Shires offers a two-week trial period with full refund.
Knowing fix common issues with your Shires trombone can save you hundreds of dollars in repair costs. While Shires trombones may be custom built, they experience the same wear and tear as any standard trombone. Major problems including large dents, broken valves and bent slides require professional assistance, but there are several minor maintenance techniques that you can perform with a few tools available from most instrument retailers.
Instructions
Outer Slide
1. Wrap the cloth tightly around the cleaning rod, keeping hold of the cloth from the base of the rod. If you don't maintain a tight hold of the cloth while cleaning the slide, you can lose the cloth inside the slide.
2. Insert the rod into the slide and push slowly until it stops. Use your fingers as a gauge to remember how far to push the rod to avoid denting the end of the tube. Pull the rod all the way out, still keeping a tight hold on the cloth.
3. Perform the previous step between ten and twenty times depending on how long it has been since the slide has been cleaned. If you clean your trombone daily (recommended), ten times will effectively clean the slide.
Inner Slide
4. Apply a small dollop of slide grease about the size of the tip of your pinky finger to each tube. Trombone players often think that applying more grease will make the instrument play even smoother, but too much grease causes messy build-up and corrosion.
5. Rub the grease into each tube with your fingers. Cover the entire length of the tube and rub the grease until you can't see any filmy residue.
6. Wipe off any excessive grease with a small cloth.
Stuck Mouthpiece
7. With the rawhide hammer, gently tap the connection point where the mouthpiece meets the lead pipe. Instead of tapping the instrument directly, hit only the nut to avoid damage.
8. Rotate the lead pipe in your hand while tapping in an angular motion. While rotating the lead pipe, gently twist the mouthpiece loose without forcing it.
9. If the mouthpiece is still stuck, wrap tape around the needle-nose pliers, covering any harsh edges to avoid damage to the instrument. Pinch the base of the mouthpiece with the pliers and twist until loose.
10. Apply a small amount of slide grease to the mouthpiece before reassembling the trombone. Rub the grease into the mouthpiece until there is no visible residue.
Tags: hold cloth, lead pipe, Apply small, avoid damage, each tube