Slotting issues on my King3b

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davek
Posts: 27
Joined: Wed Jun 06, 2018 9:32 pm

Slotting issues on my King3b

Post by davek »

A few months ago I purchased a mid 1960’s King Silversonic. While I really love the horn, I really have troubles with a few notes that I think is described as not slotting well. When I try to play High Ab, the Gb partial below tries to sneak in. Similar for A and G below it, though not as bad. If I really work on centering the note, I can overcome it sometimes, but it’s an ongoing struggle. I have a King 3b from the 90’s that doesn’t have this symptom (or maybe it’s that much less that I haven’t noticed).
Can anyone offer advice? Is it just a quirk of this specific horn? I don’t know enough trombones to know how common it is.
Thanks for any ideas, etc.
ps. Wasn’t sure which forum to put this do apologies if this goes elsewhere.
Elow
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Re: Slotting issues on my King3b

Post by Elow »

Check if there’s a glob of solder in the tuning slide, one of colleagues is not a trombone player and left a glob of solder in a tuning slide and didn’t feel a difference. I did, felt like what you described
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Burgerbob
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Re: Slotting issues on my King3b

Post by Burgerbob »

Have you swapped slides? Tuning slides?
Aidan Ritchie, LA area player and teacher
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Doug Elliott
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Re: Slotting issues on my King3b

Post by Doug Elliott »

Definitely, swapping parts with another 3B is the best way to isolate the problem.
"I know a thing or two because I've seen a thing or two."
davek
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Re: Slotting issues on my King3b

Post by davek »

That’s an idea I had not even thought of. Thanks and stay tuned
Thrawn22
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Re: Slotting issues on my King3b

Post by Thrawn22 »

I had that problem with my 3B+.
6H (K series)
6H (early 60s)
4H/5H custom bell
78H ('53)
78H (K series)
78H/36BG /2547 slide
8H
88HN
71H (dependant valves)
72H
35H alto (K series)
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Burgerbob
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Re: Slotting issues on my King3b

Post by Burgerbob »

Thrawn22 wrote: Sat Jan 23, 2021 9:53 pm I had that problem with my 3B+.
Did you take the valve off of it first?
Aidan Ritchie, LA area player and teacher
Thrawn22
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Joined: Wed Sep 05, 2018 10:18 pm

Re: Slotting issues on my King3b

Post by Thrawn22 »

Burgerbob wrote: Sat Jan 23, 2021 10:14 pm
Thrawn22 wrote: Sat Jan 23, 2021 9:53 pm I had that problem with my 3B+.
Did you take the valve off of it first?
I didn't buy it with a valve to avoid that silliness (the silliness being King valves in general).

Funny thing, i had the boneyard make me an 88HO bell section for those times when i need to be seen with a valve.
6H (K series)
6H (early 60s)
4H/5H custom bell
78H ('53)
78H (K series)
78H/36BG /2547 slide
8H
88HN
71H (dependant valves)
72H
35H alto (K series)
davek
Posts: 27
Joined: Wed Jun 06, 2018 9:32 pm

Re: Slotting issues on my King3b

Post by davek »

Update: comments related to the tuning slide made me start there. Since COVID has prevented us from playing together, I hadn’t moved the tuning slide in months. I removed it fully, inspected things then reinserted. After firing up my tuner, I realized it was much further out now (separate question later). The problem seems either gone, or much better! I got out my newer brass 3b and compared. It has the tuning slide out quite a bit too.
Interestingly, when I had played with the position for Ab and A, I had tried moving the slide in and out some to see if tuning was the issue. Those experiments did not show improvement.
I think I will see how the next few days go.
Thanks for comments and ideas. I will drop back in a few days!
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greenbean
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Re: Slotting issues on my King3b

Post by greenbean »

Thrawn22 wrote: Sun Jan 24, 2021 10:34 am ...
Funny thing, i had the boneyard make me an 88HO bell section for those times when i need to be seen with a valve.
Did it have a stock 88HO valve?...
Tom in San Francisco
Currently playing...
Bach Corp 16M
Many French horns
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greenbean
Posts: 1784
Joined: Fri Mar 23, 2018 6:14 pm
Location: San Francisco

Re: Slotting issues on my King3b

Post by greenbean »

davek wrote: Sun Jan 24, 2021 11:04 am Update: comments related to the tuning slide made me start there. Since COVID has prevented us from playing together, I hadn’t moved the tuning slide in months. I removed it fully, inspected things then reinserted. After firing up my tuner, I realized it was much further out now (separate question later). The problem seems either gone, or much better! I got out my newer brass 3b and compared. It has the tuning slide out quite a bit too.
Interestingly, when I had played with the position for Ab and A, I had tried moving the slide in and out some to see if tuning was the issue. Those experiments did not show improvement.
I think I will see how the next few days go.
Thanks for comments and ideas. I will drop back in a few days!
Did you try using the newer tuning slide (on the older horn)?
Tom in San Francisco
Currently playing...
Bach Corp 16M
Many French horns
JerryY
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Joined: Tue May 08, 2018 5:30 am
Location: Western NY

Re: Slotting issues on my King3b

Post by JerryY »

Also check the leadpipe for corrosion. I had a corroding leadpipe one time that started to flake away and caused me to have focus and slotting issues. I took it in to get cleaned and ended up with a new leadpipe. It was amazing how easy was to play after that :)
Thrawn22
Posts: 1278
Joined: Wed Sep 05, 2018 10:18 pm

Re: Slotting issues on my King3b

Post by Thrawn22 »

greenbean wrote: Mon Jan 25, 2021 11:16 pm
Thrawn22 wrote: Sun Jan 24, 2021 10:34 am ...
Funny thing, i had the boneyard make me an 88HO bell section for those times when i need to be seen with a valve.
Did it have a stock 88HO valve?...
It's 2/3 Elkhart and 1/3 modern. The bell and tuning crook are Elkhart. The crook needed mass so i had John put a piece of brass on the outer part like the early 88Hs. They bell i got off of ebay and it looks like a late 60s bell. The valve section was an Ebay find. After receiving it i found that there were some defects that the seller didn't disclose. It was a traditional wrap that i had John open up in the tradition of Minick.

I send pics if ya want.
6H (K series)
6H (early 60s)
4H/5H custom bell
78H ('53)
78H (K series)
78H/36BG /2547 slide
8H
88HN
71H (dependant valves)
72H
35H alto (K series)
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