TromboneChat

I recently got a Conn 88H. Great player! I love the horn, but the slide is sooooooo heavy. I assume the action is fast with the slide weight. I've heard of people having trouble with it gumming up, and constantly having to swab it out to keep it dry. Is this a real problem?
How is the sound compared to the brass outer slide? Does it lose any protection or core?
I'm thinking of getting an outer slide for my 88H. Just getting people's thoughts and comments from experience with the slide.
Thanks,

It'll be lighter. But it won't sound anywhere near the same.

How much of a difference would it make in weight reduction if I have the over sleeves removed from the original outer slide? They’ve been removed from my 6H and it makes a huge difference.

I've had an 88H since I purchased it new in 1972. Slide still slips like a dream (after a Bruce Belo refresh). Moves as fast as I can push/pull it. If you have a problem with an 88H slide, it may need tech maintenance (cleaning, alignment, ...) or better regular hygiene.

Posaunus wrote: Thu Sep 04, 2025 10:03 pm I've had an 88H since I purchased it new in 1972. Slide still slips like a dream (after a Bruce Belo refresh). Moves as fast as I can push/pull it. If you have a problem with an 88H slide, it may need tech maintenance (cleaning, alignment, ...) or better regular hygiene.

The slide works great. 9.5 out of 10. It’s the weight, not the action. Really slick slide.

I bought an outer for my 88h, and I like the way it plays BETTER than the stock metal.

I got it for the lightness, but was happier that it responds for me very well.

It sounds different, but not in an appreciable way for me. Maybe if I start taking major orchestra auditions I’ll feel differently. Then again Jay Friedman and Doug Yeo were using them….

Sswann wrote: Fri Mar 13, 2026 10:52 pm I bought an outer for my 88h, and I like the way it plays BETTER than the stock metal.

I got it for the lightness, but was happier that it responds for me very well.

It sounds different, but not in an appreciable way for me. Maybe if I start taking major orchestra auditions I’ll feel differently. Then again Jay Friedman and Doug Yeo were using them….

Maybe your 88H slide is out of alignment, that will make it play worse.

I have an outer slide for my Lawler .500, and had a Butler C8 (.525) for quite a while. It took me some time to fine tune the lubrication where it didn't get that sticky feel. The trick was to clean the inner and swab the outer, then a teensy tiny amount of Berp Biolube, which Butler recommends, spread super thin on the inner's stocking. Then a drop of Yamaha, and work it in. It's fantastic then, and lasts a couple, maybe three days of heavy playing before getting sticky. As soon as it starts to slow down, treat it again.

How it sounds is personal preference. The main difference I found was in player feedback, definitely sounds a bit different to me, but the difference in listening to recording myself and other player's feedback was not as pronounced. It is a different blow which you have to adjust to.

Driswood wrote: Fri Sep 05, 2025 2:14 am The slide works great. 9.5 out of 10. It’s the weight, not the action. Really slick slide.

Not to get too technical, are you talking about weight or inertia? If the slide is horizontal, the mass of the outer slide is felt (only) as inertia—that has to be overcome in accelerating/decelerating between positions. If the slide is strongly angled down, the weight will have to be overcome, as well, when moving to shorter positions. Which is it that is bothering you?

It is strange that the carbon tubes get "sticky" with moisture, occasional swabbing & use of Yamasnot helps keep them slick.

As for sound, that is SOOO subjective!!!!!
I played an early model 6H and noticed it didn't have the "zing" I was used to hearing.
But the several players I'm fortunate enough to sit next to sound amazing with their Butler slides!

Anything you do to change the horn's weight and shape changes how it sounds, the Maiocco Grip I'm using with my Bach 50 changes the way it sounds and responds slightly, small wonder various tone enhancers and sound bridges have a market: They change something.

Still, Butler slides are clearly not any kind of cure-ail, nor are they for everyone: They come up for sale on the secondary market fairly regularly.