antique tuning slide with wingnut

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AtomicClock
Posts: 337
Joined: Thu Oct 19, 2023 8:01 pm
Location: USA

antique tuning slide with wingnut

Post by AtomicClock »

This auction for an antique trombone shows an interesting mechanism on the tuning slide. I guess a wingnut keeps it in place, rather than the normal friction. Do you think it was manufactured that way? Or just a repair hack?

Maybe it is so you can go from high pitch to low pitch without swapping the slide -- just pull the slide so far out that friction can't do the job.


https://www.auctionninja.com/waterbury- ... 50042.html
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ghmerrill
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Joined: Mon Apr 02, 2018 4:41 pm
Location: Central North Carolina

Re: antique tuning slide with wingnut

Post by ghmerrill »

Some mechanism to facilitate switching between high pitch and low pitch?

Very difficult to believe that it's needed for the slide to stay in the instrument. That would imply potential problems with air tightness -- and there's no reason that the fit should be so loose anyway. It may be that some parts (stop blocks?) are missing.
Gary Merrill
Amati Oval Euph
1924 Buescher 3-valve Eb tuba
Schiller American Heritage 7B clone bass trombone
M/K nickel MV50 leadpipe
DE LB K/K8/110 Lexan
1947 Olds "Standard" trombone (Bach 12c)
hornbuilder
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Joined: Wed May 02, 2018 9:20 pm

Re: antique tuning slide with wingnut

Post by hornbuilder »

I really doubt that is original
Matthew Walker
Owner/Craftsman, M&W Custom Trombones, LLC, Jackson, Wisconsin.
Former Bass Trombonist, Opera Australia, 1991-2006
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ghmerrill
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Joined: Mon Apr 02, 2018 4:41 pm
Location: Central North Carolina

Re: antique tuning slide with wingnut

Post by ghmerrill »

I have a third valve kicker on my 1924 tuba that's not original -- and I know that because I put it there. :roll: Many valved instruments of those times were capable of playing either high or low pitch (whatever those specific designations may have meant, and there were several alternatives) by means of interchangeable tuning slides. If you were in a situation where sometimes you had to play one and other times you had to play another, a quick way of changing was desirable.
Gary Merrill
Amati Oval Euph
1924 Buescher 3-valve Eb tuba
Schiller American Heritage 7B clone bass trombone
M/K nickel MV50 leadpipe
DE LB K/K8/110 Lexan
1947 Olds "Standard" trombone (Bach 12c)
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