TromboneChat

Here's my new Shires, that I custom ordered in August 2021 and got delayed from all the Corona chaos that struck again this autumn and winter. I actually picked it up last Thursday, but it's not until now I've had the time to upload pictures.

7,75" sterling silver bell, NiSi slide, 0.500 bore slide, 1,5 tuning slide and gooseneck in gold brass, slide crook in gold brass, three lead pipes and - per my wishes - was delivered with the Marco Magi case instead of the Bonna ditto (since I'm short of hard cases for small trombones and already have a Bonna case). The engraving is made on my request, inspired from their T-shirt and totebag prints since I wanted the horn to have a slight art-deco feel, and the counterweight engraving is just for my vanity and as an individualizer.

It's a dream to play, and just what I was looking and aiming for.











With its sibling, the alto I've had for some thirteen years:

Oh wow! I really like your set up! The horn looks great and I bet plays awesome! If I was to buy a small horn again this is pretty close to what I would be looking for. It looks like it was worth the wait.

They were worth the wait when it was 2 years. Nice horn, Daniel.

I don't want to take over your thread, but here are some pics of my Shires that just arrived. I ordered a Ralph Sauer model with a TW25 slide, different lead pipes, and a custom trigger. I thought about custom engraving after I ordered so didn't have mine changed, but I like how you did yours.

Just so people know I ordered mine about a week after Daniel and had to wait out the covid stuff. Mine arrived about a week after his.

I like the counterweight engraving

Thanks for the nice comments everybody!

Doug Elliott wrote: ↑Sat Mar 12, 2022 9:37 am I like the counterweight engraving

He, he, I'm sure you do. Feel free to copy the idea, if you'd order a horn where you can customize the engravings. Adding to that, I don't mind a little confusion over who's who and what's what.

sstelmack wrote: ↑Sat Mar 12, 2022 8:50 am I don't want to take over your thread, but here are some pics of my Shires that just arrived.

There's plenty of room in one thread to post about new horns - and the title is "New Horn Day" - so I'm just happy you wanted to share.

That horn looks really, really nice! I hope you get a lot of happy playing from it, over many years, and that you now feel that it was worth the wait - considering our concerned messaging about the agonizing wait.

I am in a process of renewing my instrument inventory, and I am on a sterling silver addiction too, so right now I'm also looking at a Conn 62 in SS, with Lindberg valves. I haven't yet had the time to try it out, and I don't know anything about either 62's or Lindberg valves, but I'm planning on buying a new bass either way.

Digidog wrote: ↑Sat Mar 12, 2022 4:05 am just what I was looking and aiming for

Congrats - glad you're enjoying it thus far.

It's an interesting spec; just out of interest, what were you aiming for? (...whether in model comparisons or prose poetry...)

Both horns are SWEET! I love the thumb pad on the trigger of the Bb/F horn!

What mouthpieces do you folks use on your horns?

Thanks

ithinknot wrote: ↑Sat Mar 12, 2022 12:21 pm It's an interesting spec; just out of interest, what were you aiming for? (...whether in model comparisons or prose poetry...)

I wanted a flexible horn, with well balanced, but light slotting, in materials that would make the horn withstand both loud and high-register playing without cracking up; while at the same time being able to support soft playing through the register.

After extensive playing on both friend's and vendor's instruments, I made the estimation that a 7,75" bell might disperse the tone as I'd like it, while at the same time letting the first nodes outside the instrument sufficiently far out to not rebound when playing loud and/or in extreme registers. From playing non-gilded Silver Sonics, I felt like sterling silver would provide a good balance between resonance and decay/release, while the gold brass in the crook, gooseneck and the tuning slide would provide a softer, but perhaps larger response to the vibrations of the air.

As I wanted the horn to have a pointed but not sharp projection, I found that a medium, straight small bore would be what I wanted, hence I choose the 0,500 bore (I find dual bores to be too soft and unpoignant with my playing) to be a suitable compromise between a large and a small "playing-flow". After reading up on the Shires web site, I concluded that their 1,5 design tuning crook would be good, and though I first asked for the wider flare (like old King), Shires informed me they had stopped using that and I went with their standard measurements.

The result is actually quite spot on. For the first time ever I have a trombone that lets me play my full high range without giving me the feeling that the tone is colliding in the flare, and pinching right outside the bell, while at the same time allowing me to decide the dynamics I want throughout. I have even played some bass parts on it, thanks to the great slotting and projection of the fake tones from E (~3rd pos.) down to C (~7th). There is even a low B to be found, but I would not trust myself to find it spotlessly on demand every time. From Bb and down to about an F, it just has everything from a sparkling redlining fortefortissimo, to at least mezzopiano, with very little effort. The flexibility is lightning fast, but with enough slotting so I can ease back and let the horn make the air come to its best.

I have to take some time to record something representable, and figure out a way to post it here, to show what I mean.

walldaja wrote: ↑Sat Mar 12, 2022 1:31 pm Both horns are SWEET! I love the thumb pad on the trigger of the Bb/F horn!

What mouthpieces do you folks use on your horns?

Thanks

Thanks, on my behalf!

I play a Bach 6 1/2AL on mine, and a ditto 7C on the alto. I've had the 6 1/2 for something like 30 years now, so it's very worn and I probably should buy a new.

Sounds like you really put a lot of good thought into that and it also sounds like a horn I would love. I don't know where you are but if we're ever near each other I'd like to try it.

walldaja wrote: ↑Sat Mar 12, 2022 1:31 pm Both horns are SWEET! I love the thumb pad on the trigger of the Bb/F horn!

What mouthpieces do you folks use on your horns?

Thanks

Thanks! I really like pad too. It came out great.

Currently I'm using a Greg Black 6GSD for large shank and a Griego 6.5 for small shank. This horn is the .525 bore so I can switch lead pipes from large to small shank. It's going to take a bit of testing to figure out which I'll settle on. Right now I'm leaning towards the large shank.

Wow, those are some beautiful trombones. One of these years I’m going to go for a sterling silver bell…

Doug Elliott wrote: ↑Sat Mar 12, 2022 4:16 pm Sounds like you really put a lot of good thought into that and it also sounds like a horn I would love. I don't know where you are but if we're ever near each other I'd like to try it.

Doug, I think you'll have to travel to Sweden to play Daniel's new trombone!

Nice F Valve Paddle. Just ordered a set for my bass and contrabass from Paul. He does beautiful work.

He is on Facebook if anyone is interested. Paul’s Custom Brass.

Posaunus wrote: ↑Sat Mar 12, 2022 7:01 pm Doug, I think you'll have to travel to Sweden to play Daniel's new trombone!

That's OK with me! Last time I was there was the year the ITF was in Helsinki and we spent a couple of extra weeks in Sweden, Denmark, and Norway.

Doug Elliott wrote: ↑Sat Mar 12, 2022 9:38 pmThat's OK with me! Last time I was there was the year the ITF was in Helsinki and we spent a couple of extra weeks in Sweden, Denmark, and Norway.

You're most welcome to try it out, whenever you stop by. Just send a notification, so I'm not away myself, or very busy. The big setback nowdays, is that the war in Ukraine both has everybody depressed and edgy, and makes for a lot of controls and time consuming procedures when travelling internationally.

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Yes! Glad you found that. I have two of Manfred's very first Model 1's and they are really great horns. He makes a nice variety of options in finishes and materials and they all play fantastically.

I'm not really familiar with Schmelzer's work the bell looks like a Williams 6, but the slide looks like a King slide, nickel with oversleeves and a brass crook? Hard to tell from the picture, beautiful work though, especially on the engraving.

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