Have to pretty much echo this - Holtons were known for tight valves 40-some years ago. The factory was proud of how tight. They were also typically slow. Nothing new; it's often true of their best horns, and the fix is to have a GOOD repairman work on them. Sometimes you can get that from the factory, sometimes not. When it's done right, the valves work fast, don't leak, don't require much oil, and the job lasts a LONG time.
A good valve job will bring SUCH a smile to your face! Also, a good repairman can increase the spring tension slightly, which some (myself included) prefer.
You CAN indeed string the valves too tight, and this will slow them down. If you're using a good braided nylon string, adjusting won't be difficult.
[EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
In a message dated 9/2/2003 7:44:00 PM Eastern Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:
I am having a problem with the valves of my new Holton 281. They are stiff when I get the horn out of the case to play the valves are stiff and slow. I oil them, and go on playing my normal practice for about an hour or so and when i finish I empty water and then I take it apart and put it back in the case. When i go to play the horn again the next day, I find that the valves are still stiff, so I oil again. I tried three different oils (Fat Cat, Al Cass, and Holton Rotary Oil) over the last few weeks and the only one that lets the valves move freely after one day is the Holton Oil. The oil works well, but the problem with it is that it is coming out of the bell
in large amounts. I oiled the horn yesterday and today the valves are great,
but over those two days oil had been coming out of the bell. I'm not sure what I can or should do about the problem, other than wiping out the bell when I feel oil in there. Is there anything I can do, short of searching the
Middle East for a suitable oil?
OK, first and foremost, you shouldn't be having these troubles. This is a new horn. I advise you take your horn to a competent repair tech who knows horns. No oil is likely to solve this problem for good.
What can cause slow valves, and especially in new horns?
1. Grit. Grit suspended in oil (lapping compound) is used to fit the rotors to the casings. If any is left in after the manufacture of the horn it can work into the valves and cause slowing. Usually this is accompanied by a gritty or grinding sound when moving the valves. As the oil evaporates overnight, you lose any lubricating viscosity that suspended the grit and allowed the valves to rotate. Grit can also include dirt and build up from food particles in your breath or from slide grease embedded with grit.
2. Corrosion. This is caused by water in your horn corroding the metal. Holtons have a very unique and distinctive type of corrosion of both the rotors and casings when allowed to corrode. If corrosion is a problem, then the same evaporation of the oil will allow it to hamper the action of the valves. Corrosion acts somewhat like grit, except that it is integral to the surface of the valves. A proper chemical or ultrasonic cleaning will remove corrosion.
3. Poorly fitted or poorly made valves. If the valve is not rotating centered in the bearing surfaces, or if the bearing plates have come loose, then the valve will rub against a surface and slow. Oil may mask this for a time, but again evaporation will occur and the surfaces will rub.
4. Damage. Self explanatory.
5. Improperly strung valve. The valve string can cause slowing, but this will not go away with oiling. It might go away for a time with oiling the s
tring.
6. Problem with the valve lever, lever hinge tube, or hinge tube screw. Not likely, because it would not go away with oiling the valve.
If you are oiling your horn this much, then there is a problem. Take it to a technician. This might even be a warranty issue, so better to take it to a technician where you bought it. And be sure the tech is good on horns. Many brass techs don't know beans about proper horn valve action.
Oh, and that business about a break in period for poorly working valves is baloney. A valve should work from day one.
Finally, once your horn is cleaned and working properly be sure to empty the water and then oil the valves BEFORE putting it away. A coating of oil will prevent corrosion. Ken Pope will advise you to put a few drops of oil down the mouthpipe and blow it into the horn, as well. It couldn't hurt, and it may help.
I have worked on over a dozen Holtons in the last month, many of them new or very nearly so. The valves on these instruments are as inconsistent as can be. Some are well fitted and work perfectly. Others are fit miserably, as are many tuning slides. As I've said many times, this is a direct result of the mass production techniques which demand high volumes and wide tolerances. The only way to eliminate these problems is to be sure that your headache rebounds to the manufacturer and becomes their headache. When enough people give the makers enough grief, things will improve.
Dave Weiner Brass Arts Unlimited _______________________________________________ post: [EMAIL PROTECTED] set your options at http://music.memphis.edu/mailman/options/horn/brunelle%40acm.org
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