Hurri-Cane Reeds: still workin' on 'em

I'm still working on developing the perfect synthetic reed, and like many things in life, it has taken longer and cost more than I originally thought! We've found a very stable material which sounds good and can be accurately machined, and I'm down to the point of tweaking the cut and contour to get maximum response. We've made a lot of mistakes during this process, but I've learned a lot about what doesn't work, which is invaluable information. Now all I've got to do is find what works best, and then and only then will we offer them for sale.

The materiaL we are using is pretty amazing stuff. No, it's not ordinary polystyrene plastic. I'll eventually get this figured out, but won't offer these for sale until I am totally satisfied.

The picture illustrates the first version (upper) and the latest version (lower). You'll notice a significantly different surface if you look closely. I'll keep you posted! I'm sure the usual trolls will have a lot to say about this project, but I would point out that exactly six people in the world have played this product, and they are not among them! Of course, never having seen or played one of my products has never stopped them in the past!

New Super 400 Engraving, G# Mechanism, and other news

We’re going to SUBSTANTIALLY increase the amount of hand cut engraving on the next run of Super 400’s because Sharon and I believe that too much is ALWAYS better than not enough. The next run will also have the same “no stick” G# mechanism as was previously found only on the Keilwerth SX-90 (we’ve made arrangements with the holder of the patent on this system) and a few other minor tweaks. We try to improve the breed as we go along! Attached are some pictures of the new engraving pattern, taken before plating. We now expect the next load of Super 400 alto and tenors around September 1`5 or so. Most of this load is already sold! We’ve also got a load of the new Saxgourmet curved soprano (much improved over the previous Steve Goodson Model, which was a really nice playing horn) on the same shipment. We’ve only got two Saxellos left in stock (they sorta flew out of here!) and STILL have not received our baris, which are on the way but not here. The next load of Category Five horns (with the new improvements) should be here tomorrow or Monday. Our European distributor has just received a big load of Super 400’s, Voodoo Rex, Saxello, and the exclusive to Europe Derek Nash Model, so they will have horns out on the street very soon. We’ve got plenty of solid silver alto necks on hand, and are expecting a load of the re-designed solid copper tenor neck in around two weeks. The new Black Mambo, Yellow Moon, Voodoo Child, and Super Duck mouthpiece models should be ready by the end of next week. I’ve got a lot of mouthpiece facing to do!

Voodoo Rex Review (from another forum)

For reasons that are pretty unclear to me, they hate me at Sax On the Web. Not that I care, or not that it has had any effect on our sales that I can discern. They refer to me as "Voldemart", "He who cannot be named", and "the evil one" among other things. Whenever someone dares make a favorable comment about one of my products, the moderators jump right in and remove the post. It's OK with me, it's their forum, and they make the rules. I know that far less than 1% of the saxophone players in the world read SOTW, and that the ones who drink the Kool Aide and believe every word they read there (I like to think of it as "The Saxophone Misinformation Site" are generally not old enough to shave (at least the ones I've personally met) and most of them seem to have extremely limited playing skills.

One of our new Voodoo Rex owners, Patrick Shaeffer, posted this lengthy review. As long as they leave it up, here's a link:

http://www.saxontheweb.net/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=119325

I figure they'll take it down, so here's a cut and paste of Patrick's comments, completely un-edited.

Since I know how some are enamored with anything SG related, down to what kind of boxes he uses; like kwgrinnell, I am including the intimate details I obtained possession of the box; which arrived via UPS, around 5:15 Central Standard Time on Thursday, August 20th. Once arrived at my destination I inspected the box. It was roughly 14 1/2 tall x 28 1/2 long x 8 1/2 wide & was listed as being 14 pounds. It had 5 white stickers with F R A G I L E centered on the stickers, with 4 red lightning bolt like designs extending in to the center of the stickers, on 5 of the 6 sides of the box. The stickers had on them: LABEL MADE IN REDMOND, OREGON, U.S.A. THE DE LEONE CORPORATION SCL 501. There were 4 double staples on opposite sides of the short sides of the cardboard box, for a total of 16. 3 pieces of clear packing tape were wrapped lengthways around the box. 4 pieces were wrapped widthways to just short of center of the box. 1 of the stickers was creased underneath at 2 1/2 inches from the top left side & 1 5/16ths from the bottom right side for 2 7/8th inches. None of the stickers were centered but at different angles & lengths from the sides of the box. For example, one of the stickers on the long side of the box was 3/4ths of an inch from the bottom of the box on the left & 1 7/8ths on the right, while being 3 inches from the side if the box on the left bottom & 2 3/8ths from the top left of the 4x4 sticker. The UPS Internet Shipping: Shipment Label dated 8/17/2009 was on the bottom right side of the same side as said sticker. I removed the label at 5:48 with WESTCOTT TITANIUM NON STICK scissors with blue handles with yellow striping on the interior finger area of the scissors. The label was 8 1/2 x 11 inches. The only damage to the box was an about 3 inch scrape on the long side of the bottom side which was 14 1/2 inches from 1 edge of the box & 10 3/4ths from the other end. The scrape extended about 2 2/8ths towards the center of the box on one end & 2 1/8th on the other end, where the clear packing tape had prevented the scrape from extending further. The scrape was not deep enough to affect the integrity of the box.
Next Chapter: "The Strike!," coming next.

5:57 - I began the operation. With my trusty scissors I proceeded to cut at the "crotch;" for a lack of a better word, of the waistline, towards the neckline. I delicately stuck my finger into the resulting breach & ran the hard blade up as if through buttah until I arrived at the FRAGILE area. I then reversed the process & cut from the opposite end, finally cutting through the area which offered some resistance as I forced my way through the "I L."
6:02 - Imagine my surprise when I found the inside to be pink , and white packing peanuts. I stuck my hand into the box & removed the filling, enough so that I wouldn't make a mess, and by 6:11 I had removed the black soul from the box.
The black, 2 zipper case, with 2 stiff fabric-covered handles with a Velcro/fabric handle encasing wrap, included 2 black metal loops to affix a carrying strap to. The fabric/zipper swath is 4 inches wide & runs the entire length of the front of the case, around to about 4 1/2 inches on the apex side & about 5 inches on the bottom. Not being an expert in leather versus synthetic, I won't guess what the rest of the case is made of, the rest of the case is Alto shaped instead of being a square case. The case is about 27 2/8ths long, 5 inches wide at the apex, and 12 inches wide at the bottom.
The 2 zippers were located on the left side, so I unzipped the one to the right.
6:19 - I lifted the lid, and what to my eyes did appear? A dark reddish-brown plush interior, a gold-covered mouthpiece cap with the 3 small holes in the top of it, the neck in bubble-wrap, and a folded black neck-strap located in the center of the body/bell of the sax. Realizing I had the case upside-down, I closed it & flipped it over
Next Chapter: "The Home-run," coming next.

The case included a hard plastic Saxgourmet Alto mouthpiece that is 3 7/16th inches long.
Also included is 1 1/16th inch long, gold-colored, 2-screw lig with a fancy design on 4 areas of it & LZH-1999 on it. It's not a solid metal lig, but has 8 "cut-out" areas around the interior of it.
Additionally, underneath the bell/bow of the horn was a black neck-strap that is 45 3/4th inches (41 1/2 of that being the actual strap, and the rest being the black metal clips) when stretched out & 34 1/2 inches when brought to the shortest lenghth it can be brought to for playing. The cushioned part of the strap is 6 1/2 inches long. Unlike my Neotech strap with the 1 hook, this strap has 2 hooks. 1 at each end of the strap. These have the safety clasp to keep them from coming off the hook-ring on the sax. Personally, I would probably not use this strap because the hooks are metal & the neck area is not as cushioned as my Neotech strap with it's plastic hook with safety clasp.
There are 3 indented areas of the case. 1 for the mouthpiece; an area right above where the bore of the sax is, which is 1 1/4th by 2 inches (2 1/4th deep on 1 side & 2 1/2 on the other, the neck compartment; which runs along the bore & is about 12 inches along the outer edge, 1 1/2 of an inch wide at the neck-cork area, then it runs about 9 inches down the bore before angling back towards the middle/outside of the case. The last indentuon is underneath the bell/bow of the horn: about 8 1/2 inches long, 4 inches wide, and ranges from about 1 1/2 of an inch deep near the bottom of the horn to an inch near the curve of the bell. None of these areas are covered by a "lid" of anytype to keep anything from shifting; though the mouthpiece area is snug enough that the mouthpiece will probably not move much if kept in the cover. The indentuon for the neck & mouthpiece areas extend into the upper section of the case. The mouthpiece area, for about 1 1/4th of an inch. The neck area, for about an inch.
Next Chapter: "The Horn," coming next.
6:26 - I removed the neck

...after donning my white gloves that came with the horn (I kid, I kid!!), from the bubble-wrap; usin' my trusty scissors, then removed it from the small plastic bag it came in. The leaf-like engravings run up both sides of the neck & are very nicely done. They start about 2/8ths from the bottom & run up to about 1/4th of an inch from the cork. The cork is 1 3/8ths of an inch long & is in great shape. The inside of the cork side of the neck is 7/16ths of an inch on the inside & 7/8ths on the outside. The under-neck octave mechanism is sturdy. It's an inch wide where it meets with the octave mechanism on the horn. There's a small imperfection on the left-hand side of the lip of the neck; less than an 8th of an inch long, where it fits on the sax, and when you place your finger inside the neck you can feel a small bump on the inside / opposite side of that imperfection; don't know if some tool caused this during the manufacturing process, but it's not a significant issue to me since it's so slight.
Note: The case is very sturdy, but one of those that doesn't necessarily like to stay open; having a fabric strap that runs from about the middle bottom of the case to the middle bottom of the lid, so it needs a little "assistance" to stay open & might need to be coaxed into staying open, and it has a tendancy to sometimes start tipping over on the lid side once the horn is removed, depending on what type of surface it's on.
6:33 - The 1st thing I noticed when I removed the sax from the case is that it feels like a tyrannosaurus.
Next Chapter: "The Rex," coming next.
This horn is solid!
The color is nothing like the rose-brass shiny-penny look of the Saxgourmet Tenor Six. It's a dark copper look except for the Honey-colored areas as mentioned in "The Pitch."
I removed the lyre screw since I don't plan on playing this in a pick-up marching band with a flip-chart.
On the right side of the bell is:
VOODOO REX
DESIGNED BY
STEVE GOODSON
Above that is a skull complete with a Tophat & 2 bones crossed underneath the skull.
The flower/vine-like engraving is tastefully done.
The bore interior where the neck goes is 7/8ths of an inch.
Unlike the Saxgourmet Tenor Six which has the 3 neck-strap rings as 1 complete piece affixed to the horn, the Rex has 3 separate large rings, when compared to the Saxgourmet Tenor Six.
The side F# key is large so much so that you'ld have a hard time not being able to find it when you need it. The same can be said for the mechanism for high F#.
The bell is 5 3/16ths inches wide.
The interior of the bell is about 3 1/2 to 4 inches in width & 3 3/4ths inches long.
The abalone key touches are beautiful!
6:51 - I weighed this baby Rex & it weighed in at 4 pounds; 4 1/2 with the neck.
The thumbhook is BIG.
6:55 - The key action is SOLID. No clanky-clanky with this beast; unlike the Saxgourmet Tenor Six which has a little clank action on one of the low notes.
Next Chapter: "I Blow" , coming next.

7:00 - After a little reed prep I tossed a Plasticover 2 Alto reed on my Aaron Drake Ceramic mouthpiece JAB062009 & my new Christoph Heftrig lig, greased up the neck cork, slid it on there, and easily just blew into the mouthpiece & out slid a open keys C# so surprisingly easy that I was surprised! (imagine that!! ) Certainly easier than my Selmer Ref 54, Yamaha YAS-21, or PF Flier. The playability of the horn was sweet though I had to adjust slightly to it from my other horns because of the placement of the keys being closer together for easier playing. However, I had a gig to go play which I normally only play my Tenor on. I took the Alto with me along with my wireless mic. Once there, after prepping a Rico La Voz MED SOFT Alto reed I placed it on my JodyJazz DV 9* because I wanted a different sound then what I was getting from the Drake. When I had time; like between sets, I tested the horn out in a side-room to make sure it was going to work for what I wanted to do. We started the last set with Bob Seger's "Turn The Page." The horn sounded great; having the darker sound which helps off-set the "bright" mouthpiece I use. We add more Sax than Seger has on his version & it worked out great.
Since then, I've taken the horn out more & have been amazed at how easy it is to "growl" on this compared to my other saxes. Altissimo is easy. I was surprised how easy high E-F# come out using the palm keys. However, I'll probably have to find different Altissimo Eb & above fingerings. I'm extremely happy with the horn

An Outbreak of Pseudo-Science!

I was talking with an executive of one of the big mouthpiece makers yesterday and we both had a good laugh about the recent outbreak of pseudo-science in various saxophone newsgroups lately.

In the last couple of months, a couple of guys have popped up out of nowhere espousing themselves as experts in acoustics and saxophone and mouthpiece design. They quote Benade, Ferron, and others like they understand it, and draw some conclusions that are erroneous at best, and generally comical to those of us who actually design our own horns and mouthpieces.

A very significant and noteable exception are the posts of Toby Marshall. Toby is an American who lives in Japan, and is an enthusiastic and knowlegable amateur player and acoustician. He doesn't hold himself out as anything more than an informed hobbyist, but you should listen to what he says: he's almost always spot on in his observations and comments.

Back to our new found experts: if you Google them or use any other method of looking into their backgrounds, experience, or history, you'll easily find that they are strictly self appointed experts. They're not published (except by themselves on the internet) and actually manufacture no products. That's right, these guys have never made a saxophone or mouthpiece in their life! One of them actually believes that if you put a thin colored stone on the neck of your saxophone it will change the way it plays! You should try this colored stone business yourself. Maybe the red ones play better than the blue ones. I don't know.

The design of instruments and their related accessories is an art, not a science. You need to experiment, and try different things. It's just as important to find out what doesn't work as it is to find out what works. There is absolutely no substitute for building one and seeing how it plays. Then build another one that is different and compare the two.

These pseudo-scientists are just wanking off on the internet. Those of us who actually do this for a living have this thought for them: Guys, we're not laughing with you, we're laughing AT you!

SAXELLOS ARE HERE! BARIS AND CAT 5'S ON THE WAY

We got a big load of our Saxgourmet Saxellos today. This is a fantastic horn, with two solid silver necks and a VERY uniquely shaped solid silver bell and bow. Key work is to high G, the pads are black kangaroo leather Saxgourmet's by MusicMedic, the resonators are solid brass, the key touches are abalone, and the engraving has to be seen to be believed. This is absolutely the finest soprano available on the planet, and is the cutting edge of soprano design.

The next load of Category Five tenors should be here around Thursday of next week. The last load sold out completely in less than two weeks. As soon as the shipment clears customs, we'll set the up and deliver the ones that are on order.

At last, the baritones are in transit. Since they're coming via sea (it doesn't make a lot of economic sense to air freight baris) I can't give you an exact delivery date, but they should make it to the Big Easy in a couple of weeks. Most of this load of 25 baris are already sold, but there are three currently available.

In early September, we'll have a big load of Super 400 alto and tenor (a dozen each) and a bunch of Saxgourmet curved sopranos. These might make it by the end of this month, but I'd be rather surprised.

The new mouthpiece models should clear customs early next week, and we;ll get right on facing some up for sale.

We're just about finished with the product line.....

It's been a busy year for us, and we're just about where we want to be on our product offerings. When I left Orpheus, I didn't want to carry anything over, and with the exception of the Saxgourmet Saxello (which was just too good to change) we have replaced everything. That's right: all new and improved products and accessories. We ncouldn't have done it without your support, and Sharon and I are most grateful for your business.

We've got a full line of saxophones now, and unlike other makers, there are significant differences in all of them. In North America, we offer the Voodoo Rex alto and tenor; the Super 400 alto and tenor; the Category Five tenor; the Saxgourmet Saxello; the Saxgourmet baritone, the Saxgourmet curved soprano, and soon, the Saxgourmet sopranino. We've got a protoype coming of a super exotic baritone, but I don't know if it will see production since it's going to be pretty expensive and I'm not sure that market is there. However, I wanted one for myself, so there will be at least one! We also offer an additional model in Europe, and it may eventually find its way to this side of the pond in one form or another.

Our mouthpieces have been a grreat success for us, and we've just expanded the line up. For alto, we now offer the Saxgourmet hard rubber, the Fat Boy, the Voodoo Child, the Black Magic, and the Model 80. For tenor, we've got the Blues Blaster, the Fat Boy, the Florida, the Yellow Moon, the Super Duck, the Big Black Mambo, and the Handmade. The Low Rider baritone has been a best seller, and we also offer a Saxgourmet metal piece for both soprano and sopranino.

I am happiest about the success of our necks. Necks are really a passion with me, and we've offered some products quite unlike anything ever seen before, and they have sold like hotcakes! The Saxgourmet tenor neck (that's the one with the nodal weights and built in neck enhancer) will soon be joined by an alto version. We got our first shipment of our new solid silver (not plated, but solid silver) alto necks last week, and the tenor versions are right behind them. We're thinking about a baritone and soprano version of the solid silver necks, but there are so many different sizes I'm undecided at p;resent as to how to proceed. The solid copper necks have been big sellers. I think we're offering more different necks than anybody in the business. And they are all our original and unique designs. I got talked into getting into the neck case business, and I now admit I was wrong about my belief that nobody wanted them! Of course, our famous and totally unique neck enhancers simply fly out of here.

We've got a few more accessory projects we're working on, including a line of very ergonomic neckstraps, some great cases, and much improved key clamps. We'll keep you posted about these items as they become available.

We're planning a new SAX REPAIR website!

I'm going to expand my little empire in cyberspace a bit, and re-format some of the stuff we're doing now.

First, my webmeister-etraordinaire, Eddy, is working on a new saxophone repair website. Every day, I get at least twenty inquiries as to repair techniques, so we're going to set up a site with an "ask Steve" section to deal with those. We're aso going to make this site video intensive, with some "how to" instructional videos. We'll probably add a discussion forum (repair only) and I've talked to a few people in the industry about contributing various material. Repair is a real passion of mine, and I've always wanted a web site like this.

We're currently doing some revisions on the Nation of Music site, and it will cntinue to serve as our retail outlet. It's done VERY well for us, and we have instituted a policy of putting three different items on sale there ever month. This month, (August) for example, we have our solid copper tenor neck $200 off the regular price, and our Low Rider baritone mouthpiece Fat Boy tenor motuhpiece at substantial discounts. We've got a number of new mouthpieces, necks, and other products we will be introducing next month, so watch for them.

Finally, when we're done with all of the above, I'm going to give Saxgourmet.com a facelift and add a SUBSTANTIAL amount of new content for saxophone reference.

Voodoo Rex improvements

As you regular followers know, we're always tryihg to improve the breed. The latest series of our solid copper rolled tone hole Voodoo Rex Alto has some significant keywork improvements: The front F key touch has been re-designed; the chromatic F# and high F# key touches have been made super-ergonomic; the palm key layout has been changed, and you're gonna love it; the feet of the upper stack have been enlarged a bit more. They'e now in stock, so here's some pictures

Voodoo Rex shipment is in!

We're picking up 25 Voodoo Rex altos tomorrow afternoon! It took a bit longer to clear customs than usual, but they're ready. I've got four left and available for sale. All the rest were presold. If you want one, let me know, as they won't last long!

Here's a couple of new ads we'll be running.....

Coming soon to a magazine near you.......click on the ad to enlarge

Tricks for a SUPER PREMIUM pad job!

Our shop does about fifty saxophone overhauls in a typical year, serving clients from all over the world. Granted, my clientele may be a bit different from the typical repair shop (we do no student or school work) but we have found a few things “above and beyond” the typical overhaul procedure that you may find useful and can apply to your shop. Of course, when we overhaul a saxophone, we do far more than just replace the pads, and I’ll save my tips on neck modification, octave pip alteration, and other tricks for future articles.


STRAIGHTEN THE KEYS!
I am forever amazed at the number of people who omit this crucial step. Based on the horns we see, and the shims under the pads installed by others, there is apparently a lot of this going on! Take each and every key cup and check it on your bench anvil to be certain it is dead level. If it’s not, place the cup on your jeweler’s anvil and use a small rubber headed hammer to tap gently tap the rib of the key until the cup is perfectly level. At this time, you should also check the rest of the key for straightness and adjust accordingly. Needless to say, all the old adhesive in the cup must be completely removed and any dents in the cup smoothed.

SELECT THE PADS
This is where many techs fall down on the job. It costs only a little more to use the very best, but many shops “cheap out” and save a few pennies. Here are a few key points to remember when you are selecting saxophone pads:
(1) Pad “sets” rarely work. Get out the digital caliper and measure the cups! Then use pads that are a half millimeter larger than your measurement so they fit nice and tightly with just a bit of fluff at the edge.
(2) Never, ever use pads made with pressed felt! Use only pads constructed with woven felt. It is much more stable and has nice square shoulders. If you don’t know the type of felt, ask the vendor.
(3) Never, ever use pads with pre-installed resonators. You must size the resonator just as carefully as you size the pads to the cups. The resonator should cover as much of the leather as possible. Remember, too much is always better than not enough. Exposed leather acts as a sponge and devours the sound of a saxophone.
(4) Be certain that the resonator you select is made from the same material as the saxophone you are padding. If the horn is made of brass, use brass resonators. If it’s copper, use copper, and if it’s plastic, use plastic resonators. A resonator is a mirror, nothing more, and the only way to assure accurate reflection is to use the same material.
(5) Be certain that you don’t select a resonator material that corrodes due to moisture. This rules out steel and aluminum. Also remember that if you use aluminum or steel rivets with other metals the metals will chemically react with each other.
(6) Never, ever use pads that have a silicone based treatment applied as waterproofing. There are much better ways to accomplish this important task that don’t cause pad sticking. I’ll discuss the procedure later in the article.
(7) Look for an extra firm backing. Ordinary cardboard is not satisfactory, as it does not encourage the pad to hold its shape.
(8) Carefully consider the characteristics of the leather: sheep skin is commonly used, but has durability problems. Goat skin is quite durable, but tends to be grainy and hard. Kangaroo leather is soft, supple, extremely strong and durable, and does not stick. Kangraoo is the obvious choice, to my way of thinking. Nothing else makes much sense to me.



WATERPROOFING THE PAD AND PREPARING THE LEATHER
After the resonators are installed, but before the adhesive is applied, you must get all the wrinkles out of the leather. It really should be as tight as a drumhead, and there’s simply no excuse for leaving any slack. To accomplish this essential task, we apply a very, very light spritz of water with a spray gun to the pad, and then smooth the surface with a heated pad iron. We use round pad irons that we got from Ferree Tool for this job, as they have a cut out in the center that clears the resonator and the set has multiple sizes. For the occasional bass sax pad too large for the irons in the set, I use an old fashioned pad slick. We heat the pad irons with a bench burner, and you’ll quickly learn that too much heat will scorch your pads if you are not careful, and that not enough heat won’t turn the water to steam and tighten the leather. After the leather is good and tight, we apply a Teflon based pad treatment and rub it into the pores of the leather to make the pad shed moisture and prevent sticking.

CHOOSING THE ADHESIVE AND APPLYING IT
I think that at one time or another I’ve tried just about every possible way to get the pad to stay in the cup, and the more I do this the more convinced I am that shellac is the only choice that makes any sense at all if you want a great feeling, long lasting job. All of the varieties of hot glue I’ve tried are too flexible and lack the solid feel that can only be obtained with shellac. French cement strikes me as difficult to work with. Shellac is easy to use and durable and sets up rock hard. Who could ask for more? We start by mixing flake shellac and alcohol to make up a solution that is about as thick as motor oil. It’s usually a good idea to let it sit overnight to get the best results. We then take our perfectly clean key cups and use a small artist’s paint brush to “paint” a thin layer of shellac on the entire interior, including the rims. Next, we take our pads that have the resonators installed, are treated with waterproofing and ironed and place a generous dab of shellac on the back. We’ve found that the Z Gun system from MusicMedic is perfect for this operation. While the shellac is still warm and soft, we immediately take the pad and rub the back on a granite block. This flattens out the shellac and totally seals the back of the pad. The resulting coat of shellac on the back of the pad should be around a sixteenth of an inch thick. We then warm up each key a bit and insert the pad and press it into place, using the same pad irons to be certain that equal pressure is applied around the entire perimeter. Now that the pads are in place, put the horn together. We do not connect the springs or install silencers at this point.

GETTING THE LEAKS OUT
As we assemble the horn, we place a wooden wedge under each key foot so that all the pads are held somewhat tightly closed. When the horn is all closed down, we place it on a saxophone repair fixture and go over the exterior with a heat gun for about five minutes. This softens the shellac sufficiently to allow it to take hold, and provided you haven’t made the mistake of wedging the keys down too tightly (remember I said to wedge them down somewhat tightly, not as tight as possible) the pads should float right into place. It’s now time for the moment of truth. Remove all the wedges, and orient the horn on the repair fixture in such a manner that gravity alone closes the pads. Of course, this will require rotating the horn to several different positions in order to close every pad via gravity. Now, turn off the lights in your shop and insert your brightest leak light. If the planets are in proper alignment and the gods are smiling, you won’t find many leaks. Remember, the pads should seal with no light showing strictly off the force of gravity. If that’s not the case, you’ll need to heat the individual offending key and adjust the pad. If your keys are straight and aligned, and your tone holes perfectly level, you shouldn’t have to do much individual adjusting. After the horn passes the gravity test, there’s one more step necessary to make sure you have a perfect job: the magnahelic machine. We use a magnahelic from MusicMedic, having tried several others and rejected them. The machine doesn’t lie, and is absolutely the ultimate test. We made some bell-adapters from foam rubber balls to seal up the big end of the horn, and the machine is very easy to use. Be warned that it is unforgiving, but if your standards are the highest in the world, there is really no other way.

SETTING THE SEAT
As a final step, once everything is nice and tight, we place the horn on a repair fixture with the keys tightly wedged shut and insert the hose from a commerical fabric steamer into the bell. The hot steam flows through the horn for about five minutes (no more!) and sets a permanent seat in the pads.


As previously stated, this is the process we use for re-padding in our overhauls. If your shop does mainly student overhauls, I would suggest that you offer an upgrade as an option to your customers. They won’t all pay the extra toll, but you might be surprised how many will want the additional services. Even if you decide not to offer the full package, I hope that some of the techniques described are helpful!

New Mouthpiece Models!

In case you think I haven’t been busy, today I ordered production of several new models I’ve been working on for a while. We’re selling our mouthpieces in pretty big numbers now, and I felt we needed a couple of additional models to fill out the line. The new models, available September 1, are shown in the picture below. These are my working models, so they bear the scratches and scars of my experiments! This is what prototypes look like. They play great, but I gotta admit they’re pretty ugly!
They are, left to right:
FAT BOY ALTO: A companion to our best selling Fat Boy tenor piece. Bell metal brass, high cliff baffle with a bit of rollover, big chamber
VOODOO CHILD ALTO: Bright and loud, extended window, super narrow rails, high long cliff baffle, big chamber, hard rubber
BIG BLACK MAMBO TENOR: Hard rubber, high cliff baffle, huge chamber. This one really projects without being too thin sounding
YELLOW MOON TENOR: High baffle, big chamber, duckbill beak, very thin rails, tapered transition into the chamber. Really nice player!

I've now heard it all...........

We did some warranty work for an Orpheo tenor owned by Kevin Grimmel.......when we got the horn, I played it, and had two other employees play it, and after careful use age of our Stroboconn, found his claim of intonation problems to be groundless. He also wanted his neck corks sized to fit his mouthpiece. Well, that's far from warranty work, but the horn was here so we did it anyway. We adjusted everything, and asked him to verify his return address. He didn't respond for a month and a half.
We sent it back as soon as he finally responded.

Now here's the thing: the guy is bitching and posting on the internet that we sent it back to him in a flimsy box. Well, let me tell you where we got the box: IT'S THE SAME ONE HE SENT THE HORN TO US IN! By the way, it's a box from Uline, and there was nothing wrong with it. He's also pissing and moaning that we used craft paper rolls
to secure the low B and Bb keys......he sorta failed to mention that everything else was secured with wooden wedges.

This guy needs to get a life and go practice. I'm done with him. Some people will just not be pleased.

Where are the innovations?

I had a very interesting conversation with a professional player who was visiting with us yesterday. We were discussing the relative merits of the different saxophones on the market today, and came to the following conclusion: ALL OF THE MAJOR MANUFACTURERS ARE OFFERING ESSENTIALLY THE SAME THING AND HAVE DONE SO FOR YEARS!

If you consider the features offered on Selmer, Yamaha, Yanigasawa, Keilwerth, Mauriat, and other brands you will see an appalling lack of creativity and innovation. They've done nothing new for years. Sure, there are a myriad of models, and in all honesty, the various models are different in various minor details, but the question that begs asking is "where is the innovation"? How are the horns offered to players today significantly different from what was offered thirty (or more) years ago? I would submit that they are not very different. They are essentially the same, and this is a shameful state of affairs. Imagine if the automotive industry offered the same models with no improvements for thirty years. This is what is happening in the saxophone business.

The areas where pitch is less than perfect on the saxophone are well known. The problem of uneven timbre persists. Keywork is still not optimized for the players ease of execution. Mechanical adjustments are often cumbersome and usually cannot be easily accomplished by the player. Most instruments ignore the fact that modern saxophone literature calls for a four octave range.

This is a sad state of affairs. It will continue as long as saxophone players tolerate it. The manufacturers have no incentive to change the status quo. I would challenge the other makers of saxophones to innovate.