TubeNet

I have a miraphone 186 (school instrument) and my valves are simply too loud! they click above my sound...i've asked my band director to get me some stoppers for em but he wont do ne thing..what can i do to fix this problem myself?

naw man, i got tha stoppers, they're just really worn down.

Grooving for Heaven wrote:Ask your private lesson teacher how to fix your valves.

At the risk of attracting flames from musicians and teachers who really know how to service their horns....

Why do you think professional musicians take their horns to professional repairmen. Most of the professional musicians and teachers I know barely know which end to blow into!

Granted, there are some who service their own horns, but my suggestion is to take your horn to a repairman.

sbring wrote:

Crimson995 wrote:There's a good article on oiling rotary valves by Ken Pope.http://www.tubastudio.com/freeresources.htm

I have played rotary valves for 25 years, and never oiled anything but bearings and links.

Ordinarily, the only things that require oil on a rotary valve are the front and rear bearings and the linkage bearings. On a properly operating rotor, the periphery of a rotor does not touch the inside of the housing and therefore does not require lubrication in that area. All a coating of oil is going to do for you in that area is slow the rotor down.

bloke wrote:"Repair chat" is boring

Maybe to those who can and/or do it. It's actually one of the more interesting and worth while things on Tubenet. Keep it comming!

Regarding this post, i have another question...(i'm guessing that bloke or a sponsor will have an answer) the tuba that has the loud valves doesnt seem to sound as good as the tuba that doesnt have the loud valves...Both tubas are miraphone 186's and both of course are BB flats... does the loudness of the valves correlate in any way with the overall tone and sound of the horn?

Grooving for Heaven wrote:that's an easy one. If the valve bumpers are not at the proper width, the tuba can and will play terrible. It's important that the valves line up correctly in the casings.

BINGO give the man a cigar.