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Thread: First impressions of my new silver Wessex Dolce

  1. #81
    Join Date
    Jan 2006
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    West Palm Beach, FL
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    3,853
    Good luck Gary. Hope everything goes smoothly.

    Jack Benny once said, "Age is stictly a case of mind over matter. If you don't mind, it doesn't matter". Mmm? I wish that were true.
    Rick Floyd
    Miraphone 5050 - Warburton BJ / RF mpc
    YEP-641S (recently sold)
    Doug Elliott - 102 rim; I-cup; I-9 shank


    "Always play with a good tone, never louder than lovely, never softer than supported." - author unknown.
    Symphonic Band of the Palm Beaches
    El Cumbanchero (Raphael Hernandez, arr. Naohiro Iwai)
    Chorale and Shaker Dance
    (John Zdechlik)

  2. #82
    best of luck, Gary.
    --
    Barry

  3. #83
    Join Date
    Feb 2019
    Location
    Tucson, where tacos are real.
    Posts
    32
    I recently bought a Wessex Dolce, as well. I really like it.

    When I first took it out of the case, I saw that the "packers" had pressed the 4th valve down, and locked it in place. I thought, "hmm." Last night, as I was putting it away, I noticed that the 4th valve button scraped on the case a little, as I put it in. I pressed the valve down, locked it in place, and it went into the case very smoothly. I thought, hmm." Yes, I admit, I hadn't noticed it all the dozens of other times.

    If the valve is not pressed, when the case is upright (handles up), there seems to be the potential for lateral pressure against the external parts of the piston from the weight of the horn. So, I can see the value of putting it away with the valve locked. I am not worried about wearing out the spring--springs are way cheaper than new pistons. But is this usual for compensating instruments in general? My case is the super durable Jin Bao model, but I can see the need to stow that valve if one were using a gig bag? Yes?

    Just curious. Not really worried about my potential 4th valve spring budget.

  4. #84
    Join Date
    Jan 2006
    Location
    West Palm Beach, FL
    Posts
    3,853
    I always lock down my 4th valve before putting it in its case. That's what the lock is for... to protect against damage. I'm aware that Adams comes without the valve lock but think they're protecting the 4th valve in a different way.

    On my other horn, a Yamaha 641 I bought used many years ago, I had the 4th valve separate between the piston and top brass piece where valve guide is attached. Not sure but I suspect that maybe the previous owner didn't lock his 4th valve down when putting it away.
    Rick Floyd
    Miraphone 5050 - Warburton BJ / RF mpc
    YEP-641S (recently sold)
    Doug Elliott - 102 rim; I-cup; I-9 shank


    "Always play with a good tone, never louder than lovely, never softer than supported." - author unknown.
    Symphonic Band of the Palm Beaches
    El Cumbanchero (Raphael Hernandez, arr. Naohiro Iwai)
    Chorale and Shaker Dance
    (John Zdechlik)

  5. The 4th valve lock is to protect the stem from getting bent, rather than anything to do with spring. If the stem is bent even slightly the 4th valve will stick. Therefore always locking down 4th valve before packing is advised to avoid problems.
    www.Wessex-Tubas.com
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  6. #86
    Join Date
    Feb 2019
    Location
    Tucson, where tacos are real.
    Posts
    32
    I am new to the world of euphonia, and had never read anything about that lock's real purpose. I feel rather foolish for not knowing it earlier, but am quite relieved to have learned this before any harm came to my brand new horn. Next thing I'll hear is that you're supposed to clean your instrument every few years. (Kidding!)😉

  7. #87
    Join Date
    Dec 2011
    Location
    Central North Carolina
    Posts
    2,368
    While conceding the intended purpose of the 4th valve lock, it should be noted that an "off label" use of it is to turn your euphonium into a small bore 3-valve F tuba.
    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)

  8. #88
    I wouldn't worry about the spring, it's not loaded that much when the valve is pushed down. I've had instruments that spent 99.9% of the time locked for 20 years and the spring was good as new. It does tend to compress the felts for the 4th valve, though.
    --
    Barry

  9. #89
    Last month, I had issues where my 4th valve seem to have trouble returning back to its default position, usually getting stuck half way back up when pressed. I realised that, it could be because there was once where I forgot to lock the 4th valve when I stored my horn back into the gig bag. The 4th valve was facing down and the weight of the whole horn was probably on it for a full day or so. So yes, lesson learnt.
    "Never over complicate things. Accept "bad" days. Always enjoy yourself when playing, love the sound we can make on our instruments (because that's why we all started playing the Euph)"

    Euph: Yamaha 642II Neo - 千歌音
    Mouthpiece: K&G 4D, Denis Wick 5AL

    https://soundcloud.com/ashsparkle_chika
    https://www.youtube.com/user/AshTSparkle/

  10. #90
    Quote Originally Posted by ChristianeSparkle View Post
    Last month, I had issues where my 4th valve seem to have trouble returning back to its default position, usually getting stuck half way back up when pressed. I realised that, it could be because there was once where I forgot to lock the 4th valve when I stored my horn back into the gig bag. The 4th valve was facing down and the weight of the whole horn was probably on it for a full day or so. So yes, lesson learnt.
    Did the stem get bent? That would be easy to see by watching the stem's position within the hole in the valve cap as you press down and let up the piston. If not, then your issue may be slightly different.

    I suppose it is possible that by storing the horn with the 4th valve halfway down, some deposits could form in the cylinder in the middle of the travel path of the piston. A good cleaning should take care of that.

    Unless you bent the stem or have deposits on the cylinder wall, I don't think you hurt anything by that one instance. In my own case, I've used Adams euphonium exclusively since 2012, but in the Bonna case and in a gig bag. Zero problems with the 4th valve, including after some periods of the horn just sitting for a number of days. That's not to say it couldn't be damaged; but I have not used "kid gloves" in handling the horn - just normal care. Knock on wood, I guess - no damage to the 4th valve.
    Dave Werden (ASCAP)
    Euphonium Soloist, U.S. Coast Guard Band, retired
    Adams Artist (Adams E3)
    Alliance Mouthpiece (DC3)
    YouTube: dwerden
    Facebook: davewerden
    Twitter: davewerden
    Instagram: davewerdeneuphonium

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