Pictured above is a late 1940′s Selmer Paris Saxophone body striped down to its’ bare self. Awaiting new springs, pads, corks and felts, encased in a protective shell of wax, here is my next overhaul.
I ain’t got no body
•March 26, 2011 • Leave a CommentRepair Projects Underway
•November 17, 2010 • Leave a Comment
Barely a Baritone Saxophone
•November 17, 2010 • 1 Comment
Improper joining of U-tube to body. Plumbers tape!?
Foreign object melted into a solder joint. Nerf darts impede airflow.
Bell removed to correct for plumbers tape seal.
Leak checks are easier on a bari with the bell removed.
Recently I was contacted to look over a baritone saxophone that had spent repeated trips to another repair shop in town. The instrument played poorly, and its’ intonation was off by a quarter step. The first thing I found was that in re-securing both the U-tube and the bell section, plumbers tape was used. Selmers come from the factory with a glue seal overlaid with a heavy clamp. The plumbers tape leaked, and both joints were loose, allowing the two sections to flex. Thinking that I had the problem diagnosed, I took the upper U-tube to the sink to wash out. Normally lots of muck deposits itself in the bottom of the tube. Imagine my surprise when I ran a brush thru it and out came a Nerf dart. A previous tech had resoldered the main brace on the pipe, and melted the dart into the metal. Te body tube had suffered severe damage, which i presume is why all the joints were taken apart. The body tube had some dent work done, but all the keys in the upper stack had play in them – some as much as 1/16″. Swedged the keys, replaced a few pads, properly assembled the horn and enjoyed conducting an extensive playtest.
Tools Basking in Sunlight
•October 24, 2010 • Leave a Comment
Tools Basking in Sunlight
The window faces the west, which might be a problem come summer time, but this time of year it is rather pleasant to sit at the bench with a warm sun setting.
Three views of the new shop
•October 21, 2010 • Leave a Comment
My main work bench will go under the window. It looks out onto the back yard, the best view I have ever had from the bench.
