Valve Springs
-
Does anyone know if Bach sells slightly stiffer than normal valve springs? I can find standard and "light" replacement valve springs. But I would like springs that are just a little bit stiffer, faster, and less "mushy." I know I can try to stretch the standard ones slightly, but I would like springs that come from the factory just a little more "aggressive." Thanks.
Bb: Bach 180S37G (05), Mercedes (80)
Vintage: Committee (54), Recording (59), Super (49), Getzen Severinsen (66)
C: Kanstul 1510, Constellation
D/Eb: Getzen Eterna
Cornet: Schilke XA1, Yamaha Neo Eb
Flugel: Kanstul 1525, Yamaha 625
Conch shell in F -
@Newell-Post
Check out Austin Custom Brass. I bought a Selmer trumpet from Trent that needed new valve springs and he provided a high speed set made by Brass Sound Creation. Talk about stiff... He has sizes that fit Bach horns, too.1940 Olds Recording, 1942 Buescher True Tone 400 ,1999 Conn Vintage One Bb trumpet, A 1952 Selmer Paris, A 2020 Getzen 400 and a Manchester Brass ACB custom pro Bb trumpet, a 1962 Conn Victor 5A Cornet and a ACB Flugel Doubler.
-
You are not the first person I encountered to ask this question. The answer, I believe, is no.
The maths and metallurgy for springs is complicated, and springs for instruments are a very specialised item, so I rather doubt you will find anybody to help you. Thus you will be left to DIY experimentation to try to fabricate a spring for the spring rate/force you desire. I shall be very curious to read your method and results.
-
Until a very few years back, Bach did sell up to five different spring tensions (depending on model).
-
@GeorgeB You know, I had a set of those "Sound Creation High Speed" springs lying around in my spare parts box that I bought a few years ago and never used. I put them in and couldn't tell much difference between them and a new set of Bach OEM springs. I have a "Pro Constellation" C trumpet I bought from a guy that has VERY stiff springs. I don't what those things are, but you really need to mash those valves. They are very fast and very reliable, but you gotta really muscle them.
-
"Stiffer" and "faster" are two completely different things.
My experience is that the speed of the valve is based on mass, proper break in, correct oiling and freedom from aerosols/deposits - not spring tension. If any of these factors are not tightly controlled, we can have a stiffer spring, but no increase in performance. Stretching a spring offers no performance increase at all and the possibility that the spring is no longer true which would actually hurt performance.
That being said, I have never had a trumpet after cleaning and adjustment that was too slow with the standard springs. I did have a period where I wanted a stiffer feel - that actually made me more consciously bang the valves down.
Let us remember that there are two parts to valve action - first down, then back up. Stiffer springs can very well slow down the down stroke by increasing resistance to compression. Our fingers do not behave in a linear fashion.
-
Rowuk Hath Spoken.
