Saxophones Franken-sax?

[Grumpikins]

My primary instrument is Tuba. Among tuba players there are quite a few who build what are called Franken-Tuba's. Basically we find old junk, sometimes buy new components, and build homemade conglomerations.

Is this a thing in the saxophone community?

 

[thomsax]

My primary instrument is Tuba. Among tuba players there are quite a few who build what are called Franken-Tuba's. Basically we find old junk, sometimes buy new components, and build homemade conglomerations.

Is this a thing in the saxophone community?

Yes, but we didn't called anything special. To buy an old "junk sax" and "rebuilt it" is nice hobby. But we never sold them. We didin't knew what we were doing.

 

[DesertRoads]

It can be. My very first Saxophone was a 1925 Martin C Melody. I found it stuffed in a trashcan missing the neck. I rebuilt it with a sourced C Melody neck from a run over Martin C Melody, and an octave key from a Tenor Sax. That's when I was a technician apprentice right out of high school. Was a fun project. It's still a horn that I play and enjoy today.

 

[Grumpikins]

Yes, but we didn't called anything special. To buy an old "junk sax" and "rebuilt it" is nice hobby. But we never sold them. We didin't knew what we were doing.

Most don't do this with the intent to sell. Its more of can I make this piece crap play and sound good or better with parts from other junk instruments. Like building a rat rod car.

 

[thomsax]

Most don't do this with the intent to sell. Its more of can I make this piece crap play and sound good or better with parts from other junk instruments. Like building a rat rod car.

WE don't like to sell. We were just curious what happen if we did differnt things. A sax without low Bb and Bb can sound better ..... and to play without octave keys gave us more mulltiple tones. Rock & Roll sax you know.

 

[JayeNM]

My primary instrument is Tuba. Among tuba players there are quite a few who build what are called Franken-Tuba's. Basically we find old junk, sometimes buy new components, and build homemade conglomerations.

Is this a thing in the saxophone community?

"FrankenSax" is a term which is used in sax world, yes.

It usually refers to a model that had missing parts or pieces so damaged that they just needed to be replaced. But on a significant scale.

For example....a replacement neck, or modified single KEY, or a new bellbrace or keyguard...makes NOT a Frankensax.

But a horn where someone took the body tube and bow of one model, slapped on a new bellpiece, modified the pinky table mounting and keys to fit that bellpiece....that's a Frankensax.
Or where they replaced the entire vintage pinky assembly with a modern style one, yeah that's Frankensax....

There is a guy here in US, George Borodi,who is actually really GOOD at doing that. Having 2/3 of a horn and piecing together the rest. He also relacquers them so they look brand new. Technically, impressive.

The problem is...he knows that selling them as a Frankensax gets no ca-ching, so he never describes them as such. If you ask him, he tends to be very vague in his answers....which is too bad because honestly, it looks like he does a very thorough job in producing a nicely playing result.

 

[DesertRoads]

"FrankenSax" is a term which is used in sax world, yes.

For example....a replacement neck, or modified single KEY, or a new bellbrace or keyguard...makes NOT a Frankensax.

Noted.

 

[mizmar]

Is this a thing in the saxophone community?

No need. It's built into the original design.
Hint: it's a woodwind made of brass

 

[thomsax]

Or where they replaced the entire vintage pinky assembly with a modern style one, yeah that's Frankensax....

Ok, we didn't make Franken saxes.

 

[JayeNM]

Noted.

Oh, wasn't directed at you, specifically....😉

 

[SuperAction80]

Yeah, it happens, with variable and interesting degrees of success. Generally speaking, the mechanism parts of a saxophone are very unique and model/vintage specific. Unless you're fabricating a new part from scratch using the exact required specs for the mechanism, results are often very mixed. Techs are then left trying to remove things like play in the mechanism from parts that were never designed to go there in the first place.

Conversely, there are total refabs, that were previously brought up. Starting about 25 years ago, a few great techs started to do things like replacing Conn New Wonder keywork with modern Yamaha keys. That requires the removal of all keys and posts, the cutting and repositioning of the body to get all toneholes repositioned into a modern standard, and an extensive reconstruction of new posts to accept the new mechanism. The results are pretty amazing. You get to keep the old bore and sound with the benefits of a modern mechanism. Obviously, such a modification (re-manufacture, really) doesn't come cheap. James Carter has such a horn.

 

[turf3]

I'd say that replacing a Conn neck with a Conn neck doesn't qualify; replacing a Conn neck with a Selmer neck might; replacing a Conn bell with a Selmer bell surely would.