Don't Discount All Dings

Dan Schultz · Post by **Dan Schultz** » Mon Jan 01, 2007 8:40 pm

dmmorris wrote:
TubaTinker wrote: The ...... knuckles ........ are new.
Does anyone know if Yamaha sells new knuckles for their YEP321??

I have an old euphonium that could use a similar surgery.

Yamaha DOES offer knuckles for the YEP321 euphonium. The situation is the same as with the YBB321 tuba... the knuckles that Yamaha has are actually the production knuckles that are used to build the later models. They will work on the euphs and tubas built before around 1987 but the old knuckles have to be cut off and the new knuckles swaged to fit over the stubs. It's not a tough job, but you need to take care with the removal of the old knuckles so as not to damage or distort the valve casings. Anyone who is a registered Conn-Selmer dealer can get them for you. Probably less than $10 each... uninstalled.

Jesse Brook · Post by **Jesse Brook** » Tue Jan 02, 2007 11:06 am

I wish that I knew if Yamaha stocked 3rd valve knuckles for my little YEB-321. It has two dings in it there, right where it counts. I would like to do it myself some day, but more likely I'll take it to a (rare) repairman.

dmmorris · Post by **dmmorris** » Tue Jan 02, 2007 11:32 am

TubaTinker wrote: Yamaha DOES offer knuckles for the YEP321 euphonium.

Thanks Dan!

iiipopes · Post by **iiipopes** » Fri Jan 05, 2007 10:11 pm

Well, now that I've played it for awhile and rebuilding my embouchure in the process -- I never knew what that bit of resistance did for my "feedback" until now that I don't have it -- I have found one interesting change among all the other intonations on the horn: my 5th harmonic, which formerly was in perfect tune, is now just a shade flat, but still very lippable.

Hmm. A choice now presents itself: better intonation overall, including better slurring, or perfect 5th harmonic in tune. Nah, I paid too much to have the dent taken out!

Dan Schultz · Post by **Dan Schultz** » Fri Jan 05, 2007 11:24 pm

iiipopes wrote:.... Nah, I paid too much to have the dent taken out!

Pull the slide and put some stuff inside that is the same volume as the dent was. That way you'll have both purty and function.

No joking! There may have been a thread here a while back that addressed 'restrictors'.

iiipopes · Post by **iiipopes** » Sat Jan 06, 2007 6:51 pm

Thanks. The more I played my tuba, the more it became apparent that in addition to losing the intonation on the 5th partials, just as with other tubas, the 6th partials were also trying to go sharp. That was too much. And I'm too much of a tinkerer. I couldn't resist. I took a small ball-peen hammer, and very gently tapped the knuckle to make just the slightest flat place on it. Viola! All my intonation came back, but because I made that slightest place flat, and not kinked in as it was before, I didn't lose response on the 1-3 and 1-2-3 valve combinations.

Life is grand. I'm just glad it's a less than $1000 tuba and not a more than $10,000 tuba I'm dealing with. It gives me much more leeway to experiment that way!

Hey, Sean, I tried to use the usual "less than" and "more than" symbols, and something in the automatic features of the forum software edited it strangely, like code or something.

Daniel C. Oberloh · Post by **Daniel C. Oberloh** » Wed Jan 10, 2007 4:52 am

Hey Dan-
Interesting, why did you not instal the crooks with ferrules? I never thought to instal them his way, was there a particular reason for doing so?

Daniel C. Oberloh
Oberloh Woodwind and Brass Works

Dan Schultz · Post by **Dan Schultz** » Wed Jan 10, 2007 11:38 am

Daniel C. Oberloh wrote:Hey Dan-
Interesting, why did you not instal the crooks with ferrules? I never thought to instal them his way, was there a particular reason for doing so?

Daniel C. Oberloh
Oberloh Woodwind and Brass Works

I suppose I could have used a ferrule... but this way I didn't have to root in the junk box for suitable outer tubing.

iiipopes · Post by **iiipopes** » Wed Jan 10, 2007 1:11 pm

TubaTinker wrote:
Daniel C. Oberloh wrote:Hey Dan-
Interesting, why did you not instal the crooks with ferrules? I never thought to instal them his way, was there a particular reason for doing so?

Daniel C. Oberloh
Oberloh Woodwind and Brass Works
I suppose I could have used a ferrule... but this way I didn't have to root in the junk box for suitable outer tubing.

Ah, yes: necessity and practicality will trump theory any time.

Dan Schultz · Post by **Dan Schultz** » Wed Jan 10, 2007 10:23 pm

TubaTinker wrote:
Daniel C. Oberloh wrote:Hey Dan-
Interesting, why did you not instal the crooks with ferrules? I never thought to instal them his way, was there a particular reason for doing so?

Daniel C. Oberloh
Oberloh Woodwind and Brass Works
I suppose I could have used a ferrule... but this way I didn't have to root in the junk box for suitable outer tubing.

I did a little further checking, Dan. The newer YBB201/321 tubas (after serial number 100,000) have the ferrules built into the valve body. The knuckles that are currently available are actually NEW production parts and weren't really intended for use as repair parts on horns that were produced before 1987.