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My Selmer Claude Gordon has a little problem...



 
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Alfbase
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Joined: 27 Jul 2009
Posts: 14

PostPosted: Fri Feb 24, 2012 6:57 am    Post subject: My Selmer Claude Gordon has a little problem... Reply with quote

Hi to all,
after to years playing my old Selmer I recognize a little issue. First of all, the third valve stem looks as it made of a different material then the other both (hope this is normal...). Looks like aluminium to me...
Second, and this is the real issue, when I release the valves after pulling it down they are really loud. Guess this is why my Selmer mounts very thin felts. How can I fix this? The allignment seems good to me.
Thanks in advance for any help.
Regards
Ivan
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spitvalve
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Joined: 11 Mar 2002
Posts: 2149
Location: Little Elm, TX

PostPosted: Fri Feb 24, 2012 8:01 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

The valve stems on the CG Selmer are anodized aluminum, and I guess are subject to discoloration--don't know much about that. Mine still look okay, and the horn is almost 29 years old.

The valves clacking are likely due to worn felts, which can be easily replaced. Now might be a good time to have a valve alignment done on the horn--though it seems okay, with the felts thinning they won't be lining up as before. I had mine done last year and it plays like the day it came out of the box--it's amazing what a difference a few thousandths of an inch can make.
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Alfbase
Regular Member


Joined: 27 Jul 2009
Posts: 14

PostPosted: Fri Feb 24, 2012 8:30 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

bryan,
thanks for the info about the stems. Guess it is only a discoloration then.
I let the felts changed not longer then 3 month ago... but they are pretty thin. they looks like not taller then a tenth of inch.
Are there some old stock to buy? Maybe at the time they use an other kind of felts?
Regards
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spitvalve
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Location: Little Elm, TX

PostPosted: Fri Feb 24, 2012 4:05 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I'm not sure about the felts. I don't think my repair guy used stock felts; unfortunately he's closed his shop and left town so I can't ask him. But whatever he did has made the horn play very well.
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1991 Bach LR180 ML 37S
1999 Getzen Eterna 700S
1979 Getzen Eterna 895S Flugelhorn
1969 Getzen Capri cornet
Eastlake Benge 4PSP piccolo trumpet
Warburton and Stomvi Flex mouthpieces
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cheiden
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Joined: 28 Sep 2004
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Location: Orange County, CA

PostPosted: Fri Feb 24, 2012 4:22 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

FWIW I really don't like traditional felts because their thinkness is always in a state of flux. When I had Reeves align my valves he replaced the felts with his own dense rubber version which is supposed to hold it's precise thickness for many years.
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Jeff_Purtle
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Joined: 14 Mar 2003
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Location: Greenville, South Carolina

PostPosted: Tue Feb 28, 2012 10:38 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I have had Reeves do alignments on all my horns and agree. Some of the improvements it makes are very slight depending on how out of alignment your horn is. But, at least I know it's in alignment and the pads don't fluctuate and I can just forget about it and know it's the best it can be.

I have a couple CG Selmers and a CG Benge. I had it done to my CG Selmer that I play all the time about a month after I bought it and it definitely made a difference. The biggest difference I have ever noticed was on my Schilke P5-4 piccolo, which has four valves and the alignment was WAY off from the factory. That horn played totally different in a good way after having that done.

Why not just see about getting replacement stems from Selmer or having the current aluminum stems re-anodized at a plating shop. It has to be possible to re-annodize them. I remember that being done in plating shops that restore muscle cars. (I used to have a '65 Mustang Fastback and had some plating done on it before.) There has to be a way to get small job like that done.

Jeff
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adagiotrumpet
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Joined: 31 May 2006
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PostPosted: Tue Feb 28, 2012 11:00 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I would contact Mark Curry and see if he has his custom valve stems for your horn. the ones I got for one of my Schilkes were a perfect fit and they look like anodized aluminum.
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veery715
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Joined: 13 Aug 2007
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PostPosted: Tue Feb 28, 2012 11:54 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Loud upstroke termination can also be caused by top cap looseness, even if you don't see it or feel it. Applying a thick grease or lanolin to the threads can quiet that.

The hard rubber "felts" used by Reeves and others can be noisier than felt.
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EBjazz
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Joined: 14 Nov 2001
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Location: SF Bay Area

PostPosted: Thu Mar 01, 2012 10:58 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

OT- But I just found some heavy bottom valve caps for a CG Selmer if anyone's interested. PM me for details.

Eb
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