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Thread: Recently Bought Tuba

  1. #1

    Recently Bought Tuba

    I have recently bought a Tuba for four-hundred dollars, but I am not sure how to go about the repairs. It seems as if there are two shot valve guides and one shot valve stem and a shot valve button. It is a 1921's era Conn BBb Tuba with four valves. I know it's the 4/4 version of the 6/4 Orchestral Grand Bass 36j {(Of the 20's-30's era) at least I think I know?} and I wanted to know if anyone has had experience with an instrument like this or the same model or anything? I also wanted to know if I payed a good price for it. It is usable in concerts, as I have used it in two community bad concerts already, its intonation is quite well (I suppose). I'm sorry I did not have anything intelligent to ask, but I just wanted to know if it was a good buy, and if it is worth getting refurbished, but not refinished.
    If you read this, or scanned through it, thank you for your time,
    Sincerely,
    Justin

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Dec 2011
    Location
    Central North Carolina
    Posts
    2,362
    Valve buttons should be easy (modulo one problem you face, but see below). They are available from Allied, there are six different ones available, the Conn is probably 6x40 thread, and they all sell for under $5 each. I'd have to look around to see if they're available elsewhere, but you might try Ebay. The problem is that Allied won't sell to you and won't even send you a catalog (see below). Votaw lists finger buttons for Conn Sousaphones, but they may be too big for what you have. Look at http://www.votawtool.com/zcom.asp?pg=products&grp=880. You might call Votaw and ask them.

    I presume that the valve guides are the old metal (brass) valve guides that are on the surface of the top of the piston and ride in a groove in the cylinder. In that case, these are available from at least a couple of sources. It turns out that these actually screw into a threaded hole on the cylinder and use a 3-48 thread. Allied sells some (but not to you, of course). Ferree's (http://www.ferreestools.com/) also sells some, and they WILL sell to you. They take credit card orders by phone. I have the Ferree's catlog, and they're about $18 for a dozen (the fewest you can get). Item number G39B. Ferree's also sells a "valve guide fitting tool" (item G39) that is just a piece of steel with a 3-48 hole in it ($12). You have to shape the guide yourself to the correct dimension of the guide slot, and correctly orient it so when it is tightened into the hole it lines up correctly. Look at the Ferree's online catalog (which is pretty medieval, but does work). You might also call Ferree's and ask if they know where you could buy valve buttons. Kraus sells Delrin valve guides, but of course they won't sell to you (Ha!) and they also haven't seemed to have them in stock for about a year.

    Allied also lists Valve Stems for various instruments, including several Conn tubas. But of course they won't sell to you (did I say that before?). They seem to cost around $1.75. In the worst case, keep in mind that a valve stem is just a brass rod threaded on each end. Find a nice machine shop, take them one that works, and have them make what you need. Might be a little expensive, but it's so simple that it might be cheap. I don't know. I bet you can find them. Votaw lists valve stems, but their online listing is so useless that I can't tell what they are supposed to fit. Again, you might cal them and see what they have. Their prices are higher than Ferree's, but if they've got the stuff ...

    You might try contacting Dan Schultz (http://thevillagetinker.com/), tell him what you need, and see if he has some. He would probably send stuff to you at relatively little cost.

    Re Alied, Kraus, et. al: Several of these places will sell only to "professional technicians". Don't get me started on that. However, if you have a decent tech who is local to you, he should be able to order these parts that you need and not over-charge you too significantly. That would be a lot easier than, for example, having me order them for you and then get them to you. A lot of these guys are pretty good about that kind of stuff. They MIGHT even have appropriate parts (or old parts) on hand.

    Did you pay a good price for it? Probably. I've been looking at used tubas for about a year and a half, and it's virtually impossible to get anything that half-way functions for under $400 -- especially a BBb horn. I managed to get my Buescher 1924 Eb for $255 off Ebay, and it turned out to be only about a 2 hr drive from me. But I looked a LONG time for that.

    Do the usual leak tests to see if/where it leaks and decide what you may (or may not) need to do about that. If it actually plays and the slides are free, then I think you got a good deal. If you need to free up any slides, let me know and I can give pointers on that. You should also almost certainly look at the valve alignment and get that right. Otherwise, I guess you do what I'm doing and "refurbish" it one step at a time.

    I wish you luck. Personally, I find "refurbishing" to be a huge amount of fun.
    Last edited by ghmerrill; 03-31-2013 at 08:42 PM.
    Gary Merrill
    Wessex EEb Bass tuba (DW 3XL or 2XL)
    Mack Brass Compensating Euph (DE N106, Euph J, J9 euph)
    Amati Oval Euph (DE 104, Euph J, J6 euph)
    1924 Buescher 3-valve Eb tuba (with std US receiver), Kelly 25
    Schiller American Heritage 7B clone bass trombone (DE LB K/K10/112/14 Lexan, Brass Ark MV50R)
    1947 Olds "Standard" trombone (Olds #3)

  3. #3
    I have found some valve buttons which would work for it.

    Eighteen a dozen sounds like a very good deal, providing that I actually use them in the next century, heheh. And the shaping tool, is it sharpened some way?

    As for the valve stems, I can hold off, but I would probably rather have an original make. Is there any way to rethread them? Or add metal to fill in where it has lost thread?

    I could do that, see his prices.

    Hmm, professional technicians eh? Give me a decade, I'll show them, but for now, I can stick with the locals.

    Wow, that's good news to hear, I thought I did, but everyone kept telling me that it was a ripoff (Family mostly). And congrates on finding the Buescher! I'm still looking for a 4v Conn Grand Jumbo or 6/4 Conn Grand Orchestral myself.

    Leaking doesn't seem to be, that much of a problem, the horn still play at about at least 90% compression if not better. As for the Tuba, all slides move, valves are very functional (Hopefully by the end of tomorrow) And one question about refurbishing, I have heard things about acid washing or ultrasonic cleaning, but I am unsure of either, which would be the most effective, and least harmful? Or at least the least harmful. And would a Tuba be worth the same if it were completely refurbished, excluding sliver replating?

    Thank you so much for your time in responding to my questions.

  4. #4
    Were you able to get this horn in playing condition?

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