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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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