Average price for a 4 valve King/Conn valve set?

[Bob Kolada]

I think I've asked this before, but no one posted!


What would an average price be for a used clean 4 piston set be? A King .689 or a Conn .656, preferably in silver and if it happened to be off an Eb tuba so much the better (no, not for my King Eb!)!

I'm tempted to ask about a .689-.700ish rotary set, but then I remembered how badly I play on rotary tubas (though I am making some small advances)!

Thanks!

[Art Hovey]

I have never seen a used one for sale. If one appeared on Ebay I would certainly bid on it, but someone else would probably go higher. Talk to the company rep about a new valve set at the next tuba conference; they are still being made. When I asked back in 2001 the price seemed pretty reasonable, but then I found a Mirafone set that I liked more.

[Bob Kolada]

Damn, I thought they were more popular!

Dan, do you have any more of those 4 rotary valve Eb sections?

Is there a .625 4 valve set available new?

[Rick Denney]

The valves on some Yamahas (I'm thinking of the 621 models) have a .689 bore, or close enough. That might add to the list of otherwise trashed tubas you might be able to scrounge.

I seem to recall that German piston valvesets were a coupla grand new when people were buying them for restorations and conversions. I suspect that defines the upper end of the price spectrum.

You might also talk to Kanstul. They might be prepared to make and sell a new valveset in a bore about that size.

Rick "who once paid $97 for a sousaphone with usable valves" Denney

[Bob Kolada]

Kanstul does make rotary valves in .620 and .655 (contrabass trombone)...

[Dan Schultz]

Damn, I thought they were more popular! Dan, do you have any more of those 4 rotary valve Eb sections? Is there a .625 4 valve set available new?

I just parted out a 4V Eb rotary section to get a rotor for a 5th valve addition on an Eb tuba.

Those King 4V .688" valve sections pop up once in a while. Trouble is... they are usually on usable horns. I don't know if Conn-Selmer will sell just a valve section or not. If they did, I'm guessing that the cost would be beyond the range of buying one for a project horn.

There are LOTS of King 3V .688" valve sections around and it's not near as painful to scrap out one of those horns. It's not all that difficult to salvage a #2 casing & piston our of one section and graft in onto another. But... you're still looking at several hours labor plus the cost of the two valve sections.

NO... I don't want to spend my days building 4V valve sections!

[Bob Kolada]

I just parted out a 4V Eb rotary section to get a rotor for a 5th valve addition on an Eb tuba.

Oh well.... got any pictures?

[Dan Schultz]

I just parted out a 4V Eb rotary section to get a rotor for a 5th valve addition on an Eb tuba.

Oh well.... got any pictures?

Of the parts carcass? .... or the custom I'm building?