TromboneChat

I’m currently making a transition to a bass slide on my tenor because it seems to work better for me.

I’m curious if anyone has any experience comparing a dual bore 547/562 compared to a single bore 562 (especially with a tenor bell). What are some differences, pros/cons about each? Thanks

IMO, the .562 is a red herring. It feels good for a while but it takes too much out of you in the long run. Jay was only using one because of the awful acoustics in his hall, not because it was overall the best choice for a principal trombonist. One of my old teachers played the Friedman setup for a while and loved it... until he tried a tenor slide again and ditched the bass slide forever.

I have a nickel .547/.562, it's pretty cool, but I don't think I'd want to use that on principal either. It plays great but why use more effort when you don't need to?

I played the Holton 156 with the 562 bottom sljde for a couple of years. I was playing 1st in a pretty good large community orchestra. The power was fantastic, you just have to question if that's what you need. I don't play with big groups anymore, so I don't play anything nearly that big.

I'm with Burgerbob on the straight 562 just being too much for general orchestral lead playing.

Thanks Aidan.

Well what I know so far is the 42 slide isn’t working for me, I’m tending to overblow and over articulate everything. Bass slide is an improvement, high range and soft playing is fine, but wondering if the dual bore is a better idea than a full out bass slide.

BrianJohnston wrote: Thu Jun 26, 2025 1:44 pm Thanks Aidan.

Well what I know so far is the 42 slide isn’t working for me, I’m tending to overblow and over articulate everything. Bass slide is an improvement, high range and soft playing is fine, but wondering if the dual bore is a better idea than a full out bass slide.

Brian, you have mad chops and a great sound concept- so to me it sounds like you are searching for an equipment solution to a approach problem. You might be able to relax behind the horn and the .547 will be just right.

Burgerbob wrote: Thu Jun 26, 2025 12:56 pmI have a nickel .547/.562, it's pretty cool, but I don't think I'd want to use that on principal either. It plays great but why use more effort when you don't need to?

That's very interesting to me.
My Adams has a 547/562 slide and it feels too much work and I don't like my sound on it.
Since I've been promoted to principal in my symphony orchestra, it might be the time for me to switch to a single bore slide (either on that horn or on another).

I briefly owned a 547./.562 Edwards slide. It felt good at first, and didn't hurt my upper range (or really improve the lower range either). I ditched it after a fairly short time (a month or 6 weeks?). I just felt like it took away some color in the sound, and sometimes, especially in an orchestra that is smaller than Chicago/New York etc., it's really nice to get some brilliance at a single forte. Dave Findlayson played a custom made (BrassLab) dual bore Bach slide for a while in the NYP, but he ended up going the other direction to a .547 Yamaha. I even moved away from the .562 crook slide, although it was a good fit for a while. Everything is a compromise, and sometimes your priorities change.

Jim Scott

Never used on tenor but on bass 547/562 don't like on bass...
On tenor 525 or 547 ...not dual...on small tenor ok 495/509

Brian, you should branch out and away from Jay Friedman's equipment ideas. Do a complete reset. I know you're actively employed and probably can't make crazy changes, but you should try playing on anything other than Bach and Jay's mouthpieces (if you still play those) for a few months, and then reassess.

Putting half a bass trombone on your tenor is not the way.

BrianJohnston wrote: Thu Jun 26, 2025 1:44 pm Well what I know so far is the 42 slide isn’t working for me, I’m tending to overblow and over articulate everything.

This could also just be that you don't mesh with that particular 42 slide, rather than an issue of bore size. Do you have any other .547 slides to try (Shires/Edwards/other 42/etc.), and/or leadpipes?

Also, if you're finding yourself over-articulating on that slide specifically, maybe a gold or rose brass outer slide would help. I find the difference between yellow and gold/rose outers pretty striking in terms of articulations specifically.

I had a Bach 42B with a lightweight nickel silver slide on trial for a while back. I also had s 50B lightweight nickel silver slide so I could A/B test.. The difference was surprisingly small! The 42 slide was slightly easier to "manipulate" and slightly easier tomake different sounds on.. If You find that the 562 slide is an easier blow for You ,go for it. I tend to go for the 547 slide because of slightly more colours to the sound. The mouthpiece Friedman plays on is ,while big has an efficient throat and backbore ,making it easier to cope with the big slide without making it sound like a bass .What piece do You play? I play a Friedman piece, but I have had it plugged and redrilled to an even smaller '250 throat. Even better softs ,and no problem centering the sound on a 562..

Not sure if your endorsement of Bach equipment precludes you from other makes of slides.
If you can, try a different Bach slide.
Maybe an Edwards or Shires slide?

Guys, thanks for the advice. I did switch to another 42 slide, an LT and got a more open lead pipe.

I did keep the bass slide too, because it works when playing 2nd or 3rd parts.