TromboneChat

I've always had a trombone with a wide slide until I got my Getzen 351. When I play the Getzen I always feel I'm a little off-center from the mpc as the neckpipe is against my neck.

That said, I was looking on the Yamaha site under the YSL-8820 and under "features" it reads, "Narrow Slide...results in faster technique...." That seemed counterintuitive to me. I would presume a wider slide would be a tiny bit shorter and your speed increase would be greater with the shorter, wider slide.

What am I missing or are the marketing guys blowing smoke?

Thanks

I think they're blowing a bit of smoke, although I've never compared the velocity I could get with a narrow vs wide slide. I think the difference in slide width has more to do with sound than speed, especially if the wide slide has a bass end crook.

The slide needs to be the same length no matter how wide it is... it is the bell section which needs to be shorter.

FWIW, the smoothness of the slide has a much greater effect on the speed than the weight.

paulyg wrote: ↑Thu Feb 14, 2019 1:58 pm The slide needs to be the same length no matter how wide it is... it is the bell section which needs to be shorter.

...

Not quite true. If the slide is the same overall length but with a smaller crook, the tubes can be a little longer. Some of the old Conn slides used this to get a stronger 7th position.

With a very short bell section you can make an awfully long slide. Big problem is that most people don't have long enough arms to take advantage.