Two tips about Saxophones

Saxophones are a complex and delicate instrument.

There are an infinite number of reasons why it may not be playing properly. For a repairer to even search and check over an instrument can take some time.

But in this article I’ll start from the top.

Point No.1:

All wind instruments must not leak. We are talking about micro sound leaks that can hinder or completely destroy your ability to play the instrument correctly.

Point No 2:

Your repair technician should point out not only where the problems are but the cause of the problem.  Such as slightly bent body, unlevel tone holes, dented posts, bent keys etc. etc.

It is important to understand the difference between correcting the cause and treating the symptom.

Our workshop endeavours to work from cause to effect.

My example I wish to point out here is to check your saxophone for loose goose necks.  A loose neck can be the source of lost sound stability, intonation and volume.

Many players think that if the neck does not turn from side to side when the locking screw is tightened that it is a good fit.

Unfortunately this is wrong.

You must loosen the screw and check to see if the neck has slight back and forth rocking movement.  Tightening the screw may stop side movement but it will not seal the join with a precision close engineered fit.  [There should be extremely little or no rocking movement.]

The perfect fit is tight yet smooth to get on and off.

My advice is to send it to our workshop or find someone who can correctly fit the join. Chances are you will notice that you and your instrument will Sound Better.

Use this technique when buying your next saxophone.

Remember this:-
We combine a scientific, artistic and an engineering approach to repairing.

I’m sure you find this helpful.

From the desk of Morrie Zahner.

Today I am thinking about Trombone slides.

Many players quite often are fooled into thinking that improving slide action at the repair shop means that we put some cleaning rags through the slide, lubricate it a little and then charge you $150 for the job.

This is so far from the truth.

One of the hardest things to do in repair, can be to make four slide tubes run perfectly parallel with each other at a feather touch. This is the goal of a trombone slide service or repair job.

Sure, any slide that is cleaned and lubricated will feel better.  But here at Better Sounds, we pay much more attention to cleaning the insides of the tubes with specialised mild acid chemicals and mechanical hand action.

1. External and Internal cleaning.
[ Just look down through the inner slide tubing and then imagine what is in the bottom crook]
This cleaning will not only improve your sound but it helps our tooling for the next step.

2. Removal of all those small nasty dents.
Even the ones you cannot see without careful reflection across from a neon light.  [These dents quite often go unnoticed and wear away the chrome and nickel plating from the inner slides.]

3. True up the slide.
A slow slide can also mean a bent slide. It has taken us years of experience to master this art of truing up bent slides. Sometimes they are like a snake shape when you look along the slide lengthways. Even the best repairmen know that they are taking a risk to straighten up these problems.
Checking and truing up both inner and outer slides can take 10 minutes to 1 hour or more depending how bad the problems are.

4. Paralleling the slides. This is a twist action bending process that parallels the tubing sideways.
Then to parallel length ways may require soldering and slight repositioning of the both internal and external slide braces.

5. Rolling.  Sometimes mechanical rolling is necessary  to achieve that perfect feel good slide. Our workshop uses both hand and machine rolling methods.

6. When we have finished the job we return to you a feel free, feel good slide action that operates very smoothly even when dry.
Then once you start playing you can apply your own personal preference lubrication.

Lubrication does several things:
1. Maintains the slide feel and action
2. Helps create a seal improving sound quality.
3. Helps with slide maintenance cleaning.

Lubrication does not:
1.    It does not remove dents but helps slide over them.
2.    It does not straighten up bent slides.

There are already many YouTube videos on basic lubrication and cleaning. Using Ponds cold creams etc.

We supply and sell a German lubricant called REKKA.
Try our trombone slide service.
You will be impressed, and with proper care the action of your trombone slide will last for years.

Lets talk about Woodwind instruments.

To date our workshop has repaired literally thousands of flutes clarinets and saxophones.

Although most of our attention seems to be noted as brass specialists.

Here is a list of 10 points we do when repairing.

1. We chemically and hygienically clean the internals of instruments.  

We are well aware of the effects of breeding bacteria and corrosive activity inside musical instruments.

2. We remove dents.
3. We remove dents
4. We remove  dents

If you want to maintain the performance and value of your instrument we can repair from economy levels to complete restorations.

5.  We lift and level tone holes
6.  We straighten up the things you don’t even see.

Shafts, rods, bells, body sections, key cups, etc etc.

7. We replace and precision fit pads and corks that need replacing.
Eg.Tenon corks are machine spun to give a firm long lasting joint seal.

8. We adjust the action and feel of the instrument.
Eg Tighten Sloppy keys, expand loose metal joins, balance improper connection and pad sealing, remove side play and correct key height tuning changes.
9.  We touch up or completely refinish instruments in silver, gold  clear and tinted lacquers.     

10. We play your instrument after it has been repaired and warranty it’s playability if a fault occurs from our workmanship.

From the workshop benches at Better Sounds Australia
If you haven’t already tried our services now is a good time .

Whether you like it or not, the internal tubing of all wind instruments becomes a haven for water droplets from breath humidity while playing. [That’s a mouthful... ]

This water content is usually slightly acidic, and over time creates damage to pads, and particularly builds green copper oxide scale or Verdi Gris in brass instruments.

The quick answer is "no". Simply spraying a fresh coat of lacquer to an instrument that has worn, faded, surface corrosion, small dents or missing lacquer, will not bring back to that like-new shiny gold finish.

To understand why, we need to take a look at what lacquer really is why we use it, and how it works.