Saxophones Arta Guban tenor

[Colin the Bear]

There's an effortlessness to the Yamaha whereas the Luxor sounds like it needs more player input.

 

[Woodpad]

It sounds like the Yamaha has slightly better pads. Combined with the larger bell of the Luxor you need more effort to play the Luxor.

 

[Tyrone]

Thanks @JayeNM for the great write-up about the Arta Guban. Probably the most comprehensive on the 'net so far. I've got an tenor Arta Guban myself, but it needs some repadding now, to allow the lower notes to work again (everything below low D!). Last time I played it must have been around 2006. I've taken a break from sax playing until this year ('26) when I got myself a shiny new one with a visit to London's sax.co.uk. (They were wonderful - recommended). I was initially thinking of selling my Arta (if I could fined a taker!), but since finding the above posts, I intend to get it back to full working condition. Mine is a standard brass offering. The laquer has peeled off in places, there's discoloration on some of the keys and there's a couple of dents. Even now though, the sound is pretty good (where the pads don't need replacing!)- it has a real 1950's jazz sound. Engraving is there, together with the facia at the joints as per the pictures.

BTW mine is serial 36, stamped directly on the rear of the body and on the back of the stem of the neck. I wonder what date that would be? Probably soon after the end of WW2? Maybe 1947 or so.

 

[JayeNM]

Thanks @JayeNM for the great write-up about the Arta Guban. Probably the most comprehensive on the 'net so far. I've got an tenor Arta Guban myself, but it needs some repadding now, to allow the lower notes to work again (everything below low D!). Last time I played it must have been around 2006. I've taken a break from sax playing until this year ('26) when I got myself a shiny new one with a visit to London's sax.co.uk. (They were wonderful - recommended). I was initially thinking of selling my Arta (if I could fined a taker!), but since finding the above posts, I intend to get it back to full working condition. Mine is a standard brass offering. The laquer has peeled off in places, there's discoloration on some of the keys and there's a couple of dents. Even now though, the sound is pretty good (where the pads don't need replacing!)- it has a real 1950's jazz sound. Engraving is there, together with the facia at the joints as per the pictures.

BTW mine is serial 36, stamped directly on the rear of the body and on the back of the stem of the neck. I wonder what date that would be? Probably soon after the end of WW2? Maybe 1947 or so.

Very cool...even though he is no looker, post a picture here if you wanna, this might in fact be the most useful thread on Arta there is (?)
Funny this thread got brought back up this week , there is/was another Tenor (brass lacq) on eBay here this week.,.

 

[Tyrone Hopes]

sorry about thd late reply! Here's some pictures of the beast:

 

[Tyrone Hopes]

And a couple more showing the unique AG speaker key design and the serial #36.

 

[Tyrone Hopes]

So. Where do I start getting this up and running again? I guess i completely remove everything and get it acid dipped to get all the old laquer off then get it it re-laquered, plated or sprayed? What's best? Does spray painting change the sound and/or is that considered sacrilege? 🙂 I was thinking deep crimson paint job with nickel-plated keys (not chrome - that would be awful!)

 

[JayeNM]

relacquers are hella pricey...a decent one is around $2g these days. Do not DIY a relacq, it will turn out very bad.

Problem with paint, even auto paint, is that padwork, etc requires a heat torch, flame, painted finishes cannot withstand that so the paint would burn. Also dent removal on a painted finish could crack the finish.

Two choices...chem bathe it professionally, and hand polish, let it just be what it is gonna be...or....strip the lacq off and hand polish to a shiny bare brass, let it patina over time...there is a chance it will not patina nicely, but as much chance it will

 

[Tyrone Hopes]

relacquers are hella pricey...a decent one is around $2g these days. Do not DIY a relacq, it will turn out very bad.

Problem with paint, even auto paint, is that padwork, etc requires a heat torch, flame, painted finishes cannot withstand that so the paint would burn. Also dent removal on a painted finish could crack the finish.

Two choices...chem bathe it professionally, and hand polish, let it just be what it is gonna be...or....strip the lacq off and hand polish to a shiny bare brass, let it patina over time...there is a chance it will not patina nicely, but as much chance it will

Thanks for the ideas @JayeNM - I didn't know one could do a DIY relacq - but I can imagine it would be so bad if I was doing it.. So maybe bathe and polish is the way to go. Bare brass with a hint of patina sounds like it could look quite classy.