Olds Ambassador water key assembly

[bloke]

With all new parts from Conn-Selmer, I'm building my friend an auxiliary lightweight (thin-walled nickel brass) outside slide assembly for their Model 36 Bach trombone. I've never built an outside to fit an existing inside before (the logical procedure defines doing it the other way around) so it will be an interesting challenge. (The inside slide assembly mustn't be altered to fit, as it will need to continue to fit the original standard weight outside slide assembly.) That having been said, at least the existing slide is pretty darn close to perfect, because I assembled that slide as well , so this should be easier than trying to make an outside slide fit a who-knows-what-it's-like inside slide assembly.

Running a long list of trombone water key styles through my head, I'm thinking that the Olds Ambassador water keys were just about the most diminutive, and therefore probably the most lightweight. I'm going to scrounge around in my drawers of parts and upstairs to see if I have one of these complete, but - just in case I don't come across this specific one (which I suspect is going to be lighter than a stock Stradivarius water key assembly) - do any of you know for a fact (without rummaging through your stuff) that you have one of these (not distressed) that you might sell?

Just in case, this would be the water key, the correct screw, and the saddle. The saddles are cast - which could define them as heavier, but they are also small, so...

[MikeS]

The XO John Fedchok trombones (models 1032 and 1034) use what looks to me to be a trumpet water key to save weight. I have a 1032 and it seems to do the job just fine. There is a decent photo of the lower slide in this series.

https://www.long-mcquade.com/GearHunter ... uct-imgs-7

[bloke]

The XO John Fedchok trombones (models 1032 and 1034) use what looks to me to be a trumpet water key to save weight. I have a 1032 and it seems to do the job just fine. There is a decent photo of the lower slide in this series.

https://www.long-mcquade.com/GearHunter ... uct-imgs-7

Thank you. I'm aware of that tack and have seen it on some of the newest King professional small bore trombones. It's certainly not as easy to reach, and though the player I'm doing this for is a very fine player who studied at the Jacobs School (IU) back in the so-called "celebrity studio teacher days", they are probably 70 or 71 years old and would appreciate having a traditional water key - to avoid that extra inch of reach - defined by a trumpet water key - to let out the water. Also, bumping the wrong part of a trumpet water key on a trombone slide can result in a dent in the outside slide tube in first position.