Since my last posting on this subject, I have changed my mind about continuing this thread and thought it might be helpful to take a different approach to this discussion in the possibility that some information might help some players be more discerning about what might have to be done to restore a badly damaged horn and knowing what to avoid when purchasing a used instrument. With the instrument that was the center of this discussion, the horn has, from the original sellers description, been trashed as far as the bell is concerned. His pictures show that the mouthpipe has been bent and his write up leaves to our imagination the condition of the valves and slides. I always have a questioning reaction to an e-bay sellers description "all of the slides and valves move freely" in a write up. Are the slides and valves moving freely because they work well ? Or because the slides are loose and the valves are worn and need to be rebuilt?
Here are some brief descriptions of what might be done to correct some of the problems with the horn. I say brief because it would be too difficult and too time consuming to go into great detail about the details of such work. If the slides need to be tightened, then do they need to be expanded in order to be tightened ? and if so, how much? This expansion can alter the inside bore of much of the cylindrical section of an instrument and can cause the instrument's response to be stuffy feeling.. Would it be better to replace and refit the loose slide tubing ? and if so, can it be done with tubing of the compatable weight, thickness, metal density, and bore size? This is one reason some repair techs. buy old instruments. There is always the possibility, for example, that an old beat up Kruspe single F horn will have some unworn usauble parts on it -like the 3rd valve slide tubes. To adequately straigthen the mouthpipe, is it necessary to remove the outer protective sleeve and replace it with a new one-or an undamaged one from a like instrument? Can the mouthpipe be straigthened in a way that retains the original taper?-or can that taper be recreated if necessary? Has the mouthpipes ventura or the negative taper for the mouthpiece been altered ? Is it possible to correct these and return them to the original specifications? The stress created from the mouthpipe being bent must also be removed from the mouthpipe and the horn. Of course, it is always possible to replace the mouthpipe with another Elkhart pipe in excellent condition, if one is available -or to use a new UMI Conn mouthpipe. If a UMI mouthpipe is installed, should it still be represented as an Elkhart 8D? or should a write up state that the original mouthpipe was replaced? The dents in the bell tail could be removed and smoothed out. Then the bell could be cut and rings installed and a new bell flare added. This could be done with a new UMI flare, any aftermarket flare, a chinese flare, or an original flare in excellent condition from another Elkhart 8D ( very difficult to find in excellent or even good condition in my experience). If this were done, I would as a buyer expect to be informed as to what kind of a flare had been installed. The valves can be completely rebuilt -or the rotors replaced with new rotors. To completely rebuild the valves would require first smoothing the insides of the casing walls . Often this part of the procedure is left out and can lead to premature wear and the need for more valve work. Next, it is necessary to plate the original rotors with copper and nickel to build up the fit and then finally, hand lap them to the desired fitting ,so that the valve clearance within the casing is the same for the entire length of the rotor and for each valve. Attention must also be paid to making sure that the bearings are also refitted so they have no play. Valves rarely show the same amount of wear within an individual horn, so the amount of plating and fitting each valve needs must be observed and addressed. Some players like the final air seal to be very tight and some do not. When I was apprenticing with Geyer, he always wanted just a very little air leakage in the valves to help create a nice legato feel to the horn and to help create what he called "the Gravy" in the sound. In today's horn world, this concept of slightly leaky valves can be a cont roversial subject. Removing dents and the smoothing of the metal and refinishing it for lacquering, all too frequently, is accomplished by sanding the metal smooth after the dents have been basically removed. This can leads to thin spots and uneveness in the metal wall thickness which can affect the response in various areas of the overtone patterns. There are dent machines available, and in use, that help smooth out even the worst of dents and leave a very nice looking result in a short period of time, however much damage to the metal intergrity and the horn's ability to respond easily or resonate well can be compromised if this technique is applied without very skillful use of the machine, combined with susbequent annealing, if necessary. Buffing prior to lacquering can also be done lightly, so as not to remove much metal during the process, but often this is not the case. Can all of these processes be done carefully and with good quality results? The answer is- certainly. This depends, of course, on the condition of the instrument to begin with. Unfortunately there are not many shops that can, or choose to do these proceedures correctly due to either their time involvement in the overhaul ratio, or due to lack of expertise in the various processes involved. Fortunately for our horn community, there are several competent horn craftsmen in the country who have the necessary skills, combined with the integrity, to do these procedures well and acheive the desired high quality results. Being in close personal contact with most of these individuals ( yes, we do share ideas and experience with each other) who have these capabilities, affords me with the knowledge that they are definitely not the kind of people who need to, or who would ever, misrepresent the nature of the work necessary to achieve a high quality overhaul. As a performer or as a horn craftsman, I would much rather have someone tell me or have to say to a client, "this horn was a real mess but we (or I) were, with a lot of work, able to restore and save it" rather than "it was an exceptionally well cared for horn" Paul Navarro Custom horn _______________________________________________ post: [email protected] unsubscribe or set options at http://music.memphis.edu/mailman/options/horn/archive%40jab.org
