JoJoMak

I have been playing for a tad over a year, and Just had my first public performance at Easter service.

earlier in the day Easter sunday I played a song at the Senior home and it did well...then there was the Offertory at my Church, it was my time to play a song and here I go...I started to play then the 3rd valve stuck on me... I tryed to work it loose and did get it going again but it sure did make the difference with my performance.

Oh dear, Now what? go back into seclusion? Wait till I get my Getzen? I have tryed to duplicate what went wrong that morning! Darn, I can NOT for the life of me get that 3rd valve to stick again.

My question would be then, what would cause the valve to stick as it did, and then not stick again? Was it my technique? sluggish with too much oil? or is the used Conn showing its age?

I just recently had the horn chem cleaned by the music shop, the week before...what happenned? I have practiced lots on the songs and found one that I was very comfortable with and played that song at Easter Service...

I have read other horror stories. At one audition, someone practiced lots and knew the song well, all was great...then at the audition a spring broke and there was NO recovering from that one like I tryed to recover from the stuck valve...

I will be back. but this experience has solidified my belief in that I need a newer, more reliable horn, thus the Getzen 3850S for $1295.00 Yes, there are so many horns that are just as good, and almost all of us here on the forums have our preferences...I must now decide which is the one I'm gonna go with and this will be my choice...I can't put it off any more. Is this horn playing just a game or hobby? Or is it something I will be able to do to help others express their praise and gratitude to their God?

So, again, what would have caused that stuck valve? I had to get my limited fingernails under the valve cap and pull it loose, it wasn't moving...but then it did pop loose.

tpter1

I can think of maybe 2 possibilities: 1. your finger position was off just enough. Maybe because you were emptying your water or just got caught up and then had to race to get the horn into playing position (an oh crap moment); 2. sometimes cleaning a horn releases many evils into the instrument. Maybe a piece of gunk got freed up and decided it would be the appropos moment to make itself known.

stchasking

Do you have any cotton cloths in the case with your horn?
I sold one of my horns to a high school kid and his valve stuck during a marching band solo.
I went to his house and took the horn. The first thing I found in the case was a very linty cotton cloth. I took out the valve tuning slides and every one had lint accumulated beyond anything I had ever seen between the valve case and valve. I took out all of the valves and cleaned out the lint.

I suggest strongly that he get rid of the cotton cloth and whatever he was doing with it to stop.

dizzyizzy

JoJoMac

IT happens. I tend to agree with the finger position being off, as I have experienced it myself at inopportune moments...sometimes just a touch of excitement is all that is necessary to "change" something a tad...and...poof...trouble.

While we all like new horns....unless the Conn is beat to death...its probably NOT the horn. Being a Conn lover...many of those "old" horns are really GREAT. What model are you playing on and how old is it?

Tootsall

Chances are that something came out of one of the tubes and into the valve where it temporarily lodged between the valve piston and the valve casing. Forcing the valve moved the offending object either into the top space above the piston (from which it will inevitably come back down and jam again) or down into the bottom of the valve casing.

Rinse, rinse, and rinse again and then reoil.


It happens.

JoJoMak

thanks for all the input. And some good advice for later. I did a search later on the subject too and got some more input from the archives...

the misfingering doesn't sound like the problem...unless the misfingering would freeze the valve in the down position...I had to pry it back up with my limited fingernails etc...

the cotton towel in the case is a real good example of what NOT to have in the case...I'll take note of that situation. From time to time I use a t shirt to wipe down the trumpet and wipe other parts...

Just having it cleaned and that loosens things to move and migrate to the valve casings sounds most logical, for I did have it recently cleaned and a little repair soldering near the mouthpiece bracing...

My profile to the left tells me I'm using a 1971 Conn Director. the trace on the serial # reveals that it is "Not their best work". whatever that means. at that time, they just moved to a new plant in texas... and took some time to find good help...

I'll keep playing with the Conn, I'm not ready to drop $1,300.00 this next month on a new cornet. but when I am ready to dish out some money...I KNOW WHAT I'M GONNA GET!

JoJoMak

1) I'm gonna open the 3rd valve and check things out.

2) I'm gonna rinse, rinse, rinse and reoil and see what comes out.

3) chek out the springs and determine if I could use new springs.

4) I'm gonna play and play again, how many of us had a bad experience? I can't be the only one here now...right?

nieuwguyski

Wynton Marsalis had a valve problem during a Grammy show performance about 25 years ago. In other words, it can happen to anyone. It's certainly happened to me.

Martin Williams

There is a very simple answer to this, its Murphy's Law

Anything that can go wrong, WILL!! And it will do so at the least opportune time!

In other words, dont worry about it and just keep playing. $#!% Happens!

Vulgano Brother

Take a good look at the valve, looking for discoloration. If the monel plating has worn off in one part (due to the angle of depression, usually) the valve will tend to stick. For these situations a valve oil made by LaTromba (it might even have teflon in it, and smells like bananas) works quite well, although the valves aren't lightning fast.

Playing a borrowed flugelhorn at a kiddie concert showing off the flugelhorn, the third valve stuck, so I started using alternate fingerings until another valve stuck, at which point I switched horns. It didn't produce any future flugelhorn players!