Lubricants

Slide-O-Mix||Superslick|| Conn Formula 3||Al Cass||Pledge

This is a listing of what I think of the lubricants I've tried. If you like a brand I don't mention, email me and I'll add it.

Just a couple of things to remember. Get hand slide grease, not tuning slide grease! And for all the products below, you'll still need to give the slide a light spry of water.

Slide-O-Mix
This is by far the best stuff I've ever used. With two different bottles, you can get exactly what your slide needs. The only drawbacks are that it builds up, and you have to clean the slide before re-applying it. You also have to clean the slide really well if you have been using something different, becuase for some reason, it gums up the slide when there's another lubricant on it. To apply, put a few drops of the small bottle on the slide stockings, the end where the slide is a little bigger and slide it in and out. Then add a few drops of the larger bottle and let it run a few inches down the slide before it hits the stockings. This stuff is very light. At $10-$15 US per set, it's expensive but worth it.
Superslick and Bach/Selmer
I used Superslick for a couple of years. It's a little better than the Bach stuff. It works best when you put a tiny amount on the stockings and work the slide in and out a few times. Then just a light spray of water. I stopped using it becuase it was too heavy.
Conn Formula 3
It's called Formula 3, becuase it's in 3 parts, the cream, and additive, and a light spray of water. With the additive, it's better than Superslick or Bach, but you can use the additive with all 3 brands, and they are about the same.
Al Cass
This is what trumpet, baritone, euphonium and tuba players use. I think it's too light to be used on a trombone slide, but I do use it in my valves.
Pledge
Here at Ithaca, some of the trombonists use something called Zimmy Juice, after a junior here, Brian Zimmer. It's a mix of Pledge and I think Superslick. I thought Pledge was an odd thing to put on a slide, but it's make to put a protective coating on furniture, so it does the same to your slide. Plus it smell nice. But be sure to use the pump bottle, not the spray. Don't use water with this, just keep spraying more of it on the slide.


Slide-O-Mix||Superslick||Conn Formula 3||Al Cass||Pledge

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