Been working on it for a little while and finally had a horn (the Conn 6M pictured above) that had the perfect situation to allow me to record a baseline overhaul time on a horn that is in *excellent* condition to start with. I have subtracted the time spent polishing, since that is not “baseline”, …
Absent much other information freely available on the web, here is A Possibly Wrong Primer on Musical Instrument Engraving I say possibly wrong because it is written by myself (introduction) and my partner at the time Bianca (the more helpful bit with tool links), and between the two of us we barely constitute an …
This is an advanced repair that can be undertaken when a hinge tube in a saxophone (or other similar musical instrument) has been so worn or has so little expose hinge tube that normal swedging will not fix poor key fit. The pictures and text for this article have been graciously provided by Larry Gerhardt …
This is a video I made, but in case you can’t watch it, I have provided the script below. I ad-libbed quite a few additional things for the video and obviously illustrated the things I talked about, so I would encourage you to watch it if you can, but if not the text below will …
This article is designed to give you some background on how installing saxophone pads can work. If you are learning repair, this can help teach you how to do it. If you are an interested consumer, this can teach you a bit about why replacing a pad isn’t cheap when its done well and how …
Naming saxophone parts, like much of the repair business, can differ depending on who is doing it. The guide I have provided here is what I have learned/decided to call the parts, and may be different from what you like to use or have heard used. But since there doesn’t seem to be a reliable …
As I am fond of saying, there are almost as many ways to do this job right as there are to do it wrong. Use this information wisely. Do not learn repairs on a great saxophone. The great saxophones of today and in particular yesteryear are singular and irreplaceable, and properly cared for will last for …
First things first: DO NOT LEARN TO REPAIR ON A GREAT SAXOPHONE. The great saxophones of today and in particular yesteryear are singular and irreplaceable, and properly cared for will last for 200-300 years. This means they belong mostly to future generations, since the majority of their useful life lays ahead of them. We are stewards …