Frequently Asked Questions Q. What finishes are available? How do they affect the sound of the instrument? How rugged are the available finishes? Do you have anything against leaving a trombone unlacquered? A. Complete instruments and instrument sections are normally provided with a durable epoxy lacquer finish. Lacquer gives a clean, finished look to the instrument and adds to its durability. We find that the effect of our lacquer process on the sound is minimal; our studies have shown that while lacquer may cut down slightly on the high overtones, the effect is often a more refined sound. We have found that plated surfaces affect the sound less than lacquer. Raw brass, silver plated, and gold plated finishes are available on special order. We are happy to provide unlacquered bells on request, but we recommend against leaving other parts unfinished. Q. Is a case included? A. A case is not included with the cost of the instrument. We keep a limited number of ProTec and BAM cases in stock as well as Glenn Cronkhite gig bags. Q. How long will it take to receive my Shires trombone? A. Most instruments are delivered within twelve to sixteen weeks. Plated finishes have to be sent out and always take longer. The best way to purchase a Shires trombone quickly is from one of our dealers. Q. What is your return and exchange policy? What if I bought my Shires trombone from a dealer? What if I bought it used? A. We offer a two-week trial period for full refund, minus shipping costs. After the two-week trial period, we will exchange components in as-new condition at our discretion. Our dealers each have their own policies, but after your purchase from a dealer, we can work with you for exchange of components unavailable from the dealer. We are unable to exchange components from instruments purchased used. We can’t emphasize enough that we at S.E. Shires are 100% committed to building the perfect trombone for you, and that we will work diligently with you to accomplish that goal. Q. Do you do repair and customization work? What about custom configurations or parts? A. We are a custom trombone manufacturer, so we will do most requested customizations of our instruments. We also make our parts available to other repair shops. The first priority in our factory is necessarily the manufacture of Shires trombones, but we do take a limited amount of customization work on other instruments; please call with your specific request. Q. What should I do to maintain the instrument, and what lubricants do you recommend? A. The most important thing is to keep your trombone clean, inside and out, and if you have valves, to keep them well oiled. Simply wiping down the exterior of the instrument with a cloth before you put it in the case will retard lacquer wear, and cleaning the slide regularly will prevent sluggish action and corrosion. We find that most trombone players don’t oil their valves nearly often enough. Axial-flow valves in particular need to be oiled frequently for best action, about every day or two. Rotary valves should be oiled about twice a week. We recommend oiling your valves before you put the instrument in the case, particularly after long practice sessions or heavy performances or rehearsals. This practice will help prevent wear over the life of the instrument. Here at the factory we use and recommend Slide-O-Mix products for handslides, including the excellent cleaning system, and Hetman oils and tuning slide lubricants. Q. Why should I pay so much for a trombone? A. This question really gets to the heart of our mission and slogan: Quality without compromise. First, large manufacturers are forced to produce models that will suit as many players as possible. For years, serious players at all levels have spent large sums of money customizing stock instruments; the economics of our model actually work better for the serious player than buying a stock instrument and making costly and sometimes unpredictable modifications to it. Our modular system and custom approach allow us to be relentless in our pursuit of not only the sound you’re looking for, but the feel as well. We can make an instrument that suits you with no compromises. Secondly, we could certainly reduce our manufacturing costs by practicing the economy of scale of the large manufacturers, but we choose not to for several reasons. Could we find 200 employees that have the skills and care as much about the details of their work as the 30 or so that currently work here? We don’t think so. Most importantly, we are committed to keeping our current high ratio of research and development to production. Innovation in every field has always come from small companies and we are determined to remain at the forefront of innovation in brass instrument design and manufacture.

“Check them out. It’s like going to the Mt. Vernon factory when Vincent Bach was running things, or to Elkhart in the ’30s when Conn was making custom instruments.” - Sam Burtis “While ideal for pros, a Shires is just as great for amateurs. Amateurs play for fun, and Shires makes playing fun. I used several trombones as a pro and amateur without liking any. I quit playing in 1995 because I wasn’t getting better or having fun. When I came back in 1999, I tried a Shires, and the experience has been revelatory. Steve fits an instrument to a player like a master tailor matches a suit to a client. A Shires trombone is marked by superb construction and tight tolerances, but the real delight comes from playing it. The consistency in all registers is remarkable. The widest leaps are clean and predictable, and there are no bad notes. Everything is open and responsive. Intonation is focused, and the tone is gorgeous. Now I don’t fight the trombone, and practicing is fun. If only I had this instrument years ago.” - Roger Hecht “I visited the Shires factory during the summer of 2001 and was treated with the utmost respect. After trying various combinations of bells and slides for about 90 minutes, I was given a tour of the manufacturing process. In a word, WOW! The artistry and craftsmanship are second to none. After a 60 minute tour, I spent another hour playing instruments and talking brass. The following summer, Shires came out with a small bore horn and I had to try one as this was the size of instrument I needed. I visited Dillon Music in New Jersey and spent a good part of the day playing horns and could find nothing that came close to the Shires .500 bore with a lightweight slide and lightweight bell. I bought one on the spot and have played it in pit orchestras for musicals, on church jobs, in big bands and as a soloist with a concert band. I love the sound the horn supplies and have found nothing else quite like it. Shires has set the standard for the rest of the industry to aspire to.” - Dennis Cramer