Silent Brass questions

[tjs]

I don't have the number anymore, but when one of mine broke I just called Yamaha and some nice woman sent me some for free!

[Lew]

The only time I have experienced buzzing is when the long "insert" part is touching some part of the inside of the horn. If the tuba yo are using it with has a shorter bell stack, or the mute is off center this can be a problem.

[Dean E]

I have a silent brass right now, and I like using it . . . . But, what in the heck is the telescoping arm thing for? Could I just take it off? would it affect something adversely?

The hard plastic (how's that for an oxymoron?) telescoping portions are designed to contact the bell lightly and help to dampen vibrations and noise.

But if the bell is too large to permit the plastic to seat firmly all the way around the circumference, buzzing and rattling results, amplified, of course, by the microphone pickup.

The 20-inch bell of my Eb York monster is too big for the SB, so I bought a rubber toilet plunger from the dollar store. First, I cut a center hole in the plunger to fit the telescoping portion. But the plunger was too restrictive and sealed off the air flow. Next, I cut several big holes in the plunger to allow air through. Now it works well with no ratlling or vibrating.

[tubapress]

Also, I seem to remember in the old Tubenet that there was someone on here who had gotten some spare parts for the SB from yamaha. Is that person still around? I need some of those clip thingys that hold the two halves together/clamp the apparatus to the bell.

Thanks

I believe that was me that, after numerous phone calls leading to deadends, finally found a source of replacement parts for Silent Brass.

You can contact Lyne Selleck of Yamaha Corp. at 616-940-4945 or lselleck@yamaha.com. I'm sure she'll be glad to help you.

GP