Neptune lead-pipe repair question

[barry grrr-ero]

I have two lead-pipes for my B&S "Neptune". They're removable. I've been using the bigger of the two. However, most players of the Neptune seem to like the smaller one. Mine did not play well with the smaller pipe. However, . . .

I've noticed that my smaller pipe is very much out-of-round where the last turn is made, before it goes into the 5th valve (first in order, obviously). Is it worth trying to get this repaired, or should I just hunt for another pipe? . . . . I can't imagine that it would be easy to fix this. How difficult would it be for me to get a replacement pipe from B&S?

By "out-of-round", think of a hose that's been crimped a bit.

[bort2.0]

Can be repaired, and a whole lot easier than ordering a new anything from B&S. I think it's basically a metal ball on a wire that gets pulled through the leadpipe, so that it gets rounded the entire way.

I'm guessing that this happened when swapping the leadpipe, if things didn't install perfectly smoothly. Any stress to get things fitted is a bad thing for bent sections of tubing. The Neptune that I had...one leadpipe fit easily and lined up perfectly. The other was a tight fit at the 5th valve and at the screw by the receiver it was very tight. I hated swapping leadpipes, because I was always worried of bending something by accident. Had I kept that horn -- or I ever buy another -- I'd either do it once and leave it alone, or have it permanently attached to the tuba.

I've heard that when these were produced, they would fit one leadpipe to the tuba at the factory. A second leadpipe was then sent along with the tuba,but never really fitted to that specific tuba. The leadpipes for these tubas typically had two different serial numbers.

And isn't the basic intention:
Small pipe = for playing as CC
Large pipe = for playing as BBb

[barry grrr-ero]

Thanks Bort. Whatever the reason, my Neptune plays much better with the bigger pipe. But it may be that this out-of-round, crimped quality is effecting the smaller pipe. I'll get a tech to look at it. I'd like to get pipe that just comes straight down, then turns into the 5th valve - just attached normally to the horn (as you suggested).

Barry

[bloke]

Repair should be easy, with the only issues being for the repair person to be careful to not change the angle of the mouthpipe, nor to distort the attaching appliance.

[barry grrr-ero]

Thank you, Joe.

[ken herrick]

Thank you, Joe.

That is what you say after he repairs it - hint, hint...............

[barry grrr-ero]

Yes, that may well happen. We'll see.

[bloke]

I have lately been blessed with a good bit of work, but I always stop big jobs - for a short time - in order to get little jobs done.

[bloke]

...with apologies for NOT remembering about this original thread re: this topic...

...but here's the continuation/conclusion:

viewtopic.php?f=19&t=1662

[the elephant]

Posted in regards to the spammer in this thread, but it seems to have been cleaned up very quickly.

And now, back to our regularly scheduled program…

[bloke]

' just goes to show you...

I clicked on this...not remembering at all (until having read several posts) that it was actually something that I had done for someone...

...too many instruments...too many dents...too many years...

I believe - if our average lifespans were double what they are - that MOST (rather than SOME) of us would - every two or three decades - enter COMPLETELY-new/COMPLETELY-unrelated fields/endeavors - JUST as attempts to preserve our sanity.

bloke "As just one tiny example, 'Sleigh Ride' still makes me smile, each December, but only a little bit...Last year - in addition to a couple of diverse orchestra performances of it, a quintet trumpet guy passed out Wade's (truly excellent) arrangement, but - just to add some spice - I brought a slapstick to the gig, and assigned its use to one of the preachers - a guy with no sense of rhythm whatsoever. "