Thanks for the update. Very sorry to hear about this. Praying for a full recovery.

Mike

@Dale-Proctor said in Hello! Welcome to TB, who are you?:

I ran across this screen shot of me playing Eb cornet in the movie. That’s me on the end by the stair.

Very cool.

@ROWUK said in Valve oils:

I successfully use LaTromba T2 (new bottle), Ultra Pure, Hetmans (various thicknesses) and Monster (various thicknesses). LaTromba T2 is the cheapest (in Europe). I buy it by the case.

They are all "equal" on my horns if applied properly.

I agree that most any of these oils would be adequate. Personally, I use Hetman, not because I think it's the best. I use it because it gets the job done, it's the oil my tech uses, and it's easy to obtain in various in various formulations.

Regarding use, once a week, I wipe down my valves and casings with a lint-free cloth, wipe out the vents and caps with a tissue, and then reoil and lube. No problems. No buildup. No need to oil daily.

Mike

@ROWUK said in a new way to learn scales (and a bunch of other stuff in the process):

Scales, modes and triads are a great way to build patterns - although not new, most of us will admit that we do not practice them enough. Certainly worthy of a post in pedagogy.

I wish someone would write all these patterns down.

Jerry Coker's Patterns For Jazz, pattern #79. The book contains many patterns that anyone (not just jazz musicians) can use to learn their way around their instrument.

Mike

@Newell-Post said in I'm desperate and at a lost with reactions to metal mouthpieces.:

@tmd He didn't say he's not allergic to silver or brass. (Sorry for the double negative.)

Very true. But it would be unusual if the allergist didn't test him for these two additional metals. I very easily could be misunderstanding something here, and I hope the OP finds a good solution for all of this. But assuming he is not allergic to anything, we are left with a person with not-the-best practice/playing habits, and who is looking for a mouthpiece as a solution.

Mike

@replacedflea said in I'm desperate and at a lost with reactions to metal mouthpieces.:

Over this summer I managed to see an allergist and they did a patch test.  Turns out I AM NOT allergic to gold, cobalt, or nickle.

Just to clarify, he initially thought this was an allergy. He went to an allergist and found that was NOT allergic to these metals.

Mike

Very sorry to hear this. You talk about bad practice habits, playing in pain, and having no allergies. Have you considered this is not a mouthpiece problem? Have you considered getting a basic Bach 3c, 5c, or 7c, or the Yamaha equivalent, and starting a healthy practice and playing routine?

Mike

@Kehaulani said in Valve Alignment Tool:

Play better or sound better?

Good question. I had a tech do a PVA on my 1965 Strad. I felt the horn sounded and played about the same afterwards. (I realize this is a subjective statement.)

My issue was with the way the valves worked after the PVA. The firm rubber pads used with a PVA are relatively noisy. In addition, the second valve on this horn would hang all the time after the PVA, and improved after I removed the PVA. Of note, this valve has always been a bit fickle, and requires a little TLC to operate smoothly. It's been evaluated, and the horn has been disassembled as part being refurbished, with no definitive answer for the valve issue. However the PVA made it worse.

So for me, the PVA made the valves more noisy. And the PVA made a fickle valve operate worse. I removed the PVA. The valves are quieter with stock felt pads. And the second valve operates more smoothly.

Mike

@Estevao said in Hello! Welcome to TB, who are you?:

I have more instruments than good sense ....

You're not alone. The "N+1" affliction is pervasive here.

various keyed harmonicas,

I play chromatic harmonica, too.

My wife has stayed by my side for 48 years while I was a factory worker, Bible college student, missionary, and pastor. She even likes my trumpet playing

It sounds like you have great one.

Welcome to TB.

Mike

@Dr-GO said in Clean with 'alcohol'?:

@tmd said in Clean with 'alcohol'?:

@grune said in Clean with 'alcohol'?:
...Remove the organic material and wash it away, and you've gotten rid of these organisms more effectively than isopropyl alcohol or ethanol.

Mike

Actually Mike there is an N of 1 Evidence-based study that does not support your above cleaning comparison. Look up that September 2010 Chest Article. They have culture and medical evidence that isopropyl eliminates any biological effect of atypical mycobacteria and fungi. They blinded brass a brass player with hypersensitivity pneumonitis to see if the horn was the source, with pulmonary functions and everything. The gave the horn standard treatment (as you describe) and isopropyl cleaned above standard treatment. Patient cured with the isopropyl wash. Many other brass players instruments were then cultured., and post isopropyl treated horns had a significant inhabitant of atypicals and fungi growth. Amazing study.

Hi Gary. Yes, I'm familiar with the article. I agree that it's interesting with respect to this one person's hypersensitivity. But it's far from definitive with respect to general cleaning or disinfecting. There was no tissue diagnosis, to confirm cause-and-effect (although I realize there was indirect evidence). The presumed impact was on specific organisms, so it might be a stretch to extrapolate this to the eradication of bacteria and viruses and fungi in general. In fact, they don't say they verified that the mycobacteria were eradicated, only that this one person's symptoms resolved. Also, there was no description of the cleaning method, or discussion on the efficacy of the cleaning method.

We may not agree on the best way to use alcohol-based cleaners. That's okay. But let me emphasize one point from my original post. A person's desire to disinfect their trumpet won't work all that well, if they don't get the grime out of their horn first.

Mike