Saxophone Repairs

1.

If the sax is playable when I get it, I like to play it a bit and see if I can get a feel for the potential of the instrument.

2.​

I disassemble the horn and clean it. With silver horns, this may mean washing with a good NON-ABRASIVE tarnish remover. If the silver has some stubborn black spots I may take a little mild silver polish to the trouble spots, but it should be noted that polishing silver instruments frequently will result in the silver being polished right off the horn, leaving just bare brass.

3.​

Next comes soldering of any loose parts and dent removal. I've seen some horns that have had dents removed that look so smooth you can hardly believe there was a dent there in the first place. It seems that some techs, after making the dented area as smooth as possible with dent tools, then take a file to the small lumps and bumps that remain, smoothing out the area where the dent was. Although a dent repair done in this fashion looks good, the dented area will become a little thinner after being filed. The next time it receives a hit, the dent will be a little worse than previously because the wall is weaker at that point. I don't use this technique.

4.​

I level the tone holes from the INSIDE, like a dent repair. Because metal has memory, the tone holes, even on a new sax, are warped. I gently push the tone holes up at the low spots, working from the inside a little at a time until they are level. The high spots sometimes get a little tapping down. Of course, the tube must be straightened first.

With relacquered saxes, the tone holes probably have been buffed in the relacquering process, leaving tone holes with valleys and peaks wherever the buffer engaged the tone hole chimney. These valleys and peaks may be impossible to remove by the usual methods, so I occasionally have to get out the file. Even with a relacquered horn, files should be used sparingly.

Note: on King and Martin saxes the tone holes are soldered onto the tube. Unless there is damage or sever warping I generally avoid trying to level the tone holes because there's always the danger of breaking the solder. Soldered on tone holes are usually more level than extruded tone holes, anyway.

5.​

The next step is key fitting which includes swaging, counter-sinking of pivot screws, hinge tube straightening, rod and tube cleaning, replacing any bad springs, or screws, and lubrication. I use Castrol Wheel Bearing grease on the rods. It doesn't easily fall out or lose its viscosity, plus it's good for 5000 gigs or 50,000,000 notes!

6.

I level the pad cups using a Jeweler's anvil.

7.

Spring tension is checked and adjusted. I don't use stainless steel springs, only blued steel springs. Stainless springs don't feel right, aren't as snappy as blued.

8.​

Resonators are installed on pads and the pads are fit to the cup with special attention paid to pad thickness. The pads MUST fill the entire cup firmly.

9.

I use contact cement to glue cork, hat felt, Teflon and ultra suede to the appropriate keys. 10. I install the pads using a clear, hard shellac.

11.

I fit the neck to the receiver. For the best sound and feel, the fit of the neck is very important.

12.

When all is done, I play the horn for several days, looking for any trouble spots or adjustments that need to be made as the pads settle in.

13.

When I achieve happiness, I pack the horn carefully. I've never had a horn damaged in transit to its owner, even those I've sent as far away as Singapore, France, and Japan.