Saxophones Buescher True Tone 1926 C melody sax possible to play without repad?

[PigSquealer]

I made an edit to the pictures. D#-Eb.

Saxophone Fingering charts - the best and easiest to use

Saxophone fingering charts for beginners - the basic saxophone fingerings with easy to read charts and notation for soprano, alto, tenor or baritone

tamingthesaxophone.com

 

[PigSquealer]

I thought I had 10 fingers. Had to look it up
Looks like I only have 6

Still I’m doing better than this poor guy !

 

[AlonW]

I also had a 1926 Buescher C-Melody silver plated just like this with the distinctive man-in-the-moon neck design. It played in tune and was not hard to play except for the G# which took Shrek-level pinky strength to operate.

 

[LostCircuits]

I also had a 1926 Buescher C-Melody silver plated just like this with the distinctive man-in-the-moon neck design. It played in tune and was not hard to play except for the G# which took Shrek-level pinky strength to operate.

You must have had a bad spring on the G# or maybe some interference with the G/G# trill key, mine plays like butter.

@PenelopeTX, this has not come up yet in this thread, at least I don't think it has but the older horns have what is called a G/G# trill key that you operate with the right index finger. Modern horns don't have that key and unless you press the G# key on the left hand pinky table, it is kind of flopping around, it's the little one in this picture:

Saxophones - Buescher True Tone 1926 C melody sax possible to play without repad?

I recently acquired this saxophone that belonged to my grandfather. Sadly, the restoration quote for repad/cleaning is over $1k. I did manage to squeeze out a few notes just fine. No idea how to play whatsoever though yet. I’m wondering if I could use this gently as a beginner instrument...

cafesaxophone.com

If you press the G# key, the cup/key will open and at the same time the trill key will be raised and you then can trill between G and G# with your right index finger. Make sure you familiarize yourself with the mechanism before you take it apart. I have met a bunch of techs who had no idea what that thing actually was. Take 10x as many pictures as you think is necessary. It is not really complicated, just something that does not exist anymore in past 1935ish horns. .

 

[PenelopeTX]

You must have had a bad spring on the G# or maybe some interference with the G/G# trill key, mine plays like butter.

@PenelopeTX, this has not come up yet in this thread, at least I don't think it has but the older horns have what is called a G/G# trill key that you operate with the right index finger. Modern horns don't have that key and unless you press the G# key on the left hand pinky table, it is kind of flopping around, it's the little one in this picture:

Saxophones - Buescher True Tone 1926 C melody sax possible to play without repad?

I recently acquired this saxophone that belonged to my grandfather. Sadly, the restoration quote for repad/cleaning is over $1k. I did manage to squeeze out a few notes just fine. No idea how to play whatsoever though yet. I’m wondering if I could use this gently as a beginner instrument...

cafesaxophone.com

If you press the G# key, the cup/key will open and at the same time the trill key will be raised and you then can trill between G and G# with your right index finger. Make sure you familiarize yourself with the mechanism before you take it apart. I have met a bunch of techs who had no idea what that thing actually was. Take 10x as many pictures as you think is necessary. It is not really complicated, just something that does not exist anymore in past 1935ish horns. .

Wow, thanks for mentioning. I would have had no idea how that operated. I’m assuming it’s these two keys. They seem to operate together just how you described.

 

[LostCircuits]

Wow, thanks for mentioning. I would have no idea how that operated. I’m assuming it’s these two keys. They seem to operate together just how you described. View attachment 28078

Yes exactly. I've had professional players and techs telling me there is something "broken" with my old horns and when I showed them how this mechanism works they just told me they had never seen anything like that. For me it is a very handy feature at least for some tunes, because you can't trill with your pinky like you can with your index finger.

It's always fun playing with other players and trilling and getting that look "And how did he just do that?"

Anyway, now that you are "in the know" I trust you'll be able to figure out everything you need.

 

[PigSquealer]

Yeah, that goofy key touch can be a secret to keep.
It’s always between F & E on lower stack.

 

[PenelopeTX]

Should I go ahead and order replacement snap on pads from Music Medic? I’m assuming those are only available with cardboard backing. I know the backing can be swapped for metal, but not sure how tedious that process might be.

These pads aren’t torn, but not sure if I should just replace all while I am in the process of disassembly/reassembly.🤔 I have not yet added any leather conditioner to these. These are fresh off the horn.

 

[LostCircuits]

I am voting, clean and condition rather than replace at this point, at least to get started. The ones where the seats don't make a continuous circle are a bit suspicious but right now, at this point, the pads look at least salvageable. The way of the least resistance is not always the perfect path but perfect is the enemy of good. The only reason I would see to replace some of the deep seated pads is if the leather is really brittle or else if the seats are so deep that they cause sticky pads.

And you could try to clean the resonators but if the leather conditioner doesn't do it, don't use anything that might scour the leather of the pads. A 0000 steel wool with everything in place might work for taking off rust spots but that's as far as I would go.

 

[skeller047]

I agree with @LostCircuits . I'd use naptha (Ronsonol lighter fluid) to clean those pads and resonators. Use high quality cotton buds - the cheap Q-tips are too fluffy and leave stuff behind. in Texas you should have no trouble finding a good supply of gun cleaning cotton swabs. Matt Stohrer uses some that have pointy tips, which are excellent for getting into small places.

Condition after cleaning with naptha. Avoid stuff like mink oil which a) stinks and b) penetrates.

 

[PenelopeTX]

Thank you guys! I have a few more keys to remove. I’ll try to post a pic of all the pads together. One rod was seized yesterday so took a little longer to carefully remove. So far only one pad is torn. I believe it’s the B or Bb. The whole thing definitely needs oil badly just like everyone warned me about.😅

 

[LostCircuits]

Condition after cleaning with naptha. Avoid stuff like mink oil which a) stinks and b) penetrates.

You don't like mink oil? I even named one of my cats Minky 😛

 

[Targa]

You don't like mink oil? I even named one of my cats Minky 😛

I was going to search on Google for how to oil a mink then thought better not to.
It might bring up some unfortunate responses.

 

[Ghr9204]

Thank you guys! I have a few more keys to remove. I’ll try to post a pic of all the pads together. One rod was seized yesterday so took a little longer to carefully remove. So far only one pad is torn. I believe it’s the B or Bb. The whole thing definitely needs oil badly just like everyone warned me about.😅

At this point, it may be that it only needs the bad pads replaced and perhaps any missing bumper corks / felts.

The advantage of your C tenor is that it is in the same key as your C flute.

 

[PigSquealer]

So far only one pad is torn. I believe it’s the B or Bb. The whole thing definitely needs oil badly just like everyone warned me about.😅

Bell key pad ? If you only have one pad torn. Put it back in. If it is a Bell key you don’t need it to test the rest of the system. You could also put two layers of saran wrap around it. Temporary Band-Aid at best.
Clean the inside of the tubes well with solvent. It may take a couple of times if it’s real gooey in there. Clean the rods with solvent and some fine steel wool. Watch the steel wool dust. You will have rusty residue everywhere.

Be aware you may knock some of the cork off. No big deal. When it’s time we’ll help you fix that too.

Be extremely gentle on the leather. Pat to clean, don’t rub.
It may dissolve/tear just looking at it.
I wouldn’t use neatsfoot oil.

 

[LostCircuits]

Bell key pad ? If you only have one pad torn. Put it back in. If it is a Bell key you don’t need it to test the rest of the system. You could also put two layers of saran wrap around it. Temporary Band-Aid at best.
Clean the inside of the tubes well with solvent. It may take a couple of times if it’s real gooey in there. Clean the rods with solvent and some fine steel wool. Watch the steel wool dust. You will have rusty residue everywhere.

Be aware you may knock some of the cork off. No big deal. When it’s time we’ll help you fix that too.

Be extremely gentle on the leather. Pat to clean, don’t rub.
It may dissolve/tear just looking at it.
I wouldn’t use neatsfoot oil.

If it's torn it's torn and that's where the snaps are really handy. Get the old one out, put the new one in, flick the cup with your finger half a dozen times and you are in biz.

 

[PigSquealer]

If it's torn it's torn and that's where the snaps are really handy. Get the old one out, put the new one in, flick the cup with your finger half a dozen times and you are in biz.

I got the feeling Penelope didn’t want to buy any pads just yet. Are you sending her one😀

 

[thomsax]

I think you are the only person in the sax world who refers to the Eb as D#

I think we are at least two ..... . For a sax honker that into Rock Roll Saxophone D# is rock, Eb is classical/ jazz. I was so glad, when I was playing Stevie Ray Vaughn songs (he was often in concert Eb and Texas native ), and the guitar player told us that he/she played SRV's Eb songs in concert E. For me ist's more natural to add sharps instead of flats.

 

[thomsax]

Thank you guys! I have a few more keys to remove. I’ll try to post a pic of all the pads together. One rod was seized yesterday so took a little longer to carefully remove. So far only one pad is torn. I believe it’s the B or Bb. The whole thing definitely needs oil badly just like everyone warned me about.😅

You can leave the bell keys pad as is and have your C meleody sax to be a sax "keyed" from low C to high F. I didn't use the bell key so often when I played/owned a C tenor.

 

[LostCircuits]

I got the feeling Penelope didn’t want to buy any pads just yet. Are you sending her one😀

@PenelopeTX per request of Mr. Piggy, I'll be happy to send you a pad or two but I would need all the necessary information.