I was having an interesting conversation on a sax discussion board the other day about my new SX90R Shadow tenor. A bunch of us were kicking around moving from vintage to new/modern horns.
A member of the forum pointed out that in addition to the good ergos of new horns, he preferred the lack of regular maintenance and repairs that his new horns required, when compared to vintage horns.
I pointed out that I am not in any way becoming a new horn, or even a modern horn player. Other than my brand new Shadow, my next newest horn, is my Couf Superba I bass from 1983, which is of course a Toneking Special stencil.
My brand new Shadow notwithstanding, I have played vintage saxophones for almost my entire saxophone-playing career. And while some of my now-vintage horns weren’t quite vintage when I first got them back in the 80s, they were in fact used.
Fast forward to today, and 17 of my current pro horns (saxes and 2 clarinets) that are ready to go out on jobs with me on a moments notice, are vintage. And other than the Shadow I just got in September, all the new-to-me horns I acquired over the past 20 years and use(d) regularly, are vintage—or in some cases even antique (meaning they are over 100 years old).
How do I maintain my horns in a gig ready state?
After working as David’s Educational Rep for over 4 years, I can unequivocally state that my vintage horns do NOT require more maintenance or repairs than new or modern horns do. There were lots of customers who brought their new or modern horns in far more often than I did.
If you wonder why that might be the case, I believe there are many reasons for this. No doubt part of it has to do with build quality. Bad quality horns will require more work from the get, and throughout their lifetimes.
Not to minimize build quality, but that really is only one reason why my vintage horns don’t land in the shop as often as some others might. Another reason would be because I regularly maintain them by doing the following. (I did these things before I worked for David, and continue to do so—even though I stopped for him in April.)
Regularly
- Don’t eat before or during playing without brushing my teeth.
- Don’t drink anything other than water while playing, without brushing my teeth.
- Oil the horn’s keys, screws, and rollers regularly depending on its use. For horns I use very little, that could be as little as once per year. For horns I use all the time, it could be twice a year. But don’t overoil!
Annually
- Take the instrument to the tech for a through check up; maintenance; repair/replace what needs to be done.
Bottom line: If you don’t maintain your horn, it doesn’t matter how new or old it is, like any mechanical item, it will break down.
At time of purchase
- Get it overhauled*
More often than not I get a new-to-me instrument overhauled at the get.
*Sometimes a horn doesn’t need a full overhaul, but only what David and I refer to as an overhaul light. (We did this on my closet Couf bari and bass.) In this case the horn is not cleaned in a chemical tub, and not all the pads are replaced. However, the rest of the standard overhaul steps are still followed:
- Complete disassembly
- Complete inspection & cleaning of all parts
- Everything oiled & greased
- Necessary pads replaced
- All corks and felts replaced
- Any loose key work tightened
Regardless which overhaul method is chosen for the instrument, this ensures that the instrument I am playing is as close to being “new” as possible. Hence the risk of stuff going wrong is no higher on my vintage instrument as it is on a new or modern horn.
Why I personally don’t believe in doing my own repairs
I am not a believer in doing my own repairs. I am NOT a repair tech. I did NOT go to school for 3 years; create a project instrument; do an apprenticeship; write an exam; and on, and on, and on…
Watching YouTube videos is not the same as learning from real instructors, and then by experience through a proper apprenticeship with properly trained supervisors. Period. Full stop.
Without exception, every instrument that I have bought from a player who said that they “overhauled” it themselves, was a joke. Some were barely playable. In some the pads were held in with tape. That’s why I always tell people: If you buy a new-to-you horn from a private seller*, budget for an overhaul immediately. This way if you don’t need one, then you’re ahead. However, if you do need one, then you have the $$ already available from the start.
*NB: It is worth noting not all dealers are the same. Some dealers specialize in [vintage] saxophones and their restorations. They only sell fully functioning, overhauled instruments. If they sell one that isn’t overhauled, the will advertise it: SOLD AS IS.
On the other hand, there are dealers who don’t specialize, and sell things in a wide variety of conditions. That’s why you have to take your time; do your research into dealers; and shop around.
