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When adding a fourth valve to an instrument, which do you use (from the donor horn) as the fourth valve, the second or first valve? I've heard from others who have used both and was interested in what worked well/didn't work well for either of those? I'm nearing the part of my project where I will do this with a baritone and want to get some opinions before I start cutting!

Any insights, thoughts, pictures, jokes, etc. will be appreciated!

bloke wrote:It's a heck of a lot of trouble, but typically #2 (with replacement knuckle tubing heading out in the required directions) is the best choice.

Yeah, I've seen pictures where a "sleeve" is made to connect the new valve, and that's what I'm going to try.

This is my trial run before I try it on a tuba (which I still need to save up and purchase...) for another project I'd like to try.

Thanks bloke!

Great advice, thanks bloke.

For this baritone project, I bought two cheapo baritones to combine into one four-valve horn just for the practice.

Thanks! Keep the comments coming!

If you want the casing and fingerbutton to match the height of the other three... the 2nd valve is the logical choice to use.

I've seen four valved horns where the 4th valve rides lower that the other three and it does make some sense ergonomically to use the 1st or 3rd. Of those two ... I think the 3rd would be better since the exit to the main tuning slide has better orientation.

Wade and Dan, thanks for chiming in. I think I'll go the second valve route, since that seems to be the consensus. Does anyone have any pictures of the tubing layout they used with that? I'll have all the tubing from the donor horn to use, but nothing else.

Thanks!

Thanks guys, for continuing to respond. I know the 4th valve is the length of the first and third valves combined, so do you just add a little extra since that measurement exactly would still be sharp (thus the point of having a fourth valve...)? Any formula for how much extra length or is just trial and error mostly? Or should I just try and give myself plenty of slide pull?