Evaluating a Used Saxophone For Purchase
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- Опубликовано: 16 июл 2024
- Saxophone repairman Matt Stohrer of www.StohrerMusic.com goes all-out to produce this latest video, a rambling guide to evaluating a used saxophone for purchase- where he also forgot to edit out the first few seconds and will be damned if he will re-upload it on rural internet just for that. Of course, some of the stuff here might be useful to you even if you are purchasing new, or have just received a saxophone back from overhaul- but all that business is on you, dog.
This video was produced over a couple days thanks to Matt's lack of ability at video editing AND the requisite freedom to take that time which was provided by those who donated to the Open Source Saxophone Project. If this helped you or saved you money, thank those who donated in August 2015 to give Matt some time off regular work to concentrate on making videos and articles. Visit the Open Source Saxophone Project here: www.OpenSourceSaxophoneProject...
Videos and articles mentioned in the video above:
Stephen Howard, Testing The Action: www.shwoodwind.co.uk/HandyHint...
Key Fit and the G#/bis Adjustment: • Saxophone Repair Topic...
Understanding Saxophone Key Fit: Hinge Tube and Post Facing: www.stohrermusic.com/2014/01/u...
Advanced Saxophone Repair Topic: Pivot Receiver Bushing and Post Washer: • Advanced Saxophone Rep...
The Pop Test, Version Two: • Saxophone Repair Topic...
Saxophone Repair Topic: Hinge Tube Mechanical Fit: • Saxophone Repair Topic...
If you like my content and would like to see more, you can support me on Patreon or by "buying me a coffee"!
Patreon: / mattstohrer
Buy Me a Coffee: www.buymeacoffee.com/mattstohrer 
Видеоклипы
I’m a former gambler, so naturally I took a gamble on a 1935 series 1 King Zephyr Tenor saxophone on eBay . My horn has 96% of the original lacquer. It even had the original blue steel springs. The only thing it needed was an overhaul because it was a closet queen. The original pads from 1935 were on it and had dried out .Looks and plays like a dream. I guess I got lucky, most people are not on eBay...
Anonymous random Guy same here I got just what you did a 1935 and it’s amazing for jazz but certain mouthpieces on it don’t play in tune which I found interesting
the sound of the pads closing ay 3:52 is legitimately impressive, you can literally hear how well its been set up
Great! Thank you for raising standards, as always, and I'm happy you are documenting your valuable knowledge.
+Al McLean Thanks so much Al! I'm always looking for things to add to the OSSP, so if you ever feel the urge to write about what you know...
Matt..... THANKS A MILLION for taking the time to do a GREAT video here which is of WONDERFUL service for all of us..... whether buying a new horn, or also for doing a self-check on our own beloved horns periodically to assess their health and well-being. (I sure wish I lived around the corner from YOU !!)
Wishing you and your family a happy, healthy, and VERY successful year in all your endeavors !!!
I don't know if I should be thanking you more for your excellent insight into repair expectations or the beautiful closeups of your King.
Loaded up this video, took one look at the background and thought... this has got to be that guy with the Airstream from /r/DIY. Loved that post years ago. Now I'm thinking about picking up a 120xxx TT alto for sale in my area and getting back into playing, and this video's super helpful prep before I go inspect the goods. Thumbs up!
Excellent contribution to the world of Saxophones.
Matt thank you for the video. I am wanting to learn how to play the sax, but first I need to educate myself in what horn to buy first. This video was very helpful in learning what to look for even when buying a new sax which will most likely what I will do. Thanks again.
Very informative. Thank you Matt.
Great job Matt! This one will get a great deal of attention over the long haul......
Matt yet again another informative video. Happy New Year BTW
Another amazing video, Mr. Stohrer. Thank you.
Great video Matt. When I buy saxes on-line, I almost always assume that they will need some work. Most of the time, I price in the overhaul on the purchase. Once you have the horn in your hands, you can actually decide if it is worth overhauling or not, based on the lacquer, dents, and feel of the horn. I have rarely been disappointed. You are right about only buying horns with a return policy, because no matter how well the horn looks, plays or sounds, it may have undisclosed issues that can only be discovered by an experienced sax tech.
beautiful video. It's so useful. Thank you so much.
Very helpful videos, learning tons
Good stuff man, thank you for the information.
thanks so much Matt - this is very helpful. I am looking at a used Yanigasawa bari tomorrow, I made a checklist from this and will give it a very thorough look! D (and that King looks a real peach)
Hi Matt, very good video. very helpful for me looking for a sax.
I played the trumpet but my brother got an old bari for free from band that they were gonna throw away. It’s missing the head and it may be missing something else, not sure, but there is a note saying it wasn’t playing. Since I graduated high school in 2019 I’ve learned a lot especially about repairs and I wanna try to tackle the work myself. I’m not too great at soldering/welding but I may use this as an opportunity to learn.
Thanks for the packing advice!
Your videos make me want to buy a saxophone and restore it! Thanks
lovely sax !
Thanks, really useful information. I'm trying to assess the pads on my Tenor Sax - I'm new to playing and the low notes seem very tough to get on my sax.
that was amazing. thank you!
I personally have brought two saxophones from eBay both of which were 1920s King saxophones. I brought them knowing that they required restoration and both were very good in condition asides from springs and pads. Of course I had to spend a large amount of time searching for good deals but from my experience as long as you know exactly what you want and are willing to avoid compensating anything eBay can be can be very good to get good instruments as long as you are willing to take the time to search in detail for something that will be reliable.
Stefan Rogers how could you narrow down what was reliable and what wasn't from ebay? I'm in shop for a nice conn 10m tenor
Matt can you do a video on repairing bass clarinets? Or do a video on Baris I want to see both. Love the vids man
beautiful pipe!
Sir, as a beginner wanting to buy a used alto saxophone, most of the sellers are reluctant to let it professionally inspected and rated. That's the main reason a beginner finds it hard to get a good used sax.
Thank you!
"Non-professional seller," you've got that right. I quit looking on Craigslist because I was going crazy over the people who just put "BENT METAL JAZZ DOODAD FOR SALE IN GOOD CONDITION." Why do people think saxophone brand doesn't matter? The same people probably wouldn't be caught dead buying a guitar with that description.
I love this comment.
Huh. Thanks for your help. I was looking at some Yamaha YAS 21 or 23 because I heard they are very durable, very well made and not throw yourself off a bridge expensive, based on what I've seen.
I don't know anything about these instruments but luckily I'm in a major city, so a few well-rated options of shops to deal with.
Much more complex than the drums I am used to dealing with, lol. And you can easily get a half hour dissertation on them if you aren't careful. But overall, hard to screw that up.
I like the idea of a durable, not horribly expensive instrument you could play out with.
definitely a 23 is a great place to start. the toyota camry of saxophones.
hey man thanks
Thank you
First of all, I want to say that I'm a guitar guy who has playing and tinkering with guitars for 41 years. I just bought an Armstrong Tenor sax at an auction sale for $250. After watching your video, I discovered that the key pads need to be cleaned with methyl hydrate and Q tips ( and forget about rubbing alcohol, my friends; that stuff kills rubber) and I discovered that the neck needs a lot of tightening and has some green stuff. I think that needs attention. Other than that, the action seems good. I just hope the neck stuff can be remedied without paying over what I paid for the sax.
Thanks outstanding video. Coming from an engineering back ground everything you have explained makes perfect sense to me. There is a big plus for me also. My 1989 Jupiter tenor I bought from the dreaded eBay is in fare fettle. It plays well (well for a beginner) and the tone was described as good by my pro teacher. I will be checking a little deeper after watching this.
Matt, Is a softer pad mostly used on saxes with rolled tone holes.
Last year I got a vintage Martin Handcraft Alto. All of the notes play perfectly in tune usually, however just recently I have been having issues with my second octave A note. It's only when I press the octave key too, the normal A plays just fine and even all of the other high notes in my playable range (up to high F) play perfectly in tune.
I can't really remember if it has always been like that though. Is it normal for high A to be out of tune? (When I say this I mean very sharp) If all of my other keys are perfectly in tune, does it mean I need to get the instrument keys adjusted? Or is it just something to do with my embouchure?
Thanks
Hey Matt I have a question. I have started playing tenor after playing Alto for about 5 1/2 years but the middle D on my tenor is muffled and the notes higher sound less muffled until I get to the G which just sounds growly just playing it simply. I really think that my embechure is good so, I was wondering if there was any problem technically with the saxophone that could cause this.
I know I’m incredibly late but I have this exact problem
Matt, great video! I have always been interested in instrument repair. I would appreciate your thoughts on schools or apprenticeship training available to get started. I know it is not a job that is going to make me wealthy, but life is short and doing something that interests me is far more important. I have been buying and selling brass instruments for a number of years as a hobby and have gotten down the mild fix up of brass instruments pretty well, and can replace springs, felts, corks, do mild solder repair, clean, and polish. Your level of knowledge in saxophone repair is awesome, and I never knew how complex it actually was. I also never knew how to identify a swedged saxophone tube before your video; can the tubes be replaced after swedging is no longer viable? Thanks.
Tubes can be replaced, and that will likely be happening more and more as the saxophones we use get older and older. I think there will be many common repairs in the future that are thought of as major surgery today- much like the crazy work that can go into restoration of a violin that is considered par for the course like rebuilding shattered scroll, resetting a neck, etc.
As far as training, utilize every resource available to you.
Do you have a economical
Baritone saxophone for sale?
What about posts? On older horns, are the old post attachments something to be considered?
What do you have in either an alto or tenor,
which I should review as a very good purchase; both in dollars and sense?
I hope my questions weren’t too ridiculous.
Best Wishes,
Richard
Thanks for the tips! I picked up a 50 year old alto yesterday from a thrift shop. I am planning to flip it since I know literally nothing about saxophones. (I was a trumpeter in band, lol)
Can you please provide me with any information on a Richmond tenor sax. It's in dire need of repair and I have an estimate to do a complete overhaul for 750.00. Is this horn worth the overhaul?? There is no model seen on the horn but it does have a ser # C6592. Thanks!!
Can we use a sealant on the neck? Good examples? Baby oil or ordorless grease?
Great video Matt! Very informative and well presented.
I don't know if your idea works, but I'd start by not using anything that's possibly poisonous, or could damage lacquer.
If your idea IS a good idea, I would bet money that a purpose made product is already available (I don't yet play saxophone).
I would be interested to see how you level out the Rolled Toneholes!
Duggr see the video by saxworks Denmark to see a reasonable way to do it
Just saw it! Thanks!
Hallo i need to but one saxophone help
one time on ebay a seller thought a bass clarinet was "an alto or baritone sax"
How far is your business from Mississippi?
Where are you located my friend?
Hello, watching from India.🌺🌺🌺🎄🎄🇮🇳
Matt, are you still selling?
What's the brand of the horn ?
Looks like he started with a Selmer mk VI and switched to a King Super 20
I have a Conn I found at a thrift store that I need help appraising based off looking up the serial its from between 1914 1929 I am a musician a guitar player but I am not a expert in saxophones that being said just looking for honest direction. Thanks.
+Matt Stohrer why do some pros like the vintage horns shouldn't the modern horns be better
"Better" is a retaliative term it really dependents what kind of sound you like. Very little has been done to the design of saxophone has been done over the last 80 years or so. In my experience vintage horns usually have darker warmer tone when compared to their modern counterparts it comes down too personal taste and budget.
Matt ive been looking for a used tenor saxophone for a while but am really unsure if the sources are reputable do you have any good dealers with vintage tenors that arent crazy expensive?
Getasax.com is reputable and trustworthy. They have horns all along the price spectrum, including usually a really great solid pro horn or two at great prices, as well as the super rare/mint/amazing type of stuff. Highly recommended.
This is so hard for me lol. I’m a beginner and I’m thinking to get a used one but this video was so informative but as a beginner and someone who has never even touched a sax before idk this seemed hard for me. I’m scared to take the risk.
Buying a vintage horn for your first sax is indeed a scary proposition. Best bet for a beginner on a budget is a used Yamaha 23 or 26. They are excellent saxophones, built well, easy to repair, common, and hold their value well.
Stohrer Music unfortunately the place I live there aren’t any used sax much, I might buy an unbranded one which is brand new and try to find me a tutor or learn alone. Everything is so expensive in Dubai.
@@CaseySaibo email me and I can put you in touch with someone reputable.
I find my 1954 king zephyr mechanicly quitter than my 901 yany
I know you have taken break in your sax repair business do you recommend any repair shops that are knowledgeably with conn neck joints?
Do you clap your hands and snap your fingers every time you start talking? I knew this guy in college who did that.
beeleo no, that was for editing the sound together with the video but I uploaded the wrong copy and was on rural dsl at the time that took about 24hrs to upload a video, so I just left it.
"...happy n' u know it, clap your hands?" knuckle dragg'n nayser w-t'her head's stuck in some mist will never escape ther perdition. Typically I 'counter' counter-intuitiveness, need i say mo' from a person that can deduct 'particulr'ly corrosive person'lty_chemistry" ...with trumpets, I get the same with the Galaxy-questers. it was great chatting today. the end ...ditto on the last commentator McLean
"someone with particularly corrosive personal chemistry"
Do you have an acidic imbalance or do you just drink pop before you play and not brush or swish?
This does exist by the way, been playing saxophone for 2 years and I practiced almost everyday for 2 hours in my first year. Never noticed how acidic my fingers were until I noticed my octave key
Haven't you ever had a buddy whose guitar strings were ALWAYS corroded? No matter how often they got changed...
It's just a fact that some people have oily, greasy, corrosive hands.
What’s all the clicking of fingers and clapping for at the start of the video?? Are you school teacher by any chance?
Very informative, though...
in description. was syncing audio and video which for this video were separate sources, forgot to edit it out.
Good wear on the instrument is a good thing, if it isn't worn maybe there was a good reason it wasn't played.
Good wear makes you look like a pro. Perfect finish makes you look like you are doing a photo shoot for My First Sax.
Google.com
I would say that buying from a layperson in person is very different than buying from one online. In person you can play the instrument, and make certain that everything works well, and is in good condition. Online, deceptive photos can be… deceptive
Want to get a sax./how about getting 1 on amazon. Saw 1 for $58.00..blue.
AAA