At the end of June I had the opportunity to visit the S.E. Shires factory in Hopedale, MA, just outside of Boston. The Shires name has become very well known in the trombone (and trumpet) communities and while it’s one thing to know about the amount of time, effort, and skill that goes into building any great brass instrument it’s another thing entirely to see it in person. It was a real treat to see these pro-level craftsmen and women (as well as Steve Shires himself) in action and then to have the chance to play the end product and while you will ideally be able to visit yourself, in the meantime these pictures may give a little more insight into the process behind the instruments!
Bells cut out and ready for shaping
Left to right: Bells after turning the rim and inserting the wire, bells waiting for finishing.
Steve Shires at the lathe
Valves and valve caps after initial milling and turning
Finished trumpets waiting for play-testing
Trombone bell options in the showroom
Valve sections for trial
Every style of tuning slide currently produced by Shires
The new case for the detachable-flair bell sections. These cases are incredibly thin and look great too!
