admin 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 was a very clean Buffet SDA tenor that sported what some folks call “sparkle lacquer”, although for me the jury is still out on whether that is a real thing or not. (It looks like crazing close up, and I’ve been told by folks who bought theirs new that it developed over a few …
Fairly standard overhaul done on this beauty. I used flat metal resonators. These like thin pads- you’ll be using minimal adhesive as well to get them as thin as the horn wants (assuming key geometry hasn’t been bent all around in the past to accommodate thicker pads). Cool horn. I like the woody tone of …
Solid sterling silver Selmer Series III alto, full mechanical overhaul. This one was a doozy! While it arrived playing decently, it just played dead and stuffy all around, with no clear culprit. In fact, the owner (an extremely accomplished classical player) had been chasing this problem for a couple years, and was growing frustrated that …
This unique horn was made in 1929 during the time period that the “New Largebore” Selmer was being made, but sat unfinished and unsold at the factory until the late 1930s, when it was finished, given a contemporary engraving pattern of the Balanced Action, and sold. Thus the engraving is out-of-time, but completely original. I was …
I actually did very little to this horn- just a few adjustments here and there to improve its playability on its original pads. Yes, you read that right- *improve* playability on its original pads. And it plays very well. You can tell its a bit leaky, but it plays down to low Bb without much …
This is a Selmer Balanced Action tenor saxophone from 1939. This horn had a single owner, a man named Jennings Titus, who bought it new in 1940. Shortly after purchasing, he enlisted in the Army, and he played in military bands all over Europe during World War II. When he flew from place to place, …