Here is a rare find, something that was given to me as a birthday present from a good customer of mine. This is the original warranty booklet from a 1935 Conn saxophone, along with the Conn pad measuring tool. Very interesting reading, and several pieces of good advice from yesteryear that still apply today. …
The Conn M-series saxophone, manufactured by C.G. Conn in Elkhart Indiana from 1935 to 1959. In my opinion, one of the most beautiful saxophones ever made, and an example of American design and craftsmanship at its finest. Information on the M-series saxophones: 1. The Conn Loyalist 2. Saxpics Conn page 3. Saxgourmet Conn page …
Dorfler and Jurka was a German saxophone maker who at times made horns as a contractor for Julius Keilwerth and made horns based on Keilwerth designs to sell under their own name. To add to the confusion, D&J stenciled out saxophones to many of the same companies to which Keilwerth did the same, and names …
Martin Committee saxophones pose a special challenge for neck fitting because of the teardrop hanging down in the way of the tenon. This, combined with the thickness of the tenon itself, make for a neck that can only be adjusted in one particular way. This is not a difficult job, but it is one that …
This is about as hard core as saxophone geekiness gets. If you had been the owner of a Selmer curved soprano about 90 years ago and you wanted a spring set, this is what you would have gotten in the mail- it would have cost you $2.15, and it would have cost 12 cents to …
You just don’t see these every day. I am in the middle of cleaning up this horn, and the silver plate is so bright and thick that if I hadn’t seen it tarnished and cleaned it up myself I’d wonder if it was exceptionally classy nickel plate. Beautiful and rare example of a Mark VI soprano.
Curt Altarac, a fellow saxophone repair specialist here in North Carolina put together a great article at MusicMedic.com based on the experience of one of his apprentices fitting the keys (aka rebuilding the mechanics) of a cheap East Asian import sax. Any of you who are repairmen reading this are immediately getting clammy, and perhaps …
A company based in Thailand has made a plastic saxophone, called the Vibrato. had a chance to test out a Vibrato model A1S and take a look at the mechanics from a saxophone repairman’s point of view. (Click on any photo for a high resolution version) In the wayback times, an English company made an acrylic saxophone aimed at …