Posted by Klaus on December 09, 2002 at 01:08:44:
In Reply to: King 3B trombone--question posted by Arnie R. on December 08, 2002 at 22:47:27:
I am a huge fan of King trombones owning the now discontinued .500 - 7 5/8 King 2B+ and the .562 - 9 5/8 King 7B.
Both in gold brass. Both very lively.
I would like to have tenor bones in all increments of bore from .484 to .547, but that is not a realistic goal even for me with 50+ brasses.
So when I found a very good second hand King 3B, it ended up with a student of mine. And I already had bought a 3B with slide and valve section for my school.
A good 3B is very versatile, wide-ranged, and flexible. I am not entirely convinced, that an F-valve contributes that much to a so small trombone. Yet it should not do too much harm, but you will get very disappointed, if you expect a 3B to act as anything close to a bassbone.
I have heard very good players play marvellously on instruments with dented slides. But I must admit, that for me a truly flawless slide is a prerequisite for making the music, that I want to. I get defensive, if I have to consider other factors, than the ones my ears tell me to.
Years of experience have made me quite an expert on cleaning and greasing trombone slides. Even if I have being sitting on other instruments in bands (horn, flugelhorn, euph, tuba) I from time to time have offered to fix the slides of band trombonists, the playing of whom told me, that something was badly wrong. The improved slide action inevitably lead to better intonation and more freedom in phrasing.
Why do I elaborate on this?
Because trombones are damn hard to select for buying. New and used alike. Newer trust a seller saying that an ever so slightly flawed slide action "just is a matter of cleaning and greasing".
I only buy trombones after having cleaned and greased them myself. Even if I have been known to grease slides, so that slight dents of the flatly curved type have been not noticeable for the owner/user, I give slides to be tested a fair and high quality greasing.
If I suspect an area to be dented, I search it with the tips of my thumb and middle finger. The really tough and not so pleasant search is done with the white area at the bottom of a nail, usually that of my right middle finger.
Others have elaborated on the valve situation. A replacement gooseneck would be affordable.
Klaus