Posted by Joe S. on August 25, 1999 at 00:02:20:
In Reply to: Re: Re: Re: Valves posted by gerald J. on August 24, 1999 at 23:24:56:
If it one of those top-action smaller jobs with the "hairpin-turn" tuning slide crook, I am not fond of those, and cannibalized one that I owned just for the braces, etc. To rebuild the valves on a TOP action, you have to unsolder the valveset from the instrument, unsolder the slides from the casings, send the cluster off the "da man", re-solder the slides, resolder the cluster, and possibly do some light lapping to "touch-up" valve casings distortions caused by remounting stresses. Talk to someone knowledgable and capable in your part of the world regarding the cost of this, and then make your own judgement about cost effectiveness.
P.S. If it is a FRONT-action tuba, you DO NOT have to unsolder the slides from the valve cluster to do the rebuild job. Thus, front-actions are less expensive to rebuild than top-actions are.
re intonation: Usually leaky and out-of-tune tubas when rebuilt become unleaky and out-of-tune tubas...just my experience.