Posted by John Swensen on June 13, 2001 at 13:35:03:
In Reply to: Re: Re: Re: Re: Heavy Rotary Valve Caps posted by Chuck(G) on June 13, 2001 at 12:23:57:
Chuck, I agree with you about the lack of a need for hex stock; providing the means to inflict a great deal of torque on a cap is just asking for someone with a wrench and little appreciation for the yield strength of brass to destroy a valve section. A round cap with a knurled ring at the end would look nice to me.
I'm not, at all, convinced that adding heavy weights to the backs of valves would improve all horns, but it is possible that added weight either shifts or reduces the amplitude of the mechanical resonances of the horn, resulting in more efficient propagation of sound through the horn and out the bell. It is, also, possible that added weight might intensify a resonance at some frequency and make the horn play worse (as in, "Hey! Where did my pedal D go?").