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SubCategory Archive (tags): ‘Repairs and Modifications’

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Have a Question about Brass Technology or Repair? Ask Dave!

PUBLISHED: November 2, 2011, Bruce Hembd

One thing becomes pretty obvious when looking at our Postrank statistics – the articles on brass repair are very popular among Horn Matters readers. Within the Top 20 articles, five articles in the list are written by Dave Weiner. So, you’ve decided to cut your bell. Now what? An Interesting Trend: Repairs at Workshops String [...]

Water Keys 102

PUBLISHED: October 1, 2011, Dave Weiner

So, you decided to install a water key or two or three on your horn. You just take it to your technician and say, “Put on a water key.”  Right?  Not so fast, there, horn player!  You have to actually make some decisions. First, talk with your tech about where to place the key or [...]

Water Keys 101

PUBLISHED: September 24, 2011, Dave Weiner

Water/spit. Key/valve. Take any combination of those in order and that is likely what you, dear reader, refer to when I say “water key”. It’s that little device that you operate to dump water out of your horn quickly so that you can reduce or eliminate slide pulls and horn gymnastics. Water accumulates in your [...]

Round for a Reason: The Bell Throat

PUBLISHED: August 20, 2011, Dave Weiner

Out of round conditions in the area of the bell throat, flare, and rim on a horn can be more than just unsightly or annoying. When a customer brings in a horn for repair I do two things automatically: I stick my hand inside the bell as if I’m playing it, and I grab the [...]

String Theory: What Makes a Good String for your Horn?

PUBLISHED: August 13, 2011, Dave Weiner

Whether you call it string, line, wire, or cord, the thin, flexible linkage between your valve levers and your valve rotors is your lifeline to a properly functioning horn.  This thin line has advantages that cannot be duplicated (a smooth action throughout the lever’s travel), as well as flaws that some consider fatal (a tendency [...]

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Repairs and Modifications

An Interesting Trend: Repairs at Workshops

PUBLISHED: August 6, 2011, Dave Weiner

It seems to be an upward trend, but I’ve noticed (and done) more repairs at workshops in recent years. Among the repairs I’ve seen are string replacements, bumper replacements, freeing stuck rotors, dents repaired, chemical cleanings, ultrasonic cleanings, mouthpiece modifications, gold plating of mouthpieces, and water key installations. I’ve yet to see on-site bell cuts, [...]

How to use a Sink Hose Adapter to Clean a Horn

PUBLISHED: August 3, 2011, Bruce Hembd
cuteness

In Arizona we have been hit hard this summer with a series of heavy dust storms. The most serious storm a few weeks ago was reported as being about 100-miles wide and over a mile high. Dust and sand was – and still is – everywhere. As a preventative measure, I decided to give my horn a good rinse. [...]

John Ericson & Bruce Hembd
on the French horn, brass related topics, and the field of classical music.