Noisy Thayer Valve and Slow Slide
Posted: Tue Jul 17, 2018 11:44 pm
Hey all,
Been years since I’ve been to TTF and I was sad to see it down. Glad the community is still alive and kicking!
I have a few problems with my horn, it is a Bach 42TG with a vintage 42 slide. It sounds great and I love the tone I get, but my slide is sluggish and my Thayer Valve is both slow and VERY loud. It sat in a case for 3 years and wasn’t oiled or cleaned before storage, I cleaned everything myself and had the shop give it an acid bath, but the valve feels like it’s seen better days. I have taken the horn to a reputable shop and while the technician was able to take the large dent from air travel out of the Bell, he said he aligned the slide but it feels no different, if anything slower. I did not have him touch the valve as he hasn’t worked on them before.
I’m not sure where to take my horn, or what I can do about my valve, but I’ve read online the lifespan of Thayer Valves can be low if not properly maintained. I’d love to have my valve and slide running perfectly again, but I’m wondering if I should sell the horn and upgrade. I’ll be going back to university this fall and studying with a great teacher, so the last thing I want is for my gear to get in the way. I’m located in Detroit, so if you know of a great technician who can help with at least my slide, I’d be very appreciated and at the very least buy you a beer if we meet in person.
Thanks so much for reading and hope I can get my horn back into tip top condition.
Been years since I’ve been to TTF and I was sad to see it down. Glad the community is still alive and kicking!
I have a few problems with my horn, it is a Bach 42TG with a vintage 42 slide. It sounds great and I love the tone I get, but my slide is sluggish and my Thayer Valve is both slow and VERY loud. It sat in a case for 3 years and wasn’t oiled or cleaned before storage, I cleaned everything myself and had the shop give it an acid bath, but the valve feels like it’s seen better days. I have taken the horn to a reputable shop and while the technician was able to take the large dent from air travel out of the Bell, he said he aligned the slide but it feels no different, if anything slower. I did not have him touch the valve as he hasn’t worked on them before.
I’m not sure where to take my horn, or what I can do about my valve, but I’ve read online the lifespan of Thayer Valves can be low if not properly maintained. I’d love to have my valve and slide running perfectly again, but I’m wondering if I should sell the horn and upgrade. I’ll be going back to university this fall and studying with a great teacher, so the last thing I want is for my gear to get in the way. I’m located in Detroit, so if you know of a great technician who can help with at least my slide, I’d be very appreciated and at the very least buy you a beer if we meet in person.
Thanks so much for reading and hope I can get my horn back into tip top condition.