Hi Micah,
While they appear complicated, valve manufacturing is not as secret as it would seem. It ain't nuclear physics after all.
That said, valves surely can make or break a brass instrument. If we look at a brass instrument as a machine, the valve set will immediately stand out as the most important section. Valves are moving parts, meaning they're also susceptible and you want them kept well maintained.
If we look to the requirements for a good set of valves you want a couple of things checked off:
-Just the right amount of space between the valve casing and the valve surface. You want it to be as air thight as possible while still guarantying a smooth valve operation. Generally speaking the more modern the instrument is, the tighter the valves are and the better the instrument will play. The tightness of valves influences responsiveness, articulation, intonation, resistance, etc.
-The right material for the valve casing and the valve surface. You want something that is smooth to minimize friction yet hard enough to resist wear and tear. Currently there are three main types of materials used for valve surfaces: Monel, Nickel-plated brass and stainless steel.
Monel is used by Vincent Bach trumpets while Schilke and Edwards use nickel-plated brass valves for their instruments. In the last years we've seen a gradual shift to stainless steel valves as they perform equally well while being a lot cheaper to manufacture. I know that Besson uses stainless steel pistons for their euphoniums.
As for the valve casing most manufacturers just stick with some type of copper alloy, it being just brass, bronze or nickel silver. A noteworthy example where the valve casing does matter more is when the manufacturer uses a valve made of aluminium. In recent years in an effort to create lighter and therefore faster vales, some trombone manufacturers use an anodized aluminium version of the Thayer valve on a model of trombone. When this anodizing process is not done well, the brass of the valve casing and aluminium can chemically react causing irreparable damage.
-The right logistics: the right springs for the right size of pistons, good tubing layout to accoustically perform as best as possible, good quality valve guides, quiet valve action etc. This sounds easier than done especially in the case of euphoniums where repertoire sometimes demands trumpet-like virtuosity with valves that are 2-3 times the mass and bore of those of a trumpet. Add the compensating system with it and you see where this is going.
-Last but certainly not least: good maintenance! As aforementioned, valves are moving parts that require more maintenance than you would think. It differs between pistons and rotors, but I've heard the recommendation of oiling your pistons at least once a week. By lubricating your valves frequently you also prolong the service life of the valves as it minimizes friction between surfaces and therefore wear and tear. Also, the oil helps with guiding debris and mineral deposits downwards so it collects in the bottom cap and does not interfere with the valve action.
To the question as to what material and structure would make the most reliable valve system I think we can observe that in most cases, the valve is not the problem nowadays but the lack of maintenance is. Of course there are plenty of examples where the valves are just not as good as they should be, but a regular cleaning and maintenance can go a long way.
It might seem obvious to point out, but the average bloke playing his euph between a pint and a sandwich once or twice a week can complain all day long about his valves not working as they should, but I would look elsewhere to fix the problem...
As far as I know, J. Meinlschmidt is the largest independant manufacturer of valves for professional instruments on the current market. If you're curious for the more technical aspects of how valves are made I suggest to look up their website. They provide the valves used in instruments by Alexander, Hirsbrunner and plenty of others. I suspect that B&S (and therefore, Besson) are large enough of a manufacturer to produce their own valves in Markneukirchen. Other valve manufacturers are Jürgen Voigt, René Hagmann, Bauerfeind (Bought up by Adams, they were used on Sterling Virtuoso in the past and I suspect still on Wilson instruments) and lately also Mike Johnson of Manchester who developed his own. Daniel Oberloh is well-known valve replater that brings back worn-out valves and instruments back to life, he also has a website and has been interviewed a couple of times.
I hope this helps,
Kind regards,
Vito
Last edited by Vito; 06-12-2022 at 07:24 AM.
Music educator - Brass Instruments Enthusiast - Euphonium Player
2019 Besson Sovereign 967T-2 - Alliance DC3