Butler outer slide for students

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DeanSurkin
Posts: 14
Joined: Jun 24, 2022

by DeanSurkin »

I just saw an announcement by Butler that they will be manufacturing a less expensive version of their outer slide, aimed at students, marketed through Brooks Mays. I think it was on Facebook but I can't find the announcement again. Has anyone heard anything about this?
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Burgerbob
Posts: 6327
Joined: Apr 23, 2018

by Burgerbob »

User image
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elmsandr
Posts: 1373
Joined: Mar 23, 2018

by elmsandr »

Good for slide usability, I think probably bad for student development.

I like my carbon fiber slide, but it isn’t a brass slide and is more difficult to play, chop wise. I can’t imagine it being good to learn on, but I am not an educator or even close to an expert on such things.

Cheers,

Andy
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trombonedemon
Posts: 218
Joined: Aug 06, 2018

by trombonedemon »

These are bad for marching band, the outer slide does not like water, correct me if im wrong.
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elmsandr
Posts: 1373
Joined: Mar 23, 2018

by elmsandr »

[quote="trombonedemon"]These are bad for marching band, the outer slide does not like water, correct me if im wrong.[/quote]
I mean, doesn’t like water in that it gets a little sticky…. But if you’ve played one, a sticky 84gram slide is still pretty easy to move compared to a slick 250 gram slide.

From experience, works just fine in the rain.

My concern is purely that I have to be more locked in with my chops to make the carbon slide sound good. A student that has never played a horn may have a harder time doing that.

Cheers,

Andy
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nateaff
Posts: 113
Joined: Jan 23, 2024

by nateaff »

I think this is a tremendous idea. The fact is most school-owned trombones (at least where I'm from) have TERRIBLE slides, full of dings, out of alignment, dirty, the works.

Whether or not having a brass slide is better for student development for the best students, for the regular kids nothing will make them give up the trombone faster than an instrument that doesn't work, which is almost always because the slide is all dinged up.

An undentable slide is the best possible thing for 90% of band students.
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JTeagarden
Posts: 625
Joined: Feb 24, 2025

by JTeagarden »

I ran across a Corporation-era Bach 42B at a recent rehearsal at a local high school, and the slide was a disaster, it would seem like anything that greatly reduces the chance of slide dents should be a Godsend to student horns, particularly school instruments.