AboutMike Pawul Expertise I am familiar with most trumpets, cornets, and flugelhorns. I can answer most questions about playing and musicality. Best of all, if I can't answer it directly I play regularly in five bands and have several "old timers" that are familiar with most things that I am not. I collect, repair, and refinish old horns and have sold over 350 with more than 230 on ebay
Experience I have played since 1965 and studied with many directors and trumpeters. I have been collecting since 2002 and have over 150 horns in my personal collection. I have done repair and refinsh since 2003 and have done over 500 horns.
Organizations Kosair Shrine Brass Band and Dance Band, The Notables, The Mello Tones, Bourbon City Brass Band,
River Cities Concert Band,
University of Louisville Community Band,
Member of Trumpet Players International Network (TPIN),
Bugles Across America (BAA),
Education/Credentials I played at Brunswick High School. I played through college and have a BS in Business Administration from Trinity College.
Awards and Honors Without being vain, numerous awards and have played in several honor bands.
Question Dear Mike, I have taken on the burden of restoring my grandfather's trumpet (Selmer Paris Deville from the early 60's). Some time after my grandfather died in 1991 my grandmother took the trumpet out of its case and put it in a plastic bag and put it under a bed and put the case in our garage.(my grandmother was not up to date with instrument care if you can tell)So time went on and the bed fell on the bell and crushed it a little bit. My mom not thinking about the old plastic bag under the bed just put it in the top of the closet. So when I started getting in to band and trumpets I heard about it from my dad, we did not know were it was so we went looking and about a year ago we found it then we found the case in the garage were my grandmother had put in 1991.(not the best case anymore but it worked and is working)So we went and had it cleaned and polished and the bell fixed.(professionaly) Now It has a very jazzy ,bold sound and the slides are very free and easy to move so are the keys just when ever I play it the springs on the keys sqeak very annoyingly and I'm getting very frustrated because it is a fairly good trumpet now and that is the only thing that is wrong with it wright now that I can see or hear and I was just woundering if there was a way I could fix it with out taking it to a repair shop. If so I would very much appreciat it Thank you, Matt
Answer Matt, First let me ask you if it is the spring or the valve guide that is squeaking? If it is the springs then just take one to a repair person and buy new ones for it. Of course, someone may have put the wrong size spring into it when they changed them before. If so then you have to have a repair tech look at the horn to know for sure. Springs that are too large rub on the barrel and make all kinds of odd sounds. Sometimes the valve guides are brass and will catch as the valve is depressed and cause a metallic noise. If you have nylon guides that wouldn't be the case for your horn. But if the guides are metal just lube the point where the guide slides into the slot with valve oil and see if that helps. The other solution for guides would be to change them over to nylon ones.
