Bach Strad Water Key Question

HMHustead · Regular Member Joined: 23 Dec 2003 Posts: 73

Hello All, I noticed that the Bach Strad's these days do not have the 3rd waterkey. I thought that they did. Am I crazy, or is this an option these days. Anybody who knows why they took them off, or the reason not to have one, please share your insight. Thanks

_PhilPicc · Posted: Tue Jan 06, 2004 11:16 am Post subject:

To my knowledge they never had them. I have a 1972 strad and it doesn't have a third slide water key.

The reasoning is to lesson the chance of disrupting the air flow.
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trickg · Posted: Tue Jan 06, 2004 11:24 am Post subject:

I think that you can get the water key on the third valve slide, but it has to be ordered that way. Most Strads that I've seen, even from the mid 80s, only had the slide at the end of the slide that you simply pulled and emptied. The Strad that I inherited from my sister when she hung it up, probably a 1983 or 84 Strad only had the Slide, but my friend Shawn, who got his roughly the same time, had both the first valve slide trigger and the third valve slide water key.
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Tootsall · Heavyweight Member Joined: 05 May 2002 Posts: 2952

Most decent repair shops will add one for you. I had a silver plated Amado put on my third slide...the guy did a great job; you could barely tell that it wasn't "factory".

DarnTootin · Regular Member Joined: 06 Dec 2003 Posts: 26

I have a 1968 Strad that only has the slide at the end. I bought a new Strad in 1998 with the water key on the third valve slide. I ordered it from The Brasswind. Bach makes them both ways. I believe the extra water key costs more. The Brasswind usually stocks both varieties. I've seen older ones on ebay with the water key on the third slide.

DavesTrumpet · Posted: Tue Jan 06, 2004 6:14 pm Post subject:

I've heard it said many times that the _only_ reason the #3 end slide doesn't have a w.key is purely economical, nothing at all to do with airflow or nodal points, etc.

The way it's set up really is not bad though. I can think of many manufacturers where their horns don't have a removable end slide. With the Bach, it's not hard to just pull it out and empty moisture. Also, for playing lower than F#, the end slide can be extended along with the #1 and 3 slides.

The removable end slide goes back to the very first Bachs. Supposedly V. Bach was quite frugal with some things and the cost of an additional w.key was too much to include as standard. Today's cost for the parts alone for a Bach w.key can top $40! (An Amado, on the other hand, less then $9!) I'm not at all surprised it still isn't considered a standard feature.

Dave M