Please add brass instrument repairman to the list of occupations I have (FWIW) some observations on some threads that have caught my attention this week (and on which I feel qualified to comment).
Elkhart 8D valves: The valves of Elkhart built 8D's are the model of what a well-designed valve should be. They are quite light, quick, and beautifully manufactured, with. It's not reasonable to compare the valves in a forty-year-old tapped out horn with new valves of any maker. Cryogenics: We have been cryogenically treating instruments for almost twenty years. During that time, we have had two customers share the view that "it makes a bigger difference in your wallet than in the way it plays". Everyone else felt the improvements, while subtle, are real. We agree. We try not to make specific claims for the process that are difficult or impossible to verify. Cryogenic treatment can create a more complex and nuanced sound and a feeling of greater stability, evenness of timbre, and comfort. It can't fix loose valves, bad notes, or faulty intonation. Cryogenic processing is the final step in bringing an instrument to it's full potential. The mechanism of the changes that cryogenic processing produces are unknown. Anyone who gives you a description of physical changes, i.e. changes in molecular structure, is just blowing smoke. Maybe someday, when horns are made of titanium and can kill from outer space, the funds will be available to do adequate research on the question. Not now. Pitting on Conn 8D's: The pitting commonly seen on 8D's has nothing to do with annealing. It's caused by an electrolytic process set up by the difference in conductivity between the very hard acrylic finish used by Conn and the underlying metal. As perspiration collects id pores and nicks in the finish microscopic arcs remove metal just as an EDM machine does. The hardness of the finish prolongs this process and creates deep pits. Instruments with softer lacquer are much less prone to this problem because the lacquer wears away before serious damage is done. Bob Osmun www.osmun.com PS-Horn choir reading session conducted by Dave Ohanian: Sat, 2pm, at the shop. Please call if you're coming so we can make sure you get a chair! (Please bring a stand.) _______________________________________________ post: [EMAIL PROTECTED] set your options at http://music.memphis.edu/mailman/options/horn/archive%40jab.org
