TromboneChat

I recently have picked up a bach 50 bass excitedly online only to realize the slide is pretty trash, are there any slides compatible with it or should i just order a new bach slide?

Edwards slides should work out of the box. As will some of the Courtouis and slides. Sometimes Bach receivers can be a little worn, or at least that's my experience, and that might cause a new slide (Bach or otherwise) to be a little loose but if you still have the original you can have the tenon swapped out for the existing ones. Given that you still have the original, you could also consider replacing the inners and/or outers. You wouldn't have to go with Bach per se. MK Drawing gets a good amount of praise. Getzen or Yamaha parts are also not unusual parts to use for that. Even with Bach parts (which can be kind of pricey), it should be somewhere in the neighborhood of half the cost of a new slide. Alternatively, you could also expand your search to Shires and some other Boutique slides with the intention of having that tenon swapped.

Note that Bach slides are slightly longer than many other bass slides. Even if you get something that is similar spec wise (e.g. a ~1.5 sized leadpipe, yellow outers/crook, etc.) it might still play differently than a Bach slide. That said, I prefer the way

Edwards and Shires are popular upgrades and swaps for Bach players. I don’t k ow about Edwards, but I hear Shires can make their slides to Bach length at the factory for you. They might have access to tenons that fit perfectly, too ( the standard is a slightly different size and threading but it works ). Also Holton bass slides are an interesting combination. I think Courtois also fits.

I haven't found a courtois that fits.

Burgerbob wrote: ↑Mon Mar 02, 2020 8:27 am I haven't found a courtois that fits.

A friend of mine had a Hagmann one from about a decade ago that fit my at the time 50B2 bell. Likewise my Bach 50 slide and an Edwards slide I had at the time both fit his section as well. Maybe they stopped doing that sometime in the last ~10 or so years.

My Yamaha 613 h slide fits on a Bach 50b. Also older Getzens, like 1052/1062? made before they switched to using a Conn tenon, and some Holtons will fit, also.

To confirm what is said above:

Edwards tenons will fit Bach receivers, but the slides are shorter so pitch will be higher overall.

Shires will work if you request it when ordered. Slides are similarly shorter, unless you request a Long slide.

Jmloudon wrote: ↑Sat Jul 17, 2021 1:15 pm To confirm what is said above:

Edwards tenons will fit Bach receivers, but the slides are shorter so pitch will be higher overall.

Shires will work if you request it when ordered. Slides are similarly shorter, unless you request a Long slide.

That makes a lot more sense, i thought i’ve been going crazy having my tuning slide out all the way. On my shires my tuning slide is out like an inch or two and on the bach it’s literally about to fall off.

Burgerbob wrote: ↑Mon Mar 02, 2020 8:27 am I haven't found a courtois that fits.

I have a 1990s .547 bore Courtois slide that works perfectly with all of my Bach equipment.

I know the standard Shires threads on a Shires slide does not fit very well onto a Back bell nut. I used to have the exact thread per inch they were different. Matt Walker would know, for sure. I tried a Shires slide for a while and my repairman had to get a Bach slide bit, cut it and solder it onto the Shires slide. This got Bach threads onto a Shires slide and it worked great; however, I went back to a standard Bach yellow brass slide that John Sandhagen made for me. They played differently and I just am wild-guessing it had to do with the Bach over-sleeves. The Shires was yellow brass, but Steve made his wide yellow brass slide with slightly shorter over-sleeves.

I think you are correct about the Edwards, They do interchange, fine.

It was probably the length difference more than the over sleeves length. The shires slides are slightly shorter than Bach slides, but they do custom order make a Bach length slide.

ddsbstrb wrote: ↑Wed Aug 18, 2021 7:14 pm I think you are correct about the Edwards, They do interchange, fine.

They do exchange well. However, the Edwards slides are shorter. If your Bach 50 is sharp with a Bach slide, you are going to be exceptionally sharp if you put an Edwards slide on it. Fortunately, very few people are particularly sharp on a Bach 50. That why using an Edwards slide works well for some people.

The Bach 42 is a different story. There are a lot of people who must pull out their tuning slides as much as 1.5 inches (or more) on a Bach 42. If those people put an Edwards slide on the Bach bell, they could be 2/3 of the way to a trombone in B natural!

Elow wrote: ↑Mon Mar 02, 2020 6:38 am I recently have picked up a bach 50 bass excitedly online only to realize the slide is pretty trash, are there any slides compatible with it or should i just order a new bach slide?

Why not have the slide rebuilt?

IMHO better than taking a chance on a new factory slide!!

Sonas Eklipso slides will fits on a Bach 50.They aren't on the website, but they are already available.

The Sonas BYY (Bass-Yellow tubes-Yellow crook) slide is comparable to standard 50. The BNN* (Bass-Nickel-Nickel-*lightweight) is comparable to LT50.

With removable leadpipe and an improved press-fit system, you can choose the alloys for the outer tubes and end crook (or even different alloy on upper/lower outers), standard weight or lightweight (no oversleeves).

547"/562" and 562"/578" dual bore slides are also available, of course

If you have any questions about Sonas trombones and parts, PM me.

Would a .562 Artisan slide fit a Bach 50? The link below offers three choices: .547 lightweight outer slide, .547 yellow brass outer slide, and .562 yellow brass outer slide.

https://www.prowinds.com/product/8590/573

I have no experience mixing/matching Bach bass trombone components, just have one Bach 50 to my name. The other horns are tenors.

Thanks!
-Bob

LetItSlide wrote: ↑Wed Jul 24, 2024 9:17 am Would a .562 Artisan slide fit a Bach 50? The link below offers three choices: .547 lightweight outer slide, .547 yellow brass outer slide, and .562 yellow brass outer slide.

https://www.prowinds.com/product/8590/573

I have no experience mixing/matching Bach bass trombone components, just have one Bach 50 to my name. The other horns are tenors.

Thanks!
-Bob

Yes

Thanks Aidan! I enjoy your YouTube channel.

ddsbstrb wrote: ↑Wed Aug 18, 2021 7:14 pm I know the standard Shires threads on a Shires slide does not fit very well onto a Back bell nut. I used to have the exact thread per inch they were different. Matt Walker would know, for sure. I tried a Shires slide for a while and my repairman had to get a Bach slide bit, cut it and solder it onto the Shires slide. This got Bach threads onto a Shires slide and it worked great; however, I went back to a standard Bach yellow brass slide that John Sandhagen made for me.

My Shires slide was just friction-fit for the first year or two - the Bach nut runs out of thread before it reaches the stop, so even if you tighten it all the way, there's a gap.

My tech soldered some thick-ish wire above the stop so that it would bottom out about 3/32" sooner, and added the valve cap from a tuba onto the nut for more leverage (although the wire was all that was needed). Bach slide still works with this.