Gold leadpipe
Gold leadpipe
Well, since there’s been a bunch of discussion about leadpipes over the past 2 days, I’ll just put this out there: How much what a solid gold leadpipe cost, and what would the playing characteristics be like?
Last edited by ericcheng2005 on Tue Jul 07, 2020 10:45 pm, edited 1 time in total.
-
- Posts: 1897
- Joined: Mon Mar 02, 2020 6:18 am
Re: Gold leadpipe
“Solid gold, plating characteristics”... which one?
Re: Gold leadpipe
Meant playing characteristics, bad autocorrect

Last edited by ericcheng2005 on Wed Jul 08, 2020 10:40 pm, edited 1 time in total.
-
- Posts: 1897
- Joined: Mon Mar 02, 2020 6:18 am
Re: Gold leadpipe
Ah makes sense. I dont think anyone has played anything solid gold
- BGuttman
- Posts: 6784
- Joined: Thu Mar 22, 2018 7:19 am
- Location: Cow Hampshire
Re: Gold leadpipe
I don't think anybody's made one of solid gold. If you did get one, it would probably have to be installed and left in place. Gold is pretty easy to dent or bend.
Plus, if you managed to get somebody to make one for you it would probably cost as much as the trombone. You've probably got 2 troy ounces of gold in it.
Plus, if you managed to get somebody to make one for you it would probably cost as much as the trombone. You've probably got 2 troy ounces of gold in it.
Bruce Guttman
Merrimack Valley Philharmonic Orchestra
"Almost Professional"
Merrimack Valley Philharmonic Orchestra
"Almost Professional"
- harrisonreed
- Posts: 5570
- Joined: Fri Aug 17, 2018 12:18 pm
- Location: Fort Riley, Kansas
- Contact:
Re: Gold leadpipe
It would be rendered useless after putting your mouthpiece in a few times. Wobbly. It would probably cost thousands of dollars, because here is what one ounce of gold actually looks like:

-
- Posts: 1115
- Joined: Tue May 08, 2018 2:05 am
- Location: Los Angeles, California
Re: Gold leadpipe
Besides being wobbly and easy deformed (depending on the karat) there's the chance it could just play like trash because of how dense gold is. Granted... Flutes use solid gold for things but I really don't know how well that would work for a trombone leadpipe.harrisonreed wrote: ↑Tue Jul 07, 2020 11:39 pm It would be rendered useless after putting your mouthpiece in a few times. Wobbly. It would probably cost thousands of dollars, because here is what one ounce of gold actually looks like:
![]()
Could also be a pain to draw a leadpipe depending on the karat. Too high a karat and it'll be too soft too low a karat and it'll be too hard. I'm not sure there's a goldilocks karat there. The leadpipe has to be pretty thin unlike flute bodies or head joints...
Rath R1, Rath R3, Rath R4, Rath R9, Minick Bass Trombone
- SwissTbone
- Posts: 1061
- Joined: Thu Mar 22, 2018 11:40 pm
- Contact:
Re: Gold leadpipe
Well at least that leadpipe would probably hold it's value... 

ƒƒ---------------------------------------------------ƒƒ
Like trombones? Head over to https://swisstbone.com/ to see some great vintage and custom horns!
Like trombones? Head over to https://swisstbone.com/ to see some great vintage and custom horns!
- elmsandr
- Posts: 1199
- Joined: Fri Mar 23, 2018 2:43 pm
- Location: S.E. Michigan
- Contact:
Re: Gold leadpipe
Because I was amused, I compared the mass of my Edwards B1SS to a troy oz of silver that I have. The leadpipe is a bit over about 1.6 oz, but that included the threaded ring, so probably just a hair over an oz is required for the leadpipe.harrisonreed wrote: ↑Tue Jul 07, 2020 11:39 pm It would be rendered useless after putting your mouthpiece in a few times. Wobbly. It would probably cost thousands of dollars, because here is what one ounce of gold actually looks like:
![]()
Only ~$1800/oz this morning. Do you want a leadpipe or an entire horn?
Cheers,
Andy
-
- Posts: 1378
- Joined: Wed Sep 05, 2018 10:18 pm
Re: Gold leadpipe
I know somebody who had his leadpipe gold plated and he said it didn't do much to the sound.
Like everyone else has said, a solid gold pipe would deform easily. I would say if you could make it a 2 piece pipe like a King or Yamaha then maybe you'd have something useable. But last i checked you can't solder anything to gold.
Like everyone else has said, a solid gold pipe would deform easily. I would say if you could make it a 2 piece pipe like a King or Yamaha then maybe you'd have something useable. But last i checked you can't solder anything to gold.
6H (K series)
Elkhart 60s' 6H bell/5H slide
78H (K series)
8H (N series bell w/ modern slide)
88HN
71H (dependant valves)
72H bell section (half moon)
35H alto (K series)
Boneyard custom .509 tenor
Elkhart 60s' 6H bell/5H slide
78H (K series)
8H (N series bell w/ modern slide)
88HN
71H (dependant valves)
72H bell section (half moon)
35H alto (K series)
Boneyard custom .509 tenor
- harrisonreed
- Posts: 5570
- Joined: Fri Aug 17, 2018 12:18 pm
- Location: Fort Riley, Kansas
- Contact:
Re: Gold leadpipe
Don't forget that gold already weighs quite a lot more than brass to begin with, so the weight of your leadpipe will already be less than the same volume and shape of gold.elmsandr wrote: ↑Wed Jul 08, 2020 8:36 am Because I was amused, I compared the mass of my Edwards B1SS to a troy oz of silver that I have. The leadpipe is a bit over about 1.6 oz, but that included the threaded ring, so probably just a hair over an oz is required for the leadpipe.
Only ~$1800/oz this morning. Do you want a leadpipe or an entire horn?
Cheers,
Andy
-
- Posts: 1679
- Joined: Tue Mar 27, 2018 5:51 am
- Location: central Virginia
Re: Gold leadpipe
The density of gold is roughly twice that of brass, so a leadpipe of gold would double the mass of the leadpipe.
I am not of the opinion that the materials themselves make a difference, but the added mass could. If so, it would probably be equally effective outside the slide, but that's a little tricky to do.
I am not of the opinion that the materials themselves make a difference, but the added mass could. If so, it would probably be equally effective outside the slide, but that's a little tricky to do.
- harrisonreed
- Posts: 5570
- Joined: Fri Aug 17, 2018 12:18 pm
- Location: Fort Riley, Kansas
- Contact:
Re: Gold leadpipe
Not if you have the golden lefreque plates of power!!
- BGuttman
- Posts: 6784
- Joined: Thu Mar 22, 2018 7:19 am
- Location: Cow Hampshire
Re: Gold leadpipe
How about a gold Pocket Rocket?

Bruce Guttman
Merrimack Valley Philharmonic Orchestra
"Almost Professional"
Merrimack Valley Philharmonic Orchestra
"Almost Professional"
-
- Posts: 1897
- Joined: Mon Mar 02, 2020 6:18 am
Re: Gold leadpipe
- BGuttman
- Posts: 6784
- Joined: Thu Mar 22, 2018 7:19 am
- Location: Cow Hampshire
Re: Gold leadpipe
The Pocket Rocket was a device you put in you pocket that supposedly improved your playing. It was a fad a few years ago. Looked like a wood block with a couple of metal cylinders sticking out of it.
Bruce Guttman
Merrimack Valley Philharmonic Orchestra
"Almost Professional"
Merrimack Valley Philharmonic Orchestra
"Almost Professional"
- elmsandr
- Posts: 1199
- Joined: Fri Mar 23, 2018 2:43 pm
- Location: S.E. Michigan
- Contact: