2B v Gilkes

[BBB]

I am looking to buy a quality lead trombone.

My work has me on a Shires 2RVE belled Bb/F and I also have a recently purchased well used but amazing 3B concert.

I have been doing a ton of big band playing recently and have always promised myself a quality small bore bone (not that the 3B isn't quality)

I have narrowed the choice down to a silver 2B and a Shires Gilkes. I live in Norway so trying the two instruments is next to impossible. I'm coming to Dallas in the autumn so will purchase then.

Any input (aside from you need to blow both horns) would be greatly appreciated.

I suppose I could always order both and return the one I don't want. I know the King site has a good return policy. (Is that ethically right to do?)

[Matt K]

Both horns are really solid designs. You’ll be hard pressed to go wrong either way imo. The Shires comes with modular leadpipes which makes it more customizable out of the box but the stock 2B pipe works great

[Rusty]

For a stand alone lead horn, I’d lean towards the 2B, the Gilkes, especially with the #3 leadpipe and deep Gilkes mouthpiece it was designed with is not quite as snappy. A mouthpiece and leadpipe change would dial things in a bit, but I haven’t played one outside of the factory configuration so can’t comment any further on how it would play.

[harrisonreed]

The 3B is also great for lead, just saying!

[OneTon]

I was a late comer to using 2b on lead. I wore out the slide on a YSL-653 (0.500). I got to where I was getting a nice West Coast Los Angeles or Las Vegas (Frank Sinatra) sound with it. My mentor was telling me to get a smaller bore. The brass 2b is plenty loud enough, and stays under and/or blends with a female singer or the saxophones ver well. And it retains rich harmonics over a wide range of dynamics. We have a lot of Count Basie, Duke Ellington, and 1950’s Frank Sinatra in our book. I can overdrive the 2b with a Mount Vernon 11C (very close to current production Bach 11C) and get an Ibanez Tube Sscreamer effect for rock and roll.

I have a 0.500 Shires that shortly preceded the Gilkes. I played it in a couple of rehearsals. It was good. I can play 3 back to back sets in the 2b and feel like I could still play a 4th if I had to. With a Gilkes it could be like Rocky: No rematch.

It took longer to get to where I could switch back and forth easily to large bore or bass in the same day with the 2b. I eventually got there in a few months. You don’t say whether you’re looking at Silversonic or silver plated. The post war through 1975 brass 2b with very good slides are still around for $1200 to $1500. Maybe a little more if you want or need a pretty one. Doug Bert at Brass Exchange in St Louis gets them as well as Dillon’s Music. Doug is also a Shires dealer. The 0.500 inch bore that Doug loves right now is the Schilke built Greenhoe. They seem to sell about as fast as he gets them. The smaller bore Bart van Lier by Kuhnl & Hoyer horns are probably very close to the Silversonic 2b and are a bit cheaper. I have one of those. Good luck.

[harrisonreed]

I have been able to spend some time on a brass 2B lately while my 3B was in the shop. They're great, easy to play. I think for me the tradeoff is that you get a bit of an easier time up high on the 2B at the expense of some warmth, smoothness, and of course ease in the lower register. I also prefer the Silversonics, so maybe the 2B SS would be perfect for me on lead.