While on the topic of 5th valves
- JayW
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While on the topic of 5th valves
After reading Davidrn1's question about adding a 5th valve to a King 2341 he got me thinking..... Has anyone taken the 5th valve off of their horn? I ask because I own a Conn 52J that I love, but for some gigs (quintet especially) it would be nice to have alighter horn to work with. the 5th valve is detachable, but I do not know how much it would cost to fabricate a piece to go where the 5th valve does to make it into just a 4valver. I know most would think I am wacky for wanting this, but I really do find that the 5th valve just adds weight to certain playing sitatuins...especially when standing that it might be nice to try it, if it can be done at a reasonable cost. Any opinions/quotes from our repair experts on the board would be most appreciated.
Jay
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Not a bad idea:
All of Chuck Daellenbach's CC tubas as of late (the last +-10 years) have been 4 valvers. He felt the 5th was not necessary and asked that his horns be built without them. I suspect that part of the reason had to do with the amount of standing/dancing they do on stage as well.
I think that you could probably have a piece made, but getting the taper right and making it look nice and be removable would probably not be cheap.
All of Chuck Daellenbach's CC tubas as of late (the last +-10 years) have been 4 valvers. He felt the 5th was not necessary and asked that his horns be built without them. I suspect that part of the reason had to do with the amount of standing/dancing they do on stage as well.
I think that you could probably have a piece made, but getting the taper right and making it look nice and be removable would probably not be cheap.
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Re: While on the topic of 5th valves
Since this would almost certainly diminish the value of your instrument, wouldn't it make more sense to shop around for a lighter tuba which plays the way you want it to?JayW wrote:Has anyone taken the 5th valve off of their horn?
Ray Grim
The TubaMeisters
San Antonio, Tx.
The TubaMeisters
San Antonio, Tx.
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Re: While on the topic of 5th valves
The valve on a Conn 52/56 is easily removable. Having an interchangable "straight pipe" would enhance the value of a 52J. The 5th-valve is held in place by two allen-head screws and a retaining nut like the one used on a trombone hand-slide.TubaRay wrote:Since this would almost certainly diminish the value of your instrument, wouldn't it make more sense to shop around for a lighter tuba which plays the way you want it to?JayW wrote:Has anyone taken the 5th valve off of their horn?
This modification might even improve the way the 52 plays, as the tubing that connects the valve is smaller than the bore where the valve is located. (A quick step down through the valve, then back to the larger bore--a choke point. The designers saved some money by fitting an existing rotary valve on their new horn.)
Looking at my own 52J, this would be an easy modification. You are looking for a short pipe that the tuning slide will fit into at one end. On the other end of the pipe will be threads for the retaining nut. Your repair person could order a piece that has the correct threads, then solder it onto the new connecting pipe.
You would then be able to swap out the 5th-valve any time you wanted to.
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- JayW
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Cost of brass tubing: Cheap
Cost of installation = Moderate
Finding a technician that does good, clean work so the horn still looks good = Priceless!
Of course there are several folks who could do this job. It all depends on who wants to spend the time to do it and what they want to charge. After working on a 56J, I can tell you that it could be done for around $100.00 and wouldn't be too difficult. Daryl
Cost of installation = Moderate
Finding a technician that does good, clean work so the horn still looks good = Priceless!

Of course there are several folks who could do this job. It all depends on who wants to spend the time to do it and what they want to charge. After working on a 56J, I can tell you that it could be done for around $100.00 and wouldn't be too difficult. Daryl