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Hi everyone! I'm Gwen, from France.

Gouhen

Gouhen

Member
Messages
7
Location
France
I've been looking to play the saxophone for a while, but I never had a chance to get into it.
Then a few weeks ago, I found that beautiful lil' Dolnet alto. It was broken, far from being in a playable condition, but the heart has its reasons...
So I'm currently fixing it. I changed some screws, springs, made an octave key out of repair clay :eek: . Everything seems to work well now. The next step is a complete repadding. I feel like it's gonna be the funniest part.

In the meantime, I'm glad to be here with you.
 
Gwen, welcome.

Very important to have your sax in very GOOD playing condition as a beginner. A sax with leaks or out of adjustment/regulation can really cause problems for a beginner (not to mention an advanced player).

Without realizing it, you can very quickly develop bad habits as a result of just trying to get the horn to play up and down....and once bad habits form, they are not so easy to change.

Dolnets are great horns ! I appreciate your do-it-yourself mentality....IMHO every sax player should have a rudimentary knowledge of how their horn works as well as how to perform simple repairs.

But 'changing screws and springs'....this is typically not a scope of work which needs to be done on a sax. Or not typically 'priority' repairs.

Springs seldom need replacing, even on 80 year old horns (unless they are snapped or gone) and I am not certain what screws you are referring to. Usually springs and screws are the least of one's problems when focusing on what is required to get a sax which is 'broken' into playing condition. My fear is, IF in fact it needed springs and screws, there are far more significant maladies which need attention.....

As far as repadding...have you done this before ? Because it usually takes a good half-dozen repad attempts before someone can actually start getting things precise enough to have a solidly performing instrument.

IF what you want is to have a good playing horn in a short period of time, I suggest you bring it to a repair tech and have them assess the instrument, and invest some money in repairs as needed to get the sax into respectable playing condition. It is also OK to be honest with the tech as to how much of a budget for repairs you may have.

If, on the other hand....you do not mind the repad and regulation being done over a longer, drawn-out period...complete with trial and error and the likelihood of going back and re-doing things a few times to get it right....then by all means, best of luck. But rarely does a person's first attempt at a repad result in a sax which is actually in reliably good playing condition...sax repair can be a tricky thing. But in no way am I dissuading you from attempting it - just pointing out the likelihoods....

Cheers.
 
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Thank you all for your welcome!

And JayeNM, thank you for your detailed answer and your care.

I don't know if it's the place to answer and have a conversation (sorry if it's not) but, hey, here we go :

First of all, the limiting factor : no money here. I can't save, can't rent an instrument, and won't even think of entering in a shop :confused:. I was lucky to find a horn I could afford, but that's all. So it's do-it-myself or nothing, even if I'm painfully aware that I won't be able to fix my precious as well as it deserves. (don't get me wrong : I'm really enjoying doing this, so it's kind of a chance too).

Now about the state of the sax : the octave lever (is that the name? the part that fits into the neck mechanism?) was broken, the G-key spring was cut in half, the high-D shaft was not tightening properly, and there was no spring on the neck key. One screw holding the octave mechanism was rusty. There are burn marks on 3 keys. All the pads are worn out.

On the bright side, there is no dent on the body nor any repair marks. Nothing more serious than some rusty spots. No shafts are bent or anything (as far as I can see).

I fixed all the above except the pads. I completely disassembled and reassembled the saxophone too. That, I'm pretty comfortable with.
I've never repadded before (except on a bass recorder, but it was far easier). I took off a couple of old pads and glued them back to train. Aaaand... yeah, I need training! But I'm really not in a hurry : as long as I don't break anything, I don't care if I fail and have to try again.

Finally, regarding adjustments, I clearly have no idea what to do (Ooh, what's with all that cork everywhere?!), but it's a long way off, and I may have the opportunity to have it tested by an experienced player by then. I hope that, with her help, I'll be able to do something more or less acceptable.
 
Very good. As long as you are in no rush, then.

You might want to invest in a sax repair manual or research some online tutorials.

If you like, feel free to message me if you have questions during the process.

Keep in mind another alternative: IF you can get to the point where you have successfully installed the pads and floated them and seated them so they do not leak....you could conceivably THEN take it to a repair tech so they can do the key regulation. There are some techs who would probably give you a pretty good price given the pads are already installed andall they are doing is the cork and felt material installation/regulation.

Good luck.
 
Salut Gouhen!

It sounds like you jumped head on into the big sax adventure. Good for you. I did that, although not starting from scratch, a few years ago. Bought a few old horns and tried to fix them. These are not YET fixed properly, even if I did others rather well after or since.

I'm not sure where you are. You're obviously in France, but where? Perhaps I can be of assistance. PM me if you need any help.

Otherwise, good luck and stay tuned here. Lots of great people to help you in many ways!
 
Hi saxyjt,

I'm from Strasbourg.

I thank you for your welcome and your help, and I won't hesitate when I have questions (it will be easier in French, I have a hard time with the terminology)... For the moment, I am still gathering the material and tools, so I don't have a specific question yet. I think, as JayeNM said above, I need to do some trial and error before...
(btw I read some of your blog : lot of useful tips there! Thanks)
 
Gouhen said:
I'm from Strasbourg.
Click to expand...

Reading Gwen in the title I was expecting you to be in Bretagne!

One of my best friends is in Alsace, but further south, not far from Mulhouse.

I feel ashamed that I have not been posting anything for ages on my blog. Too much going on and not enough time or energy...
 

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