Finger Buttons (an exercise in vanity)

[anadmai]

Here's a topic I hope won't be as controversial as bass clef. LOL.

I want to change the color of my finger button inlays to PINK. Yup. If I'm gonna spend the money on the horn, I might as well make it truly mine.

What are my options? What must I do?

Repenting is not an option.

[hrender]

viewtopic.php?t=8070

[bloke]

Determine the diameter that will fit, and search the internet for mother of pearl discs. Most who sell them will give the diameter, you can find some pretty ones for sale that aren't simply classified as finger button pearls.

[PlayTheTuba]

Well you only asked for inlays, but with the power of 3d printing and free cad software, you would only be limited by your imagination, (and materials, money, time I suppose too).

https://www.archematerial.com/

For those of you who live in Northern Virginia, I have personally have asked this company to make me some small tubing for my SA Tuba in "D". Once I figure out how to proceed with a broken plastic Euphonium that I also happen to own, I'll definitely get in contact with them again. Maybe make extensions when my CC tuba arrives just to see what it would be like. I need to re-visit and come up with a proper design if I am only going to only extend the large side of the main tuning slide for the SA "D" tuba...

[Sousaswag]

Many repairmen make them now for a very reasonable price for a set of four.

Keith Polito and Martin Wilk both make excellent buttons. Contact one of them, and they will send you a list of options and inlays for you to choose.

I’ve had buttons from both of them and you can’t go wrong.

[anadmai]

viewtopic.php?t=8070

I decided to search this forum after I asked. Isn't that the way it's supposed to work?

[Mary Ann]

Tiddly Winks and gorilla glue come to mind.

https://www.basspro.com/shop/en/channel ... NVol%7CNMT

[bloke]

I myself tend to favor the various blue shades/hues of m.o.p...

https://www.google.com/search?q=blue+mo ... s+in+sizes

bloke "pretty, and not gaudy"

[anadmai]

Tiddly Winks and gorilla glue come to mind.

https://www.basspro.com/shop/en/channel ... NVol%7CNMT

Um...

[matt g]

If I were to own a top action horn and wanting to have custom valve buttons, I’d probably seek out someone like Martin Wilk and see if he can make some in aluminum or whatever magical alloy he makes them in and then have them anodized in your color of choice, here pink.

Thing is, this probably won’t be as inexpensive as one might expect.

I say this from having MAW pistons in my big horn and they are ridiculously lightweight (buttons as above and titanium stems or whatever) along with euphonium springs makes for sublime valve action. Zero hand fatigue while practicing.

On top action horns, maybe this isn’t as big of a deal since gravity helps a little? Seems like less mass is better nonetheless.

[bloke]

Purchase one 50 pfenning (obsolete German coin - female bend down harvesting crops) coin so see if those fill up the space where your plain white pearls are currently installed...These are always available on eBay. Purchase one that isn't very worn, so that (if it works out, and you like it) you will only need to purchase three more.

They may well be the correct size. I'm thinking that they are roughly the diameter of a US 5-cent piece. (??)

IF (??) these work out, and IF (??) you like them, (duh) they probably should all be oriented the same way, yes?