Amado Water Keys

[Wyvern]

I have been wanting to try the Saturns out, but they are very expensive, and the tuba ones look gigantic to my. Not sure. I need more photos up close to decide on the expense for my BAT. Anyone have any hi-res photos of their installed Saturns?

Here are photos of one recently fitted on my MW travel tuba. You can see the existing waterkey to compare size. Saturn water keys are not particularly large even on this very small tuba. I also like the fact that they can be added to new tuba with minimal lacquer damage

[Maurice]

Well, no need to email pictures now. As a point of reference the distance across the black ring used to open the valve is 3/4".

[Alex C]

One of my Marzan 'slant-rotor' tubas has no waterkeys at all. It's not a problem to pull the slides to dump. At least I know that the slide is clear.

What he said!

I have never failed to look down the brass row and not see a drop of water hangin off of somebody's water key. If it leaks water you KNOW it's going to leak air.

If I must have a water key, the only commercial water key I'd like is the Willson.

Somebody tell me, how does an Amado-type water key provides an air tight seal?

If the tolerances were tight enough to prevent air escaping, you couldn't move the plunger-thingy... and the tolerances aren't that tight.

[Alex C]

Somebody tell me, how does an Amado-type water key provides an air tight seal?

If the tolerances were tight enough to prevent air escaping, you couldn't move the plunger-thingy... and the tolerances aren't that tight.

That's why I eliminated all of the the pistons and slides from my tubas, Alex.

...and mouthpiece. Don't forget to solder that sucker in. Oh, and there's that big hole at the end, too.

[J.c. Sherman]

Bloke's right as usual...

So at last, my secret it out. I am both the elephant AND bloke. I am also several other users on this board. But you will have to discover which ones... Muwahahahahahaha!!!

Crap. Sorry Elephant!

Bloke is right most of the time though But in this case I was of course referring to your rightness! My reading comprehension is perhaps getting a bit rushed these days. Must be brain damage!

[windshieldbug]

One of my Marzan 'slant-rotor' tubas has no waterkeys at all. It's not a problem to pull the slides to dump. At least I know that the slide is clear.

I removed the main one from mine. "Seemed" to fix a couple of notes, as well. It's no problem to just dump it any time the horn comes down and you're always sure the horn's clean... push the valves down and all the water has a clean shot to the open main!

[Brian C]

Somebody tell me, how does an Amado-type water key provides an air tight seal?

If the tolerances were tight enough to prevent air escaping, you couldn't move the plunger-thingy... and the tolerances aren't that tight.

That's why I eliminated all of the the pistons and slides from my tubas, Alex.

...and mouthpiece. Don't forget to solder that sucker in. Oh, and there's that big hole at the end, too.

That's where you solder a 50 cent piece.

[J.c. Sherman]

I am a fan of the euro waterkeys from Allied, but I hate the nipples... But I've used them when I want a nice product at the end appearance-wise.

What I wish I could still find were the Yamaha waterkey "corks". The were rubber with an inset to go into the hole, which also diminished the perturbation in the bore. I'd buy a sack, but I'm not sure they're about anymore.

[Dan Schultz]

..... What I wish I could still find were the Yamaha waterkey "corks". The were rubber with an inset to go into the hole, which also diminished the perturbation in the bore. ......

One of the things on my 'list of things to try' is to mount a waterkey and not use the nipple... drill only about a 1/16" hole in the crook and just let a somewhat thicker cork seal directly against the outside of the crook. That would be very close to the same as having no hole in the crook at all.

[Brian C]

About 15 years ago, Alex C (no relation) showed me how he was using a silicon gel to replace corks on the water key. The silicon gel would fit inside the nipple and would form a better seal. I don't remember the precise steps of what he did or what I did when I used the same technique on my horn.

[MartyNeilan]

Also, does anyone have any FULL pictures of their tuba with the Saturn keys installed? I don't want to see just a cropped section, I'd like to see the entire instrument so that I can get an idea on the size of the Saturn keys.

Original MW waterkeys on the 3rd and 4th lower slides, Saturn waterkey on the dogleg going into the main tuning slide. I am planning on changing the other two waterkeys to Saturn eventually.

[J.c. Sherman]

Holy He||! What is that?!? It's gorgeous

[Mtrhed]

I'll second that! That's a damn cool horn! When are our friends in the far east going to build something like that? I'll keep dreaming and buy a lottery ticket.

[Lingon]

...What I wish I could still find were the Yamaha waterkey "corks". The were rubber with an inset to go into the hole, which also diminished the perturbation in the bore. I'd buy a sack, but I'm not sure they're about anymore...

A colleague of mine showed me a new prototype horn he got from Yamaha in Germany a couple of months ago. It had that special waterkey 'cork' you mentioned. He praised the difference it did with the sound. So they seems to be alive.