TubaForum.net

Though the turned/knurled brass portions are identical, even in this only-two-dimensional picture I don't have to label which finger button is from the "professional" series (with genuine m.o.p.) and which one is the "student" button (with imitation m.o.p.)



tip:
As long as the piston's female stem threads have not been boogered up, the Elkhorn parts jobber has some "Olds" skinny valve stems which are precisely the correct male thread and length for a Holton 345 tuba, and these (pro-series/genuine m.o.p.) buttons look nice, only weigh .4 oz. (and - at least, in my view - are also not "over-stated" in their appearance). The Yamaha thread size isn't quite the same as the threading in the "Olds" stems (metric vs. S.A.E. issues), but close enough that a small amount patient coaxing will get them on (even without re-tapping)...but (doing it the right way) the correct tap is only about $7 on eBay.

For me...

... you do have to label them.

Is the one on the right any larger or does it just look larger...

LOL...

Are you guys on your phones, or using a decent-sized computer screen?

Three Valves wrote: ↑Wed May 12, 2021 2:06 pm Is the one on the right any larger or does it just look larger...

I'm sure I didn't have my camera lens perfectly squared up against the two buttons, which - I'm sure - caused the size discrepancy in the picture.

Seriously, guys? The difference between the gray-and-white swirled plastic and the real, opalescent MOP is pretty dramatic to my eye.

Thanks for the mechanical info, Joe.

The one on the left looks more like a natural oyster shell to me so I'm going with that one... (Real MOP)

Yes! Also — and I may be wrong in this, but the MOP one (left) appears to be gold-plated and not lacquered brass. The photo makes it appear a bit darker, which is how real gold looks.

pro/m.o.p. lacquer: H6141001

pro/m.o.p. silver: H6341001



(...I probably should have put more effort into the photography, picked up my B.A.F. (big-@$$ Fuji) and taken a REAL picture... ' sorry.)

I consistently find that the "Olds" valve stems are too short for Olds, and TEND to SUSPECT (??) that they may possibly (??) be genuine leftover Holton stems, yet marketed as "Olds"...It wouldn't be the first time that supplier sold something represented to be something else, because it "sort of" works.

bloke wrote: ↑Wed May 12, 2021 2:10 pm LOL...

Are you guys on your phones, or using a decent-sized computer screen?

No, it's because rotary valve paddles don't have to bother with this nonsense.

Does real MOP come unglued and fall off as easily as the plastic does?

bort2.0 wrote: ↑Wed May 12, 2021 3:22 pm

bloke wrote: ↑Wed May 12, 2021 2:10 pm LOL...

Are you guys on your phones, or using a decent-sized computer screen?

No, it's because rotary valve paddles don't have to bother with this nonsense.

Does real MOP come unglued and fall off as easily as the plastic does?

...no more often that I have to play "open E" with 1-and-2.

What’s a good method of removing a chipped MOP inlay from a button (for replacement) without destroying the button?

I do like the Yamaha button you pictured, but I like the MW/B&S/Melton ones better.....I wonder if Yamaha would sell the buttons they furnish with their phantom (nowhere to be found in their parts diagrams) 6/4 York copy?

bort2.0 wrote: ↑Wed May 12, 2021 3:22 pm

bloke wrote: ↑Wed May 12, 2021 2:10 pm LOL...

Are you guys on your phones, or using a decent-sized computer screen?

No, it's because rotary valve paddles don't have to bother with this nonsense.

Does real MOP come unglued and fall off as easily as the plastic does?

You must have some real hammer-fingers; I've been playing tuba (plus trumpet, euphonium, sousa, etc) for 52 years now, have never had a plastic (or other) finger button fall off.
But, that's just me.
Tim

Left: Mother-of-pearl
Right: Mother-of-toilet-seat (as the guitar/bass playing world calls the swirly imitation)

To remove really badly-damaged MOP (that I don’t feel can be repaired with white epoxy that I might have swirled with a little bit of gray, to avoid replacing it) I usually open up my vice jaws about a quarter inch, span the finger button, smash the MOP with a dent hammer, and remove it... This is what I do what with properly-made buttons from many decades ago - which feature swedged-in pearls, rather than glued-in.
To install a new pearl (in the same vintage buttons), I use the tip-end of a slide tubing expander, open out the swedged sides of the pearl supports, drop in a new pearl, and use my steel (cone-shaped interior) swedging tool (tapping down on it) - to bend the brass circular wall back around the new pearl.

Yorkboy wrote: ↑Thu May 13, 2021 10:29 am What’s a good method of removing a chipped MOP inlay from a button (for replacement) without destroying the button?

I do like the Yamaha button you pictured, but I like the MW/B&S/Melton ones better.....I wonder if Yamaha would sell the buttons they furnish with their phantom (nowhere to be found in their parts diagrams) 6/4 York copy?

back to Yamaha buttons
I’m thinking that the Yamaha button thread pitch is M4x.75
https://www.ebay.com/itm/310561146700

May I ask for the code of the lightweight Custom 8xx buttons (the same as 821Bobo F and Yamayork)?

Thanks!
José

Thanks for the advice, bloke.

Yes, my experience is that those threads are 4mm x .75

joshealejo wrote: ↑Sat May 15, 2021 7:48 pm May I ask for the code of the lightweight Custom 8xx buttons (the same as 821Bobo F and Yamayork)?

Thanks!
José

Neither of these models have a parts diagram on the Yamaha website I’d also like to know if the Yamayork buttons are available for purchase.

Bloke, if you’ve got some of the Yamaha buttons with plastic inlays, I see they will sell the real MOP inlays separately from the buttons:

H6141040 is the part number