TromboneChat

A friend recently bought a used Bach bass trombone for his son and it has a trigger setup that I've never seen before. It has two thumb triggers with a metal flap that actuates the second valve. It looks like you should be able to pivot your thumb to open the second valve without having to release the F trigger, but I can't get enough leverage to push the second valve without releasing the F and repositioning my thumb over the flap.

Anybody seen this setup before and if so, is there a trick to it or an adjustment that would help?

The flap has to be behind the top trigger..either someone took the screw out and moved it in front of the top trigger or the factory botched it.

Strange. It almost looks like they removed the original roller and put in that flap.

I would have it converted to split triggers, in any case.

Aidan, this is what Bach is doing just with the stock 50B2 with standard wraps..as I look closer, not only is the flap mis-mounted, it is also backwards. The cork should be against the back of the top lever.

Splitting the levers is a better idea, but in the meantime the flap can be removed and correctly mounted.

JoeStanko wrote: ↑Tue Jun 11, 2019 1:54 pm Aidan, this is what Bach is doing just with the stock 50B2 with standard wraps..as I look closer, not only is the flap mis-mounted, it is also backwards. The cork should be against the back of the top lever.

Splitting the levers is a better idea, but in the meantime the flap can be removed and correctly mounted.

I think you're absolutely right. That makes a lot of sense. It would definitely be worth converting this horn to split triggers. It's a beautiful horn and the slide is terrific. Thanks.

JoeStanko wrote: ↑Tue Jun 11, 2019 1:54 pm Aidan, this is what Bach is doing just with the stock 50B2 with standard wraps..as I look closer, not only is the flap mis-mounted, it is also backwards. The cork should be against the back of the top lever.

Splitting the levers is a better idea, but in the meantime the flap can be removed and correctly mounted.

You're right... I think my older Corp was set up like that. Didn't think of the flap because it was in back!

Is this what it should look like?

I recently did some repair work on one just like the “flappy” version posted here. I believe it was factory. While I think this was an attempt at improving the roller idea, it most certainly is not.

Joe and Aidan, the tab you are used to on other Bach dependent horns is fixed to the bottom of the F lever and protrudes beneath the G/Gb lever. Unlike this flap which is intended to... well... flap.

Based on a quick google search it appears that the newer version of the dependent Bach trombones have this flap.

I had not seen this update to the older roller setup. Old setup might not have been ideal, but it worked.

Seems ridiculous they would re-engineer this to be less functional instead of just installing a split trigger (which most do to these the second they buy them anyway)

Couldn’t agree more. They apparently think this an improvement of some sort. Stock photo has it pictured too:
https://www.bachbrass.com/instruments/t ... ional/50b2

Raises questions about the folks making decisions at Bach today, doesn't it?

greenbean wrote: ↑Tue Jun 18, 2019 8:56 am Raises questions about the folks making decisions at Bach today, doesn't it?

None that we didn't already have.

I mean, they are still making doubles with their standard tuning of Bb/F/bE.... Does anybody actually want that tuning? I could make a case for Eb, but bE is just too lazy to make an update.

Cheers,
Andy

elmsandr wrote: ↑Tue Jun 18, 2019 9:33 am None that we didn't already have.

I mean, they are still making doubles with their standard tuning of Bb/F/bE.... Does anybody actually want that tuning? I could make a case for Eb, but bE is just too lazy to make an update.

Cheers,
Andy

I actually find this hard to believe - flat E ??!! It is mindless.

The part that is really pathetic about that is that there is no engineering or clever design work needed. Just a longer slide.