More on the Chinese Schiller .547 with Trigger

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ttf_billepstein
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Joined: Sat Mar 31, 2018 11:59 am

More on the Chinese Schiller .547 with Trigger

Post by ttf_billepstein »

Two weeks now after delivery and the horn and I are breaking in nicely.

The coated with some-glutinous-sludge slide is now close to perfect; free and fast. Took some work. 3 one hour sessions with the cleaning rod and brass polish on the inners with many rinses just as the Slide Doctor do. Daily application of Super Slick Cream and Oil, the first 4 or 5 times cleaning off the inners with the rod after application and then re-applying before playing. Now it's just the once every few days normal routine.

There is a recently discovered "bubbled" patch of lacquer on the edge of the bell flare. Oh well.

Hetmans dripped on the valve rotor made the trigger a bit quicker and satisfactory.

Those 60 or so face muscles are coming around and my fears of .547, drawn from a bad experience with a Blessing B-88, have vanished. This horn can be made to sound warm or bold and the big (for me) bore makes the notes below the staff have more depth.
ttf_Elkhart 88H
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Joined: Sat Mar 31, 2018 12:00 pm

More on the Chinese Schiller .547 with Trigger

Post by ttf_Elkhart 88H »

I'm surprised that you had a bad experience with a Blessing B88.  The ones I've played have all been good or very good horns.  I'm currently using a 1991 B88R as a backup for my 1970 Conn 88H, and I enjoy playing it on the gigs where I choose to use it.

I'm glad to hear that your Schiller has good valve and slide action.  A tuba player friend of mine has a Schiller tuba that's about 10 years old, and he has more sticky valve problems with it in a typical rehearsal than I do in a typical month of playing my 1952 Reynolds Contempora euphonium.  Perhaps the Chinese company that makes Schiller brasses stepped up their game in response to customer complaints.
ttf_Tbonedude
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Joined: Sat Mar 31, 2018 11:59 am

More on the Chinese Schiller .547 with Trigger

Post by ttf_Tbonedude »

I thought I'd share my experience here- I bought a Schiller American Heritage closed-wrap trombone, nickel plated, through Jim Laabs in September 2017.

It survived a college marching season (including a trip from Ohio to Alabama and back in its supplied soft case under a bus) with only two small arrays of dents where the short f-att. tuning slide fell out and hit concrete (I had pulled both slides all the way out to get #E tuning, pulled the short one a little too far out). Otherwise the relatively thin metal is holding up fine, even against those flip-folders that clamp onto the bell. No sign of stress on the rotor knuckles from horn up/down movements. The finish is having durability issues with my body chemistry- the contact points are wearing out and oxidizing far quicker than expected.

My valve, tuning slides, and main slide all function very well. Mine did have a couple iffy solder joints that leaked a tiny bit in the valve tubing, but it was easily remedied. The only flaw in the finish is a small solder drip on one of the valve tubing crooks that was nickel-plated into place. For under $500, I couldn't be happier. It is very responsive and the low range can pop. Mine plays great in all ranges with a 1.5G (blah blah, bass mpc in a tenor... my face likes the rim) and even the no-name 5G that it came with does pretty good.
ttf_Tbonedude
Posts: 0
Joined: Sat Mar 31, 2018 11:59 am

More on the Chinese Schiller .547 with Trigger

Post by ttf_Tbonedude »

I thought I'd share my experience here- I bought a Schiller American Heritage closed-wrap trombone, nickel plated, through Jim Laabs in September 2017.

It survived a college marching season (including a trip from Ohio to Alabama and back in its supplied soft case under a bus) with only two small arrays of dents where the short f-att. tuning slide fell out and hit concrete (I had pulled both slides all the way out to get #E tuning, pulled the short one a little too far out). Otherwise the relatively thin metal is holding up fine, even against those flip-folders that clamp onto the bell. No sign of stress on the rotor knuckles from horn up/down movements. The finish is having durability issues with my body chemistry- the contact points are wearing out and oxidizing far quicker than expected.

My valve, tuning slides, and main slide all function very well. Mine did have a couple iffy solder joints that leaked a tiny bit in the valve tubing, but it was easily remedied. The only flaw in the finish is a small solder drip on one of the valve tubing crooks that was nickel-plated into place. For under $500, I couldn't be happier. It is very responsive and the low range can pop. Mine plays great in all ranges with a 1.5G (blah blah, bass mpc in a tenor... my face likes the rim) and even the no-name 5G that it came with does pretty good.
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