Ring for bass slide?

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Elow
Posts: 1924
Joined: Mar 02, 2020

by Elow »

Has anyone added a ring to their bass slide? My hands aren’t the biggest and it hurts to stretch all the way to the leadpipe. The only problem i would think is having room for the leadpipe to be taken out. I have an unnamed mouthpiece that i cut chop up and use for a ring.
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Crazy4Tbone86
Posts: 1654
Joined: Jan 14, 2020

by Crazy4Tbone86 »

I wouldn't use a mouthpiece for that. Use a 3rd valve finger ring from the push rod of a trumpet. You can even keep some of the straight rod on it for more surface area. If you are concerned about being too close to the leadpipe/mouthpiece receiver, you should solder it on the brace.
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HawaiiTromboneGuy
Posts: 1025
Joined: Sep 03, 2018

by HawaiiTromboneGuy »

This Williams I bought from Noah has an added ring. Helps quite a bit with this horn.
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greenbean
Posts: 1958
Joined: Mar 23, 2018

by greenbean »

I bet just about any tech will have a few rings kicking around.

This is how King did them:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/xsYEWfdsFQ3uBBF9A
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Elow
Posts: 1924
Joined: Mar 02, 2020

by Elow »

So i got bored and went ahead and did it. Cut the mouthpiece rim with a dremel and that little piece the separates ring from leadpipe is from the cup of the mouthpiece. Took a lot of time with the dremel so my neighbors might hate me because it’s 10 at night but oh well. I kind of like it, only spent a couple of minutes with it so i’ll report on if it helps tomorrow.
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Elow
Posts: 1924
Joined: Mar 02, 2020

by Elow »

[quote="HawaiiTromboneGuy"]This Williams I bought from Noah has an added ring. Helps quite a bit with this horn.[/quote]

That looks like a cozy room. Love the plants
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Bonearzt
Posts: 833
Joined: Mar 22, 2018

by Bonearzt »

Nice job!
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bass
Posts: 5
Joined: Apr 26, 2020

by bass »

How hard was it to cut all those parts with a dremel?
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Elow
Posts: 1924
Joined: Mar 02, 2020

by Elow »

[quote="bass"]How hard was it to cut all those parts with a dremel?[/quote]

Well pretty hard. I used a drill bit in the dremel and drilled a bunch on holes right under the rim and use a jewelers saw to cut through all of it. Went through a couple blades though so probably not the best way to do it.
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Crazy4Tbone86
Posts: 1654
Joined: Jan 14, 2020

by Crazy4Tbone86 »

Sounds like it was a lot of work. However, that is a very solid ring and should hold up very well. It's the final product that always counts. Nice job!
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Crazy4Tbone86
Posts: 1654
Joined: Jan 14, 2020

by Crazy4Tbone86 »

The photo that HawaiiTromboneGuy posted reminded of something. I installed a ring on a bass trombone one time that was a thumb ring from a Jupiter baritone. I believe the part was about $4.00, but that was several years ago.
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PhilTrombone
Posts: 161
Joined: Nov 06, 2018

by PhilTrombone »

I have been thinking about doing this on my 62H. Elow, does the ring dig into your index finger? I am thinking about a large ring, to it can be padded a bit.
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Elow
Posts: 1924
Joined: Mar 02, 2020

by Elow »

[quote="PhilTrombone"]I have been thinking about doing this on my 62H. Elow, does the ring dig into your index finger? I am thinking about a large ring, to it can be padded a bit.[/quote]

No, it’s quite comfortable to hold. But i did spend like 5 minutes just sanding it down.
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Elow
Posts: 1924
Joined: Mar 02, 2020

by Elow »

[quote="Crazy4Tbone86"]Sounds like it was a lot of work. However, that is a very solid ring and should hold up very well. It's the final product that always counts. Nice job![/quote]

Yeah, probably would have been a lot easier with the right tools.
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timothy42b
Posts: 1812
Joined: Mar 27, 2018

by timothy42b »

[quote="Elow"]<QUOTE author="bass" post_id="118344" time="1593618356" user_id="9167">
How hard was it to cut all those parts with a dremel?[/quote]

Well pretty hard. I used a drill bit in the dremel and drilled a bunch on holes right under the rim and use a jewelers saw to cut through all of it. Went through a couple blades though so probably not the best way to do it.
</QUOTE>

That was creative, if the hard way to do it.

I saw something similar done at larger scale in Germany. Warning, almost totally off topic story follows.

I was visiting a closed German military base and got invited to visit a museum one of the locals had created out of an old ammunition plant compound. He had a tank in one of the garages. I don't know much about German armor from WWII so I couldn't tell you the model. Over in the corner was a pile of worn out drill bits and cut off saw blades, a big pile.

This was about the time that somebody in the US stole a tank or APC, got on the freeway, and the police had trouble stopping him. In response, the German government told this museum guy he could only keep the tank if he cut a window through the armor at the front of the tank. That armor is hardened steel, about a foot thick, and he had to cut a window through it about 18 inches square. I asked him why he didn't use a torch; he said it was an operational tank with fluids, fuel, hydraulic hoses, electrical connections, etc. So he and his retired buddies and some beer met out there for two years solid and drilled many many holes and used a cutoff saw to connect them.
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SlideCrook
Posts: 85
Joined: May 11, 2020

by SlideCrook »

For a not so permanent approach, you can solder your ring of choice to the clamping section of a lyre and place it on the slide brace, with some plastic tubing underneath if needed to prevent scratches or to help make it fit.

Contact Dan Stevens at Don Wilson Music in Lexington, KY, he sells them for ~$10 and are perfect for your younger students.
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BGuttman
Posts: 7368
Joined: Mar 22, 2018

by BGuttman »

I should point out that because of the cork barrel design, that won't fit a King 2B, 3B, etc.
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bigbandbone
Posts: 602
Joined: Jan 17, 2019

by bigbandbone »

If anyone is thinking of doing this I would suggest using a Sousa or tuba thumb ring or tuba strap ring. It would have to be modified a little but would be substantial and comfortable.
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Elow
Posts: 1924
Joined: Mar 02, 2020

by Elow »

[quote="bigbandbone"]If anyone is thinking of doing this I would suggest using a Sousa or tuba thumb ring or tuba strap ring. It would have to be modified a little but would be substantial and comfortable.[/quote]

I thought about it and looked at how big the ring on a trashed up fiberglass sousa was and it was massive and thick compared to what i got. Those are meant for thick thumbs which my index finger is not. It could be good for someone with big hands, but then why even have a ring.
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bigbandbone
Posts: 602
Joined: Jan 17, 2019

by bigbandbone »

[quote="Elow"]<QUOTE author="bigbandbone" post_id="118483" time="1593708872" user_id="4328">
If anyone is thinking of doing this I would suggest using a Sousa or tuba thumb ring or tuba strap ring. It would have to be modified a little but would be substantial and comfortable.[/quote]

I thought about it and looked at how big the ring on a trashed up fiberglass sousa was and it was massive and thick compared to what i got. Those are meant for thick thumbs which my index finger is not. It could be good for someone with big hands, but then why even have a ring.
</QUOTE>

I usually cut a section out and silver solder it back together to reduce the diameter. But the profile of the ring itself is comfortable to hold for long rehearsals and gigs.
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Slidemo
Posts: 144
Joined: Apr 11, 2018

by Slidemo »

<LINK_TEXT text="https://trombonechat.com/viewtopic.php? ... 37#p112337">https://trombonechat.com/viewtopic.php?f=16&t=14838&p=112337#p112337</LINK_TEXT>

See the pics from a different post on lead-pipe adapters. You can clearly see a finger ring that doesn't interfere with the screw in pipe.

This setup allows for a number of comfortable hand positions.