Expert: Kenton Scott - 1/14/2008

Question
Hello there

A good friend of mine has an old valve trombone with the brand name Rex engraved at the base of the bell. He purchased it in 1977 in Melbourne, Australia. We believe it may be of Eastern European origin. The player describes it as well constructed and hardly ever needs valve oil, however it requires a lot of work to produce a full sound. Can you help us?

Regards
Johnh

Answer
The Rex name is associated with two dealers Millard and Bryant and Newell.  


The sound of any horn, in principle, is pretty simple. Assuming that the horn was originally properly constructed, then good performance is basically dependent on a clear, unobstructed, and un-interrupted passageway from mouthpiece to bell.  

The most likely culprits would be 1) an air leak at a solder joint or a split in the metal.  2) worn valves.  (try putting a heavy oil such as olive oil on the valve.  They won't work well, but it will seal up the valves.  If that improves the sound, then either using a heavy weight oil [Hetman makes one] or rebuilding the valves would be the answer.  3) out of alignment valves.  (have a repairman check and align the valves), 4) obstructions in the tubing (some are obvious, just as dents, but others just as solder on the inside of the tubing or hanging tabs of metal [at the water key for example]), 5) a loose fitting mouthpiece.