Looking for a Pair of Very Specific Finger Buttons

[the elephant]

I need two in this *exact* style in lacquered or raw brass. I am willing to pay more for an *exact* match. I am not willing to pay very less for an inexact match. I do not want silver plating but will take what I can get. I need two. They must be in excellent condition.

If you pimped out your tuba with fancy finger buttons and have some of these you would be willing to sell, please post here or PM me. I can provide very accurate measurements of the various diameters, thicknesses, and pearl diameters of what I have. I need to see photos of a similar quality to mine below, possibly with a ruler next to them.

NOTE: If you, by some miracle, happen to have six or eight of the EXACT same shape as the brass ones below that match each other EXACTLY in ALL REGARDS I will pay top dollar for them. (If you can't see the difference between the brass and silver buttons just walk on by, cowboy.)

[bort2.0]

For people like me (hey, I'm a person like me!) -- what instrument/manufacturer are these from?

[arpthark]

For people like me (hey, I'm a person like me!) -- what instrument/manufacturer are these from?

These are from a tuba, made by the people who made the tuba.

[the elephant]

These came on all the piston sets made and sold by Nirschl over the years. I think Hirsbrunner, Böhm & Meinl, Kurath, initially Willson, Kalison (at least the early DS prototypes), and a number of other makers used them. Maybe the earlier, smaller 2165 pistons, too? Not sure. These get replaced by people all the time with those aftermarket ones I dislike so much. So, if they match mine, I will help them recoup some of the $$$ they dropped on their pimped-out finger buttons. The only issue is that there is a lot of subtle variation in these, and I need an exact match. Mine were made in 1989 and 1990 if that helps anyone.

[Three Valves]

Them is some tasty buttons!

[The Brute Squad]

Kalison (at least the early DS prototypes)

It isn't a prototype, but I can check mine when I get home this evening to see if they match.

[The Brute Squad]

Production DS's do have the silver ones. Mine, however, are definitely not in excellent condition.

[the elephant]

But are they for sale? I only need two of them to be decent looking, and I forgot that I have the silver buttons on the Kurath, so silver is better in this case. (Oops, "My bad," as the are wont kiddos say…) Do you have photos? Do you have a price? I am not willing to sign over the soul of my firstborn, but I can most certainly part ways with some shekels…

[the elephant]

BUMP!

I want two of these to make new levers for the 5th and 6th valves on my Kurath. I like the coins, but they *really* stick out as not belonging to the tuba. Having finger buttons that match what I have is the next step. Failing that, I suppose I will have to chop up some old rotary valve paddles, which will take much more work than finger buttons.

The thread pitch is not important and they do not even have to match one another, but the exteriors must match what is in the photos above, in silver plated, lacquered, or raw brass.

Solid nickel silver buttons like this probably do not exist. If you have a set of four of these in NS I'll name my first child after you (in addition to paying or trading for them).

[the elephant]

@The Brute Squad — Were you checking to see if they are what I am looking for in order to sell them to me, or just to confirm they came on DS tubas?

[the elephant]

Time for a big, fat, finger button BUMP!

[The Brute Squad]

@The Brute Squad — Were you checking to see if they are what I am looking for in order to sell them to me, or just to confirm they came on DS tubas?

Mostly the latter. I did think about selling them but decided against it, mostly because I'm not looking for new buttons.

[bloke]

There are guys on fb frankentuba who seem to really enjoy making copies (offering to make vintage Besson/York/etc.)

You might reach out to them. (??)

They aren't unreasonable with their fees.

As to pearls...I've seen them for sale on the web in various metric diameters.

(There are some large-yet-not-oversize Buescher tuba finger buttons which are larger than typical and a bit uncommon - similar in size to Conn 14K sousaphone buttons, yet not the same. I've been tempted to have a few of those Buescher ones made.)

I can't guess the precise diameter of m.o.p. discs you would need, but here's 20mm x .5mm (cheap and white).
http://orders.mopsupplies.com/p/9425326 ... 05mm-.html

If you have someone make the copies, I'd suggest acquiring the pearls first (duh: so the button person would cut the indentation to fit the pearl discs).

bloke "ok...I'm told that 'indention(s)' is archaic, so I went back and used 'indentations'. "

[TheHatTuba]

Found these in one of my "random tuba junk" boxes from an earlier 2145. Close(ish) but no cigar... ~27 mm x ~7 mm