King Silver Tone

[JLivi]

One of my buddy's just bought a King Silver Tone trombone today while he was in Cleveland. He stopped in a shop to get his 2b fixed, while on the road, and came across the silver tone. I told him to buy a backup and he ended up with this

Does anyone have any information about this horn? Here's what my friend found out with little research. We're not sure how true any of it is.

- if slides have the lions head on them they were made between 1894-1915 by White himself
- dual bore?

Photos:

[BGuttman]

Find the site www.hnwhite.com. They have King literature from the H.N. White era of Kings.

The double brace (straight and C-shaped) is the 1910 Patent. I have two horns with that slide brace (High Pitch and Low Pitch) but they predate the curved bell brace. I believe one of mine (the Low Pitch) dates to 1915.

These are pretty small bore horns. The soldered on stockings often make for a somewhat sluggish slide. Friction fit means watch out if you are playing a lot of mutes. I've pushed mine apart at some really uncomfortable times.

Note that Sears also made a Silver Tone trombone, but it doesn't have the curved bell brace and the bell is not silver. There was a trademark suit from this and King lost. Thus was born the Silver Sonic.

[tbonesullivan]

How "low pitch" are the low pitch trombones? Would that need to be cut down to play in a modern setting?

Nice horn though! Lots of research potential.

[BGuttman]

Low Pitch was just a shade flat. Probably around A=435 rather than 440. I can get better in tune using my High Pitch bell with the Low Pitch slide (and I pull the tuning slide out a bit). The slide action is so bad on it that I don't like to play it much, though.

[imsevimse]

My King Silvertone is from 1934 and has been given a modified 2b slide with a Conn receiver to fit the old female receiver on the bell. This horn once belonged to the Scandinavian trombone player Vincent Nilsson. I know the slide was modified instead of the bell section to keep the bell as close as possible to original. The old bell works very well with the replaced slide. This is probably something your friend could do to make the horn a player again. To have a dual bore King slide that fits Conn trombones also gives some ideas. I have tried the slide with an old Conn 6h bell with some success, a dual bore Conn 6h.

[HawaiiTromboneGuy]

Is this the same horn? https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre ... 3536673675

[JLivi]

Is this the same horn? https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre ... 3536673675

I believe so. I'm not really sure what his plan with the horn is. Turns out he didn't want it as a backup?

[Vegasbound]

Talk to DJ. He if the font of all knowledge on King

Silver tone was the pre lawsuit case for what became the silver sonic , check the hnwhite site and the serial number will give you the year