Besson 995 Help

[misterlandis]

Hi all,

I have a problem with by Besson 995 CC that I need some advice on. In rehearsal this afternoon my second valve came apart on me. The top separated from the body of the valve. I've attached a picture of where it separated in case my explanation sucks, but that's after I stuck it back together and finished the rehearsal. It plays, but not all that well. I have three main questions:
1) Is this repairable (I imagine it probably is, but all the local shops are terrible)
2) If it is not repairable (or repairable sans tuba), who is most likely to have a new 2nd valve that I could purchase?
3) What can I do to keep it playable in the meantime? It's my main horn and I have a concert tomorrow night and a quintet gig Sunday, both of which utilize said Besson.

Thanks in advance,
Daniel Landis

[MartyNeilan]

My best guess is that this is a simple solder job for a highly skilled repairman. Anybody less could probably warp the walls of your piston or loosen the ports. Is there anybody with a half-day drive that would be available? (hours of driving is nothing for a Texan, and there are more than a handful of good brass techs somewhere in or next to the Lone Star state.)

[misterlandis]

Thanks for the quick replies. I imagine I could probably find a competent repair tech within a half-day's drive. I seem to recall there's a guy in or somewhere near Phoenix who does good work.

Bloke: I'll inspect the valve when I'm back with the horn at rehearsal tonight and see if it looks like it could just be reheated. Is the failure itself just a random occurence, or is there something I might have done to cause that? The horn's at least a decade old and this is the first time I've had anything go wrong in my seven years of ownership.

[ASTuba]

Send an email to Patterson Horn Works. They are not too far from you, and may do this as it's just a simple soldering job. Worth checking before you drive to Phoenix.

[misterlandis]

Several people tonight reminded me about Patterson's, so I'll be trying them first thing tomorrow. Thank you to everyone for your help.