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Thread: Yamaha high range and top of valve felts. Baritone 831 Neo

  1. Yamaha high range and felts on top of valves on Baritone 831 Neo

    Just wanted to post an issue I’ve had with a brand new Yamaha Neo Baritone (831)

    I tested it in the dealers (I purchased it brand new) and it played beautifully for the whole time I play tested it (in excess of 2 hours)
    I’ve had it now three weeks and have played it at least an hour every day.
    Over the last 5 days the high range (on treble clef the A, B and C above the stave) became effectively unplayable.

    Posted the problem on this forum and thanks to Dave Werden and Barry for their suggestions about valve felt thickness.
    To test their theory, I removed the original Yamaha felts - the felts on top of the valves (for reference they were a total of 4mm thick consisting of a synthetic white piece approx 2.5mm thick bonded to a red felt which was 1.5mm thick) and replaced them with some old (and well used) B and H felts which measured 2.5mm thick.

    That is the B and H felts were 1.5mm THINNER than the Yamaha felts.

    The result ? - high range restored.

    Absolutely no idea why it should have played beautifully when I tested it and then over a period of a few weeks, the high range literally went to crap.

    It would seem to suggest that the felts of the tops of the valve got thicker? Although I have no idea how they could?..... Unless it was in storage for a while between manufacture and purchase and therefore unplayed such that the felts did compress under storage conditions which then relaxed slightly as I started to play it ? But to compress 1.5mm and then decompress after 3 weeks playing?......

    I totally understand the whole valve alignment thing but do not understand why the valves appeared to have been in line and then weren’t. Weird.

    All I know is this:
    The horn top range went to crap
    Thinner felts on the top of the valve solved the problem.

    Hope this helps someone, if you should ever run into a similar problem.
    Happy horning.
    Last edited by Howellsimon; 12-26-2020 at 01:50 PM. Reason: Typo

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