Benge slide mods

[Jbeckett]

If anyone has ever taken a Benge 190 hand slide, and made the lead pipe removable AND threaded the receiver, please share your experience. Thinking of modifying an existing slide to accept shires pipes.

[Elow]

Swap out the crook too, completely changes the horn

[Jbeckett]

Low
Better or worse? Any pics of what you had done?

[Crazy4Tbone86]

I customized my Benge 190 slide with a MK Bach 42/50 OEM yellow brass crook. Also made it a removable leadpipe system. However, it is not threaded. The horn is great for me, but I like big, heavy equipment in my .547 bore horns.

[Jbeckett]

I may be able to simply pull the pipe and reposition it. Horn plays extremely well but pipe has a little wobble. I’d really like to not change it at all from its current form. Made 40 years ago, it’s in extremely good shape.

[BoNeLife]

You can purchase a threaded cork barrel from whatever manufacture you’d like the lead pipes the thread into.
I’ve done this before and just had to silver solder the original socket onto the replacement corkbarrel.

[Jbeckett]

That just might be the trick. Instrument innovations does a good job there as well.

[hornbuilder]

Benge has not been in production for years. Chances of finding parts available is next to zero. It would be an easy job (for a half decent tech) to install a threaded receiver on the existing part.

[Jbeckett]

You are most likely right yet again wise sir! I spoke with Chuck and bought the last 190 pipe he had a few years ago when I was rebuilding another later model. I’ll probably have a bi-thread receiver installed. I really don’t want to put any heat to the slide at all, but may have to to get the pipe out that’s in currently. This was 250 off the line. It is going to my tech this afternoon and we’re going to talk a bit. It’s amazing how a horn can look and play if one actually takes care of it properly. For a 40 year old horn, it’s pretty pristine.

[Crazy4Tbone86]

Benge has not been in production for years. Chances of finding parts available is next to zero. It would be an easy job (for a half decent tech) to install a threaded receiver on the existing part.

Most of the Benge 190 slide parts are identical to the King 4B parts which, I believe, are still available. The two exceptions are the leadpipe (sounds like the OP wants to have interchangeability on this) and the outer slide tubes. The outer slide tubes on the King 4B are nickel silver instead of yellow brass (original material on Benge 190).

Unfortunately, the outer slide tubes on the Benge 190 are prone to red rot. If you wish to replace them with yellow brass tubes, I have found the Getzen .547 bore outer tubes to be a very close match……only about .001 inch difference. The only problem is that the Getzen outer tubes have solder-on nickel sleeves, which results in the outer slide having a different appearance.

All of this information holds true for the Benge 165 slides as well.

[Jbeckett]

Thanks for that info. All hints and help is appreciated. I want to make it sound as it does, but have the ability to alter if I wanted (jazz to symphony to etc.). If I weren’t a bass player primarily, I’d throw some more cash into it.

[Trav1s]

Benge has not been in production for years. Chances of finding parts available is next to zero. It would be an easy job (for a half decent tech) to install a threaded receiver on the existing part.

Most of the Benge 190 slide parts are identical to the King 4B parts which, I believe, are still available. The two exceptions are the leadpipe (sounds like the OP wants to have interchangeability on this) and the outer slide tubes. The outer slide tubes on the King 4B are nickel silver instead of yellow brass (original material on Benge 190).

Unfortunately, the outer slide tubes on the Benge 190 are prone to red rot. If you wish to replace them with yellow brass tubes, I have found the Getzen .547 bore outer tubes to be a very close match……only about .001 inch difference. The only problem is that the Getzen outer tubes have solder-on nickel sleeves, which results in the outer slide having a different appearance.

All of this information holds true for the Benge 165 slides as well.

Good stuff to know! Ive wondered about a nickel crook swap on my 165F and now I'm curious about yellow outer slide tubes and setting up for a removable pipe.