Protecting my Euph

[JVickers]

A couple of questions/requests for advice:



I've had my Yamaha 642 for about four years, and a few months ago (much to my dismay) the silver began to literally come off of the horn along the 3rd valve slide and outer tube where I hold it with my left hand. I found this odd for a couple of reasons: a) the silver is fine other places I touch my horn a lot (like the bar my right hand touches behind the valves and b) I've never had problems with plating before; I don't think my body chemistry is very acidic.



First of all, could this be a manufacturer's defect? I have always been "good" to my euph, I give it a bath it every few months, keep everything in good working order, etc. Is this a common problem or a rare occurrence?



Also, is there anything I can do to keep this from continuing and protect my horn? Usually after playing I now get a greenish discoloration on my left hand from being exposed to the raw brass, and every now and then I see another piece of silver flake off. Is there some kind of covering that will keep this from spreading and protect my hands?



Thanks,



JV

[davewerden]

It could be a defect, although I don't think Yamaha has had a general problem with this as far as I know.

Another thought: is this your first 3+1 valve horn? The extra work on the left hand might have played a factor if so.

I used to use a home-made hand guard for my 3rd valve tube. I made it from thin leather with a cotton flannel backing that I added. (Otherwise the chemicals in the leather will eat at the silver.) A student of mine made one using uphostry fabric. That would have been OK, too, except that this fabric had a Nylon tricot backing (feels like a thin, smooth layer of padding). That backing wore through the silver rather quickly.

I made two versions over the years. One used boot laces to tie it on. That was easier to make, but I had to take it off for its bath, and that was more of a pain. The other version used Velcro patches for easy removal. In either case, I started with a newspaper pattern to get the shape right. You have to have "cut-outs" so you can wrap around the tubes and still avoid the braces.

I also made a larger version to fit around the bell between the leadpipe and the first joint. It was to help prevent scratches from uniform/blazer buttons.

[Nuck81]

I think it's fairly common especially if you have slightly sweaty hands.



Brand new Yamaha Marching Baritones and Euphs can be worn through in three months of marching band with some kids which is why I make my kids wear gloves every day, but these are extreme circumstances.



I like Mr Werdens suggestions of making a sleeve or cover. You could always go the Satch route and just hold a small hankerchief or rag in your left hand.

[fsung]

It's not all that uncommon to see the plating/lacquer wear off in that area. From my limited observation, I suspect most people generally grab their horn with their left hand in approximately the correct position and slide it into place. That's a lot of friction over the course of a few years if you're doing that every time you raise or lower the horn (especially if you wear your wedding ring while you play).

For options (and cautions) on guards/wraps, see the thread here. Alternatively, you could apply a coat of clear fingernail polish or a polymer car wax to the affected area.

[carbogast]

You might consider wearing a cotton fingerless glove on your left hand when you practice.

[davewerden]

Here is a view of the guards I used to have on my horns:

http://picasaweb.google.com/davewerden/DaveMusicPhotos#5228981409249343746

[RickF]

In this comparison picture of a 642 next to my 641, you can see 2 of the 3 guards on my horn (on the right). The one you can't see is on the 3rd valve slide. It was the first guard I ordered from LSCO and it was supposed to be for the large tube where you place your left hand to hold the horn. It was way too small. Rather than return it, I just put it on the third valve slide. The one on the larger tube (where you hold the horn with your left hand), I cut out a pattern on paper with exact measurements. You can see the the bracing in that area is different on each horn.

[euphamania]

Hi Dave,

I play a yep 642 laquered euph & the laquer is starting to come off at the 3rd slide, can you buy these guards for the euph or will I have to start fabricating?

Great forum by the way.

[prototypedenNIS]

Polish it and relacquer it.
no biggie.

[davewerden]

Originally posted by: euphamania Hi Dave,



I play a yep 642 laquered euph & the laquer is starting to come off at the 3rd slide, can you buy these guards for the euph or will I have to start fabricating?

Scroll up a bit in this thread and see my longer comment. The ones I used are home made. Someday when I have time I'll shoot some photos of the guards flat on the floor so the shape is clearer.