TubaForum.net

So, I own an Indian made 3/4 Eb Tuba (Looks to be a stencil of a Boosey & Hawkes Regent 3/4 Eb Tuba) and I would like to make the piston impact quieter, so some of the things I would like to do:

1. Material suggestion for underneath the buttons, they originally didn't come with felts underneath them but temporarily cut some green scour padding but already wearing thin.

2. Valve springs: current set is measured 2.75" by .75" diameter. But the feel to them seems like they might be a bit long on pushing them down, so I'm wondering if I should either try to shorten them a bit or replace them.

A vid I did back in July where you can probably hear the impact from my pistons when pressing them down for some reference.

Any help would be appreciated, and no I'm not too good with Jazz improv LOL!

1/ VERY fine playing (and nice enough for some to think again about an India-made tuba)

2/ valves aren't any louder than some "professions' " valves (some who - puzzlingly-to-me - don't seem concerned, for whatever reasons...??)

3/ A WILD guess for felt thickness is the most commonly-encountered thickness...so (if no measuring whatsoever...) you might stuck some that are 1/8" thick (aka 3mm) under the buttons and under the top caps. ( ??)

4/ These (eBay link) look like (??) "Bach trumpet" felt washers - which might be a bit shorter than 1/8"...but are "about" that thick...and you get a dozen for about a buck each: https://www.ebay.com/itm/274172232364

The playing and the suggestions are both good stuff!

I ended up doubling the makeshift felts and helped the issue, thanks for those who gave suggestions and input

Will also invest in replacing my valve springs, i get a slight click when I press down on my 1st valve, could be that spring might be a bit long, unless it's ok to cut it down a bit, but I'll find out soon LOL

Edit: Nevermind, i decide to switch springs between the 1st and 3rd, and did a bit of bending on the troubled spring, no more clicky click :D :D :D