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Valve alignments, makes a real difference?


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James Becker
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Joined: 02 Sep 2005
Posts: 2827
Location: Littleton, MA

PostPosted: Mon May 20, 2019 11:47 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Play testing only gets you so far. Our clientele are more than simply play testing , they are field testing in REAL WORLD situations, and some are at the highest levels. I trust their feedback over speculation.

With well over 1200 cards on file, and that doesn't include the alignments performed before we started keeping records, our track record speaks for itself.
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James Becker
Brass Repair Specialist Since 1977
Osmun Music Inc.
77 Powdermill Road Rt.62
Acton, MA 01720
www.osmun.com

Our workshop is as close as your nearest UPS store https://www.ups.com/dropoff?loc=en_US
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shofarguy
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Joined: 18 Sep 2007
Posts: 7003
Location: AZ

PostPosted: Mon May 20, 2019 11:59 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

James Becker wrote:
Play testing only gets you so far. Our clientele are more than simply play testing , they are field testing in REAL WORLD situations, and some are at the highest levels. I trust their feedback over speculation.

With well over 1200 cards on file, and that doesn't include the alignments performed before we started keeping records, our track record speaks for itself.


There is no doubt in my mind that valve alignments and bore corrections greatly improve most instruments. To my thinking, the only ones that don't show noticeable improvement are those rare instruments that are that good already. I had a flugelhorn, for instance, that didn't need a valve alignment, according to Flip Oakes. All my other horns did.

I had the chance to play my current FO Flugelhorn before it was properly set up. It was not good! It didn't land notes securely, which made intonation unreliable. It had uneven response and sound. I'd spent $3K on what seemed like a less than average horn. Flip had me send it back to him a little earlier in the process I was following to go ahead and set it up. What came back is the nicest instrument I have ever owned. It's that good, but it didn't come that way from Kanstul. It needed Flip's Total Enhancement, like the services James offers.
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Brian A. Douglas

Flip Oakes Wild Thing Bb Trumpet in copper
Flip Oakes Wild Thing Flugelhorn in copper


There is one reason that I practice: to be ready at the downbeat when the final trumpet sounds.
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Type3B
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Joined: 06 Oct 2016
Posts: 106
Location: New Hampshire

PostPosted: Tue May 21, 2019 2:31 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Although I'm not one of the trumpet luminaries who bring their horns to Jim Becker, I am a competent big band lead player who uses Jim's services, and I can heartily second what he says here. The valve alignment does make a big difference, and he's one of the best at it. No horn can play at peak efficiency if the pistons do not allow the air to flow at 100%, which cannot happen when they are misaligned.
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Type3B
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Joined: 06 Oct 2016
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Location: New Hampshire

PostPosted: Tue May 21, 2019 9:01 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I just posted, but wanted to toss in another idea. Most of you know about the half-valve technique. Think "Cherry Blossom Pink and Apple Blossom White." You push the valve(s) down partway and get this squidgy sound, with the horn feeling like someone put a sock in your bell. I think that this is an exaggerated effect of what happens when your valves are misaligned. Jim Becker, am I right?
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Tritone
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Joined: 11 Jun 2013
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PostPosted: Tue May 21, 2019 9:43 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Type3B wrote:
I just posted, but wanted to toss in another idea. Most of you know about the half-valve technique. Think "Cherry Blossom Pink and Apple Blossom White." You push the valve(s) down partway and get this squidgy sound, with the horn feeling like someone put a sock in your bell. I think that this is an exaggerated effect of what happens when your valves are misaligned. Jim Becker, am I right?


It would be easy to answer "yes" to this. Half-valving involves huge misalignment. The potential value of PVAs, to me, usually has to do with reducing far smaller degrees of misalignment.

As an interesting experiment to see what effects a little bit of misalignment can have, you can purposely misalign your downstroke by putting pieces of paper under the valve buttons (to prevent full downward travel). You can do the same thing for the upstroke by putting pieces of paper under the valve top cap.

You can do this as a blinded experiment if you have another person (like a player you trust not to drop your horn) be in charge of the paper placement while you keep your eyes closed. He or she can hand the horn back to you with or without the paper, keeping track of your responses, doing this several times so you have enough tries for a good evaluation.
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