Finally upgraded my Slide lube.

Bloo · by **Bloo** » 2019-06-18 2:01 p.m.

I've been using Slid-o-mix since I've been playing trombone. It's always served me well. However, it started getting expensive to oil all 3 of my horns with it weekly.

Finally got the Yamaha Liquid slide oil a month ago, and the difference is night and day. Not only do I have to oil far less often, but the action is so much smoother. It's so much easier to apply and the response is instant.

I could never go back.

My Eastman slide went from decent to one of the best slides I've had in my hand.

I could gush about how nice it feels for hours.

Doubler · by **Doubler** » 2019-06-18 3:07 p.m.

Thanks for the recommendation. When my Slide-o-Mix gets used up, I'll give it a try.

HeyMan · by **HeyMan** » 2019-11-10 6:22 a.m.

Yamaha Trombone Slide Lubricant (YAC-1021P). This, with a spritz of water, works amazingly well! It's recommended by some guy named Andy Martin, whoever he is. /S

Amconk · by **Amconk** » 2019-12-30 1:35 a.m.

I just made this upgrade today. Fully cleaned my shires slide first, then did just the Yamaha lube and a few spritzes of water. I could not believe the difference. Amazingly fast and quiet.

JLivi · by **JLivi** » 2019-12-30 9:30 a.m.

Yamaha is far superior to slide o mix. I love using the Yamaha slide oil.

If you’re looking for something to not use that often I love trombotine too. And t lasts forever! But Yamaha is definitely the way to go.

tbonesullivan · by **tbonesullivan** » 2019-12-30 10:42 a.m.

Were you guys using the Two part slide O-mix, or the rapid comfort?

bbocaner · by **bbocaner** » 2019-12-30 11:50 a.m.

My big problem with Yamaha is that on slides that don't get used every day it tends to dry out and turn into this extremely hard residue on the stockings that I have trouble removing. Ideally I should be wiping off my slides after I use them but once in a while after a gig something that isn't my main instrument sits in the case for a while and when I do get it back out I've got a huge problem on my hands. It never happens on my main trombone because I use it often enough, but on small bore, bass, alto, etc. it's a huge problem.

afugate · by **afugate** » 2019-12-31 7:12 a.m.

[quote="bbocaner"]My big problem with Yamaha is that on slides that don't get used every day it tends to dry out and turn into this extremely hard residue on the stockings that I have trouble removing. Ideally I should be wiping off my slides after I use them but once in a while after a gig something that isn't my main instrument sits in the case for a while and when I do get it back out I've got a huge problem on my hands. It never happens on my main trombone because I use it often enough, but on small bore, bass, alto, etc. it's a huge problem.[/quote]

And I've got to believe the same happens to the insides of the outers, unless I swab down the slide before I put it away.

FWIW, I don't seem to have as much residue with Ultra Pure's slide lube. Nevertheless, I think Yamaha's lube is a better overall lubricant.

--Andy in OKC

Mikebmiller · by **Mikebmiller** » 2019-12-31 9:47 p.m.

I went the other way, from Yamaha to SOM Rapid comfort. They both work great, but I like the SOM a bit more.

PaulT · by **PaulT** » 2019-12-31 10:40 p.m.

I just checked the slides of two trombones I use Yamaha slide lubricant on but haven't played for about nine months. Each had a couple small patches of dried residue on the stockings. But, the residue wasn't hard (the slides moved smoothly and quietly). The residue came off easily and completely when wiped with a moistened cloth.

Burgerbob · by **Burgerbob** » 2019-12-31 10:52 p.m.

I've used Yamaha only for probably 5 or 6 years now. No water. I don't have any residue that won't come off, even on the horns that sit for longer.

Doug_Elliott · by **Doug_Elliott** » 2020-01-01 2:05 a.m.

Some of my horns sit for weeks or months between use. It dries up some but still works.

Pre59 · by **Pre59** » 2020-01-01 7:05 a.m.

I used to have an issue with a residue building up on the slide. I fixed it by putting some ball bearings in the bottle and now I just give it a good shake before each application, works a treat.

Cmillar · by **Cmillar** » 2020-01-13 11:07 p.m.

Whatever works, right?

I've gone to Slide-O-Mix classic from Yamaha. I thought Yamaha was the greatest thing since slice bread, but I have a '70s vintage Bach and the SOM seems to last much longer with the same great action as the Yamaha used to give me.

Also....I would think that everyone is different depending on the amount of excess saliva or gunk you happen to blow into the horn as you play.

So that would require the right slide lube depending on the individual.

All that stuff is pretty cheap....experiment!

Briande · by **Briande** » 2020-01-14 8:30 a.m.

I grew kind of depends on the horn. I think old school

Ponds cold cream works best on my ‘50s 2B. Seems like it’s just thick enough to stick in and smooth out the imperfections.

tbonesullivan · by **tbonesullivan** » 2020-01-14 10:02 a.m.

It seems sometimes like every side is different. My Bach 42T loves classic Slide O mix. My King 3b most certainly does not. Rapid comfort works best on my Kanstul horns, while I use super slick cream for my Yamaha bass, and Yama-snot for my Tenor.

bbocaner · by **bbocaner** » 2020-01-14 12:26 p.m.

huh... it's EXTREMELY hard when it dries up for me. I end up having to do a combination of chipping it off with my fingernail and then wrapping the slide tubes in vinegar-soaked paper towels to soften the last little bit off enough so that it will wipe off. Maybe a combination of the ingredients of the lubrication with my body chemistry?

CharlieB · by **CharlieB** » 2020-01-16 10:46 a.m.

[quote="bbocaner"]huh... it's EXTREMELY hard when it dries up for me. I end up having to do a combination of chipping it off with my fingernail and then wrapping the slide tubes in vinegar-soaked paper towels to soften the last little bit off enough so that it will wipe off. Maybe a combination of the ingredients of the lubrication with my body chemistry?[/quote]

Bottom line; it isn't working for you.

Something to try........

I have abandoned all the cream lubes. I now use "Superslick Plus Professional Slide Treatment" on all my horns, old and new. It's a silicone oil. I use one drop to lube both inners.The Superslick needs to be reapplied more frequently than the creams, and it does need to be spritzed with water, but it makes my slides super fast and it leaves no gummy residue.

bbocaner · by **bbocaner** » 2020-01-16 1:12 p.m.

silicone oil seems to be the problem for me, whether it's as a component in Yamaha or the superslick oil or slide-o-mix. I've started using the Berp Bio-Lube which is more of a cream but it's based on beeswax and I haven't had any problems since. Not quite as slick as the yamaha stuff, but it works well.

HGrobot · by **HGrobot** » 2020-01-16 5:28 p.m.

[quote="Briande"]I grew kind of depends on the horn. I think old school

Ponds cold cream works best on my ‘50s 2B. Seems like it’s just thick enough to stick in and smooth out the imperfections.[/quote]

I have by and large run into the same sort of thing. On my old Getzen it always worked best with Trombotine. I tried Slide O Mix and Superslick on it and neither worked nearly as well. My 3B on the other hand felt like it had maple syrup on it when I tried Trombotine. Slide O Mix works dramatically better on that one.

bkessler · by **bkessler** » 2020-02-24 11:23 p.m.

After seeing so many people rave about the Yamaha stuff, I finally got some. I've used Slide-O-Mix (both rapid comfort and the 2-bottle one) for years, and it works well by and large, but does tend to build up if I'm not really on top of maintenance, so I figured the Yamaha stuff was worth a shot. I wasn't immediately blown away, but I got a tip from a great player in the area that has made it fantastic. I haven't used water on my slides in years, but he suggested I not only do that, but put some Hetman Hydro-slide in with the water. The combination of that plus the Yamaha lubricant is pretty incredible. I may be a convert.

Crazy4Tbone86 · by **Crazy4Tbone86** » 2020-04-10 11:06 a.m.

I'm wondering if CharlieB realizes that the SuperSlick Plus Professional Slide Treatment is silicone that is supposed to be added to the SuperSlick slide cream. It was never intended to be used alone. I'm not saying it is wrong, I'm just wondering how that would work. If it does work, I'll be buying some industrial silicone in a spray can the next time I shop at a home improvement or auto parts store!

For me the bottled Yamaha bottled Trombone Slide Lubricant got crusty after about 7 or 8 days, even when I used the trombone daily. I wasn't thrilled with it because I was able to get a couple more days of use from the different Slide-O-Mix varieties and good old slide cream. Although.....the Yamaha Trombone Slide Lubricant did have a nice smell!

BGuttman · by **BGuttman** » 2020-04-10 11:25 a.m.

SuperSlick Plus can be used with a lot of different slide creams. I started using it with Trombotine on the advice of a colleague, and also used it with plain cold cream (old Pond's).

WilliamLang · by **WilliamLang** » 2020-04-10 11:34 a.m.

i like the yamaha trombone slide lubricant, but i also spray my slide with water and gently wipe it down with a cheesecloth between each application, so i've never had the hardening issue.

any lubricant will work well if you regularly service your slide with a good technician and gently clean with water and a cheesecloth like once a week.

modelerdc · by **modelerdc** » 2020-04-10 1:56 p.m.

I find that any of the standard slide lubes can give good results when used on a good clean slide. But the Yamaha slide oil, as they call it, gives me results as good as any, with the least build up of old stuff on the slide. So it's my favorite.

harrisonreed · by **harrisonreed** » 2020-04-10 7:44 p.m.

The new PHAT bottle of yamaha seems to be even better than the one with the weird disk applicator.

Garoissimo · by **Garoissimo** » 2023-11-06 8:13 p.m.

Ok, so... meanwhile, years later... (on the Garo Show)

So, ok - I bought the Yamaha Trombone Slide Lubricant (YAC-1021P), (well, either that or a new Air Force attack fighter-drone, judging from the number), and a couple bottles of Hetman Hydro-slide to mix with my water (it's in the Plants and Garden section, of course :) )

In a few days, when they arrive, there shall be much extremely slick sliding in my apt...

"We look for things... things that make us go. This can make us go. We are not dumb. We are smart..."

Garoissimo · by **Garoissimo** » 2023-11-19 4:02 p.m.

Wow - So, for my 1970 88H the combination (as described by 'bkessler' above) of the Yamaha YAC-1021P, plus the little atomizer/spray bottle with clean water (and several drops of the Hetman Hydro-Slide lubricant mixed-in) on top of it, is totally amazing.

Compared to carefully (properly?) applied Trombotine, I would say it has increased the smoothness of this slide by at least a couple of whole numbers, to what feels close to 9-9.5. For a 23 year old, narrow old school Conn slide, this is... amazing.

Thanks bkessler! Really grateful for the tip!

BrassSection · by **BrassSection** » 2023-11-19 6:49 p.m.

After using Blue Juice as a one bottle for everything oil, with good results on my trombone, I decided to try the Yamaha after reading all the positive comments. Week 1…Wiped down slides inside and out good and switched, not really impressed. Week 2…rewiped slides and put on fresh Yamaha…seemed even more sluggish. Week 3, no wipe, just a light application, slight improvement, ready to give my lube to my tuba player buddy to give to his trombone playing brother. Week 4…got horn out and slide felt as good as juiced slide with nothing wiped or no new lube, used and enjoyed playing the horn again. Week 5, light drop of Yammy lube on each slide and the slide felt great. Today, pulled out of case and enjoyed smooth slide without doing anything. Not sure why it took so long to work, but as of now I’m keeping the tube of Yamaha! Still using Blue Juice in all the valved horns, lasts at least a month in trumpet, and at least 3 weeks in the euph. Tuba typically only comes out around Christmas time, otherwise all tuning slides and the valves are removed, cleaned, and stored for no-worry about anything being stuck. They get fresh grease/oil when tuba is reassembled.

whitbey · by **whitbey** » 2023-12-22 5:43 p.m.

I use Yamasnott on my slides.

And because I am a little allergic to the oil and I hate the smell, I use the mixed slideomix on my rotary valves. There is a powdery buildup that seems to be helpful to the valves.

harrisonreed · by **harrisonreed** » 2023-12-22 8:36 p.m.

[quote="BrassSection"]After using Blue Juice as a one bottle for everything oil, with good results on my trombone, I decided to try the Yamaha after reading all the positive comments. Week 1…Wiped down slides inside and out good and switched, not really impressed. Week 2…rewiped slides and put on fresh Yamaha…seemed even more sluggish. Week 3, no wipe, just a light application, slight improvement, ready to give my lube to my tuba player buddy to give to his trombone playing brother. Week 4…got horn out and slide felt as good as juiced slide with nothing wiped or no new lube, used and enjoyed playing the horn again. Week 5, light drop of Yammy lube on each slide and the slide felt great. Today, pulled out of case and enjoyed smooth slide without doing anything. Not sure why it took so long to work, but as of now I’m keeping the tube of Yamaha! Still using Blue Juice in all the valved horns, lasts at least a month in trumpet, and at least 3 weeks in the euph. Tuba typically only comes out around Christmas time, otherwise all tuning slides and the valves are removed, cleaned, and stored for no-worry about anything being stuck. They get fresh grease/oil when tuba is reassembled.[/quote]

It probably took a long time for the valve oil to get completely flushed out of the hand slide. I can't imagine that the Yamasnot reacted well to blue juice.

[quote="whitbey"]And because I am a little allergic to the oil and I hate the smell, I use the mixed slideomix on my rotary valves. There is a powdery buildup that seems to be helpful to the valves.[/quote]

:eek:

whitbey · by **whitbey** » 2023-12-23 8:41 a.m.

[quote="harrisonreed"]<QUOTE author="BrassSection" post_id="225664" time="1700437773" user_id="15201">
After using Blue Juice as a one bottle for everything oil, with good results on my trombone, I decided to try the Yamaha after reading all the positive comments. Week 1…Wiped down slides inside and out good and switched, not really impressed. Week 2…rewiped slides and put on fresh Yamaha…seemed even more sluggish. Week 3, no wipe, just a light application, slight improvement, ready to give my lube to my tuba player buddy to give to his trombone playing brother. Week 4…got horn out and slide felt as good as juiced slide with nothing wiped or no new lube, used and enjoyed playing the horn again. Week 5, light drop of Yammy lube on each slide and the slide felt great. Today, pulled out of case and enjoyed smooth slide without doing anything. Not sure why it took so long to work, but as of now I’m keeping the tube of Yamaha! Still using Blue Juice in all the valved horns, lasts at least a month in trumpet, and at least 3 weeks in the euph. Tuba typically only comes out around Christmas time, otherwise all tuning slides and the valves are removed, cleaned, and stored for no-worry about anything being stuck. They get fresh grease/oil when tuba is reassembled.[/quote]

It probably took a long time for the valve oil to get completely flushed out of the hand slide. I can't imagine that the Yamasnot reacted well to blue juice.

[quote="whitbey"]And because I am a little allergic to the oil and I hate the smell, I use the mixed slideomix on my rotary valves. There is a powdery buildup that seems to be helpful to the valves.[/quote]

:eek:
</QUOTE>

Never used oil on a hand slide since middle school. And used the silicone/ Teflon lube on valves since the 1990's.

In the early 90's I had a Besson euph that I used a filtered white wine for a valve oil. Then switched to the Cerveny.

ghmerrill · by **ghmerrill** » 2023-12-23 9:40 a.m.

French wine in a British euph? That just doesn't sound right.

bitbckt · by **bitbckt** » 2023-12-23 10:59 a.m.

There’s nothing more British than French envy.

ghmerrill · by **ghmerrill** » 2023-12-23 11:47 a.m.

Well, I suppose it's better than British wine in a French euphonium.

OneTon · 2023-12-23 3:04 p.m.

The Czech instrument valve specifies Mad Dog 20/20.

whitbey · by **whitbey** » 2023-12-27 4:58 a.m.

No French wine here.

The cheep stuff in a box at the grocery store. Less stuff to filter out. I used coffee filters back then.

Yes the Czech horn was a good price. But it is a solid horn. I put a lever on the tuning slide and had the receiver changed to hold a bass shank. Had the horn 30 years now and still love the way it plays.

LetItSlide · by **LetItSlide** » 2024-08-22 4:56 p.m.

Holton used to make some stuff called Trombone Slide Treatment (TST). I used it all through high school. It was excellent, so I thought at the time, and long-lasting. Can't get it any more.

MTbassbone · by **MTbassbone** » 2024-08-22 8:49 p.m.

I couldn't get past the smell of the Yamasnot. Trombotine for life....literally the tube will last for ever. There is a better chance the tube will fail before I run out of the product.

ghmerrill · by **ghmerrill** » 2024-08-23 8:17 a.m.

[quote="MTbassbone"]I couldn't get past the smell of the Yamasnot.[/quote]
Yamasnot has some odor? That's certainly escaped my notice. Now Blue Juice (beloved by many valved instrument players) has always had such a dreadful odor for me that I find it difficult to even sit next to someone using it. But people are sensitive to different things. I don't find the odor of Ballistol to be at all unpleasant, but my wife absolutely can't tolerate it to the point that if I use it in the house I have to clean up thoroughly afterwords, wipe down everything it's touched, and dispose of anything touched by it in my garage trash can.

OneTon · 2024-08-23 11:51 a.m.

This thread has real potential to break the current post record.

LetItSlide · by **LetItSlide** » 2024-08-26 4:54 p.m.

My problem with Trombotine when I tried it in college was that it broke down pretty fast, though it seemed quite good for the first couple of scales (ok maybe a little more playing than that). Not so with Holton TST.

bkessler's comment caught my eye, and I will probably try it: "...I haven't used water on my slides in years, but he suggested I not only do that, but put some Hetman Hydro-slide in with the water. The combination of that plus the Yamaha lubricant is pretty incredible. I may be a convert."

Bach5G · by **Bach5G** » 2024-08-26 4:57 p.m.

My main complaint about the Hydro slide was the overspray onto the carpets/floor of my practice space.

chouston3 · by **chouston3** » 2024-08-26 11:15 p.m.

I tried trombotine today after a few months of yamasnot. The trombotine works but it's not as good.

Bach5G · by **Bach5G** » 2024-08-26 11:38 p.m.

Horn Guys is selling:

AlphaSynth Trombone Hand Slide Lubricant

Is this something new or a rebranding of Superslik?

UrbanaDave · by **UrbanaDave** » 2024-08-27 6:58 a.m.

[quote="Bach5G"]Horn Guys is selling:

AlphaSynth Trombone Hand Slide Lubricant

Is this something new or a rebranding of Superslik?[/quote]

I’m also curious about this. :clever:

OneTon · by **OneTon** » 2024-08-27 7:37 a.m.

Steve Ferguson is evaluating Alpha Synth as a new unique product on HornGuys site. It looks like he compared

It to some other products. I keep seeing an endorsement by educators as “safe for use,” whatever that means.

BGuttman · by **BGuttman** » 2024-08-27 8:50 a.m.

I assume it means you won't poison yourself if you eat it. I remember my contemporaries eating paste when we were in Kindergarten.

Also, there are huge lists of products that have been reported as carcinogens and you have to report any potential hazards. See any Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) for examples. Here's one for a material we should all be familiar with: https://dhmo.org/msds/MSDS-DHMO-2007-ChemSafe.pdf

ghmerrill · by **ghmerrill** » 2024-08-27 9:58 a.m.

[quote="BGuttman"]Here's one for a material we should all be familiar with: ...[/quote]
Yeah, but the effects of that can be significantly diluted by previously or simultaneously drinking large quantities of Irish Whiskey (aka "the water of life"). However, NEVER mix the two in a container or glass.

OneTon · by **OneTon** » 2024-08-27 10:46 a.m.

[quote="BGuttman"]I assume it means you won't poison yourself if you eat it. I remember my contemporaries eating paste when we were in Kindergarten.

Also, there are huge lists of products that have been reported as carcinogens and you have to report any potential hazards. See any Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) for examples. Here's one for a material we should all be familiar with: https://dhmo.org/msds/MSDS-DHMO-2007-ChemSafe.pdf[/quote]

I looked for a Proposition 65 Warning but could find no label. I plan to refrigerate it after opening. Maybe right next to the Louisiana Hot Sauce. For anyone who hasn’t tried it, serving below room temperature is a must. Martha Stewart will never steer you wrong. This rivals chopped lIver pate, which should come with a Proposition 65 Warning.

LetItSlide · by **LetItSlide** » 2024-08-29 11:33 a.m.

[quote="BGuttman"]SuperSlick Plus can be used with a lot of different slide creams. I started using it with Trombotine on the advice of a colleague, and also used it with plain cold cream (old Pond's).[/quote]
For a little while now I've been putting drops of SuperSlick Plus (I think most understand this means the little bottle of liquid, not the jar of cream) in my spray bottle. This was working decently on top of small amounts of the SuperSlick cream (I always found less is more).

Then very recently I started using the Yamaha liquid. It's a big step up from SuperSlick cream.

The water with drops of SuperSlick Plus on top of the Yamaha lube doesn't seem to make anything worse. But just the Yamaha liquid is the best I've ever used. My slides are making me very happy.

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Finally upgraded my Slide lube.