CURRENT PROJECTS AND COMING ATTRACTIONS

I've been busy. I'm about to get busier. Such is the price of success. Here's some of the things I've got going on:

We're going to do a little restructuring of our executive responsibilities at Orpheus, and I'm going to take on some new duties in addition to my regular job. We're growing rapidly, and there is plenty for our management to do in order to cope with this growth. My twelve hour days will likely grow into fifteen hour days.

Look for some new mouthpieces from me in the very near future. I'm running out of places to store all the prototypes, so I've got to make some decsions as to which ones to produce. This mouthpiece business caught me by surprise: I had no idea we would sell so many. I'd like to say a big, hearty "thank you" to the many of you who have bought and are playing my designs. We haven't even begun advertising them, yet our sales are already straining our production capacity due to the preverbial "word of mouth".....My goal is to offer a complete family of mouthpieces for all saxophone players.

We've got a couple more saxophone lines to introduce: the new Orpheo brand and the Steve Goodson Model straight alto and straight tenor. These are entirely new designs, and I'm currently dealing with all the pre-production issues necessary to bring them to market. These are great horns, and will be worth all the hassle and heartache. Look for them this summer.

I've taken over the clarinet design at Orpheus. We're getting into that business in a big way, with better products than anyone has ever offered. I find that (1) student clarinets are over priced and lack features that students need to make it easy to learn and (2) high end clarinets are all essentially the same, and are over priced and lack features than benefit profesional players and advanced students. I'm going to do something about these problems, and am currently awash in prototypes.

The flute situation is about the same as the clarinet one. We're finished with the new flute designs now, and are delighted with the results. We've also got, in addition to "conventional" flute models, a new series of composite body flutes for jazz players. There's nothing like 'em anywhere! You will see them soon, as production has already started.

Both the Orpheus website and my retail website (http://www.nationofmusic.com) are getting a complete facelift. There will also be some significant changes at saxgourmet.com. You're gonna like it....

Our eBay store (my Noteworthymusical company) has done well, and will substantially expanded this summer. Ebay has become an important market for us.

I'm currently negotiating with a magazine many of your regularly read with the goal of writing a regular column for them. They came to me earlier in the year with a proposition, and the problem I have is simply one of having the time available to do a good job. This is something I have always wanted to do, and we will make it happen.

Dealer appearances are beginning to fill my calender. I feel like I should just rent a room at the airport sometimes. Watch for me at a music store near you in the near future. The summer trade show season is almost upon us, and I'll be seen in all the usual places.....

Sharon and I are still rebuilding our Katrina ravaged home in New Orleans. We will NOT reopen the retail showroom and will curtail our repair operations substantially. We will continue to see customers on a prior appointment only basis, as time permits.

That's what's on my plate these days. There's actually more, but if I told you about it I would have to kill you.....

REPAIR PARTS FOR OLD HORNS

This mornings email brought three individual requests for repair parts for 50+ year old horns. True, I maintain a large "boneyard" of old saxophones. However, I have NEVER been in the parts business. I maintain an inventory of parts for my overhaul customers only, not for public sale. When these parts are gone there will be no more, and I know it.

Manufacturers, if they offer parts at all, generally stock only a very limited assortment and keep them for a limited time. Conn-Selmer has recently announced that they will not stock parts for any horn seven years after the production of that model ceased. That strikes me as pretty reasonable, and is actually better than most companies are offering.

Most parts can be repaired, and it is the sign of a lazy technician who insists that a broken key be replaced rather than silver soldered back together. Unfortunately, some parts can't be fixed in a satisfactory manner, and if your tech knows their stuff, they should be able to fabricate keys, guards, rods, etc. Of course, fabricating parts from scratch is very time consuming, and hence quite expensive.

You can't get necks for old horns. Stop asking me. There are a couple of craftsmen who will custom make necks for selected models for which they have specification, but be on notice that they know what their skills are worth, so get out the big, leather bound checkbook before you order.

Parts from one brand of horn will not fit a different brand. You don't expect Chevrolet parts to work on your Ford, do you?

Some "maintenance" type items are still available, notably Norten springs and snap-in pads for Bueschers, and Reso-pads for Conns. Generic pads and springs are available to fit just about anything ever made. Unfortunately, there are a few things that don't seem to be around anymore, particularly the .150 thickness Leblanc pads and those marvelous gold wire Buffet springs.

My advice to those of you in the repair business is to start your own "boneyard". Buy up every old horn you can find. Throw nothing away. Today's trash may very well become tomorrow's treasure.