Your number 3...Our school has upright Yammies, and the valve guides are the plastic with metal reinforcement rings. So, the guides are pretty much rings around the valve button, with a sticky-out thingy. As far as my experience, IT SUCKS!!!!!!!!!!!schlepporello wrote:We've got a Jr. High kid (a 2nd-year "wonder") who recently joined our orchestra at church. He brought one of these to church today and I took it upon myself to make sure it was in good working order seeing as the kid doesn't even know how to oil valves yet. I must admit, I was truly surprised by this horn. I didn't expect something that small to be that easy blowing and have the kind of volume I was able to crank out with it. As far as three valve horns are concerned, I liked it way better than the old Buescher that I used to have. It was very small and super light, I think it'd be great for small groups or Christmas caroling. I was impressed at how the valve section was easily removable, I told the kid that they did this so that the repairmen could fix them easier after kids like him screwed 'em up (I try to help promote self esteem whenever I can). I'll admit, the only Yamaha I've ever been impressed with before was built in 1972 and had a 650cc engine in it. After I get my truck payments a little more to my liking, I might just try to pick one of these up.
My only gripes are:
1. that it just doesn't have the resonance or presence of my Miraphone. But then again, it won't. It's just too small.
2. the valves are too close together and the thumb ring is too small. Then again, the horn isn't designed for someone who's 48 years old and stands 6' 8" tall. It's designed for a kid.
3. It's got them stinkin' plastic valve guides. I'm not sure howreliable these things are or how long they last, but these don't impress me much at the moment.
If you twisted the valve button at all, the the guide will displace itself, and you have an unplayable horn, until you fix the valve guide, and it sucks like crazy.
but, if it's screwed into place, it's fine.