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Hi all,

I have a problem with by Besson 995 CC that I need some advice on. In rehearsal this afternoon my second valve came apart on me. The top separated from the body of the valve. I've attached a picture of where it separated in case my explanation sucks, but that's after I stuck it back together and finished the rehearsal. It plays, but not all that well. I have three main questions:
1) Is this repairable (I imagine it probably is, but all the local shops are terrible)
2) If it is not repairable (or repairable sans tuba), who is most likely to have a new 2nd valve that I could purchase?
3) What can I do to keep it playable in the meantime? It's my main horn and I have a concert tomorrow night and a quintet gig Sunday, both of which utilize said Besson.

Thanks in advance,
Daniel Landis

My best guess is that this is a simple solder job for a highly skilled repairman. Anybody less could probably warp the walls of your piston or loosen the ports. Is there anybody with a half-day drive that would be available? (hours of driving is nothing for a Texan, and there are more than a handful of good brass techs somewhere in or next to the Lone Star state.)

Thanks for the quick replies. I imagine I could probably find a competent repair tech within a half-day's drive. I seem to recall there's a guy in or somewhere near Phoenix who does good work.

Bloke: I'll inspect the valve when I'm back with the horn at rehearsal tonight and see if it looks like it could just be reheated. Is the failure itself just a random occurence, or is there something I might have done to cause that? The horn's at least a decade old and this is the first time I've had anything go wrong in my seven years of ownership.

Send an email to Patterson Horn Works. They are not too far from you, and may do this as it's just a simple soldering job. Worth checking before you drive to Phoenix.

Several people tonight reminded me about Patterson's, so I'll be trying them first thing tomorrow. Thank you to everyone for your help.