Wacky repair ideas you've seen or heard...

Dan Schultz · Post by **Dan Schultz** » Sat Jun 11, 2005 10:50 pm

I got an old (1898) Conn Eb tuba a couple of weeks ago. The horn had a steel receiver on it and the mouthpiece was badly corroded into it. The steel receiver was about 2 1/2" long and was engraved on each end. It looked like it may have been professionly done but I've never seen a steel receiver. (doesn't mean it doesn't happen) What I'm wondering is if this might have indeed been a pro repair and was just done during a period when brass was hard to come by. After all... this horn survived TWO World Wars!

Chuck(G) · Post by **Chuck(G)** » Sat Jun 11, 2005 10:53 pm

Tom wrote:I've seen the top bow of a tuba split (cut length wise) open by a repairman for dent work in the area. When he was done, it was brazed back together and a ferulle (sp?) was stuck in the middle of the top bow to keep it together.

Crazy!

I've got a couple of junkers here with ferrules inserted in both the bottom and top bows. Seems that some repair guys think this is a good idea. I wouldn't hesitate to do this to a Bundy baritone, with the unified top and bottom bow, but on a Miraphone 186, it seems to be just so much hackery.

windshieldbug · Post by **windshieldbug** » Sun Jun 12, 2005 1:06 am

Inner tube rubber, hose clamps, and black tape on a fiberglass sousaphone (I assume leak, but it may have just been decoration). The thought of it just creeped me out so much I couldn't stand to stay, watch, and find out, curious though I was!

Chuck(G) · Post by **Chuck(G)** » Sun Jun 12, 2005 1:31 am

JohnH wrote:The lesson: If your mouthpiece gets stuck, don't tell dad. Bring it in and let me pull it..

Reminds me of the middle school kid with his almost new Yamaha 105 BBb with a sticking third valve. His dad offered to take in to his machine shop and take a couple thousandths off it in his lathe.

I calmly thanked him and said that I thought simply replacing the valve guide should do the trick...

windshieldbug · Post by **windshieldbug** » Sun Jun 12, 2005 12:05 pm

the elephant wrote: I wonder where the bondo-ed and painted ones ended up . . .

I thought they ended up Here

windshieldbug · Post by **windshieldbug** » Sun Jun 12, 2005 1:18 pm

Paul M wrote:I was complaining to a section mate of mine once about my forth valve sticking. He took the valve at and idly looked it over. Then he said I need to smash it on the ground a few times to fix it. Knowing he didn't care for me one bit only helped convince me that he was full of it.

Once you got the valve safely back, you could've looked at him with a new respect in your eyes, and replied, "You know, I think you're right! While you were in the bathroom, I took out your valves and smashed them on the ground, and they don't seem to be sticking at all now!"

bigboom · Post by **bigboom** » Mon Jun 13, 2005 1:20 am

The lead trumpet player in our marching band 2 years ago had a litttle trouble with his old trumpet that he used for rehearsals, his leadpipe fell off entirely. it was at band camp and there wasn't a replacement available. they used what they had, which was duct tape and bubble gum, to fix it. He still plays it like that, he doesn't think it would be worth fixing anymore and he's probably right.

Ben

Doug@GT · Post by **Doug@GT** » Mon Jun 13, 2005 12:26 pm

A guy I went to high school with decided he wanted a silver tormbone. So he wrapped the entire horn with white masking tape and spray painted it silver. It actually looked pretty good...

rascaljim · Post by **rascaljim** » Tue Jun 14, 2005 10:54 am

i had a repair guy recommend putting lock tite on the screws in my bearings on my rotary horn.... yeah right buddy... he was a repair guy visiting one of the highschools I teach at... probably a friend of a friend
Jim