Weird little doodad came with new trombone.

[VincentM]

I recently bought a brand new Ian Bousefield trombone that is very nice. I was looking through the case and found a small little drill bit looking thing. There was a copper one and a tinish looking one. There is also a perfect sized screw hole on the trombone tubing that fits these two bits. I'm not sure what they do, but if somebody could tell me that would be lovely.

[Doug Elliott]

They're little weights that slightly change the acoustics and response of the horn, to be adjusted to your taste. Or maybe you won't be able to tell the difference.
I don't have one so I don't know...

[harrisonreed]

You can put them in "up" or "down", and they will affect the response of the horn. Handy depending on the acoustic of the room you're in.

[CalgaryTbone]

I have some of these with the Edwards horn that I'm playing now. While I'm not currently using them, I have tried them at the factory with the guidance of one of their trombone techs, and did find that they made a surprising difference. Not as much as changing a bell or slide, but they do adjust the sound a bit. It's a personal thing as to whether it is better or worse. Someone from Edwards/Getzen might be able to give you an idea of how to go about testing them out - what to expect. They are very helpful and know their products very well there.

Jim Scott

[timothy42b]

Interesting that it has the groove for an insert driver bit.

[Digidog]

Those are very small memory-sticks to save and preserve your playing for backup or future use!

[LIBrassCo]

That's the snake oil reservoir!