fels

Instrument is Bach Strad 37 -- about 20 years old - just had it cleaned professionally - during the past ten years i have experienced lazy valves - not from a static position ( ie just picking up the horn) but while playing. I played for at tech and adjusted for finger position - i also adjusted springs. Yet - after the recent cleaning - while practicing tonight - if had the sticky first valve - i lubed it up with Al Cass and it felt fine until i was in the middle of a piece - then it would go sticky. even with proper finger position.

Any thoughts?

gchun

Could a different brand of oil help?

Or, seeing that the horn is 20 years old, maybe the valves need to be replated. Are there wear marks on the valves' plating?

Garry

tedh1951

Fels, as good as Al Cass is, I've just converted my old B&H student trumpet to Ultra Pure - it has made quite an improvement, and I have 6 bottles of Al Cass left. The conventional wisdom is that petroleum based oil have volatile elements that evaporate relatively quickly - leaving gunge, and sometimes resulting in sticky or lazy valves. It seems that synthetic oils don't display that phenomenum, ie evaporation leading to deposits.

Now I DO NOT wish to denegrate FAST oil, or any other of the fine products available - but if they aren't meeting your specific need (and we are only suggesting that it may not be) then scoot out to your local agent and perhaps try something else, I did and it works for the B&H Trumpet and B&H Tenor Horn, and a King Sousaphone so far.

__________________
.
Ted

ewetho

Wear can be an issue on older horns and also Body Chemistry with certain valve oils and horns. You may find a simple change to a great oil such as H2Oil, Ultra Pure, Zaja Blue, or others may help.

Look at your pistons for wear. If they ave become multi colored like you wore through stuff then you probably need to have a valve job. If they look OK try a different brand of oil as it may be the cure.

Me and my lead the switch to H2Oil seemed to do the trick. Other it has been other brands. Heck for some reason me and Blue Juce do not get along. Not on any of my horns. My Conn the Ultra Pure is fantastic but for Monel it is me and H2Oil. Others are completely different. You might just try a bottle of a few of the fovorites.

__________________
Kanstul Chicago 1001 w/ CG Personal GP
Conn 80A w/ CG Personal GP

bktrp

I recently bought a 45 year old trumpet on ebay (saw only the pictures, which don't tell an entire story). The valves are always good for about an hour after a thorough cleaning, then they start slowing down. Oiling helps a little, but doesn't eliminate the problem, and by the third hour of practice, oiling just won't help that much. My valve pistons are multi-colored, especially at the bottom and some discoloration can be found about mid-high on the piston. In addition, the second valve is always difficult to get into its casing. The casing looks clean and straight. So it must be a valve issue, and the second valve definitely is the slowest one. When one says that a valve job needs to be done, what do you mean, and how much money is involved?

vntgbrslvr

__________________
Pan America Pea Shooter
Conn Connquest
47 King Liberty Trumpet
Bach Stratavarious (everyday horn)
Yamaha TR-639 Rose bell
37 buescher Aristrocrat "custom built" Cornet
Olds Studio (nickel plate)
57 conn 12A Coprion
Holton Collegiate Cornet
Conn Victor Cornet
Conn 1914 Perfected wonder (C, B, A flat)
Conn 1912 perfected wonder (C, B flat)
Buescher 1903 Epoch Cornet
57 Olds Special Cornet
Olds Ambassador Trumpet
1935 Mahillon Flugel
Reynolds marching F

fels

Thanks to everyone - good suggestions all. Great community!!

Indian

Hee is a different take; I noticed the problem happens after a "cleaning". Not right after but after a cleaning and then some playing time. I have many vintage horns and have found that if you dry the valves and casings with paper or a soft cloth that lints the valves will work well for about 30 minutes to an hour and then slow down and stick. This is because the fibers from drying soak up water (OK spit) from your breath and swell enopugh to bind the valve. I find it better to rinse the valves and casings with water and oil the valves. The first few minutes of warm up should clear any excess water via the water keys and the valves will perform better thank if you dried them. I would try this before doing any repair work.

__________________
Rob,
King Liberty SilverTone (3)
King Liberty (7) Super 20 (2)
Conn Vocabell 40A - 40B - 80A (6) - 81A (1) - 38A Victor (2) - 22B - 16B, 12B Coprion bell
Getzen Tone Balanced Super Deluxe
Holton French LeBlanc (1) - Al Hirt 550
Olds Studio (1) - Special (1)

bktrp

Thanks for all the great information. I appreciate it.

TRUMPONIMUS

fels & bktpt,
Your problems have given me an opportunity to do something I have
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I am willing to send you both a bottle of T2 Special AT NO CHARGE
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If you are interested, here are the conditions of my offer:
A. I will send you each via PM a private code to use when replying to me.

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C. You will follow the instructions I send you for your specific poblem.

D. After trying T2 Special for 1 week, you will notify me by e mail and post on this forum, the name of other oils you have used, the results you got both immediately and after only 1 week of using T2 Special.

If you've never tried it you don't know how Great it is!!

Jimmy.