TromboneChat

What effect would stripping the lacquer off the bell have?

Same as any other instrument. Probably a small difference in feedback, and now it will tarnish.

Could be worth it on that armor-like gold lacquer that UMI was using.

My two points:

1) I have liked every horn that I have stripped better. I like the feedback and the response just a little bit more.

2) The difference is not enough that I bother to strip lacquer from any horn unless I need to now.

So, does it make a difference... Sure! I like it. But it just doesn't matter. For example, I feel that if I played just 5 minutes more of concentrated practice on sound daily (maybe a buzzing/playing exercise or some BERP work) it would do at least 5x as much as stripping the lacquer.

As always, YMMV, but I just don't take the effort to strip horns anymore. The difference isn't so stark that I care enough to have to polish things. I just played a concert on one of my previously unlacquered horns.... It looks terrible in photos and from the audience. Nobody particularly cared, but in some scenarios they might.

Cheers,
Andy

Good luck in getting that King lacquer off, it seems indestructible.