Now, after lots of your videos, I want to tell you that your way of speaking us is very easy to understand for not-speaking English too. You usually talk very calm and you don't "crunch" your words. Thank you for this. It's easier to learn everything by your videos.
Thank you Jay for all of your videos. I was able to use this video to repair a less than desirable 1960 Buescher(Selmer) tenor that I bought off of Ebay for 80 bucks that did not work. Through watching this and other videos of yours, I was able to repair this horn and it sounds amazing and plays much better than the only saxophone I can afford right now which is a stagg tenor. I have been paying for 27 years now gigging where I can (retired Marine bandsman) now that I have 4 sons and thought I'd never have a sax that would play well. Your instructional videos have helped me in more ways than I can express. Thanks a million Jay!
I bought that Sax in April of last year and played it ever since. It's still in fine working order and I'm quite happy with it. I'll definitely want to move to a more professional model down the line, but since I bought it to try out a new instrument for myself and taught it to myself, I'm very happy with what I got for the price.
I just bought the sax recently and am awaiting its arrival. I got mine for 220. I am a semi-pro trombonist and I'm trying my hand in woodwinds because I want to be a band director so wish me luck!
Thank you so much for your wonderful videos. We are a family on a budget and your videos have saved us money that we can spend on actual lessons and we have just upgraded our alto sax for our12 year old to a Jean Paul and we were able to do that from your sound advice. Once are son is more through the basic lessons we look forward to signing up for some of your online lessons. Thanks again for your valuable advice and your help with folks like us who need that kind of savings.
For the key pearls, I would use silicone adhesive instead of Super Glue. FWIW silicone is what's used to hold your rearview mirror on your car's windshield and will hold the pearl forever, but can be removed if for whatever reason you wanted to remove it.
I'm glad you recommended slide grease in place of oil. Oil is best used in sealed systems. Grease is what is used everywhere you have an open system. Oil is cheaper, which is why it's commonly used on musical instruments and guns, but it's generally an inferior lubricant.
I didn't thumbs down, but please avoid cyanoacrylate based adhesives when attaching anything to an instrument. it's fast but your repair tech is not going to be happy with you.
@@maamotteesoot Well the techies, in every craft, think that they are the 'Brain surgeons' of their own craft. Electrical Instrumentation techs are the same way. They think that because most instruments function of a 3-15 psi signal and a 4-20 ma signal, that nobody else can touch those instruments. It's either 0% or 100% and anywhere else in between..like you say, it's not rocket science to repair a freakin' horn with pads, corks, springs, and keys, along with a few screws and felt pads!! All DIY work unless you are getting into a complete overhaul and for what the techs charge you'd save money by going out and buying a new horn. Isn't that right techies>>> with the exception if you own a MK V1 ...;)))))
Another good video. Some further tips - to remove grease before sanding neck corks, spray wd40 on a cloth and rub grease off. Put clear tape on the back of sandpaper and cut to size - stops it falling apart. Clean the neck receiver and crook joint with car cutting polish - takes just enough metal away without damaging the metal.
a good trick to not scratch the finish on the neck when fitting the cork is to use some masking tape around the neck next to the cork back as far as you need. That's what I did in the shop on every neck cork instalation to protect the finish.
@@jonniewadd56 it's not on there long enough to leave a residue. I literally did hundreds of neck corks where I used masking tape to protect the finish. If it does leave a residue it wipes off easily enough.
@@patthesoundguy Wouldn't disagree with you, just saying what my past experience has been with masking tape versus the frog tape. I guess one is just as good as the other. My personal preference is the frog tape.
Thanks for always telling the truth about cheap & expensive horns! Biggest issue I had with pro horns was overheating them in transport, and the quieting pieces of felt would drop off with heat, and make the keys clack! I had a technician at my sax store fix it, mostly out of fear! Ha! 🚀
Thanks for the tip about where to get good cork. A couple of years ago I had the neck cork on my alto replaced, but the technician couldn't find a piece of good quality cork (he used a piece of cork-board - which worked, but was very porous). I recently watched a couple of videos on how to replace a neck cork and purchased the cork you suggested and was able to do the job without too much trouble, and it has made a big difference: Much less air leakage.
Great video us newbies need this help I've had a Palm Key cork pop off my new Chinese tenor sax already , but it was my fault as I was cleaning and bumped it. I'm sure all the neighbors of new Sax players thank you also.Maybe the neighbors would like noise cancelling headphones would be a great substitute for those white gloves and lousy horn strap and not so good Metronome -Tuner that is in the box with the new Chinese Sax...Thanks Jay !
Excellent bunch of repair tips there. Thought I'd add a simple and very quick fix for a neck cork that needs to be increased rather than reduced in circumference. Pour enough freshly boiled (very hot but no longer bubbling) water into a glass so that 95% of the cork will be submerged when you dip the corked end of the neck into it. Count 2 seconds (1...and...2) and remove immediately.This should expand the cork just enough to turn a loose fitting mouthpiece into a nicely snug fitting one. Don't be tempted to leave the cork submerged for longer than a few seconds as this risks softening the glue that is holding the cork in place on the neck. I know some technicians (maybe including you Jay) don't recommend this method but it's always worked perfectly for me if I'm switching from a narrow mouthpiece (which has compressed the cork) to a wider bore mouthpiece. I much prefer it to the old 'wrap some cigarette paper around the cork' method.
Thanks. I tried this technique in the past and it works. So whoever wants to try this -- remember -- not longer than 2 seconds or you'll really be sorry.
I would, but that would be the longest video ever. I spend 2 full days doing a repad. There is so much one needs to know to do that. Better to do one job at a time for the videos I think.
it's never just as simple as just putting new pads in place. There is as Better sax said so much you need to know to do a pad job. I aprenticed for years to do proper setups on saxaphones and flutes to get it right one needs to have much mechanicial skill and practice.
@@bordersw1239 not to be rude but I was simply looking for an alternative for paying 1300 usd for a repad. If you have any recommendations for someone who would charge less than that please point me in their direction.
I had full strip down about a year ago for my tenor Mk6, £300.00 all in. The saxophone is 1956 horn. I'll tell you I was bricking it when I saw the saxophone sitting on the workshop bench in bits. Im very proficient mechanically, I could replace a neck cork if I had to but would even try it on such an vintage horn.
Great stuff! Some closeups would make it even better. I have two 1927 vintage conn horns, soprano and tenor. I live in a boat now in the South Pacific so I have a music medic kit and do most of my own repair. Yes I’ve made mistakes but the video confirms I’m going in the right direction. Thanks again.
I discovered this when I replaced my first neck cork: Easily put a piece of blue paint tape, or masking tape, around the brass after the cork - you can then sand away and never worry about scratching the brass on the neck. 🎷
Congratulations for producing a video that looks and sounds great. Sax repair as a subject, I am sure you can make a series of videos to help us repair our sax or at least fix easy problems.
That's amazing. Exactly what I needed. I got one of those sax from china but from a German shop. I paid 300 pounds for it and definitely it wasn't a good idea. You can pay less and have more stuff. It didn't come with any swabs to clean it so... Don't buy cheap sax from European shops. The Low D key cork went off so I used superglue. I definitely need to sand the neck cork as it's really hard to put the mouthpiece on, and probably the neck to fit it easier in the body. I also think there is a leak as the high D doesn't sound very good. High E sounds good but high D (low D digitization with the octave key) sounds muted somehow. I need to investigate. Thanks for this.
Thanks Jay, I appreciate the DIY tips! At a recent playing engagement while doing a sound-check with the band, my F pad popped off. Someone had some silicon-glue that I used to put the pad back on, but an hour later, during a solo the pad popped off again! I managed to finish the song only using the left hand keys. Before the next number someone gave I some super-glue that I used to put the pad on, so I was able to finish the show (even though the pad is not in a perfect position, it works ok).
@@bettersax I don't think super glue is the best option for this type of repair, but it was an emergency & that's what I had available. My local repairman redid my pads a couple of years ago & although it was a big improvement, I don't think he had high quality materials. Another example; he used a sheet of cork-board (like a bulletin board) to replace the neck cork -- it works, but not as good as the kind of cork you used in this video.
Your outro (and in fact the whole video) is so relevant to so many people . This "can't be repaired" snobbishness is horrible and disrespectful to hardworking people who can't afford / get hold of a more expensive horn. Not everyone lives in the west!
Instead of slide grease, I find mountain bike chain lube the best stuff. There are different viscosity grades, for some of the pivot rods I am actually using the ball bearing grease.
When I first attempted to repair my saxophone I was doing everything you did but I didn’t know if it was right or good until I watched this video and noticed I did everything you were doing and then I was like oh so I’m not wrong.
Hi Jay. Great video. Thanks for the tips. Tobacconist is a very "English" word. I remember the local tobacconist from the neighbourhood that l grew up in in England. He also sold sweets (candy) so l was in the shop quite a lot as a kid.
Jay, one suggestion on the key pad cleaning, you could use a can of air that is free of any moisture, but the can must be kept in a warm dry area, hope this works for you. Did you mention the cork thickness for the key stops? Can you use a cleaning fluid for cleaning the inside of the sax and if so what do you recommend, I would think the build up of spit and moisture will damage the interior finish which could effect the air flow and sound over time, is this correct?
Lovely video, Jay. Could you present on the impact to sound quality that can be expected from necks made of various metals (alloys)? I have two necks for my tenor and the sound I get from each is very (obviously) different. Thanks.z
I agree that the neck material changes the character of the sound. Putting that into words is not so easy though. I have silver, brass and bronze necks and have played necks from other materials. We lack the vocabulary to accurately describe these differences though.
Something I've done on neck tenons is use nylon 'scratch' pads (like you use to scrub pots/pans). USUALLY, the tenon is a bit dirty and grimy. Use the same action as you did and it takes care of the issue.
Hey, Jay! I really like videos like these. It really helps me get to know the horn I play a little better. I actually want to become a repair technician, or at least enough of one so that I can do some first aid on any instruments and not use tacky methods. I'm one of the equipment managers at my school right now so that actually comes in handy. I'd really love to see some more of these repair videos, given you were and probably still ARE a repair tech. Maybe some more advanced jobs in the future? Anyway, thanks for being such a great resource for saxophone players and stay awesome!~ 🎼🎷
Let me ask you this, how much would you charge me to repair a completely broken down saxophone with all of its key pearls off and brassy smell very old scratched and dented. Just like hypothetically speaking if you were to in the future possibly become a saxophone repairman
Thanks Jay, wonderful video. I was just doing some repair on the tenor Mark 6 I own... This will help finish it the right way. Any hint on how to adjust a neck screw that does not hold the neck tight enough? And how about dents in the neck/sax, is that something we can fix ourselves?
Take the screw out, clean it and the thread in the receiver and put some cork grease on the threads of the screw and put it back, it will be much easier to tighten the screw down after having done this. Dent work needs the right tools and a lot of experience, definitely a job for a pro.
Hi Jay, nice tips! I would also recommend using a bit of painter's tape (or similar) around the zones where you are going to sand to avoid any scratches. Also a question if you don't mind. I can't play sax at home due to the volume, and I'm thinking on purchasing an ewi to practice at any time i want. I know it's not the same at all, so I would like your opinion at it. Thanks :)
I play my ewi at night when everyone else goes to bed. It's good for working on harmony and memorizing tunes for example. It's also good for technique since it is very unforgiving...
Hello Jay , I really appreciate the time you spend on making outstanding videos , would you make a video explaining how to make backing tracks to play along with saxophone.
Get a DAW that you are familiar with or are willing to learn (garage band, logic, pro tools, reaper, sound trap) and experiment. Add tracks, use a cheap keyboard/midi interface to enter notes and record yourself. Loop the tracks and there you go
@@hampigboujanian6981 soundtrap has a RUclips channel that has many tutorials and how to's. I'd check them out. Soundtrap is also a very approachable daw if you are just starting out. It's browser based so use Google chrome for it. I've had issues with Safari.
When I have a sticky key, what I do is take a dollar bill, fold it once, and stick it between the keyhole, and the part that closes down on the hole when you press a key down. And what I do is close it on the dollar, and pull the dollar out, and repeat. And in a few swipes, no more sticky keys
Hi there, I enjoy your videos. I am a little skeptical in buying a low-cost Chinese made saxophone because I am told instrument techs won't work on them. Is it possible to change worn pads on these cheap saxophones? Have you ever tried it, or you have a video about it? Thank you again.
Was that a "Wilmington" the key popped off of and if not, what was it and will we see a video on it? BTW, repair vids are awsome, cleaning tips are awsome. These things are so hard to find help on.
Hey Jay, great Video as always! Regarding the key buttons. Mine have become pretty gritty and uncomfortable to touch.. I was thinking whether i should replace them, or maybe use a specific cleaner to smooth them out, is this something you have done in the past?
Hello Sir, I used to play the saxophone but stop because my sax got damaged. I don't have funds to fix or get a new one. I really love the saxophone and will like to go back to it. pls, I don't mind if I can get one of ur very old saxophones for me to make do with. Thanks in Anticipation.
Looking forward to the tenor video. TaiShan saxes are said to be great. I don't know for sure. Don't own one but might roll the dice. Had a Lade soprano. It sucked. Got rid of it. If yours is a Lade, please comment on the resistance. Thanks Jay for another great video.
Took a chance on a Taishan bari after reading several reviews. I'm blown away by the quality of this horn. Played a Mark VI bari back in college and I won't say this is an equivalent, but it's definitely a contender.
Hi Jay, great channel! How do you determine the thickness of the cork on the palm D key? I know a little difference in how high the key opens can alter the pitch. Thanks!
Good question. I wish I could give you a more precise answer but I just use my eye. When you have done enough repairs, you just know the key heights by sight.
Good tip is to use a thicker bit of cork than you need. The D key wont open enough, will be flat. Tune your sax using G, with a tuner. Check the D tuning. Now use fine sandpaper to gradually reduce the thickness of the cork till the key opens enough to be in tune. Sand it by slipping the small strip of sandpaper under the cork and gently lightly pressing down on it while you move it. Some techs use emery paper for this, in which case you don't need to press down on it cos its stiffer, like a file. You do need to be careful not to dislodge the cork.
Hey @BetterSax I just got my hands on a very very old very beat up saxophone with all of the key pearls off, it smells bad it's Rusty or maybe that's just the smell of the brass itself but I'm kind of paranoid about getting some sort of disease from it even if I do a proper cleaning? Is it possible to repair a completely broken down saxophone and get it back to working condition? I used to play Trombone so I'm only familiar with that but I know nothing about saxophones, so if you could be so kind and answer me and tell me if it's possible to safely get it back to working condition, you will be making a saxophone player right here!
I need to do a complete overhaul of my 1934 holton ideal tenor. My issue is that I live on an island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean that music stores cater to drums, guitars and ukuleles.
Thanks for the explaining. I have a selmer bundy ii it got a hit in the bell The two keys in the bell dont close. What can i do? I think i need to remove the bell with torch but how do you correct the two keys issues?
I myself perfer to wrap a neck cork from 12 to 3 clockwise andwhen i put a mouthpiece on i worm it on the same way 12 to 3 As a long time sax player I have always done it
I've purchased a tenor saxophone the problem i have is my G# note it seems like the rubber came off can i buy a new one and place it in myself or take it to a repairman
I agree take it in to a shop and have it looked at. If that's all that's wrong a good tech will have you up and running pretty quick. But it's worth having a quick check up at the same time. You may have issues you don't know about other than your G# key that could make the instrument difficult to play. Back when I was repairing horns full time, I would routinely completely change the way students could play their instruments by repairing problems the students didn't know existed and thought they were terrible at playing the sax. It was never them it was the horn needing repairs and set up
Thanks for the advice i already took the saxophone to an technician i never thought that it might have other problems that i was not aware of but it will all be fixed now
Wow, you've actually got cork on the keys? My Trevor James has something that feels similar to felt. I think my first horn (a 1936 Conn) did too, but it was probably refurbished. And yeah... replacing rectangular pieces is a lot simpler. Most of them are circular though...
I bought a cheap alto (Hawk) on eBay. Great looking horn, solid, good tone. One problem: Intonation. One whole tone sharp throughout the range. It looks like the size of the neck is shorter by about an inch. Thus causing the poor intonation. The mouthpiece can't come out far enough to correct it. Any suggestions (other than buying an off-market neck)?
For the neck tenon fit what is the recommended maximum amount that can be removed. I know most alto necks are around 24.5. a vintage neck I'm interested in would need to get down to 23.8 to fit my horn. Is this too much to ask or doable?
Hey hi thank you! Any tips for a jumpy octave key please? Looks like the screw is out too far? Just for a cheaper model I bought for my son who fancied a go ( he’s a drummer!!) ps it doesn’t jump unless the right way up 😬
I'm playing alto sax for two years now. I want to thank you for good tips and informations. But I still struggle with growling. I just can't do it... Do you have some tips for that?
One way to growl is to just play a note and scream or groan into the horn at the same time. The ol' classic rock and roll sax sound. But you have to scream a pitch lower than the notes you're playing.
In using the super glue for key pearls, what repair would ever need the key pearls to be removed? In that very rare case of wanting to remove, carefully apply some heat and the glue /locktite will release.
Jay I got an alto from Ali Express it's a copy of the Yanagisawa 992. I mean the keys looks the same underslung octave key looks the same everything except the finish. It would be cool if you got one of these and did a comparison. It was a little more though like $400...
Hi jay, I hope you Can help me with my prob. I have a curb yani 992 sop. My low D & octave D is lower than my C I have being looking at all the spring and all look good. I have being swobing out and with pad saver also, but no joy. Have you ever try an straight alto or tenor ?
The best way to learn repair skills is to get an absolute junk horn, strip it down completely and rebuild, including repad, from the ground up. If you get it wrong you've lost very little and learned a lot. If you get it right you've got a good horn and learned even more. Either way you'll have gained in confidence when it comes to doing basic repairs on your good sax.
What about how to fix a c key that plays really flat. I have to play a different fingering using my right hand palm key while holding a b to get an in tune c on my Old alto
Jay, Replacing corks is far more difficult J then you make it look for somebody who’s never done it I think it’s a stretch to think that they can do it by just watching. Also the thickness of the cork is critical and different places for a cork use different thicknesses not sure if you mention that but using the wrong thickness will cause the horn to be out of adjustment/regulation
Michael you're absolutely right, but as an interim solution to avoid the key foot touching the sax on a D palm key as I showed, there would be no harm done. A band director could do that all the time. Getting into the thickness of cork and all the different materials would be a very long video. It's not rocket science either though.
Now, after lots of your videos, I want to tell you that your way of speaking us is very easy to understand for not-speaking English too. You usually talk very calm and you don't "crunch" your words. Thank you for this. It's easier to learn everything by your videos.
Also one of the best tools in ur box is a spring tool, easily fashioned in a diy pinch from a crochet hook or small knitting needle by using a file
You should show how to properly clean all saxes.
Hey, same first name!
Thank you Jay for all of your videos. I was able to use this video to repair a less than desirable 1960 Buescher(Selmer) tenor that I bought off of Ebay for 80 bucks that did not work. Through watching this and other videos of yours, I was able to repair this horn and it sounds amazing and plays much better than the only saxophone I can afford right now which is a stagg tenor. I have been paying for 27 years now gigging where I can (retired Marine bandsman) now that I have 4 sons and thought I'd never have a sax that would play well. Your instructional videos have helped me in more ways than I can express. Thanks a million Jay!
I meant to that I used this and other videos that you provided to accomplish the repairs needed to get this sax working again.
I bought that Sax in April of last year and played it ever since. It's still in fine working order and I'm quite happy with it. I'll definitely want to move to a more professional model down the line, but since I bought it to try out a new instrument for myself and taught it to myself, I'm very happy with what I got for the price.
Good to know, thanks.
I just bought the sax recently and am awaiting its arrival. I got mine for 220. I am a semi-pro trombonist and I'm trying my hand in woodwinds because I want to be a band director so wish me luck!
@@PenguMatthew Good luck mate ! :-) :-) :-) :-)
Thank you so much for your wonderful videos. We are a family on a budget and your videos have saved us money that we can spend on actual lessons and we have just upgraded our alto sax for our12 year old to a Jean Paul and we were able to do that from your sound advice. Once are son is more through the basic lessons we look forward to signing up for some of your online lessons. Thanks again for your valuable advice and your help with folks like us who need that kind of savings.
For the key pearls, I would use silicone adhesive instead of Super Glue. FWIW silicone is what's used to hold your rearview mirror on your car's windshield and will hold the pearl forever, but can be removed if for whatever reason you wanted to remove it.
I'm glad you recommended slide grease in place of oil. Oil is best used in sealed systems. Grease is what is used everywhere you have an open system. Oil is cheaper, which is why it's commonly used on musical instruments and guns, but it's generally an inferior lubricant.
The people that gave your video a thumbs down are saxophone repairmen....
I think you are right...
I didn't thumbs down, but please avoid cyanoacrylate based adhesives when attaching anything to an instrument. it's fast but your repair tech is not going to be happy with you.
@@bettersax No thinking at all, they are!!
Anonymous random Guy a d not everyone has easy access to a sax repair guy! So a basic DIY knowledge is essential! It’s not rocket science 👍👍
@@maamotteesoot Well the techies, in every craft, think that they are the 'Brain surgeons' of their own craft. Electrical Instrumentation techs are the same way. They think that because most instruments function of a 3-15 psi signal and a 4-20 ma signal, that nobody else can touch those instruments. It's either 0% or 100% and anywhere else in between..like you say, it's not rocket science to repair a freakin' horn with pads, corks, springs, and keys, along with a few screws and felt pads!! All DIY work unless you are getting into a complete overhaul and for what the techs charge you'd save money by going out and buying a new horn. Isn't that right techies>>> with the exception if you own a MK V1 ...;)))))
Another good video. Some further tips - to remove grease before sanding neck corks, spray wd40 on a cloth and rub grease off. Put clear tape on the back of sandpaper and cut to size - stops it falling apart. Clean the neck receiver and crook joint with car cutting polish - takes just enough metal away without damaging the metal.
thanks for the good tips.
WD40? Ack. Use a degreaser.
a good trick to not scratch the finish on the neck when fitting the cork is to use some masking tape around the neck next to the cork back as far as you need. That's what I did in the shop on every neck cork instalation to protect the finish.
Good tip thanks.
Unless it's the green frog tape, regular masking tape will leave a residue. :)
@@jonniewadd56 it's not on there long enough to leave a residue. I literally did hundreds of neck corks where I used masking tape to protect the finish. If it does leave a residue it wipes off easily enough.
@@patthesoundguy Wouldn't disagree with you, just saying what my past experience has been with masking tape versus the frog tape. I guess one is just as good as the other. My personal preference is the frog tape.
Why tf am I here i play and repair GUITAR
Thanks for always telling the truth about cheap & expensive horns! Biggest issue I had with pro horns was overheating them in transport, and the quieting pieces of felt would drop off with heat, and make the keys clack! I had a technician at my sax store fix it, mostly out of fear! Ha! 🚀
Thanks for the tip about where to get good cork. A couple of years ago I had the neck cork on my alto replaced, but the technician couldn't find a piece of good quality cork (he used a piece of cork-board - which worked, but was very porous). I recently watched a couple of videos on how to replace a neck cork and purchased the cork you suggested and was able to do the job without too much trouble, and it has made a big difference: Much less air leakage.
On Thursday my alto came back from being overhauled. Today, Sunday, the G# key cork came off. Fortunately I remembered this video.
Great video us newbies need this help I've had a Palm Key cork pop off my new Chinese tenor sax already , but it was my fault as I was cleaning and bumped it. I'm sure all the neighbors of new Sax players thank you also.Maybe the neighbors would like noise cancelling headphones would be a great substitute for those white gloves and lousy horn strap and not so good Metronome -Tuner that is in the box with the new Chinese Sax...Thanks Jay !
Excellent bunch of repair tips there. Thought I'd add a simple and very quick fix for a neck cork that needs to be increased rather than reduced in circumference. Pour enough freshly boiled (very hot but no longer bubbling) water into a glass so that 95% of the cork will be submerged when you dip the corked end of the neck into it. Count 2 seconds (1...and...2) and remove immediately.This should expand the cork just enough to turn a loose fitting mouthpiece into a nicely snug fitting one. Don't be tempted to leave the cork submerged for longer than a few seconds as this risks softening the glue that is holding the cork in place on the neck. I know some technicians (maybe including you Jay) don't recommend this method but it's always worked perfectly for me if I'm switching from a narrow mouthpiece (which has compressed the cork) to a wider bore mouthpiece. I much prefer it to the old 'wrap some cigarette paper around the cork' method.
Never tried that. I just put a new cork on in this case. Takes less time than boiling the water for me...
@@bettersax That's because you're an experienced technician and not a fumbling, ham-fisted t#t like I am :)
Thanks. I tried this technique in the past and it works. So whoever wants to try this -- remember -- not longer than 2 seconds or you'll really be sorry.
Hi Jay would you ever consider doing a tutorial on how to do a repad job?
I would, but that would be the longest video ever. I spend 2 full days doing a repad. There is so much one needs to know to do that. Better to do one job at a time for the videos I think.
it's never just as simple as just putting new pads in place. There is as Better sax said so much you need to know to do a pad job. I aprenticed for years to do proper setups on saxaphones and flutes to get it right one needs to have much mechanicial skill and practice.
Better Sax . Glad it’s not just me then - it worries me how little some people charge to do a full repad !
@@bordersw1239 not to be rude but I was simply looking for an alternative for paying 1300 usd for a repad. If you have any recommendations for someone who would charge less than that please point me in their direction.
I had full strip down about a year ago for my tenor Mk6, £300.00 all in. The saxophone is 1956 horn. I'll tell you I was bricking it when I saw the saxophone sitting on the workshop bench in bits. Im very proficient mechanically, I could replace a neck cork if I had to but would even try it on such an vintage horn.
Great stuff! Some closeups would make it even better. I have two 1927 vintage conn horns, soprano and tenor. I live in a boat now in the South Pacific so I have a music medic kit and do most of my own repair. Yes I’ve made mistakes but the video confirms I’m going in the right direction. Thanks again.
Yes, camera needed to zoom in on gluing pearl back on and recorking. Rods and keys ports are small.
I discovered this when I replaced my first neck cork: Easily put a piece of blue paint tape, or masking tape, around the brass after the cork - you can then sand away and never worry about scratching the brass on the neck. 🎷
I will buy my very own Tenor Saxophone by Amazon this Friday and it should arrive next week.
Congratulations for producing a video that looks and sounds great. Sax repair as a subject, I am sure you can make a series of videos to help us repair our sax or at least fix easy problems.
Thanks, yes I may do a series depending on the popularity of this one.
That's amazing. Exactly what I needed. I got one of those sax from china but from a German shop. I paid 300 pounds for it and definitely it wasn't a good idea. You can pay less and have more stuff. It didn't come with any swabs to clean it so... Don't buy cheap sax from European shops. The Low D key cork went off so I used superglue. I definitely need to sand the neck cork as it's really hard to put the mouthpiece on, and probably the neck to fit it easier in the body. I also think there is a leak as the high D doesn't sound very good. High E sounds good but high D (low D digitization with the octave key) sounds muted somehow. I need to investigate. Thanks for this.
Thanks Jay, I appreciate the DIY tips! At a recent playing engagement while doing a sound-check with the band, my F pad popped off. Someone had some silicon-glue that I used to put the pad back on, but an hour later, during a solo the pad popped off again! I managed to finish the song only using the left hand keys. Before the next number someone gave I some super-glue that I used to put the pad on, so I was able to finish the show (even though the pad is not in a perfect position, it works ok).
super glue saves the day once again...
@@bettersax I don't think super glue is the best option for this type of repair, but it was an emergency & that's what I had available. My local repairman redid my pads a couple of years ago & although it was a big improvement, I don't think he had high quality materials. Another example; he used a sheet of cork-board (like a bulletin board) to replace the neck cork -- it works, but not as good as the kind of cork you used in this video.
Thanks Jay! You’re awesome and I appreciate you!
Congratulations for your work, is lacking content like yours here in Brazil.
🇧🇷
Thanks
Your outro (and in fact the whole video) is so relevant to so many people . This "can't be repaired" snobbishness is horrible and disrespectful to hardworking people who can't afford / get hold of a more expensive horn. Not everyone lives in the west!
Ok that key fix was good practicing my scales and it popped off and my tryouts are this weekend so I can't send it off to get fixed
Jay, I might recommend using painter's tape to wrap the neck near the cork to avoid damage to the finish of the metal when you sand it.
Might it damage the metal?
@@q12aw50 it never has for me, I've been saxes for over 35 years and painters tape is great for protecting the lacquer, or other finishes.
@@lyecats good to know 👍
Instead of slide grease, I find mountain bike chain lube the best stuff. There are different viscosity grades, for some of the pivot rods I am actually using the ball bearing grease.
Excellent video Jay, this is great content!
Thanks Timo.
When I first attempted to repair my saxophone I was doing everything you did but I didn’t know if it was right or good until I watched this video and noticed I did everything you were doing and then I was like oh so I’m not wrong.
Hi Jay. Great video. Thanks for the tips. Tobacconist is a very "English" word. I remember the local tobacconist from the neighbourhood that l grew up in in England. He also sold sweets (candy) so l was in the shop quite a lot as a kid.
Great video. Looking forward to seeing the tenor!
Jay, one suggestion on the key pad cleaning, you could use a can of air that is free of any moisture, but the can must be kept in a warm dry area, hope this works for you. Did you mention the cork thickness for the key stops? Can you use a cleaning fluid for cleaning the inside of the sax and if so what do you recommend, I would think the build up of spit and moisture will damage the interior finish which could effect the air flow and sound over time, is this correct?
Lovely video, Jay. Could you present on the impact to sound quality that can be expected from necks made of various metals (alloys)? I have two necks for my tenor and the sound I get from each is very (obviously) different.
Thanks.z
I agree that the neck material changes the character of the sound. Putting that into words is not so easy though. I have silver, brass and bronze necks and have played necks from other materials. We lack the vocabulary to accurately describe these differences though.
@@bettersax Be the pioneer and establish a new industry standard for those terms. Why not?
Good morning Jay l would only use super glue for key touches. For everything else l use adhesive such as evo stick or contact cement.
Good video - thanks for sharing your knowledge!
Something I've done on neck tenons is use nylon 'scratch' pads (like you use to scrub pots/pans). USUALLY, the tenon is a bit dirty and grimy. Use the same action as you did and it takes care of the issue.
Hey, Jay! I really like videos like these. It really helps me get to know the horn I play a little better. I actually want to become a repair technician, or at least enough of one so that I can do some first aid on any instruments and not use tacky methods. I'm one of the equipment managers at my school right now so that actually comes in handy. I'd really love to see some more of these repair videos, given you were and probably still ARE a repair tech. Maybe some more advanced jobs in the future? Anyway, thanks for being such a great resource for saxophone players and stay awesome!~ 🎼🎷
Let me ask you this, how much would you charge me to repair a completely broken down saxophone with all of its key pearls off and brassy smell very old scratched and dented. Just like hypothetically speaking if you were to in the future possibly become a saxophone repairman
7:08 wow there buddy
i was about to comment the same. hahahah
Thanks Jay, wonderful video. I was just doing some repair on the tenor Mark 6 I own... This will help finish it the right way.
Any hint on how to adjust a neck screw that does not hold the neck tight enough? And how about dents in the neck/sax, is that something we can fix ourselves?
Take the screw out, clean it and the thread in the receiver and put some cork grease on the threads of the screw and put it back, it will be much easier to tighten the screw down after having done this. Dent work needs the right tools and a lot of experience, definitely a job for a pro.
I'm starting to buy some new gear and start practicing again. Super torn between the jodyjazz super jet or the theo wanne water.
Tenor en route for review. NICE!
Hi Jay, thanks for the guide. How about fixing loose necks? Can this be DIY’ed?
You can try teflon tape as a quick fix. Only a good technician can fix a loose neck properly...
What about candle wax to treat corks both loose or dry.
@@drsdhunt rehydrate loose fitting mouthpiece cork by soaking in hottish water for like 5 seconds at most , then dry off with cloth .
Glad I found you!
Hi Jay, nice tips! I would also recommend using a bit of painter's tape (or similar) around the zones where you are going to sand to avoid any scratches.
Also a question if you don't mind. I can't play sax at home due to the volume, and I'm thinking on purchasing an ewi to practice at any time i want. I know it's not the same at all, so I would like your opinion at it. Thanks :)
I play my ewi at night when everyone else goes to bed. It's good for working on harmony and memorizing tunes for example. It's also good for technique since it is very unforgiving...
Hello Jay , I really appreciate the time you spend on making outstanding videos , would you make a video explaining how to make backing tracks to play along with saxophone.
Get a DAW that you are familiar with or are willing to learn (garage band, logic, pro tools, reaper, sound trap) and experiment. Add tracks, use a cheap keyboard/midi interface to enter notes and record yourself. Loop the tracks and there you go
Thanks for your replies I’d be thankful if u know a video where this process is explained step by step ...
@@hampigboujanian6981 soundtrap has a RUclips channel that has many tutorials and how to's. I'd check them out. Soundtrap is also a very approachable daw if you are just starting out. It's browser based so use Google chrome for it. I've had issues with Safari.
Great information! Thank you :)
When I have a sticky key, what I do is take a dollar bill, fold it once, and stick it between the keyhole, and the part that closes down on the hole when you press a key down.
And what I do is close it on the dollar, and pull the dollar out, and repeat. And in a few swipes, no more sticky keys
Hi there, I enjoy your videos. I am a little skeptical in buying a low-cost Chinese made saxophone because I am told instrument techs won't work on them. Is it possible to change worn pads on these cheap saxophones? Have you ever tried it, or you have a video about it? Thank you again.
Thank you so much for your fantastic information
Great video!!!!
You should do a key PAD video. Types and is it worth it like Kangaroo leather vs cow leather
Was that a "Wilmington" the key popped off of and if not, what was it and will we see a video on it? BTW, repair vids are awsome, cleaning tips are awsome. These things are so hard to find help on.
More of these please 🙏🏽
GREAT CHANNEL! Thanx for the work!
Hey Jay, great Video as always! Regarding the key buttons. Mine have become pretty gritty and uncomfortable to touch.. I was thinking whether i should replace them, or maybe use a specific cleaner to smooth them out, is this something you have done in the past?
Hello Sir, I used to play the saxophone but stop because my sax got damaged. I don't have funds to fix or get a new one. I really love the saxophone and will like to go back to it. pls, I don't mind if I can get one of ur very old saxophones for me to make do with. Thanks in Anticipation.
You are doing good Man
Looking forward to the tenor video. TaiShan saxes are said to be great. I don't know for sure. Don't own one but might roll the dice. Had a Lade soprano. It sucked. Got rid of it. If yours is a Lade, please comment on the resistance. Thanks Jay for another great video.
Took a chance on a Taishan bari after reading several reviews. I'm blown away by the quality of this horn. Played a Mark VI bari back in college and I won't say this is an equivalent, but it's definitely a contender.
@@richardgordley8829 Thanks for this input. It's helping to talk me into a Taishan tenor purchase.
Hi Jay, great channel! How do you determine the thickness of the cork on the palm D key? I know a little difference in how high the key opens can alter the pitch. Thanks!
Good question. I wish I could give you a more precise answer but I just use my eye. When you have done enough repairs, you just know the key heights by sight.
Good tip is to use a thicker bit of cork than you need. The D key wont open enough, will be flat. Tune your sax using G, with a tuner. Check the D tuning. Now use fine sandpaper to gradually reduce the thickness of the cork till the key opens enough to be in tune. Sand it by slipping the small strip of sandpaper under the cork and gently lightly pressing down on it while you move it. Some techs use emery paper for this, in which case you don't need to press down on it cos its stiffer, like a file. You do need to be careful not to dislodge the cork.
You can use nail files for neck corks to prevent scratching the finish.
And steel wool for neck fitment
I am very interested in instrument repair and would love to learn what skills and equipment are needed. Such as cork and felt
Also please say the most expensive and simple mistakes you have made so I don’t have to suffer through that part
Hey @BetterSax I just got my hands on a very very old very beat up saxophone with all of the key pearls off, it smells bad it's Rusty or maybe that's just the smell of the brass itself but I'm kind of paranoid about getting some sort of disease from it even if I do a proper cleaning? Is it possible to repair a completely broken down saxophone and get it back to working condition? I used to play Trombone so I'm only familiar with that but I know nothing about saxophones, so if you could be so kind and answer me and tell me if it's possible to safely get it back to working condition, you will be making a saxophone player right here!
I need to do a complete overhaul of my 1934 holton ideal tenor. My issue is that I live on an island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean that music stores cater to drums, guitars and ukuleles.
Knnu9uhi0📣🎙🎹📣🎙🎙🎚🎚🎚🎚🎚🎚🎚🎚🎶
Thanks for the explaining. I have a selmer bundy ii it got a hit in the bell
The two keys in the bell dont close. What can i do? I think i need to remove the bell with torch but how do you correct the two keys issues?
Thank you very much, very nice.
Wooow, Man!!!
Great idea
I myself perfer to wrap a neck cork from 12 to 3 clockwise andwhen i put a mouthpiece on i worm it on the same way 12 to 3
As a long time sax player
I have always done it
Hell yes. You always give great info but this oneis another level of practicality Thank you. good to know.very good to know
Can you do a video on the differences between a classical and jazz mouthpiece?
I've purchased a tenor saxophone the problem i have is my G# note it seems like the rubber came off can i buy a new one and place it in myself or take it to a repairman
It will be an easy fix for the repairman. I'd take it to someone...
I agree take it in to a shop and have it looked at. If that's all that's wrong a good tech will have you up and running pretty quick. But it's worth having a quick check up at the same time. You may have issues you don't know about other than your G# key that could make the instrument difficult to play. Back when I was repairing horns full time, I would routinely completely change the way students could play their instruments by repairing problems the students didn't know existed and thought they were terrible at playing the sax. It was never them it was the horn needing repairs and set up
Thanks for the advice i already took the saxophone to an technician i never thought that it might have other problems that i was not aware of but it will all be fixed now
ok, that confirms, i did right up to now with my little repairs :-))
Wow, you've actually got cork on the keys? My Trevor James has something that feels similar to felt. I think my first horn (a 1936 Conn) did too, but it was probably refurbished. And yeah... replacing rectangular pieces is a lot simpler. Most of them are circular though...
Very useful video.
AMAZING ONE🍻
Open note on my alto saxophone is sounding flat. Pls help me to fix it..it will be really helpful if you kindly make a video on it..
I bought a cheap alto (Hawk) on eBay. Great looking horn, solid, good tone. One problem: Intonation. One whole tone sharp throughout the range. It looks like the size of the neck is shorter by about an inch. Thus causing the poor intonation. The mouthpiece can't come out far enough to correct it. Any suggestions (other than buying an off-market neck)?
For the neck tenon fit what is the recommended maximum amount that can be removed. I know most alto necks are around 24.5. a vintage neck I'm interested in would need to get down to 23.8 to fit my horn. Is this too much to ask or doable?
If you are going to adjust the cork be sure to protect the lacquer!!! Teflon tape wii work.( wish that I had done this0😬😔0
Hey hi thank you! Any tips for a jumpy octave key please? Looks like the screw is out too far? Just for a cheaper model I bought for my son who fancied a go ( he’s a drummer!!) ps it doesn’t jump unless the right way up 😬
I'm playing alto sax for two years now. I want to thank you for good tips and informations. But I still struggle with growling. I just can't do it... Do you have some tips for that?
Practice gargling water for a minute at a time. Then do it with just air. Then, with the mouthpiece, then the horn.
One way to growl is to just play a note and scream or groan into the horn at the same time. The ol' classic rock and roll sax sound. But you have to scream a pitch lower than the notes you're playing.
I have an aristocrat saxophone that I found at a junk yard. And I'm looking to restore it.
In using the super glue for key pearls, what repair would ever need the key pearls to be removed? In that very rare case of wanting to remove, carefully apply some heat and the glue /locktite will release.
Tip: You can find the fine grit sandpaper in the automotive section of most hardware stores
very educational video
This is a handy video 📹
Very useful
Can you show us how to properly re-cork a sax neck
Jay I got an alto from Ali Express it's a copy of the Yanagisawa 992. I mean the keys looks the same underslung octave key looks the same everything except the finish. It would be cool if you got one of these and did a comparison. It was a little more though like $400...
@@fgerv Missed it. Was it in general or about a specific one?
Hi jay, I hope you Can help me with my prob. I have a curb yani 992 sop. My low D & octave D is lower than my C I have being looking at all the spring and all look good. I have being swobing out and with pad saver also, but no joy. Have you ever try an straight alto or tenor ?
Hi Jay, What's the solution when the neck tenon is just a bit too loose? Still some play when screws are tightened. It's a tenor.
The best way to learn repair skills is to get an absolute junk horn, strip it down completely and rebuild, including repad, from the ground up. If you get it wrong you've lost very little and learned a lot. If you get it right you've got a good horn and learned even more. Either way you'll have gained in confidence when it comes to doing basic repairs on your good sax.
Would you show us how to do a leak test for each pad?
Can you do tutorial of how to fix a brevete saxophone that squeaks.
What about how to fix a c key that plays really flat. I have to play a different fingering using my right hand palm key while holding a b to get an in tune c on my Old alto
So I have a 23 year old Selmer Super Action Series II (original owner). Any tips on preventing the oxidizing of the lacquer?
I need an advice. If the D and the C doesn't play well, only if the octave Key is activated, how can i fixe that ?
Jay, Replacing corks is far more difficult J then you make it look for somebody who’s never done it I think it’s a stretch to think that they can do it by just watching. Also the thickness of the cork is critical and different places for a cork use different thicknesses not sure if you mention that but using the wrong thickness will cause the horn to be out of adjustment/regulation
Michael you're absolutely right, but as an interim solution to avoid the key foot touching the sax on a D palm key as I showed, there would be no harm done. A band director could do that all the time. Getting into the thickness of cork and all the different materials would be a very long video. It's not rocket science either though.
Just started learning alto sax about a month ago. How do I know what hardness of reed to use? Is it different for everyone?
I'm an 8th grade student going into marching band next year, I was wondering if this sax would be good for me
Same with the soprano, but more as a hobbie