TromboneChat

I've used a combo of Superslick Slide Cream and Slide Treatment Plus for years. Recently I had to get more Slide Treatment Plus in the little white bottle with red writing. When I ordered it at my local music store, it came on a slightly bigger, transparent bottle with blue writing. It all looked the same on the instructions and descriptions. However, it is not the same viscosity. It was thicker than I am used to and made my slide sluggish. Has Superslick changed their formula, or is the one with the blue writing actually different? Do you know where I can get the white bottle with red writing in Canada? I've used the Yamaha Slide Treatment stuff, but I don't find it works as well for me. Anyone have the same issues with Superslick Slide Treatment Plus recently? Has anyone found an equally effective formula?

I have been using the same combo as you for years. This is the small bottle:

https://www.hickeys.com/music/brass/tro ... atment.php

I see there is also this stuff available nowadays:

https://www.hickeys.com/music/brass/tro ... thetic.php

It says the Alpha synth is meant to be used alone, not with slide cream. Perhaps this is the issue. Either use Alpha alone or order the older stuff for yourself.

Looks like AlphaSynth is SuperSlick's answer to Yamaha & Rapid Comfort all-in-one slide lubes.

PhilTrombone wrote: ↑Tue Mar 14, 2023 7:58 am I have been using the same combo as you for years. This is the small bottle:

https://www.hickeys.com/music/brass/tro ... atment.php

I see there is also this stuff available nowadays:

https://www.hickeys.com/music/brass/tro ... thetic.php

It says the Alpha synth is meant to be used alone, not with slide cream. Perhaps this is the issue. Either use Alpha alone or order the older stuff for yourself.

The first one you sent is the one I got, and it is thicker. I've not tried the Alpha.

Apparently SuperSlick Plus is the relabeled successor to the old Conn Formula 3 (silicon oil - very thin). I guess they must have changed the formula recently.
I stopped using slide creams years ago, and am very happy with the current all-in-one lubes (Yamaha, Rapid Comfort, Ultra Pure) for all my slides - even the vintage ones!

Apparently the small bottle from Slide-O-Mix is pretty close to the Superslick Plus or Formula 3 additive. Nowadays you can buy it alone; used to be sold as a kit (1 small bottle and 1 big bottle).

FWIW/IME on slides that prefer cream to 'modern stuff' alone, Yamaha does a better job in conjunction with Superslick Cream than the little Plus bottle ever did... discussed in great and tedious detail here

ithinknot wrote: ↑Tue Mar 14, 2023 11:23 am FWIW/IME on slides that prefer cream to 'modern stuff' alone, Yamaha does a better job in conjunction with Superslick Cream than the little Plus bottle ever did... discussed in great and tedious detail here

Agreed. I’ve started using Trombotine + one drop of Yamaha on most of my slides.

ithinknot wrote: ↑Tue Mar 14, 2023 11:23 am FWIW/IME on slides that prefer cream to 'modern stuff' alone, Yamaha does a better job in conjunction with Superslick Cream than the little Plus bottle ever did... discussed in great and tedious detail here

I just tried the Superslick Yamaha combo and it seems to work pretty well. I will definitely be keeping my eyes open for a bottle of the old Superslick treatment plus though.

SGBone801 wrote: ↑Tue Mar 14, 2023 4:08 pm

ithinknot wrote: ↑Tue Mar 14, 2023 11:23 am FWIW/IME on slides that prefer cream to 'modern stuff' alone, Yamaha does a better job in conjunction with Superslick Cream than the little Plus bottle ever did... discussed in great and tedious detail here

I just tried the Superslick Yamaha combo and it seems to work pretty well. I will definitely be keeping my eyes open for a bottle of the old Superslick treatment plus though.

If you can't get the Superslick Plus (silicone additive) you can probably do just as well buying only the Slide-O-Mix "small bottle" (10mL - "337SBR Slide-O-Mix Trombone Lubricant - Small, Regular") which, as Bruce noted, is now sold separately so you don't have to purchase the entire 2-bottle (50mL + 10mL) Slide-O-Mix kit (337). I think this silicone formulation is probably pretty similar to the Superslick Plus (née Conn Formula 3) silicone additive. Typical retail price ~$8.00.

I recently came back to the trombone so I can't say if the red bottle worked better, but I agree that the blue bottle stuff doesn't work for me. It's fine at first but after a few minutes the slide gets very sluggish. I found this on more than one horn. My guess is that it is causing too much surface tension with the water on the slide which overfills the gap between the inner and outer slide and causes the resistance.

FWIW - I gave up on the super slick cream and now love Yamasnot.

Great thread! After a lot of trial and error I found that Trombotine worked best on my TR180 slide. Yamasnot made it sluggish.
After reading this thread I added one drop of Yamasnot to the Trombotine. I was amazed. All the way through a 2 hour rehearsal and I did not have to spray it with water at all!