TromboneChat

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.

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

Have you swapped slides? Tuning slides?

Definitely, swapping parts with another 3B is the best way to isolate the problem.

That’s an idea I had not even thought of. Thanks and stay tuned

I had that problem with my 3B+.

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?

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.

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!

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?...

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)?

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

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.