Tech/maintenance Holton C Melody Restoration

[PigSquealer]

Time to cork the neck. Even the neck has a SN# stamp.

Lots of sources on how to install neck cork online. Not much on bench pegs. Make one or improvise. This old sharpie I’ve used for a couple years. Just don’t squeeze too hard in the vise. Tape the finished area off with a few layers of masking tape. One slip of the sandpaper and you’ll own a scratch.

Overall I’m happy with the neck. It had a big crease in the left side from pull down.

The key mount was also pushed in some and partly dislodged.

Not 100% removed but good-n-nuff. I didn’t care to entirely remove the plate. Some cleaning underneath and flowed some solder in.

 

[PigSquealer]

Never can tell what surprises you will find under tape.

Luckily there was not much in the way of scratches. I was able to install 1-1/2” of cork and cover everything. I prefer a little less on these old ones. Reduces the chance of pull down on another day.

I did leave this crack repair alone. It didn’t fail fitting the key to the octave PIP or fitting the halo to the octave lever.

 

[PigSquealer]

This old C melody is done. Patients has paid off. It’s playing nice and bright. Good as any of the best C mel. All in tune too. Not a stuffy chamber music horn. Tuning corrections done over a few weeks. Multiple C melody mouthpieces used. #3 Eastman Venuto tenor reed, #3 Rico Orange. I was tempted to try and alto mouthpiece as the C mouthpiece was pushed in a long ways. No surprise with huge key heights. To bad the neck cork was to fat to fit a alto MPC.
Never mind the mouthpiece tuning part. It was the changes in humidity. I noticed the biggest tuning differences at 65% humidity. It played flat. At 15% humidity it played sharp. The difference was about 20¢.

 

[greenstripe]

Another stunning resurrection. I do enjoy reading your threads @PigSquealer
Not sure if having oinky down the bell is going to help the intonation.

 

[PigSquealer]

 

[PigSquealer]

Another stunning resurrection. I do enjoy reading your threads @PigSquealer
Not sure if having oinky down the bell is going to help the intonation.

Tuning adjustment done. Only removed one small squeak below D.

 

[PigSquealer]

Bench notes on tuning.

Typical key heights on Holton were not very open. I don’t care for the 20’s wet sock sound. Although screaming bright is way off the orginal sound too. I try for retaining orginal sound just not stuffy. I shy away from reflectors.

In tune the LH key touches were not really level. Doesn’t bother me. Just a quirk of antique horns. Like the huge distance between B & Bb pearls.

Another two samples show variation too.

Temporary spacing I used to achieve the best of playing / tuning. The tape is .005 and so little I didn’t total it in the measurement.

 

[PigSquealer]

Wool felt worked out along with the benefits of noise reduction. Measurements taken as fully compressed.
That’s MM on left, inch on right. That’s felt from fabric store. Instrument supply felt is a lot more dense / hard and thicker.

This adjustment above also cured the forked E clanking issue.

Adjusting bumper felt with a new razor blade can still leave fuzzies behind. A lighting fast pass with torch will burn those off. To slow and you’ll have a cooked sheep smell forever.

Gently brush off to clean.

No lost Motion the RH stack is nice and even.

 

[PigSquealer]

One last bit to cleanup.

 

[PigSquealer]

Looking at this finished area all I see is scratches. It’s possible I could have buffed them out. That’s a lot of extra work. Nice clean and proper function I’m good with.

looking at a pre-repair picture makes the scratches not look so bad after all.

 

[skeller047]

Just beautiful

 

[PigSquealer]

Happy Friday. Nice to finish the week with a rewarding four hour COA. No drama, no repair. Pictures as it came in the door so I don’t get blamed for a scratch. disassemble, clean, oil, assemble and tune. Pint time !
In

Clean

Assemble

Tune

Done

 

[PigSquealer]

Funny thing about the mouthpiece being pushed in and the tuning. Looks like Frankie did the same thing. Frankie Trumbauer was a lifetime player on his Holton C melody.

Here Dick Stabile is halfway on the cork. He’s also playing a Rudy Wiedoeft model.

 

[PigSquealer]

The mouthpiece this Holton came with is on the far left. Slightly different than some of the others. These are all C mouthpieces. The only duplicate is the one facing the wrong way to the others.
Not necessarily in order ; Buescher, Conn. Couturier, Holton, King, Lyon & Healy, Martin, Selmer, Planet C and Caravan.

 

[Jeanette]

Another stunning transformation🙂

Jx

 

[jonf]

An amazing transformation, and a thoroughly enjoyable thread. I've very much enjoyed reading your posts, @PigSquealer

 

[JulesMartin]

An amazing transformation, and a thoroughly enjoyable thread. I've very much enjoyed reading your posts, @PigSquealer

Yep really enjoyed this thread its been very informative

 

[PigSquealer]

Took a hour and cleaned up the mouthpiece, ligature and cap.
Find a old crusty broken one to learn on. I use masking tape to protect the table and rails.

A good article if you’ve never done this before. I use variations depending on condition.

#WednesdayWisdom: How To Fix Green & Old Rubber Mouthpieces – Sax ProShop

saxproshop.com

On this I’ll use white scotchbrigh - 600,1000,2000 grit wet sandpaper. White / fine polishing compound and carnauba wax. Nothing is food grade and I don’t care. I’ll wash it before use.

Sand with each grit wet. Change stroke direction each pass to knock down surface.

Rinse the part and paper often.

Enough sanding with the 2000 grit paper and you will see some gloss returning. Time to try polishing compound. If it doesn’t give you a good result go back to sandpaper.

A good result from polish so I’m moving on to waxing. This picture below is after polishing and before waxing.

 

[PigSquealer]

Apply a liberal amount of wax and let dry to a haze.

Done twice over using a fleece cloth.

When you can see your reflection it’s good-n-nuff.

I’ll have a friend dress the table and rails. Although I don’t detect any issues while playing.

 

[Ghr9204]

View attachment 24533View attachment 24532

That is quite a transformatiion, from faded, old and discolored to like new, especially for an item that is currently unobtanium.

Brazilian Carnuba wax, time to Bossa Nova. 😉