Custom carbon fiber modifications

Custom carbon fiber modifications for your horn

We can modify any horn with a new interchangeable carbon fiber bell. Our available bell sizes are 8", 8.5" and 9.5". The most popular mods are for bass trombone as it "changes the game" with a dramatic loss of weight. We can now add CF mods to one of the most popular horns, the Bach 42. We can make your bell interchangeable with our CF bell and also build a complete slide section with our curved brace and interchangeable lead pipes. Email us your idea for quote and availability. The all up weight of the 42 with our mods is 3 lbs. More importantly it moves the weight just on your shoulder and reduces all the weight on the ends.
  • Carbon fiber bell (8", 8.5" and 9.5")
  • Carbon fiber bell flare only for cut bells (you supply the threaded bell ring 8", 8.5" and 9.5" )
  • Carbon fiber two piece cut bell with aluminum or standard brass threaded rings.
  • Detachable CF bell with interchangeable original brass bell (standard fittings are Edwards style)
  • CF outer slide for all make and models. (see slide page)
  • CF wrap for small bore tenor gooseneck. Never have to remove sticky electric tape again!
  • CF bell flares for 8", 8.5" and 9.5" bells. You supply the bell ring part and we build your CF flare to fit your brass bell stem.)

Michael Dease Yamaha Bass Trombone

We had the privilege of adding a CF bell and outer slide to Michael Dease’s new to him – older model Yamaha bass trombone! I am looking forward to hearing what Mr. Dease does with his new instrument! Many thanks to Eric Swanson’s great work making the older Yamaha modular so we could add the Cf bell. Everything on this horn is interchangeable including going from a 10 inch brass bell to the 9.5 inch CF cut bell.

Conrad Herwig – Rath R10

Conrad Herwig ask us to modify his Rath R10 with an interchangeable CF bell and outer slide. He is loving the versatility of having options to plug and play. Less stress more musicality!

Shires Bass bell conversion

We recently built a CF bell for Earl McIntyre using bell rings supplied by Josh landress that match his brass bell. He now can switch between brass and carbon both bell stem and flare. Mr. Mcintyre has had an amazing career! He has played with Gil Evans, Charles Mingus, Miles Davis, Taj Mahal, Lester Bowie, The Band, Stevie Wonder, McCoy Tyner, Carla Bley, Lou Rawls, Jeffrey Osborne, Aretha Franklin, Cedar Walton, Levon Helm, the Count Basie Orchestra, the Ellington Orchestra, the Thad Jones -Mel Lewis Orchestra (with whom he was associated for over 20 years) Slide Hampton, George Gruntz, the Mingus Big Band, Cecil Taylor, the Carnegie Hall Jazz band, the Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra, Chico O’Farrill,The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra, Fred Ho, Renée Manning and others.  

King 3B carbon fiber bell and outer slide conversions

We can convert a King 3 or 2B bell to carbon fiber and build outer carbon fiber slides for these horns as well. These horns play great!

 

Here is another 3B conversion with a 2 part epoxy matte finish on all metal parts. This should last a lifetime! CF bell replacement, outer slide replacement and wrapped CF gooseneck. 

Super Bone conversion

Rafi Malkiel

This was a fun project! We built a carbon fiber bell as well as the short carbon fiber outer slide. We also cut the bell for ease of travel. It made the horn so much more playable!

Yamaha bass trombone conversion

Doug Yeo, former bass trombonist with the Boston Symphony Orchestra

"To say that I am enthusiastic about what Dave Butler has done would be a profound understatement. My new carbon fiber parts as installed on my YAMAHA YBL-822G bass trombone have given me an instrument that is highly responsive and lightweight but has a sound I would expect to be produced by my fully brass and nickel bass trombone. Dave Butler’s work with carbon fiber will allow me to continue playing the trombone for many more years as a result of the instrument’s reduced weight and great responsiveness. We are witnessing one of the most significant developments in trombone design and manufacturing since the invention of the F-attachment in 1839. This is not an exaggeration; of this I am quite serious. The future is now." To read Doug's entire blog post go here: The Last Trombone Douglas Yeo, bass trombone YAMAHA YBL-822 with carbon fiber bell, main tuning slide, hand slide by Butler Trombones Sangmi Lim, piano James M. David: “Southern Gothic” from Three Imaginary Landscapes Recorded at the South Texas Brass Symposium, Del Mar College March 2, 2019

Bach 16M conversion

Michael Nelson - Horn Heads (Prince's former horn section).

I'm really diggin' my 16M w/Butler carbon fiber slide and bell flair. This show was it's first trial run right after I got it. I think it's going to be my go to funk horn.

Hear Michael play this horn: (btw aside from hearing Michael play this horn, this is a GREAT show!!!)

Crazy 007 conversion, shaken not stirred!

Kevin Jones, FSU jazz trombone professor.

Kevin wanted an ultra compact horn that he could put in his backpack. He uses a pool cue case for the slide section! We cut the bell and then cut the bell again using a slip together joint betwen the gooseneck braces. It came out suprizingly fine and plays great!

Greenhoe bass trombone conversion

John Fitzmaurice

We took pounds off this bass trombone! We built a CF bell and outer slide to keep the weight only over the shoulder and very little on the ends!

Edwards T-454 bass trombone conversion

Roland Huie Jr

This was another really heavy bass trombone that we converted to a horn that can be played for hours with little stress on the arm, shoulder and wrist.

Bach 50 bass trombone conversion