TromboneChat

It has been mentioned here more than once that the 8h requires a double jointed left thumb to hold comfortably. What if you put a thumb ring in the middle of the bell brace such that the left thumb were in a better position (and cut a section out of the brace to make way for the thumb and the ring). Has anyone tried something like this to make the 8h a more glorious and less painful instrument?

8H has a bell brace that's really far back, uncomfortably so. Shires straight large bores have a little thumb rest, almost like an F attachment paddle to solve this.

The bell brace could be slightly further forward, but really it's the fault of the slide geometry. There's no need for the tenon threads to be that far above the inner slide cross brace, but it's mirrored from the length needed on the mouthpiece side for the particular way they fit the inner tube below the leadpipe ...but you don't want to rebuild the slide if you're using it with an 88H too.

Have you tried a bullet brace/ax handle? If there isn't enough clearance above the thumb, the best solution would be a Z-cranked bell brace landing even further back on the slide receiver, giving enough clearance to position the adjustable thumb rest properly.

(Or can you just hold it without the thumb trying to reach the brace, like you would on a trad German trombone? If the counterweight balance is good that grip can be surprisingly comfortable.)

Bullet brace won't work because avoiding the bell brace brings the thumb too far forward. Changing the slide brace would be a job plus as mentioned, I use the slide with 88h and I have 547 and 525 slides. A reverse Z offset in the bell brace would allow a bullet brace in front.

I was thinking cutting out a section of the brace and putting a euph or tuba thumb ring in there would be simpler and kind of slick.

I actually do have double jointed thumbs, but the 8h still spreads my hand uncomfortably. i do a combination of just letting it be uncomfortable an resting the tenon area on the heel of my thumb. Just hoping there was another non-surgical solution.

The ring could look neat, but it wouldn't buy you a huge distance, and the curve and thinness might not be as comfortable as a tube.

The reverse Z isn't much different in terms of work - it's the same joints that need taking apart either way - and then you have adjustability from the bullet.

Either way, I feel your pain... my 156 has the same issue, though in that case it's the brace being mounted at the back of the slide receiver for no obvious reason. I might just cut down the neckpipe at some point and move the receiver back. The bell on the 156 is 7/8" closer to your face than on the 159, so it would also make switching between them easier.

I have modded all of my 8H slides so that the inner slide brace is closer to the bell brace. This can be done by removing about 1/2 to 3/4 inch below the male slide tenon. Then again, this mod is necessary because I have put wider crooks on Conn 8H/88H slides, which makes them play flat (prior to removing the tubing).

The result is a much more comfortable 8H.

ithinknot wrote: ↑Wed May 24, 2023 1:40 am The bell brace could be slightly further forward, but really it's the fault of the slide geometry. There's no need for the tenon threads to be that far above the inner slide cross brace, but it's mirrored from the length needed on the mouthpiece side for the particular way they fit the inner tube below the leadpipe ...but you don't want to rebuild the slide if you're using it with an 88H too.

Actually, I use my slides so rarely with an 88H that I have not noticed if the ergonomics are off with the shorter inner slide on the tenon side. I have also changed my 88H bell to a Bach lever. Possibly that is why I haven't noticed any problems?

Another problem with my "solution" is that it would probably make any 8H slide with the original-width crook play somewhat sharp.