UPDATE:
Suitable bits have been found for both my and my friend's Martin, thanks to Lee Stofer.
Lee took the original bit that came with each horn, along with a York bit for the other Mammoth, and a Selmer bit for my horn, and shaped them on a mandrel for an air tight fit. Now, the bits or both horns lock into place with no movement whatsoever. The way the bits were previously, there was a minuscule amount of air leaking out between the bits, which has now been remedied. In addition to that, Lee also found that the water keys on both horns had been improperly repaired at some point, and were bent in such a way that the pad was not resting evenly on the nipple of the water key, so, again, a small bit of air was leaking here as well. With both of these air leak problems fixed, both horns now play with a much more punchy tone with significantly less 'fuzzyness'. Its amazing how such seemingly small repairs make such a difference in how a horn plays.
Lee also took the liberty of knocking out some of the larger dents in the outer bows of the horn, as well as buffing out some tarnish that had accumulated on the main tuning slide crook.
All in all, both horns now look and sound a whole lot better thanks to some quick minor repairs. Always consistently impressed with Lee's work and just wanted to give him another shutout for the work that he does, as well as updating Martin enthusiasts on the status of the horns.
Pictures:
My Mammoth with original Martin bit paired with the new Selmer bit:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B4BA8g ... sp=sharing" target="_blank" target="_blank
Back view of the horn with major dents removed, only minor dings remain:
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B4BA8 ... WV0Y2VKLUE" target="_blank" target="_blank
Tuning slide crook, with correctly bent water key, new pad, and tarnish removed:
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B4BA8 ... mlPem5IX1k" target="_blank" target="_blank
"Some men are macho men. Others are Martin men"
It's that word "handcraft"...