Shires Slide Compatibility
- Jbeckett
- Posts: 1194
- Joined: Mar 25, 2018
What horns or bell sections fit on shires slides?
What other brands?
What other brands?
- Burgerbob
- Posts: 6327
- Joined: Apr 23, 2018
Technically none, the shires tenon and threads are their own. But Bach and Edwards are very close and sometimes fit ok.
- TomInME
- Posts: 315
- Joined: Jan 03, 2024
My Bach bass has accepted two different Shires "L" (Bach-length) slides with a good friction fit. However, the nut on the Bach ran out of threads before securing the slide - with the nut tightened all the way, the slide could still slip out of position and become fully loose. I used it that way for several years but it was risky when the valves were recently oiled and/or I had a heavy mute in.
My tech added some wire so that the nut wouldn't go so far down and enlarged the outside of the nut (using part of a tuba piston valve cap) for extra leverage, and now it all works great (and I can still use a Bach slide).
I'm sure it depends on the horn, both slides are about 1/8" from bottoming out in the socket, so it wouldn't take much of a variation for them to not have a friction fit.
YMMV
My tech added some wire so that the nut wouldn't go so far down and enlarged the outside of the nut (using part of a tuba piston valve cap) for extra leverage, and now it all works great (and I can still use a Bach slide).
I'm sure it depends on the horn, both slides are about 1/8" from bottoming out in the socket, so it wouldn't take much of a variation for them to not have a friction fit.
YMMV
- Burgerbob
- Posts: 6327
- Joined: Apr 23, 2018
It's also very easy to put on an Edwards tenon that will fit Bach, or the other way around. I've done it several times.