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The trumpet spit guard works because the valves are all in a line - if your sousaphone valves are also lined up you might be able to find some plastic channel at a hardware or garden supply store that will do the job. You will probably have to cut it to fit, and/or figure out some way to hold it in place.

I remember seeing on someone's euph, small cylinders that were mounted on the bottom valve cap...is that for this purpose, and if it is, are they something that are commercially available?

I go cheap on this one, as I use a sock pulled over the bottom of the piston stack. The air passage is sufficiently free to avoid problems with slowed down valves. You are free to select black or bright colours depending on the job type. White would be fine for Chinese funerals.

Klaus

I use a folded up towel (hand towel) and my girth is sufficient enough to hold it in place...

The sock would probably work better though...

I eat until my belly can support a cup to collect the dripping water.

The liquid getting on your shirt is not called "spit."

The proper term is "tuba gleek."

Please update all correspondence and how-to videos accordingly.

Thank you.

This was discussed not too long ago on Dave Werden's Tuba/Euph forum. Although the suggestions were for euphonium, most of them will apply for tuba as well. Be sure to scroll down to see all the suggestions... use of a black sock, or plastic caps (with hole drilled in side). Some have pictures too.

Grime Gutters (drool drainer )
http://www.dwerden.com/talk/forum/messa ... readid=914

Todd S. Malicoate wrote:The liquid getting on your shirt is not called "spit."

The proper term is "tuba gleek."

Most of the moisture INSIDE your tuba is condensation, and therefore water.
Most of the stuff coming OUT of the piston valves on a reasonably new horn is likely valve oil.

While it is NOT a bad thing to keep your valves well-oiled, it looks like hell on your clothes and can be hard to get out.

The easy fix is to put something to channel or absorb the gleek under them.

What was said above: condensation for the most part.

Now, since it's a Yammy, I'm not surprised it's leaking out the bottom of the Yamalloy valves.

The 38K leaks out the bottom, also, and it is just shy of needing a valve job. But enough water condenses the way I play that it keeps everything going, so maybe in another twenty years or so.

kilimangnome wrote:The tubas are by no means old, they're Yamaha's and we bought them last year. Will try the sock though.

The idea of water migrating into the bottom valve caps being caused solely by leaking valves does not fly. Yamaha valves are fit closer than any other valves on Earth... including some of the high-end German tubas. How much water ends up in the bottom caps has more to do with the configuration of the open bugle than anything. ALL valves will pass water. More so if the open bugle and the valve circuits have to 'run uphill' to get through the valve section. Some valve configurations allow water to 'puddle' inside the valves themselves and that will eventually drain to the bottom of the casings... even if the valves are fit within .0005".

Ideally, water should pass downhill through the valve section. That's just not possible with anything except most rotary horns.... which by-the-way... also leak because of the required clearances.

Yamaha valves may be fit that closely at the factory, but with the relatively thin casings, they don't stay that way for long.