We now offer two versions of the Bullet Brace in order to accommodate more trombone models. The BB2001 fits Edwards, Getzen, and most Shires trombones. However, we have not tested it on the Shires TruBore instruments.
The “S” brace included with the BB2002 model provides adequate room to fit most other manufacturers’ trombones. However, some modification of the “S” brace may be required in order to fit the Bullet to your instrument. The “S” brace is built long to accommodate any such modification. See installation instructions for more details.
We would like to thank everyone who provided feedback on this product. With the input Edwards received, we have made improvements to the bullet brace.
About the Bullet Brace
The Bullet Brace is a descendant of our Stegeman bar, which has been in existence for six years. These items came into being from the requests of many players that wanted left arm relief from the many hours they were spending holding their instruments. The Stegeman bar is an “L” shaped brace that is soldered onto the receiver of the valve section. This brace helps redistribute the weight of the horn to the bigger lower muscles of the left arm. By redistributing the weight the bar takes the tension off of the smaller upper muscles in the wrist region. Many people get an imprint in the fleshy part of their left hand from the weight of their horn. The Bullet Brace and Stegeman bar eliminate these pressures and relieve discomfort that can occur from holding the instrument over a long period of time.
The Bullet Brace is the most innovative stress-relieving device built since the Stegeman bar. The Stegeman bar relieved stress but required a technician to solder into place once the right position was found. If the technician was not good with a torch the heat could travel towards the receiver/valve connection and weaken the integrity of the joint. Once in place, the Stegeman bar was not adjustable and if a player ever had the slide in a different position from where the Stegeman bar was positioned, the Stegeman bar could become uncomfortable.
Bullet Brace Wanting to make this bar something that every trombonist could attach to their trombone without the use of heat was one of the goals Edwards had when they set out to build the Bullet Brace. To make something that would fit every player regardless of their hand size and eliminate the most stress while improving the player’s comfort was a large challenge, to say the least. It took a few prototypes but the final design was a two-piece design that allows the player to mount the Bullet to the lower bell brace near the bell. The Bullet is mounted with the same allen wrench that works on the axial flow valve. The “S” brace fits into the bullet and can be adjusted as needed to fit the individual’s hand. The bullet can be moved left or right on the bell brace and adjusted higher or lower to move the “S” bar wherever the individual should desire. A black delrin rod is installed on the bar and can be left alone or a black piece of round foam (comes with purchase) can be fitted over the delrin rod to assure a greater comfort.
The Bullet is machined out of solid aluminum, which helps maintain the sound qualities we are after with our instruments. The Bullet Brace is installed on a cross brace which does not dampen the vibrations of the instrument. Soldering onto the receiver can cause vibrations. With no heat being applied there is no worry of weakening any solder joints where the valve meets the receiver. With infinite adjusting possibilities a person does not need to go to their local repairman to tweak the position of the Bullet Brace, they just need to remember where they put their allen wrench.
