For a while now I have had two brown trumpets sitting on the piano in my studio. Well, they aren’t actually brown, but I affectionately refer to them, with their raw brass patina, as my brown trumpets. They are both C rotaries: one Schagerl and one Thein. Both horns have been a big part of my performing career at one time or another, with performances in some of the greatest halls with two of the world’s top orchestras. They have played Carnegie, Boston Symphony Hall, the Concertgebouw, the Musikverein in Vienna; the list goes on. The Schagerl is the horn I used in the one significant recording that was done while I was playing principal in Chicago, the Furtwangler Symphony #2. Now, though, they sit on an upright piano in my studio in Miami.

I looked them over a few days ago only to find the valves frozen in place and some extra development of their patina. After quite a bit of elbow grease, the Thein’s valves are free and working well, but the Schagerl’s valves remain frozen in place. Looking at the horns, I am struck at how extraordinary a path a couple of sheets of brass can have, and how strange a place it is that they find themselves in now.

Any suggestions on freeing up the valves on a rotary trumpet? I think my Schagerl has plans for life beyond the top of my piano.

§ 5 Responses to Brown Trumpets"

• Aaron N. says:

  September 9, 2007 at 12:20 am

  Craig,

  Seeing as the horns are raw, you’d probably be fine to use a penetrating catalyst such as PB Blaster or Liquid Wrench. Despite its trumpet status, it’s just dissimilar metal with a bit of corrosion filling some insanely tight tolerance.

  Shady quarters,
  Aaron N.
• MrClean says:

  September 9, 2007 at 11:25 pm

  Hey Craig,

  Just send the Schagerl to me. I’ll take care of those valves for ya…

  J
• Ken Saul says:

  September 10, 2007 at 11:58 pm

  Hi Craig, Ultra-Pure Professional Valve Oil is quite penetrating and works wonders on rotary valves, linkages, etc. I’ll send you some if you want to give it a try. Or maybe you have some handy! Since the rotor is stuck, when you squirt oil down the slide ports, it mostly goes into the open valve. So use plenty of oil down the slides and on the linkages and let it sit to give it time to penetrate.
  -Ken
• Craig Morris says:

  September 11, 2007 at 12:05 am

  Jim,

  I would send the Schagerl to you, but somebody already came by the studio and told me that he would take care of it for me. I didn’t catch his name, but he said he was taking the horn to…

  Well, I’m sure he’ll be back soon.

  C
• Craig Morris says:

  September 11, 2007 at 12:07 am

  Ken,

  Thanks for the post. It’s good to hear from you!

  I do have some Ultra-Pure here and I will definitely do as you suggest. Thanks for the idea! I’ll let you know how it works.

  Craig