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I recently picked up a PT20P in a trade and it is a fantastic all around horn. As I am getting used to the horn I start to notice the little ideosyncrasies that all horns seem to have. I play through it like everybody else and compensate when and where I need to.

I was going to be passing through NJ on my way to NYC last weekend so I contacted Matt Walters at Dillon's and asked him would he do a clean and tweak job on the horn. I picked up the horn from Dillon's yesterday and I simply cannot believe the difference it made!

All of the little tuning and flow problems disappeared and the horn plays like a brand new hand-made horn. I have not played better valves on any other horn, new or used.

So I recommend that if you have a horn that is buggy or only slightly quirky, have it looked at my Matt of some other top-notch repairman. Even if you have to do some driving, it will be worth your while. You may find that what you thought was just a picadillo or quirk is something that can be fixed! In my case it was like getting a whole new horn.

Thanks Matt and Dillon's

Hey Bud,
Glad you are happy with the work. I wish I knew years ago what I know now. I feel guilty about some of my past repair bills when I think that now I can give more results for less money with these "tricks". But not having a time machine, I can only try my best with the time I'm allowed at each present moment. If a horn already plays well, then the "tweaks" won't make as much a difference. Glad they made a difference for you.

Yes, a great job Matt!

It's a question of percentages. A horn playing at 90% is not a huge difference to a horn at 95%. But a horn playing a 100% is a huge difference to me! There is also the "unknown quantity". My horn played well, but maybe is was carrying baggage from the last owner - maybe not. To have it tweaked by a really good repair shop wipes the slate clean (in most cases), and now I know for sure when I make a strange sound whether it is me or the horn. It is a baseline that I can judge all further activity. It takes the guesswork out.

We all want formula 1 performance out of our horns, but there aren't many of us who could effectively get under the hood and tune things up on a world class level, or even be aware of the bad horn habits we have. If your sick you go see a doctor, same rules apply to the horn.

Last time I visited Dillon's to buy a horn a few years ago I remember that you gave me quick reference of what not to do with my new horn. It included our natural inclination as players to pick the thing up and start jogging the valves cold without throwing some oil in it after the horn has sat in the case for a while. Seemingly harmless to a player with other things on his or her mind.

Matt,

You see a lot of horns coming across you bench. What are the major sins we as players commit on our horns?

What issues with horns can be addressed by skilled repairmen I wonder?

I don't expect anyone to reveal how issues are rectified, only what might be 'fixed'.

Cheers,
P

Well Peach,

In my case, I had some stuffy feeling notes. Nothing major, just enough to notice as a player and to be mindful of when ever they came up on the page. More importantly I had a few notes that required alternate fingerings or lipping to hit very accurately, which I was doing.

When the horn came back any hint of stuffy was gone and I didn't have to resort to my usual alternate fingerings. The response on attacks had improved greatly. The valves which had been good before were great now. The horn felt much "tighter".

How did Matt do it? I don't know. The point of my post was simply to stress the value of a good tune-up to get the most out of the horn you already have.