support Tutorials CDs PPT mouthpieces

Brute Cannonball finish

L

Lhatch1

New Member
Messages
1
Location
Ct
My son has a Cannonball tenor with the brute finish. As expected, the finish is wearing and aging. But not expected is the metal smell and green that stains his hands and fingers when he plays. He hates that. Is there anything he can put on it so this doesn't happen. He doesn't want to ruin the integrity of the sax. @RyanCannonball
 
I'm sure Ryan will have some suggestions as well, but I have had success putting a protective finish on "raw" brass using Renaissance Wax. The "patina" that gives the Brute finish it's brownish color is like any other patina in that it is on the surface of the metal and can be rubbed off where the player's hands come in contact with the instrument. Renaissance Wax will inhibit this effect, but not eliminate it entirely unless it is reapplied on a regular basis.

1601738746908.png
 
Before you apply anything to the horn, give it a wipe down with a cloth dampened with a little cigarette lighter fluid (naptha). This'll remove any grease and oil that's lurking on the metal.

For a protective coat I favour a good quality car wax. They're designed to shrug off road dirt, water and UV light - and will generally out-perform a plain wax polish. Autoglym Extra Gloss Protection is a good bet, being a sealer rather than a straight wax. For other brands, check out any car wax review site.
 
What is it with these finishes ; I just dont get it . Would you spend £150 on a pair of shoes ; pre scuffed for that well worn look or £400 for a suit already threadbare ?
I'm sure I wouldn't so why a sax ? Is it meant to convey that " I've played in smoky joints for years " vibe.....I guess so . Sure a nickel finish or black lacquer fine but this pre aged thing . Pretty sad really....
 
Adrian63 said:
What is it with these finishes ; I just dont get it . Would you spend £150 on a pair of shoes ; pre scuffed for that well worn look or £400 for a suit already threadbare ?
I'm sure I wouldn't so why a sax ? Is it meant to convey that " I've played in smoky joints for years " vibe.....I guess so . Sure a nickel finish or black lacquer fine but this pre aged thing . Pretty sad really....
Click to expand...
When the "Brute" finish was first introduced, I felt the same way. Old "farts" like me grew up in the era of shiny gold or silver saxophones. I thought "what are they thinking"? Later it dawned on me that Cannonball was not marketing to players in my age group who already owned good saxophones, but to the younger generation. This was brought home to me when I staffed a Cannonball display at a local high school jazz festival. As each group finished performing and walked through the display area, the students all swarmed to the instruments with the "Brute" finish saying how "cool" they looked.
 
I guess that's the thing j : I may have sounded a little harsh in my analogy . It is a gimmick and people go for gimmicks . In reality I just feel sorry for this kid who wanted a " cool looking sax " and now has to put up with this green stuff all over his hands . I hope he gets it sorted one way or another .
 
Last edited:
Adrian63 said:
What is it with these finishes ; I just dont get it . Would you spend £150 on a pair of shoes ; pre scuffed for that well worn look or £400 for a suit already threadbare ?
Click to expand...
You need to raise your fashion ideals to a more realistic level.

AMIRI Scarves distressed denim jeans

When it comes to workwear classics, Amiri knows all about them – the label’s aesthetic is half rock’n’roll, and half Americana staples. And what could be more U.S of A than a pair of jeans like this? Part of the AW20 roster, they’re styled with all the traditional tropes like metal buttons and a...
www.selfridges.com
Note free delivery.
 
Distressed clothing? Wasn't that the hippy movement? Didn't levis lend jeans to cowboys to get the worn look and sell them at vastly inflated prices. I can remember back in the 70's sand papering my levis jeans. The rat look is popular with custom petrol heads. They do lacquer the rust though. And the bits you touch aren't toxic. For me looks are secondary to function. My nickel plated alto has seen a lot of action and weather but still looks great coming up for ten years old.
 
jbtsax said:
The positive of these finishes is that the sax will never look worse than the day you bought it. ;)
Click to expand...

There is that, though I've seen a few that had got worse - but in the main this is down to laziness.
There are some other positives.
If the horn ever needs any soldering work or suffers any cosmetic damage, it's usually pretty easy to restore the finish - and because of the 'organic' nature of it, you don't have to be too picky when it comes to matching the colour.
It's also never going to suffer from the dreaded acid bleed, which seems to be more common these days. Nothing knocks back the value of a horn than a load of brown/black blobs peeking out from around the pillars and fittings - and in some cases almost the entire horn can be affected.
Similarly, scratches are non-issue on a bare horn.

As with all these things it's very much six of one, half a dozen of the other.
 
Hi @Lhatch1, thank you for reaching out! As discussed above, the Brute has proven very popular and is a great playing sax. Our recommendation is to keep the instrument clean and dry, inside and out - always swabbing and wiping down after playing - and then storing it in its case. We have found that spraying Lemon Pledge on a soft, clean cloth and wiping the horn helps both clean and protect the bare brass.

@Stephen Howard and @jbtsax thank you for your keen recommendations, I'll check into those as well.
 
I would suggest that if using a scented furniture polish you choose a scent you like the smell and taste of. Personally I like the vanilla scents. Makes me quite a wet player though with constant reminder of custard.
This Is Cool GIF by MOODMAN
 
This seems a little unfair as if I'm singling out Cannonball . Not the case . I recently dismissed the new Conn Selmer series of tenors for all kinds of reasons ; the price not being least . The faux vintage finish on these...well check it out .
Bare brass I can just about understand but....yeah : done that...
 
Both my main tenor and alto are bare brass (1930's Selmers are usually that way by now) and I have ZERO problems with them being gross or leaving a "stain" on my hands. I'd wager the OP's son is riding that horn hard and putting it away WET. Lacquered or unlacquered, that's a no-no. Swab it out and wipe the outside down good before putting it in the case. If he's a "spitter" when he plays, unfortunately he'll need to keep a rag handy and wipe things down occasionally.
 

Similar threads

New Posts

Latest: Members' Recordings

Share this page

Support Cafesaxophone

Tutorials CDs PPT mouthpieces
Back
Top Bottom