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One of the recurring questions I get is a variation on “Should I overhaul my horn?”. This question- almost without exception- comes from players who have never gotten a horn overhauled, and don’t understand why they should put a relatively large amount of money into an overhaul vs. just take it into the shop for $50-100 worth of work every few months. The fact that I only get this question from people who have not experienced a good overhaul should tell you something- as should the fact that I get this question often! A saxophone overhaul is one of those things that once you do it (and its done well) it makes sense- and often you can’t imagine ever going back to playing horns that are less than perfectly set up. But there is precious little information on WHY exactly an overhaul is a good thing, and its a pretty big leap of faith to take the first time. But a full overhaul is often not only cheaper in the long run but better for your playing, and here is why.

SOLD This is a 1940 Conn 26M with the VIII stamp on the body and neck, in original lacquer with original case. It came to me with original pads, and will be overhauled for sale. The overhaul is included in the price.

SOLD This is an original silver plate, excellent physical condition Selmer Radio Improved alto saxophone, made in France in 1935. I have just overhauled this saxophone, where it received a stripping of the clear coat of lacquer someone had sprayed on it sometime in the near past as well as a full mechanical rebuild of the keywork. Pads were installed with Tenor Madness reusable brass resonators and this horn plays GREAT and is ready to go for years and years of reliable service right out of the case.

Pictured above are two Couf Superba I tenor saxophones. They are within 2000 serials of each other, are both in very good original condition with fully intact original finishes, and have both been overhauled by me at the request of their owners to have exactly the same setup- same pads, same resonators, exact same key heights, overhauled by the same repairman- and unlike most new horns, they are demonstrably leak-free.

Here are some “before” photos: And here are some “after” photos (yes its the same horn): **SOLD ** This is a Conn 6M Transitional alto saxophone in original silver plate with original case and mouthpiece in excellent physical condition with serial number 252xxx dating it to mid 1932. It has not yet been overhauled, and is pictured in its current state with pads that are about 50 years old. The tarnish will clean completely off during the overhaul, and this horn is going to look close to new. There are no dents or dings, and the horn appears to have been played very little. After the overhaul, it will provide years of dependable service and with proper care it will be around making music a hundred years from now, and probably a hundred years after that.

SOLD This is an original lacquer nearly mint condition Buffet Super Dynaction tenor saxophone, hand-built in France in 1971 with serial 18xxx. Originally sold in Canada, it has its original case, which is different from the US version, along with its original strap, mouthpiece, mouthpiece cap, ligature, and an unopened box of Rico brown box tenor reeds. The original keys to the case are even still strapped to the handle.

SOLD This is an excellent original condition original lacquer original pads Vito “Duke” baritone saxophone, hand made in France for Vito by Beaugnier, a small factory that made horns for Leblanc, Noblet, and Vito. The build quality is excellent, and the saxophone plays very well. Serial number 19xxx means it was built in the early 1960s, which is the best era for Beaugnier, a firm whose quality and craftsmanship easily competes with Selmer, SML, and Buffet instruments- the other French professional saxophones of the era. If you have been looking for a professional quality, handmade baritone saxophone that hasn’t been beat up for less than the cost of a decent used car, read on.

Or rather, a complete redesign. Expect some hiccups, but please report any weirdness you find so I can fix it. Migrating images from the old one to the new one is proving to be rather difficult, and I have learned a valuable lesson: don’t use Wordpress themes that put all of your media in a non-standard folder! This new look was chosen for several reasons: Emphasis on content. As I create more articles and videos, I want a way to show those more readily on my website.

This is a closeup of the pearls on the upper stack of a 1943 Strasser-Marigaux-Lemaire (SML) Coleman Hawkins Special. The Coleman Hawkins Special is a fantastically rare instrument in itself, but what makes this one even more interesting is that it was made while France was occupied by Germany in World War II. Saxophone production in France slowed to a trickle during the occupation, as the brass and other materials used in instrument manufacture as well as manpower and machinery were diverted to the war or unable to be imported in the first place. Nonetheless, a very few saxophones were made, and some bear witness to the strained conditions under which they were produced. If you are lucky enough to come across a French saxophone made during the occupation, you may see black pearls on the keywork- and sometimes even bakelite pearls, as the pure white mother of pearl became difficult to obtain. Sometimes only a few are black, sometimes all are black, or sometimes it will be a fairly even mix. On this horn, all pearls but the bis, front F, and chromatic f# are black pearls.

SOLD This is a 1939 Selmer Balanced Action tenor saxophone, serial number 292xx, made in tail end of the final year before World War II decreased Selmer’s output to a trickle. It is the twin to my personal alto from the same time period, and I am sorely tempted to keep it, but I already have a great tenor and if I keep all the horns I want to keep I wouldn’t have a home to keep them in. Besides, there are not many Balanced Action tenors still around, and this one should be out making music somewhere.

**SOLD and overhauled to the new owners specifications. Want one for yourself? Get in touch and tell me to find one for you. ** This is a 1953 Strasser-Marigaux-Lemaire (SML) tenor saxophone, with original Perma-Gold finish, in very good physical condition. It is scheduled for an overhaul, and the price includes this work. Ok, ok- so I can almost hear you wondering: Why did you put “Gold Plate” in quotes? What is Perma-Gold? Well, I hate to be the one to break it to you, but it does not look as if SML made many (if any) saxophones of this era that were actually plated in real gold. Instead, if the horn looks like this one- a combination of buttery-yellow matte and flat finish- the horn is actually the Perma-Gold finish, which is a zinc dichromate plating over zinc (not gold over silver). It wears off in flakes like lacquer rather than slowly wearing through like plating and was a finish used only by SML, though it can still be found used in other non-musical instrument applications today. It doesn’t tarnish and it doesn’t polish, and it will burn with excessive heat just like lacquer. Unless they actually DID use any real gold plate (which I am not convinced they did outside of a few exhibition horns) this was their top-of-the-line finish, and it looks the part, real gold or not.

SOLD This is a 1972 Buffet Super Dynaction tenor saxophone in nearly original condition with the original case and warranty card- which hasn’t even been filled out yet! The physical condition is nearly immaculate, with only a couple small scratches to show for being over 40 years old. It still plays pretty well on its original pads and corks, but I will be overhauling it for sale with flat metal resonators to make it perfect- overhaul included in the price.

Whew, what a year. 2012 was challenging and rewarding and I learned about as much as I have in any one-year period of my entire life. On a personal level, in early 2012 my wife and I welcomed our first child into the world, a happy little chubster named August who has given me new focus and perspective as I experience the world anew from his point of view.

Some scans of vintage ads I have collected over the years. If you have high-quality scans or original ads you would like to send my way for inclusion in this gallery, let me know. If you would like a copy of any of these ads in full resolution (too big for my hosting), send me an email. There are no watermarks on the files. Share and Enjoy!

Click on the photo for an even higher resolution image of the beautiful engraving pattern from an extremely rare Conn 12M Transitional baritone saxophone in gold plate with the art deco engraving pattern. Just beautiful.

A complete Conn warranty booklet from 1931 from a early New Wonder II style transitional alto with art-deco engraving and raised side E key. All photos will enlarge when clicked. 1931 Conn alto with fresh overhaul by me.

This article includes (with permission) information from posts on the forum at Saxontheweb by saxophone historian/geek Paul Lindemeyer, author of Celebrating the Saxophone, and photos and information from Brian at Getasax.com. Both Paul and Brian are fellow Conn lovers, and this article would not have been possible without their help. Because I have left most of what Paul wrote intact with only minor editing, I have put his name next to sections for which he is mainly responsible. Some information may repeat between what I wrote and what he wrote, but trust me there is a ton of information here and the read is worth it if you are interested in Conn transitional altos!

I am lucky enough to work with and see many beautiful and rare saxophones, and these days it takes something rather special to make my jaw truly drop. This past week, completely unexpectedly, a saxophone came through my shop which is about as rare and as beautiful as any saxophone out there, and I am extremely happy to share it with you: a one-of-a-kind 1932 Selmer Super Sax of the “Cigar Cutter” variety, fully engraved from the neck cork to the bell rim, including every single pad cup (yes, even the octave pad cups) and the post feet.

This is a 1928 Conn F Mezzo-soprano saxophone, freshly overhauled by me. These saxophones in the unusual key of F were introduced months before the market crash of 1928, and only a few were sold- to those rare customers who were both saxophone crazy* and* had disposable income during the Great Depression. The unsold horns- which were the majority- were used as fodder at the Conn repair school. As a result, not many of these unique instruments survive, and even fewer still in this condition.

I have always found the saxophone to be a beautiful physical object. I have often wondered as I work, what it is about the appearance of the saxophone that makes it so beautiful to me? Why, when its main purpose is to produce sound, does it look beautiful? The sound of the saxophone is the sound of a cone of vibrating air. We change the length of the cone (by opening and closing pads) to change the fundamental frequency and sometimes also overblow the fundamental frequency of this cone of air to change the pitch. So each pitch we hear a saxophone play is a certain sized cone of air, resonating in one of its harmonic frequencies. This is simple physics, and all of the beauty and mystery of the sound we hear comes down to this: