Question for the repair gurus

[Tubaguyry]

I just received a new horn, and am having a bit of trouble. When I play, there is a kind of buzzing/rattling, as if a tiny bit of something is vibrating against metal somewhere. When I shake the horn, I can hear it moving, but can't quite tell where it is. I assumed it was a bit of crud left in one of the valves or tubes during manufacture. I completely disassembled the horn and thoroughly snaked/rinsed all the tubing and valves. However, when I shake the horn I can still hear the rattling! I'm not sure where the bit of stuff could be hiding. I can tell that the noise is coming from somewhere in the body of the instrument, not the bell wire. Call me crazy, but I would almost swear it's coming from INSIDE one of the braces. Has anyone run into something like this before? If so, how can I make the buzzing go away?

Thanks for any advice!

[Dan Schultz]

If it's a piston horn... did you give the pistons a 'shake'? Are there any 'dummy' tubes on the horn? By that, I mean closed-end tubes that serve only to keep the horn together or mount a finger ring and aren't part of the bugle or tuning circuits.

Give us a little more information.... make, model, piston, rotary. You said 'new' horn. But... is it used and just 'new' to you? ... or in fact a brand new horn.

[J.c. Sherman]

There are 14,567 reasons for a buzz. I've certain of that number

For instance; I just received a YBB-103 Yammy. Buzzing EVERYWHERE! Solutions? broken-off valve stem thread in the #2 piston (a la TubaTinkers suggestion), and 3 loose screws securing the valve block to the body.

But there was one more insidious one; terrible repair left a glorb of solder in the first valve crook which de-stabilized it so much it a) buzzed and b) felt like a leak. I replaced the crook and both were gone.

Horn's about 90% of what I want it to be, but quite playable. It's now on loan to a student for a few weeks. But those are just a few examples. Loose braces, tubes too close to one another, leadpipe against the bell, crooked valve springs, bottom valve caps not secured, leaks, connecting rod screws, worn pistons, worn piston guides, worn valve bearings... Too many things to imagine!

J.c.S. (who notes hollow braces can often have a loose blorb of solder shaking around in them : )

[Tubaguyry]

The horn is a brand-new JinBao rotary F, and I think I've tracked down the spot making the noise. I placed a handheld vibrating massager with a rubber tip against the metal of the horn in several places, and the bit of "stuff" (a little solder, I assume) does indeed seem to be trapped inside the hollow part of one of the braces. Hopefully a quick trip to the local repairman will fix that right up.

BTW -- besides that little buzz, I am LOVING the horn! I can't believe the sound of it!

[SousaSaver]

YOU ARE NOT CRAZY!

It is VERY possible to think that it is coming from inside one of the braces. IF the bracing has a tube like the big brace on a Sousaphone near your left shoulder or a Trombone handslide grip. You can get a blob of solder in there.

That being said, I don't know if your horn has any bracing like that.

[Dan Schultz]

The horn is a brand-new JinBao rotary F, and I think I've tracked down the spot making the noise. I placed a handheld vibrating massager with a rubber tip against the metal of the horn in several places, and the bit of "stuff" (a little solder, I assume) does indeed seem to be trapped inside the hollow part of one of the braces. Hopefully a quick trip to the local repairman will fix that right up.

BTW -- besides that little buzz, I am LOVING the horn! I can't believe the sound of it!

How innovative! A built-in cabasa! Ain't them Chinamen wonderful? I wonder where they copied that from?

[Lingon]

...How innovative! A built-in cabasa! Ain't them Chinamen wonderful? I wonder where they copied that from?...

It's a bonus now before the Yuan goes up...