TubeNet

All right tubenet repair gurus: I have an old B&S Symphonie F tuba that has really slow, noisy valves. Next week it's going to be getting a chem clean, but it was given a "non chem" clean recently so don't think gunk in the valves is the problem. Most of the noise seems to be coming from linkage mechanism anyway.

Someone suggested I upgrade to "Uniball" linkage. If I sound ignorant right now, it's because I don't really know what any of this stuff means. Those of you that have worked on these old horns, would this be something you recommend? How much should I expect to spend on such an endeavor?

Thanks in advance!

It's basically replacing the old worn lever action with worn out links that really can't be fixed inexpensively or reliably with a miniature version of a ball and socket joint that can be adjusted ongoing for wear and set better for reliability and quiet operation.

Even then, I still like the S arms better than the mini-erector set now standard on most rotary tubas.

Sometimes those old 'S' linkages can be made less noisy without much problem. There are lots of things to took at... the end play in the rotor is also often a source for noise. Missing or hard bumpers are another issue. Simply loose rotor stop plates can be very annoying as well as loose rotor stop arms. A little heavy oil can often do wonders for worn linkages, too.

Dan knows. What he said.