Teflon tape on wobbly leadpipe?

[Chatname]

I have one or two pull ring leadpipes that sit quite loose in the slide. Does it matter for sound and playing quality?
I’ve seen Teflon tape being suggested for loose mouthpieces, would that be something to use for this situation as well (if it matters)? Wrapping a little tape where the venturi is the shallowest, or in the beginning where it’s inserted?
And why Teflon tape instead of other tapes, what’s the benefit?
Any insights appreciated! Thank you!

[Matt K]

I recommend having a tech add a ring to the top of it and see if they can add a little thickness to the top so it don't want to move, but still comes out easily and you have some "grip" to pull it out if youw ant.

[hyperbolica]

I'd only put tape at the contact points to wedge the pipe mechanically. Teflon tape has no adhesive, it's non-reactive, soft and cheap. It's better if the pipe fits right, obviously, but as a temporary fix, the Teflon tape works.

[OneTon]

Renold Schilke was very picky about mouthpiece and leadpipe fit up. Not fixing it properly will most probably result in inconsistent results. Teflon tape keeps “crushing” and fills better than adhesive tapes that are designed for shear strength and get hard when compressed. Teflon tape is a temporary fix suitable for trying a leadpipe out. Fix it or get a leadpipe that fits.

[brassmedic]

If it's loose at the bottom end where the pipe inserts into the slide tube, it could potentially leak, and that could be a problem. If it's only loose at the receiver end where the ring is, it doesn't really matter, except to the extent that some players seem to be irritated by that. Your trombone was designed to have a soldered in leadpipe, and that leadpipe was removed, so you're rarely going to have a perfect fit with anything that's not soldered in place. So if it bugs you that it's "wobbly", teflon tape will fix that. But is tape necessary to make the instrument play correctly? No. And you only need the tape at the top end of the pipe. There is no good reason to wrap tape around the venturi section.

[Chatname]

Your trombone was designed to have a soldered in leadpipe, and that leadpipe was removed, so you're rarely going to have a perfect fit with anything that's not soldered in place.

Thank you all!
Brad, a question regarding soldering: I have another trombone, my main instrument, where the leadpipe fits very well and I love how it plays and never switch it; would you recommend soldering it for even better playing characteristics, or does it not matter?

[Matt K]

The benefit to soldering includes:

1) The "psychological" benefit that there is now a changing cost of both time and money so you'd be less inclined to switch pipes - so you would do this is if your tinkering is excessive and you can't help yourself (I don't know anyone like that )

2) The pipe won't move when you insert or remove the mouthpiece and the leadpipe won't rotate while you are playing.

The upside to having modular leadpipes is you can :

1) Clean your leadpipe regularly. The exterior of your pipe, between the inner slide and the pipe itself is where corrosion often happens because the seal at the bottom is essentially impossible to solder the entire way around the pipe. So you basically drip some solder down the pipe and as a consequence, excess moisture can collect there.

2) You can try other pipes if you are so inclined.


Adding a collar and a set of threads mitigates the rotation and insertion/removal issues, but is more expensive to add if your horn doesn't have it.

[Doug Elliott]

You would want the bottom end to be a farly tight fit, but it should never be soldered there.

[brassmedic]

Your trombone was designed to have a soldered in leadpipe, and that leadpipe was removed, so you're rarely going to have a perfect fit with anything that's not soldered in place.

Thank you all!
Brad, a question regarding soldering: I have another trombone, my main instrument, where the leadpipe fits very well and I love how it plays and never switch it; would you recommend soldering it for even better playing characteristics, or does it not matter?

Sure, if for no other reason than it eliminates the annoyance of pulling the mouthpiece out and having the leadpipe come out with it. And it can change the way the instrument resonates, in the same way that adding or removing braces from the instrument does. No guarantee it wil necessarily play better, though.

[Leanit]

My Minick .500 pipe is slightly small for my Bach, so I've got a little wrap of teflon tape at the top and bottom of it. Been on there for over 10 years and works perfectly.

[btone]

If the bottom end of your lead pipe is not a tight fit where it goes into the slide, what is the best way to adjust that or flare out the bottom of the pipe to make it fit better?