Those guides, if they're the ones I'm thinking of, are not specific to Yamaha products. My Nirschl uses them. The same guides that fit B&S tubas also fit my valves so those horns must use them as well. They work very well as long as you are careful inserting the valve into the casing and if you keep the valves (especially the channel the guide travels in) clean.
My opinion for what it's worth...
plastic valve guides
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jjelwood
- bugler
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Plastic Valve Guides
I have plastic valve guides on my Meinl-Weston 2145 and have had to replace all 4 valve guides once. I wish there was a better alternative. They work well but are not very durable.
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Leland
- pro musician
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- Location: Washington, DC
If they're like mine, they screw in. They're probably Nirschl-built valves, too. I'm tempted to find tiny metal screws for replacement if/when the plastic guides wear out -- that is, if I have trouble getting OEM replacements.PhilW. wrote:My VMI 3302 uses them, if anyone wants to know. I am not sure whether they are screw in or not, because I havn't had to replace them.
Plenty of benefits from being built in the same factory as B&S...
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Art Hovey
- pro musician
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- Location: Connecticut
valve guides
If I could buy german-style plastic valve guide screws in bulk for reasonable prices I would use them on all of my tubas. Does anybody here have connections to that little music shop in Switzerland that sell them for a nickel apiece?
Because they wear out so quickly and because they are difficult to obtain here in the USA I have learned to file down 3mm stainless steel screws that I can buy a a local hardware store. They are not as quiet as plastic, but nobody has ever complained about the clatter. I think they last longer than the old brass valve guides that used to be standard.
Because they wear out so quickly and because they are difficult to obtain here in the USA I have learned to file down 3mm stainless steel screws that I can buy a a local hardware store. They are not as quiet as plastic, but nobody has ever complained about the clatter. I think they last longer than the old brass valve guides that used to be standard.
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Rick Denney
- Resident Genius
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Re: guides
That's funny, I replaced the valve guide on the first valve of my Yamaha 621F two years ago after 12 years.winston wrote:Out of all the horns that i've ever played, by far, the worst vavke guides belong to the yamaha family. the ones that come with the instruments last about 3 months. Being played everyday mind you. I absolutely hate them. All the time, from experience (having a plastic valve guide wear away in the middle of a gig is not good) and hearing other people's opinions, i prefer metal over all others 100% all the time. There's nothing to worry about, make sure to buy the expensive ones though, cheap ones are noisy.
The first set on the instrument were an experiment in failure, and Yamaha sent me a couple of sets of harder plastic tacquets. Those lasted throughout my TubaMeisters period, and three of them are still in place.
My York Master also has plastic valve guides consistent with Nirschl's latest offerings. They were installed by Wayne Tanabe during a valve job, and those valves are positively dreamy. I've never played a tuba with better valves.
The Holton has metal tacquets that were checked (and I think a couple replaced) by Lee Stofer. They work well, but all will agree that the Holton valves are a bit clunky. Do the metal tacquets contribute to the clunkiness? Probably not to any great extent.
No matter what the material, if they aren't properly installed and fitted, and if they are mishandled or poorly maintained, they won't work well and they won't last.
Rick "who has no beef with plastic valve guides" Denney