School Me on Aftermarket Rotary Linkage

[tubatodd]

I just acquired a Rudy 4/4 CC tuba. It's the second rotary tuba I've owned (of 3) that came from the previous owners with Dubro #259 4-40 RC car linkages. These seem to be a popular choice as a replacement for tuba linkages. The ones I have seem to be in decent shape, although I don't know how long these plastic pieces typically last.



As someone who likes to tinker and customize my instruments (most of my electric basses have swapped/upgraded hardware, pickups, pickguards or all of the above) to my liking, I am compelled to see what options are out there that are proven quality alternatives to this particular Dubro linkage. Are there any easily available metal linkages that are a drop-in replacement?

Something like this?
https://www.amazon.com/uxcell-Linkage-J ... B07Q2ZS8HQ


What about the fully enclosed plastic + metal options, like this?

https://www.dubro.com/products/swivel-b ... 1G-1h8atAy

Amazon and RC shops seem chock full of potential options, but I have no idea how many of them are a) a proper fit b) work smoothly c) work reliably d) worth considering.

[arpthark]

The ones I have seem to be in decent shape, although I don't know how long these plastic pieces typically last.

Anecdotal, but Dubro seems to last forever. I have a Piggy that was converted to black plastic Dubro sometime in the 80s or early 90s, has been played regularly, and the linkages are still silent. I know @bloke has had them on his Symphonie F for about a million years, too, but I don’t know if he’s ever swapped them out.

[tubatodd]

Anecdotal, but Dubro seems to last forever. I have a Piggy that was converted to black plastic Dubro sometime in the 80s or early 90s, has been played regularly, and the linkages are still silent. I know @bloke has had them on his Symphonie F for about a million years, too, but I don’t know if he’s ever swapped them out.

That's good to know. I know plastic parts in vehicles get brittle over time. I wonder if the regular oiling of these Dubro pieces result in them lasting longer.

[bloke]

I've had 12 of those specific DuBro links on my F tuba for at least thirty-five years, and they're absolutely silent.

[tubatodd]

I've had 12 of those specific DuBro links on my F tuba for at least thirty-five years, and they're absolutely silent.

No doubt! The ones on my Rudy are silent as well. The only noise are from the rather hard bumper material that was installed.

[tadawson]

IIRC, the DuBro ball links are nylon, not plastic, and tend to hold up well. Consider also that normal R/C use has them moving more, faster, under a greater load, and in a far dirtier environment that I would expect to find on a horn.Couple that with the inability to forget to lubricate them, and seems like a good option from here. (I also fly large (60" plus rotors) R/C helicopters, and that is my point of comparison. These are all over the flight control systems, and under orders of magnitude more stress and motion).

[tubatodd]

I just realized that I neglected to clearly state my main point. Doh!

Yes, the Dubro #259 4-40 linkages are proven.
Yes, the Dubro #259 4-40 linkages do hold up over time.
Yes, the Dubro #259 4-40 linkages are easily accessible.
Yes, the Dubro #259 4-40 linkages were documented as a tuba linkage replacement by Rick Denney back in the day.

But....

Why is it that, of all of the linkages available from Dubro and other non-OEM brands, that it is this exact linkage that I've seen 100% of the time for tubas?

Are these the only ones that fit?
Are these the only ones that work for use on a tuba?
Is it the screw at the end of the linkage? (ie finer adjustment)
Availability? (ie hanging up in every hobby shop)
Limited availability of other non-OEM linkages?
Just hadn't tried anything else?
Other non-OEM linkages were proven to not work?
Other non-OEM linkages were proven to be problematic?
Arnold Jacobs used the Dubro #259 and so they are sacrosanct? (this is purely a joke)

[arpthark]

I’ve seen folks on the web (frankentuba FB group and elsewhere) use metal linkages from Amazon on their projects. Knowing the track record of clacky Chinese tuba linkages, I’d be curious if those held up over time, and if they are as noiseless as Dubro can be.

[tubatodd]

I’ve seen folks on the web (frankentuba FB group and elsewhere) use metal linkages from Amazon on their projects. Knowing the track record of clacky Chinese tuba linkages, I’d be curious if those held up over time, and if they are as noiseless as Dubro can be.

I just recently joined that group. I probably should check that out. I was also curious why I've not seen other Dubro linkages. If one of their products has been the gold standard, I wonder why I haven't seen others. Perhaps that FB group will have some examples and feedback.