TromboneChat

I own a Elkhart 88H M series horn. I get a rattling sound when I play a D above the staff and only on that note. I took it to a local tech who said nothing should be rattling. Has anybody had this issue? I'll upload a video in the comments of what I'm talking about. Thank you in advance for the help.

I own a Elkhart 88H M series horn. I get a rattling sound when I play a D above the staff and only on that note. I took it to a local tech who said nothing should be rattling. Has anybody had this issue? I'll upload a video in the comments of what I'm talking about. Thank you in advance for the help.

I mean… your tech is right.. but what are they doing about it? Go back there (or maybe someplace better) and play the note in the shop and while the rattle is going, have them put a finger a bunch of different places to try to stop it. I’d suspect the main bell brace or rotor first, but make sure to try it from different angles to really figure out what is the culprit.

Cheers,
Andy

I've had issues on many horns where only a few notes buzz when the slide lock is dry. Try putting some tuning slide oil on the threads of the lock.

As Andy mentioned….. I have always found it easier to locate buzzes and rattles with a second person helping out. One person plays and tries to focus on producing the acoustic anomaly, the other person should be listening and poking at different spots on the horn to find the source of the sound.

Is it a rattle or more of a buzz? My L series 88h has a sympathetic vibration at F#. Nothing is loose, it just resonates on that note.

Note: Merged two topics opened by OP. OP, why did you open one in Classifieds? Classifieds are for buying and selling; not repairs or questions.

On topic: Also check that you have properly lubricated all tuning slides and the rotor valve. Either can buzz if "dry".

Start with all of the various solutions being offered - proper lube on the slides and valve are a possible source. If that doesn't work, it's possible that there is a little piece of dried solder that is loose inside a brace and when you play that note, it sets up a sympathetic vibration. That's a harder problem to track down. Also, check to see that all of your braces are properly attached. If the brace has come loose, that could be the source of that vibration. Anything loose (like a screw on the valve) can vibrate like that.

JS

For me it was F# above the staff. It was a loose piece of solder inside a hollow brace.

elmsandr wrote: ↑Fri Aug 11, 2023 5:51 am I mean… your tech is right.. but what are they doing about it? Go back there (or maybe someplace better) and play the note in the shop and while the rattle is going, have them put a finger a bunch of different places to try to stop it. I’d suspect the main bell brace or rotor first, but make sure to try it from different angles to really figure out what is the culprit.

Cheers,
Andy

Just wanting to second this, ask for the tech to listen while you're playing and for them to address it.

I’ve got an 88h from the ‘60s that rattles on an Eb above the staff, when playing very loud. I’ve yet to remedy the problem, but it does seem to have gotten better recently. I assumed it was loose solder in a brace, because it sounds like it’s coming from approximately the main tuning slide.

I had something similar happen on my 4h. It turned out to be something loose inside one of the braces. It's not something that can be fixed without desoldering the brace. Fortunately, I'm the only one close enough to hear it rattling.