Heh, oops!

[Levaix]

I gave my euphonium a bath this weekend. When I put it together again, I put the valves in before all the slides. Looking into the little compensating 1st valve pipe, I noticed the alignment was off on my first valve; about half the port was out of alignment. So I figured I'd mixed up the valves at some point, and switched 1st and 3rd. Everything lined up, good deal.

So then later in the practice room, I stop for a second and realize that there's no way I could have mixed up those particular valves, since I left the cork on 1st when I disassembled it (took the felt off of course!). On a whim, I switched my 1st and 3rd valves back and start playing. I can play every note in the chromatic scale... in both configurations...

So it seems I've been playing with my 1st and 3rd valves switched since AT LEAST the beginning of fall semester, and I have no way to be sure of anytime before then. The horn is a B&S PT-37. I wouldn't have known they were switched except that I put the valves in before the slides. I can't decide if this says something bad or good about the engineering, but I certainly feel better about my playing considering I didn't even register a difference.

That would explain my flat high range, though.

[Rick F]

The first and third valves on most euphs are almost exactly the same. I remember one player in our section years ago said he couldn't twirl his 1st valve when oiling. It was several months later he told me that he had his 1st and 3rd switched. He noticed it when he was cleaning out his horn and had the all the felts, corks and valve guides removed. Once his valves oriented right, he could spin each valve again.

Usually there is a number stamped on the top of the valve under the felt, washer and/or valve guide (if you have that type).

[SousaSaver]

A little tip for anyone removing felts and corks to bathe their instruments:go to Walmart or hobby lobby and pick up some small craft zip top bags. Label them 1-4. put the corresponding felts and corks in the bags. When everything is dry and ready to reassemble, put the correct felts and corks back on the corresponding valves.

Why? Not all valve felts are equal thicknesses. Your valve alignment could have been compromised if you switched the felts around when you had them off OR they have some wear or have broken down and need to be replaced. Either way, it wouldn't be a bad idea to have a valve alignment done.

Just my opinion. I could be wrong.

[imperialbari]

I never had the said brand of euphonium in my hands, yet I wonder very much about the OP’s statement about the compensating loop ports of the 1st piston being way off alignment on visual inspection.

Ports being that much off proper alignment would lead to very bad sonic results, which would have lead to desperate postings at a much earlier state. That is, if the instrument had at all been bought.

The problem hardly is with the instrument. Rather it is about a lack of understanding of the Blaikley compensating system.

If the port alignment of compensating loop is checked with the 1st piston in the UP position, then it doesn’t matter at all whether ones eyes are met with a good or a bad alignment. There will be no air passage through the comp loop anyway. What counts is that there is a perfect alignment, when the piston is in the DOWN position,

Klaus

[Levaix]

What counts is that there is a perfect alignment, when the piston is in the DOWN position

Yes, you are correct, and that's also what I meant. When I hit the piston down and the alignment was about 50% I nearly had a heart attack.

I can assure you I can play a complete chromatic scale throughout the entire range of the instrument with the 1st and 3rd valves in either of the 1st or 3rd valve casings. I tested it out in the practice room yesterday. The only complaint I had last semester from peers and directors was that I wasn't as loud as usual (and I was still playing plenty loud). (My only personal complaint was a stuffier than usual low register below the staff and a tendency to play flat in the upper registers.)

Now to go reset my intonation...

EDIT: I should mention that my valves don't seem to have numbers on them. That would probably be a good thing.