I found a sweet deal on a Yamaha 381 e flat for my son and would like to replace the valve guides myself. They are currently noisy. I’ve seen discussions about replacing them with nylon guides but can’t seem to find the part. I anyone could direct me to the part or give me a reason not to do it ...

They're about 130-140 from allied. However the new pipes are undersized at both ends. My repair guy ended up needing to make it work. One of my 21js has the original lead pipe and it plays the best despite being a Horn cobbled together from 2 2xjs.

I am considering buying a z60 dent machine or a mini z dent machine.
My frustration at my current situation has led me to believe that I am better off buying my own equipment.
I have been in line at a shop for over 6 months now with no progress on the chemical clean or dent repair.
as of last week ...

York-aholic wrote: Thu Jun 11, 2026 7:20 am

humBell wrote: Wed Jun 10, 2026 4:30 pm Still an open issue?

I'll get my tape measure...

Yes, I’m still looking. Thank you.

I have a Yamaha 105 bell and a 20j bell flare if you want to make a franken Helicon.

...or - if looking for cheap - buy a Jinbao Holton 6/4 knockoff direct from China for c. $4K and be done with it.


I was offered a 1 year old Wessex with 5 valves in silver plate with case for 4 grand cash price. The pedals didn't really come out as easily as my beat up 21j. My."good" 21j plays ...

At least to me, another 20j issue is having to play F with 1-3 and E with 1-2-3.

To each their own, but - me personally - I'm not investing hundreds of hours in a tuba build whereby I'm going to have to end up doing those sorts of things.


What causes this? Bore distortion through the short ...

I was chatting with a guy from Brazil who lives in the USA and he buys Chinese valvesets on Ali Baba and grafts them to Conn 20J bottom bow/bodies and Jupiter marching tuba bells, and sells the finished product in Brazil. Pretty interesting. I'd like to find the link to the 4-piston valvesets ...

I went to a napbrit Clinic to try to rub elbows and ask about apprentice opportunities. All the techs I asked said they were too busy to teach.

But that was just my experience I hope you can find something.

At one point, they had a 0.75 bore, four- valve set on that website, but I can't seem to find it anymore.


This one?
https://www.alibaba.com/product-detail/Yellow-Brassl-Higher-Quality-OEM-Production_1601660368629.html?spm=a2706.products_search.normal_offer.8.3be267afcNv4TU&priceId ...

https://ebay.io/m/J6HNMk
Do it.

Looks like this.
https://ebay.io/m/ZuCKHK

I have a dream project of making a 5-valve rotary 20J... still in BBb. Of course if I am doing that I would have to get all the dents out of it first...


The issue is the layout of the valves on the compact 20j body. I think if you used something where all the valve slides stay on the front of ...

I was chatting with a guy from Brazil who lives in the USA and he buys Chinese valvesets on Ali Baba and grafts them to Conn 20J bottom bow/bodies and Jupiter marching tuba bells, and sells the finished product in Brazil. Pretty interesting. I'd like to find the link to the 4-piston valvesets he ...

Found this today, looking for a valve section for a project.

https://www.alibaba.com/product-detail/Cheap-Lacquer-Trumpet-Accessory-Gold-Professional_1600758748113.html?priceId=ee099f90feaf41bab73f7bd52bdd0ce7

Seems like the Chinese are now offering complete sousaphone valve sections. Claims to ...

I could be wrong but I believe I recognize the same valve section which is on the JP brass sousaphone, which I sell for less than that this amount in silver plate with a hard case.

I'm just not used to seeing $10,000 plastic sousaphones, regardless of how high-tech or lightweight.

I hope they ...

No videos of them playing it but looks like an interesting project.

https://butlertrombones.com/sousa/

dp wrote: Sat May 23, 2026 5:41 pm

gocsick wrote: Sat May 23, 2026 2:17 pm Aspirational pricing $5,000

drop one zero and send it to Wade to make a 180 f out of it.

I didn't know this was possible. Is the result better than the 183?

You have to wonder with that far so below market price if this one had poor slide alignment or valve issues which some of these suffer from. I didn’t see any in depth description of the horn. You’d assume a Music Store wouldn’t sell at such a low price to current market value just to turn it ...

Anyone in the greater bay area have relatively cheap student BBb tuba they would be willing to part with?

It would end up as a home practice horn for a student (San Jose area, if you know the way... (that joke has not yet gotten old)) whose school apparently upgraded to a tuba that doesn't fit in ...

pictures would be awesome.