Need KIng 2341 (old Style) valve felts

[Davidrn1]

Hi, My KIng 2341 needs new valve felts. Could probably stand to have the springs changed as well.

Can anyone offer where I can get them from. Or, If anyone has a scope to check the heights exactly.

Many thanks and happy holidays!

I live in the Cleveland Ohio area. Matt at Dillon may be too far to drive. Tuba Dome maybe??

[Roger Lewis]

Yes, I have a bore scope and a bunch of different size felts. We can probably get your horn set-up properly and outfitted with new springs as well when you wander this way next. Just let me know when as I usually keep my bore scope at home with my horns.

All the best.
Roger

[jacojdm]

Check your e-mail.

[Davidrn1]

Is your 2341 the "old" style? Any run-o'-the-mill shop has those felts.

They're available through Allied Supply in Elkhorn, Wisconsin, and (hmm... ) some minor manufacturing facility in Eastlake, Ohio - not too far from you.

Either Allied's "Besson" or "King" springs will do. Personally, I've NEVER had ANY tuba valve springs on ANY of my own piston tubas to wear out. I've replaced them for other people at their specific requests, but often needlessly - IMO.

If they're still available (??), B&H ("Besson") has offered some synthetic felts that are *just about exactly the same thickness as those big King red felts...and the Besson synthetics (at least for me - so far) seem to last forever.
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*If the Besson synthetics ARE still available but seem as though they aren't *quite* thick enough, you can cut some shim washers out of one of those plastic coffee can lids.

It is the old and better style 2341. I think the springs are a little weak as the valves are a little slow. May not even be the right ones for the horn. Who knows. I have only owned this one for 2 years. Have no idea what happened to it in the 28 years prior. I bought it at a music store. It sat there for well over a year before I saved it.

[TUbajohn20J]

King sousaphones have the same felts and springs and the Old 2340 and 2341

[Davidrn1]

Thanks for the reply. I did not know that the KIng Sousa were the same felts. I think I want to get itno a shop so they can do a valve alignment job on it too. PLus, I am sure it needs a good cleaning

[Dan Schultz]

Thanks for the reply. I did not know that the KIng Sousa were the same felts. I think I want to get itno a shop so they can do a valve alignment job on it too. PLus, I am sure it needs a good cleaning

Taking the horn to a repairman is a very good idea. I've found that the word 'standard' really can't be applied until you take a real good look at what you have. Quite often repairs are made with other than original parts. Sometimes stems and fingerbuttons are mixed... making it difficult to figure out exactly what felts and corks need to be used.

[iiipopes]

Be careful you take it to a repairman who knows what he's doing, however. On the Conn Cavalier (predecessor to 14K) I played for awhile, I took it in for corks and felts, and it came out worse than when it went in. He supposedly "scoped" it, but when I showed him the factory grooves on the valve stems that are used for a starting point for rough vertical alignment, and that they weren't even close to the edge of the center of the valve cap, (everything on it actually is original, including the valve caps) he obviously did not know what I was talking about. So I showed him what to do to start, we experimented with a couple of different thicknesses to get it fine tuned, and he refunded my initial charge for "alignment."

[Davidrn1]

I am leaning towrads taking it to Matt walters or Roger Lewis to have the work done. They both have a great reputation regarding the fixing of horns.