TrumpetMaster - View Single Post - Selmer - anyone know more about this trumpet I bought today?!

veery715 · 03-27-2007, 01:32 AM

Clean it yourself first while you locate someone to do it professionally. Take the valves out, and unscrew the bottom caps and put them (GENTLY- AVOID HAVING THE VALVES CONTACT EACH OTHER) in a glass of lukewarm water with one or two drops of dish soap, water level to about a half inch under the felt washers (near the top). Then fill your tub with more lukewarm (NOT hot) water and immerse the horn for an hour or two. After that, just hold it under the shower and run clean water into the bell, holding your hands over the valve cylinder bottoms and tops to encourage the water into the slides for a thorough rinse.
Turn it around and around to drain the water. Remove the valves and bottom caps from the glass and rinse them as well, one at a time, and then shake out the excess water. Screw on the bottom caps (probably not numbered and doesn't make a difference). Give each valve four or five drops of valve oil and reinstall them in the horn (there are numbers on each to match the 19, 20, and 21 on the outside), being careful to insert them so the notches in the casing match up with keys (projections) on the pistons. Each piston has two keys opposite each other, one is narrow and one wider, with corresponding wide and narrow notches in each casing. (On my Radial 2 the wider notches are towards the left hand) It works best to line them up correctly and let gravity do the rest - they should fall into place. Do NOT rotate them once inserted to get them to line up, nor should you have to push them down into the casings. They may be tight and need a little encouragement, but once they are in place they should be loose. Pull the slides, shake them out, and blow while working the valves to empty the water completely. Lubrucate the slides as needed and replace them.
Give it a try. You need to be comfortable with disassembling and reassembling the horn; it isn't a big deal once you get used to it.
While it is apart - look into the slides and the lead pipe and you will probably be able to see some gunk. You can try to clean that out with a snake, but since it is a "vintage" horn a professional cleaning is probably a good idea. A pro would also align the valves and replace felts and corks. If the outside of the horn is in good shape then a pro would see to it that the inside was as well.

03-27-2007, 01:32 AM	#6 (permalink)
veery715 Mezzo Piano User Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Ithaca NY Posts: 586	Re: Selmer - anyone know more about this trumpet I bought today?! Clean it yourself first while you locate someone to do it professionally. Take the valves out, and unscrew the bottom caps and put them (GENTLY- AVOID HAVING THE VALVES CONTACT EACH OTHER) in a glass of lukewarm water with one or two drops of dish soap, water level to about a half inch under the felt washers (near the top). Then fill your tub with more lukewarm (NOT hot) water and immerse the horn for an hour or two. After that, just hold it under the shower and run clean water into the bell, holding your hands over the valve cylinder bottoms and tops to encourage the water into the slides for a thorough rinse. Turn it around and around to drain the water. Remove the valves and bottom caps from the glass and rinse them as well, one at a time, and then shake out the excess water. Screw on the bottom caps (probably not numbered and doesn't make a difference). Give each valve four or five drops of valve oil and reinstall them in the horn (there are numbers on each to match the 19, 20, and 21 on the outside), being careful to insert them so the notches in the casing match up with keys (projections) on the pistons. Each piston has two keys opposite each other, one is narrow and one wider, with corresponding wide and narrow notches in each casing. (On my Radial 2 the wider notches are towards the left hand) It works best to line them up correctly and let gravity do the rest - they should fall into place. Do NOT rotate them once inserted to get them to line up, nor should you have to push them down into the casings. They may be tight and need a little encouragement, but once they are in place they should be loose. Pull the slides, shake them out, and blow while working the valves to empty the water completely. Lubrucate the slides as needed and replace them. Give it a try. You need to be comfortable with disassembling and reassembling the horn; it isn't a big deal once you get used to it. While it is apart - look into the slides and the lead pipe and you will probably be able to see some gunk. You can try to clean that out with a snake, but since it is a "vintage" horn a professional cleaning is probably a good idea. A pro would also align the valves and replace felts and corks. If the outside of the horn is in good shape then a pro would see to it that the inside was as well. __________________ Music = Love Trumpets: Lawler Bb / Olds Recording / Schilke B2 Selmer Rad 2 / Yamaha 8310Z Holton MF ST 550S / Stage 1 California C Easyplay mini-trumpet (????) / Chinese Special / Benetone 1934 Cleveland (HN White) 603 Silver Plate w/ Gold Bell Kanstul ZKT 1525 Flugelhorn Cornets: Conn 36A / King Super 20 Master Olds Ambassador / Conn 18A King HN White 1904 Bb+A / Ohio Regent Soloist Conn 16E Eb/F Mellophone Piano, keyboards, vibes, congas, guitars, yada yada