was new. Less was best for me. But it was good for 2 or 3 weeks with one light application of Y lube, and maybe one light spray of water every couple of hours. It was good sometimes for a month with water touch ups. It is getting geriatric after 20 years.

3 days is a little low with our expectations these days but not horrible. Trying to get it better may make not improve it or make it worse. If I am able to wipe the inners with a clean paper towel and use it for a day or so after the first application, with another light y lube and water application, and and actually clean it once a week with soap and water, I would consider that a great and adequate slide.

See the YouTube video of the Bill Watrous cleaning his slide twice a day and applying Pond’s Cold Cream. We never had it so good.