How a dent affects trumpet sound.

[Anthony Lenzo]

I have a trumpet that I use sometimes that has a crease or dent in the bend going towards the bell.So when I play it it plays sharp .It plays in tune when I pull the lead pipe out about almost an inch .I assume this is because of the dent .Anyone ever have this happen? Anthony

[J. Jericho]

Depending upon the location of dents, quirks in playability can occur. Why not have the dent removed in order to eliminate it as a possible cause of the sharp intonation?

My default practice is to always remove any source or potential source of problems with the instrument, so that any unwanted sound that comes out of the bell would have originated before the mouthpiece.

[Anthony Lenzo]

@J-Jericho I wanted the dent removed but my tech guy told he said it may cause a hole.I told him to try anyway.When I went to pick up the trumpet he told me he had to put a patch because when he tried to remove the dent it caused a hole. So I figured it's too late to fix it now.

[Gendreauj]

@Anthony-Lenzo
With the patch does it still play sharp? Is this a vintage trumpet with sentimental value?
Is it worth it to get a second opinion?

[J. Jericho]

Generally, patches don't change the way a horn plays enough to matter. They are used to prolong the service life of horns considered valuable, whether in monetary or sentimental terms. Replacement of the compromised part sometimes is a good option.

Some of the reasons a horn will play sharp are: using a mouthpiece with too little volume, incorrect mouthpiece gap, incorrect assembly of the instrument (such as the aggregate tubing being too short), or improper design.

Do you find that relative intonation of individual notes changes when the tuning slide is extended?

[Anthony Lenzo]

@J-Jericho I tune my trumpet to c and all the notes are correct

[Anthony Lenzo]

@Anthony-Lenzo so no .

[robertwerntz]

Ya dents make the journey for air shorter, so sharpness occurs

[ROWUK]

Generally, only really serious dents (tube almost mashed together) will affect the intonation.
That being said, a technician that knows enough to tell you if removing the dent can cause a tear or hole, should be able to judge if it is intonation critical. If after a repair, a patch was applied, this will also not have any serious effect on intonation - especially if we are not talking about a professional player and her/his favorite horn!

One recommendation that I would offer to Anthony: please post pictures when you ask questions like this. Maybe we could offer advice BEFORE you make an uninformed decision. Some of us have been doing this for a VERY LONG TIME!

I have never had a dent tear because my tech annealed the dents before doing anything. Annealing is a process to soften the grain structure of metal to reduce stress. It is used when originally forming the tuning slide and slide bows as well as when hammering the bell.

[Anthony Lenzo]

@ROWUK Yes he should have done that anneled the dented part .My thinking it was a used garage sale trumpet he thought use a patch .He is very busy and made a quick buck.I can send your pictures not sure how .But the deed is done I am in the process of moving .I am now in Florida for a few days then moving north to Youngstown Ohio .Thank you Anthony

[Anthony Lenzo]

@Anthony-Lenzo I hope I find a better tech guy in Youngstown Ohio.This guy wasn't that good.I have ssen them.on You Tube West Lee I think his name is do much better.Thank you very kind Anthony

[ROWUK]

@Anthony-Lenzo I want to be very clear that I am not assuming that your technician made a mistake or was not good! Sometimes there is dirt and damage that the technician can only compensate for. I make a huge difference between repair or restore. Restoration is usually far more costly in terms of time and effort.

[Anthony Lenzo]

@ROWUK I understand no problem.thank you