I keep hearing everyone talk about valve alignments. From what I gather, you pull the slide and look down it to see if the opening is completely open when the vlave is pushed. If it isn't, then its time for a valve aligment.

correct?

So, how does one do a valve alignment? Seems like this ought to be something one could tackle on one's own without much needed equipment.

Any info would be appreciated.

Steve

Steve,
Remember that there are TWO valve positions. The one you mention is in the down position. That is the easiest one to observe. The other is the up or open position. That is more difficult to observe since the ports are aligned with the pipes that connect between the valves. As far as making adjustments, the alignment in the down position is controlled by the felt that is visible on the top valve cap which the valve button strikes when depressed. That is easy to replace as long as the new one is the right thickness. The alignment in the open position is controlled by the felt/cork rings inside. Those also need to be the right thickness. So, the problem is two-fold - how to determine when the ports are aligned in the open position, and how to trim or adjust the felts/corks so that they allow the exact alignment desired. That takes tools and skill.

Also there are general alignments that most shops can do and there are precision alignmments that a few proshops can do. The latter is expensive but to demanding player worth the the time and money. Improves slotting, responce, tone and intonation. Check out the Bob Reeves and Osmun web sites. To name just two pro shops.