TromboneChat

How much lighter is 100g of nickel than 100g of brass?

But seriously... I've never played a nickel slide. What's the weight difference between a Bach 36 or 42 slide and their LT counterparts? Or for any other brand that offers a lightweight version? Does it really make a noticable difference?

quiethorn wrote: Mon Jan 31, 2022 12:53 am How much lighter is 100g of nickel than 100g of brass?

But seriously... I've never played a nickel slide. What's the weight difference between a Bach 36 or 42 slide and their LT counterparts? Or for any other brand that offers a lightweight version? Does it really make a noticable difference?

https://trombonechat.com/viewtopic.php?t=12435

Difference is usually somewhere around 40g.

Not all nickel slides are lightweight, of course, and it's sometimes less obvious because they can have thicker-drawn sleeves at the top rather than separate oversleeves.

Big difference, but varies... loosens up the feel, faster but lighter attacks, ergonomic considerations, mystery factors

Swap a 2B outer for a Jiggs (King 481/491 have same stocking sizes) and tell me that the sound isn't cheaper and worse in every way. Martin Urbie sounds great despite super LW bell section - I'm certain the standard weight slide has something to do with that. But the reverse (heavier bell and LW slide) works perfectly in other examples.

One of the big differences is the lack of oversleeves, at least weight wise.

Interestingly, nickel silver is not lighter than brass. Depending on the exact alloys, their density is in the same range, with nickel silver slightly more dense on average.

A nickel silver slide built the same way as a standard slide would not be lightweight. The reason LW slides are made from nickel silver is the metal is less ductile and so doesn't have to be as thick to be as rigid, so you can use slightly less material. Also typically doesn't need oversleeves. If you take out the oversleeves on a brass slide, it won't be much heavier than a nickel silver LW slide.

Cool, that's interesting info.

The average weight reduction might only be 40g or so. But the reduction is entirely in the outer slide. So, a lightweight slide will feel quicker and more nimble. That is my experience, anyway.

To give a frame of reference, I recall from high school physics class that an American nickel (coin) weighs approximately 5 grams.

Having a light quick slide may reveal how sluggish is the imagination required to compose licks sufficient to utilize the quick slide's capability.