Shires .508 - .525 dual bore slide

[Bach5G]

Has anyone tried one of these? Impressions?

[Matt K]

They are fantastic slides; massively underrated. I had a T0825GLW that I still kick myself for selling. If it was a T0825YLW I would probably still own it and may even still be in the Shires ecosystem for that size.

They're very easy to play and are a great balance with the otherwise "larger" bell sections that are endemic of the contemporary medium bore landscape. I sold mine because it wasn't as good at commercial stuff as a slightly smaller rhorn I had and I was doing more large ensemble playing at the time. Had I been doing more of what I'm doing now, which seldom emphasizes large ensemble playing and is typically chamber or some blend of commercial and classical, it may be my go-to slide. I have a Getzen 525/525 that I'm probably going to convert to this bore size, although it's going to be really similar since I have a Shires 7YLW8 bell on that horn.

[timbone]

I would like to try that slide. An issue for manufacturing is designing an end crook to accommodate both bore sizes; if you think in Bach terms, compare a 16 slide to a 36 and you see what I mean. Generally the 36 will take 42 size barrels and hand grips. Having said that, intonation could be tricky too. How many of you have played a straight tenor- where the tuning slide is pulled out much further than "normal"- to be in tune? That has to do with slide geometry. I think Mick Rath did a dual bore too?

[Posaunus]

They are fantastic slides; massively underrated.

Underrated (by whom?) or merely underappreciated?
Or unknown (and never tried) by most of us?

[Matt K]

They are fantastic slides; massively underrated.

Underrated (by whom?) or merely underappreciated?
Or unknown (and never tried) by most of us?

All of the above!