Leadpipes
In Production! ORDER ONLINE BELOW
Vintage trombone leadpipe replicas from the collection of Noah Gladstone. Limited release of trombone rarities. Each leadpipe is handmade in house by resident brass genius, Brad Close! We use the best quality material and take extra care to produce consistent results.
Who's using our pipes? Here is a short list of the many trombonists around the world who use our leadpipes and the model and material combination they have chosen:
- Jay Friedman: MV50 seamed copper
Timothy Higgins MV42 seamed nickel silver
Charlie Vernon: MV42 seamed nickel silver, NY50 seamed nickel silver
Brad Close: MV42 yellow brass, MV50 seamed copper
Harold Van Schaik: MV50 seamed copper, NY50 seamed yellow brass
Glenn Profitt: BH62 seamed copper
Jack Schatz: Holton/Schatz drawn yellow brass, 1919 Conn 8H rose brass
Noah Gladstone: MV42 seamed copper, 1919 Conn 8H Rose Brass
James Miller: MV42 seamed nickel silver
Daniel Cloutier: 1919 Conn 8H Rose Brass, Elkhart 8H seamed copper
Herb Bruce: Custom seamed copper 32H
Nick Grinder: 32H seamed copper
Daniel Innaimo: NY50 drawn yellow brass
Scott Bentall: BH62 yellow brass with Remington receiver
William Whitaker: BH62 seamed yellow brass, Holton/Schatz
Kirk Lundbeck: MV50 yellow brass
Eddie Clark: Olds GR yellow brass
In Production!, email to order or order online below with a link to paypal. All stock yellow brass drawn pipes are $170 with press fit brass ring. At this time, leadpipes are non-returnable and made to order. I'm happy to offer my recommendations on which pipe would be the best upgrade for you and your instrument, just send an email to pick my brain! Delivery on leadpipes not in stock is usually 8-10 weeks. These are handmade one at a time. In order to maintain the highest quality craftsmanship we don't rush production.
Instructions on how to order online: Find your correct order form below (USA orders and Non-US International Orders). Select the form for unthreaded or threaded collar. Type which leadpipe you'd like to order and to fit what make instrument (this is especially important if you're ordering with threads so we can fabricate the correct fit).
For example: I want to order a threaded 1962 Mt Vernon 42 leadpipe to fit my Shires and I live in the USA. I would pick the 2nd form (threaded pipe USA order) and select "seamed leadpipe with threads" and "Pure Copper" from the pull down menu. I would put "1962 Mt Vernon 42" in the option box and I would put "Shires" in the option box for what kind of trombone I own.
If you don't understand the online order forms, you can still email to order
Alto trombone leadpipes:
- - Slokar model (optional threads to fit Jinbao or similar Chinese alto) (ALTO): We make this pipe as a one piece model, eliminating the potential for a gap from the end of your mouthpiece to the beginning of the venturi. These pipes are great upgrades for the Chinese Jinbao alto trombones to make them play like an actual instrument!
- .481" and .491" trombone leadpipes
- -1948 King 2B replica: Based on a vintage King 2B silvertone leadpipe, but fabricated in one piece instead of a two piece, eliminating the gap from the end of your mouthpiece shank to the start of the venturi. A vast improvement to any small bore King trombone. IN PRODUCTION
- -Special order pipe for Bach 16 slides, .491" bore. IN PRODUCTION
- .500" trombone leadpipes:
- - 1930s Conn 32H "Burkle" (32H): This is a classic pipe that is great for trombonists looking to slot up their unfocused instrument. It removes the sloppiness of slow responding trombones and givea a well defined clarity and feedback to each partial giving much more consistency. The upper register sparkles and the low range has some beefiness to it. Works well as an aftermarket pipe for Shires, Rath, Conn 6H, Kanstul 1606 and similar .500" trombones. Many reports back from the seamed copper version has been "best upgrade ever" and is one of our most popular leadpipes. IN PRODUCTION
- .508" trombone leadpipes:
- -We made a variation on our 32H but hand form it to .508" size. The results have been very impressive. This is a special order custom pipe, costs $200 in drawn brass or $285 in seamed. E-mail to order this special pipe for a Bach 16M (.509") IN PRODUCTION
- - 1927 Conn 78H "Classic" (78H) from my 1920s Conn 78H, a beautiful pipe that is focused and balanced, a nice bloom to the tone while still creating an sharp edge to the front of the articulation. (In Production)
- -Conn 78H "long" (78L) from a vintage special order long Elkhart 78H pipe, good for players looking for more slotting and resistance(In Production)
- -1964 Bach Mt Vernon 36 (MV36), or most popular medium bore pipe. It has an open blow with a strong projecting sound. The core is enhanced and it opens up most medium bore horns that are feeling restrictive. An exceptional taper from the Mt Vernon period. Can also be made to fit .522" bore, please specify when ordering (In Production)
- -1975 Bach Elkhart 36 (ELK36), a great replacement for your IND Elkhart 36!(In Production)
.525" trombone leadpipes:
- - 1919 Conn 8H in Rose Brass only (1919 8HR) . This leadpipe is one of my very best in my collection and the replica is an accurate representation of this special taper. It is the most open venturi of our .547" pipes but also shorter length and has the taper in a different location than a standard 88H leadpipe. It has a full timbre with amazing dexterity and clarity. Back in production
- - 1950s Elkhart Conn 8H (ELK8H), a fine example of the classic era of 88H. This updated pipe has a Morse taper shank so your mouthpiece won't wobble around from the Remington receiver. It has a more open venturi which you can expect to be free blowing while still giving a good quick response.
- - 1962 Bach Mt Vernon 42 (MV42) Our most popular leadpipe , a replica of the Mt Vernon 42 pipe I use in my own instrument. A classic Bach sound with tight slotting and good feedback on your chops. I find you can create great core and density while still maintaining stability and color across the registers. It has a more narrow venturi than the Conn pipes. By far one of our most popular leadpipes. A very well balanced option while still maintaining a timeless sound.
- - Bach 42 Open, a new pipe offering that gives a more open venturi while still maintiaining the expected focus and clarity from a Bach style leadpipe. In Production
- - 1950 Bach New York 50B "Open" (NY50): This is a pheneomenal replica of my personal 1950 Bach New York 50B leadpipe, one of the best in my whole collection. It is an open free blowing pipe but unlike most larger pipes , uses little effort to really get to the center of the core to your sound. I find that it is one of the best pipes to give a good transfer of the energy from your mouthpiece to the instrument, giving great feedback for you as a player but also projecting all the way to the back of the hall. We've found great success with this pipe as a seamed yellow brass version, especially for players really looking for that extra horsepower.
- - 1960 Bach Mt Vernon 50B (MV50): This is the leadpipe that put us on the map. It really is something special. This pipe has a tighter venturi than standard Bach 50 pipes, this gives a fast response with a clean articulation. The sound is not bright and maintains an orchestral fullness and rich character that sometimes is lost on tighter pipes. It is well balanced and I'm sure you'll love it. This is our most popular bass trombone leadpipe and is used by professional bass trombonists from around the world!
- - Burt Herrick Conn 62H (BH62): this pipe has a venturi that starts very early in the pipe, which gives a bit more point and sharpenss on the sound. It's the perfect pipe for TIS (tuning in the slide) bass trombones that sometimes can be unfocused, this pipe will give you clarity in the middle and upper registers but still give that classic sizzle on the low range.
- - Olds George Roberts (GR): similar to a Conn 70H pipe, this is the shortest .562" we offer. The venturi is open and free blowing with a powerful attack and low end.
- - Holton TR185/Schatz Minick Replica (SCHATZ): Custom made for Jack Schatz, NY Freelance Bass Trombonist, after his original Minick TR185 Custom leadpipe. "Lush, dark, rich and focused with lots of core". Great for commercial players looking for something really snappy and open.
- - Custom Contrabass Trombone: These are special order contrabass trombone leadpipes. Starting at $225, email for inquire.
Every pipe is available with threaded collars for different instrument makers. Threads are available for: Shires, M&W, Kanstul, Rath, Edwards, Schilke, Conn/Greenhoe. Sorry we do not offer threads for small bore trombones. We do not offer threads for Yamaha or Courtois. You can supply a small bore collar or a collar from a make we don't support and we will install for the price of press fit. Threaded collars add $35 and are custom made in house by Brad Close.
Seamless rose brass is no longer available. We do seamed rose (red brass) pipes
Seamless Nickel Silver is available on all pipes as an option, cost is $215 for press fit. We were able to locate a special thickness of nickel tubing that allows us to get the thickness that works to our specifications for our leadpipes. This is a good option as our seamed nickel silver leadpipes are now discontinued. These new drawn nickel pipes still retaining many of the qualities that have made the seamed nickel pipes so desirable. We find that our nickel pipes have a focused core, superior projection and give almost an immediate response.
Remington mouthpiece receiver available on any large shank leadpipe on request, no extra charge.
Here is a photo of a BH62 leadpipe with Rath threads on a R9DST. Thanks to our friend, Byron Pillow for the picture.
Special seamed leadpipes are now available in yellow brass, rose brass, copper and sterling silver. These are made through a fabrication process developed by Brad and myself, rolling and shaping a flat piece of material and brazing together, like a bell flare, to form a leadpipe with the correct taper. The result gives a more nuanced character and depending on the material can yield a result that traditional drawn pipes don't provide. A few notable traits we've found: notes tend to center better, hold up dynamially better and offer more tactile feedback on your embouchure which in turn gives you more control of your core sound with consitent slotting and nuance for color and tone.
Copper is our most popular seamed material and gives warmth and color while still projecting and creating core. The trombone response is much more personal and you're able to create colors and timbres that can be more difficult to achieve on stock pipes. Copper is a vibrant material and can awaken a somewhat dead instrument. Works very well on the 32H, MV42 and MV50 leadpipe tapers.
Yellow brass gives amazing articulations and clarity with a dense and projecting sound (great for playing in dead sounding spaces). Our rolled and seamed yellow brass pipes are made from thicker sheet brass than our drawn yellow versions. The extra weight and construction seems to make these pipes very special... and it works especially fantastic on the NY50 pipe. If you're looking for that explosive energy in your sound, consider a seamed yellow brass leadpipe.
Seamed nickel silver is a unique choice as it gives the trombone sound brilliant characteristics. Articulations speak almost instantly and the sound, while bright up close, will be dark and penetrating in a big space. This pipe helps the sound carry without losing any of the energy you put into it. Softs are incredibly soft with precision clarity and louds are very loud without breaking up. Nickel is also resistant to corrossion, a nice bonus. Works great on the GR, NY50, BH62 and MV42 pipes. Due to the difficulty of making seamed nickel tubes, these pipes have been discontinued. We recommend our seamless drawn nickel leadpipes which are made to similar thickness as the seamed version.
Seamed sterling silver (925) is an exotic material that we've recently started using. Many players are familiar with the heavy and long sterling silver pipes made by Edwards and Shires. Our pipes are not the same, but instead made from sheet silver and rolled/brazed with a seam. This gives a thinner and more responsive pipe that yields an amazing full bodied sound with rich overtones, clarity and projection, a unique and solid core with amazing feedback on your face. These pipes are something very special and we're happy to finally be offering to our clients. Prices are $465
Prices are $260 for seamed yellow brass, rose brass and pure copper with press fit ring. Seamed nickel silver pipes are now discontinued. Any pipe can be made in this material except the 1919 Conn 8H pipe which is only available as seamed rose brass with this option.
USA Orders Press Ring Collar (unthreaded leadpipe):
USA ORDERS Threaded Ring Collar (threaded leadpipe):
INTERNATIONAL ORDERS threaded collar (threaded leapipe)
If you don't understand the online order forms, you can still email to order