Recommended Supplies
Musical instruments are significant financial investments. Keeping them properly maintained helps ensure years of trouble-free use. Below are supplies I use and recommend.*
Trombone Slide:
Yamaha Slide Lubricant – Similar to the popular Slide-O-Mix, but it’s smoother, longer-lasting, and doesn’t leave the kind of buildup that Slide-O-Mix does. I’ve switched to this for all my trombones as I feel it’s a superior product. Note: This is nothing like the cheap (largely useless) slide oil sold with beginning instruments. Older packaging by Yamaha may call this “Slide Oil.”
Slide-O-Mix – A popular choice and easier to use than slide cream or the 2-bottle Slide-O-Mix set.
Superslick Trombone Spray Bottle – This handy small sprayer can be used with any slide lubricant to ensure smooth gliding.
Trombone Slide Snake - A flexible cleaning brush for cleaning the inside of a trombone slide. It does great with particles, but can’t clean out things like accumulated tuning slide grease that washes down from oiled valves.
Brass Saver Trombone Brush Set – This product is great for cleaning and drying out the nooks and crannies of trombone tubes (slides, tuning slides, and valve tubing). For information on how to clean and maintain a slide, please click here.
Trombone Slide:
Yamaha Slide Lubricant – Similar to the popular Slide-O-Mix, but it’s smoother, longer-lasting, and doesn’t leave the kind of buildup that Slide-O-Mix does. I’ve switched to this for all my trombones as I feel it’s a superior product. Note: This is nothing like the cheap (largely useless) slide oil sold with beginning instruments. Older packaging by Yamaha may call this “Slide Oil.”
Slide-O-Mix – A popular choice and easier to use than slide cream or the 2-bottle Slide-O-Mix set.
Superslick Trombone Spray Bottle – This handy small sprayer can be used with any slide lubricant to ensure smooth gliding.
Trombone Slide Snake - A flexible cleaning brush for cleaning the inside of a trombone slide. It does great with particles, but can’t clean out things like accumulated tuning slide grease that washes down from oiled valves.
Brass Saver Trombone Brush Set – This product is great for cleaning and drying out the nooks and crannies of trombone tubes (slides, tuning slides, and valve tubing). For information on how to clean and maintain a slide, please click here.
Tuning Slide and Valves:
Schilke Tuning Slide Grease – I’ve used this lanolin-based grease for many, many years with good results.
Al Cass Valve Oil – This inexpensive oil works well for piston valves and most rotor valves.
Hetman Ball Joint Oil – For rotor valves with mechanical ball and socket (non-string) linkage. This will help silence clanky valves and will save wear and tear on the ball and socket.
Hetman Light Bearing and Linkage Oil – This oil is used under the rotor cap on the spindle and also where the rotor stem emerges from the valve casing.
Yamaha Rotor Spindle Oil – An alternative to the Hetman Bearing and Linkage Oil above.
Mutes:
Tenor Trombone:
Jo-Ral Aluminum Straight Mute
Jo-Ral Aluminum Cup Mute
Tom Crown Aluminum Straight Mute
Bass Trombone:
Jo-Ral Aluminum Bass Trombone Straight Mute
Euphonium:
Denis Wick Straight Mute for Euphonium
Optional supplies:
Trombone stands keep trombones from resting on the floor, where they can accidentally be stepped on or kicked. In addition, resting the instrument on the floor can put stress on the slide tubes and other joints, causing long-term issues.
UMI Precision Trombone Stand – This is the more expensive of the two stands, but it has the widest base and is the most stable. It is also more adjustable than the Hamilton stand. Note: Amazon’s link may take you to the wrong stand. If you end up on a page containing a stand with tubular legs, it’s the wrong stand. The correct stand has flat legs that adjust to make a wider base.
Hamilton Trombone Stand – A good choice for trombone stands and not terribly expensive. Its narrower base means it is more easily knocked over than the UMI stand.
*Links go to Amazon.com. This site earns a small commission for any items purchased as a result of following these links.
