Hardening Of The Tuba Arteries?

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Daniel C. Oberloh
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Post by Daniel C. Oberloh »

Loose slides or broken joints that no longer hold compression?

Worn valves that no longer hold compression?

Worn chops that no longer hold compression :wink:

Probably not the brass.

Daniel C. Oberloh
Oberloh woodwind and Brass Works
http://www.oberloh.com
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Rick Denney
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Post by Rick Denney »

Daniel C. Oberloh wrote:Probably not the brass.
Should I explain it?

Nah.

Rick "with apologies to Dan" Denney
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pjv
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Uh-o

Post by pjv »

Explain it...please!!! No seriously. I've heard quite a few trumpet and trombone players in my time (I'm 41) that have talked about metal fatigue in the sense of "the ol' gray mule just ain't what she used to be". They claim that the horn has been played-out. Is this possable, or are we just talking too many face lifts?
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Lew
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Post by Lew »

I've heard this too, and it's nonsense. Valves wear and slides lose compression, but just aging the brass, or playing too much will not render a brass instrument less playable.
Last edited by Lew on Tue Oct 19, 2004 11:53 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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Rick Denney
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Post by Rick Denney »

Lew wrote:I've heard this too, and it's nonsense. Valves wear and slides lose compression, but just aging the brass, or playing too much will not render a brass instrument less playable.
Yes.

For example:

Take a brand new tuba, say, a Yamaha with that nice, durable epoxy lacquer. Store it in an environmentally controlled vault for, say, 2000 years, with occasional reoilings.

Would it play like new? Yes. It would probably even look like new.

The only thing that makes brass change as it ages is the life it leads. "It ain't the years, honey, it's the mileage."

Rick "who has seen lots of Bronze-Age metal objects in good condition" Denney
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