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Hello, all.

I have a Glenn Cronkhite gig bag for my Meinl-Weston 2157 CC tuba, which is basically a modified 2155. The gig bag seems to be bending my first valve stem out of alignment, which makes it nearly impossible to play. I don't carry anything in the pouch except for my mouthpiece and some valve oil. Does anybody know of any kind of case or strap that I can put over my valves while in the case to keep them from getting bent?

Thanks for any help!

Josh

Altieri makes a cover that will go over your valves. Keeps them pressed down while in the case. Give them a call.

Chris

In the short term you could transport the tuba with the springs removed.

A bandmate with a calvary front action tuba made a rigid wooden box that rested over the valves it worked for him but my concern would be that the box would transfer any force received onto the tubes/knuckles supporting it.

Call Glenn Cronkhite and let him know. Perhaps there was a miscommunication in measurements when the case was made for your MW 2157. Did you send him exact measurements for a MW 2157 or did you buy a case for a MW 2155?

sousakrue wrote:Altieri makes a cover that will go over your valves. Keeps them pressed down while in the case. Give them a call.

Chris

Those things work, but can be kind of a hassle. Another solution (if it fits) is to put a small plastic rubbermaid container over the valves to shield them (just make sure the container is deep enough that the tops of the valves can't touch the bottom of the container. It's another slightly awkward arrangement, but it provides more rigid protection.

Was the bag specifically ordered/bought for your 2157? Or was it bought for a different and similarly-sized tuba (like a Miraphone 1291)? Those bags really are custom fit to the tuba, so even if the length and bell diameter are the same between different tubas, the depth of the horn, placement of valves, etc. are all a little different from each other and could be the difference. It seems less problematic with rotary tubas, but with piston horns, the valve placement/direction/layout varies a bit more.

Also, if this is a new bag you just ordered, I'd suggest giving Glenn a call. Clearly this is not an expected (or acceptable) outcome, and certainly not indicative of what you should expect from one of Glenn's fine products.

Unfortunately, the gig bag does not depress the valves when it is in the case. And I am not sure about the measurements. The gig bag came with the horn when I got it five or six years ago. It seems to get bent a little bit at a time, and when I bend it back out, I try to be really careful not to break anything. But I know that a repetitive process of bending the stem will eventually break it.

bloke wrote:My best estimation is that if the bag isn't depressing the stems, it also isn't bending the stems.

Makes sense to me -- but the fix will help either way, true? (I mean the Altieri cover or similar, something that protects the stems, possibly by depressing the valves. The "complain to Cronkhite" fix is a long shot anyway.)

I'm murder on front action stems. Mostly door jambs.