heavy valves

[cornetplayer1]

I bought a besson sovereign cornet last year and the valves are really hard work, i've played on other instruments where the valves are really light and wanted to know if there is something i can do to make my valves better? i've tried all different valve oils to no prevail. is it just the way it was made or can i fix the problem????
has anyone got any tips or tricks i can use on them??????????????????????

 

[HBB]

Could be stiff springs... you could try changing them...

 

[cornetplayer1]

already tryed that with my other cornet, didnt make any difference though!

 

[HBB]

In which case you're skuppered!

 

[Andy_Euph]

could just be your instrument. I play on an old sov euph and the valves are really heavy even with new springs. You'll get used to them but you'll find if you play a different instrument with lighter valves they may stick as you will use a lot of pressure pressing the valves down.. at least thats wot i've found

 

[Trigger]

Yep, I think it is a problem with the new cornets, because when I got my last cornet about six years ago (when it was brand new), the valves were really bad and I found that I was having to clean them every time I wanted to play. After a while, they must have 'worn in' and they didn't need constant cleaning but they were still really heavy. My latest cornet is also pants and I am suffering from the same problem again!! It was even worse when they stuck on the area contest stage!!! :shock: :roll: I think (or at least am hoping) that they will get better as the cornet is played more. Whatever happened to the days when a bit of spit would do the trick eh?? :lol:

 

[Aardvark]

I think the Sovereigns tend to have quite heavy valves, generally.

Have had my Sovereign cornet for nearly a year now and have struggled with the valves - both heavy and sticky, was debating whether to get Besson to have a look at them. As a last resort I tried using copious amounts of Holton valve oil on them, and they have really improved.

Of course it could just be the fact that I have finally worn them in

Elspeth

 

[Dave Euph]

When I got my sov euph last year I found the valves really heavy compared to me ol' Besson 700 ... I think it's a case of gettin' used to it. If you still have problems though, maybe there is a problem with the instrument, or maybe you are not suited to the instrument ...

Keep trying though, I'm sure it'll work out in the endd.

 

[eckyboy]

Once they have worn in they will be fine(hopefully).Practice will maybe help you get used to them.I'm not suggesting for a minute that you don't .

 

[neilevans]

Try removing the valve and clean off any oil on them.
Get some brasso polish and pour a small amount (but enough for a thin film) on to the valve. Replace valve in cornet work valve up and down for a few minutes. The valve will feel heavy and maybe sluggish.
Remove valve and clean the polish off both the valve and barrel, soap and water is best. Oil clean valve and replace.
If your cornet is lacquered be very careful not to get brasso on it, or say bye bye to the lacquer !!

 

[eckyboy]

Try removing the valve and clean off any oil on them.
Get some brasso polish and pour a small amount (but enough for a thin film) on to the valve. Replace valve in cornet work valve up and down for a few minutes. The valve will feel heavy and maybe sluggish.
Remove valve and clean the polish off both the valve and barrel, soap and water is best. Oil clean valve and replace.
If your cornet is lacquered be very careful not to get brasso on it, or say bye bye to the lacquer !!

I'm sorry Neil but NO.Maybe on an old cornet not worth much but no way on a new model.

 

[cornetplayer1]

if i use brasso on it wont i have to keep on using it???????????

 

[neilevans]

No, you do it once, the brasso cleans all the rubbish (that you can't see) and wax( that manufacturers put on valves) and once you've cleaned the polish off completely and oiled them they should be nice and free. I'm and engineer by trade so I know what I'm talking about. I might as well add before someone tries to be helpful and worry you that brasso actually removes a small ( we're talking microns here) amount of metal from the valve or barrel, depending which is the softer material. This is no problem as, if your cornet was 3yrs old and not 1 it would already have lost this material through normal wear.
What you are doing is bedding the valves in yourself rather than waiting 2 years for it to happen..

 

[WoodenFlugel]

Try removing the valve and clean off any oil on them.
Get some brasso polish and pour a small amount (but enough for a thin film) on to the valve. Replace valve in cornet work valve up and down for a few minutes. The valve will feel heavy and maybe sluggish.
Remove valve and clean the polish off both the valve and barrel, soap and water is best. Oil clean valve and replace.
If your cornet is lacquered be very careful not to get brasso on it, or say bye bye to the lacquer !!

I've done this before on older instruments but I wouldn't recommend it on a brand new Sov!

Besson valves are notoriously pants these days. I think the best thing you can do is take it back to wherever you bought it from and ask their advice. It may just be a case of giving it time but if it's really a problem now, I would tend to go for lighter springs first (ie different make not Besson replacements), but these may cause your valves to become sluggish and sticky. Make sure you keep the old springs! If that doesn't work and they have an in-house repair shop they may (with Besson's blessing) try to lap the valve out slightly. Do not try doing anything like this yourself though - you'll find Besson less that helpful with any subsequant warranty claims if they get wind you've been messing about with the most delicate part of the cornet!

As a last resort you can always try to get it sent back to Besson to get it checked out - if it's one valve in particular it may be slightly bent.

 

[neilevans]

Sorry, I must stress that the brasso goes on the INSIDE of the valve casing and not on the instrument itself.

 

[WoodenFlugel]

Sorry to contradict you Neil but I feel appling Brasso to the valves is not a good course of action this early in the cornet's life. I am also an engineer and am well versed in the wonders "a bit o' brasso on it" can do. But I think the best thing for cornetplayer1 to do at this stage is to try and sort it out with the supplier or ultimately Besson. I have seen some pretty horrific results of well-meaning but ham-fisted tinkering (I am not suggesting Neil or cornetplayer1 are ham-fisted folks ). Including a couple of incidents with Brasso - it can be nasty stuff if applied to the wrong surfaces :wink:

 

[AndyCat]

Ask at where you bought it. They will tell you to Brasso or Silvo it, or do it theirselves. That's how any decent Music Shop sells their Besson instruments, already Lapped in using Silvo/Brasso/Duraglit. I have a brand new BBb that I'm doing as we speak, on the advice of 2 VERY reputable Besson Dealers.

As an aside, Yamaha's work straight out of the plastic!

 

[You wanna blow my what?]

New Besson Sovereigns valves are crap (scuse my german).

I've played on a couple of them in my time & you can see the decline the newer they get, none of them beat my roundstamp.

 

[Australian Euphonium]

Ask at where you bought it. They will tell you to Brasso or Silvo it, or do it theirselves. That's how any decent Music Shop sells their Besson instruments, already Lapped in using Silvo/Brasso/Duraglit. I have a brand new BBb that I'm doing as we speak, on the advice of 2 VERY reputable Besson Dealers.

As an aside, Yamaha's work straight out of the plastic!

So this would be an ok technique to use on a 97 sovreign eupho with not really heavy valves but sticky and sometimes sluggish?

 

[cornetplayer1]

I would tend to go for lighter springs first (ie different make not Besson replacements)

Is there a specific make thats good for valves, never played on any other make than besson so i dont know which would be best.
any ideas???