May have found a UK engraver...

[DavidUK]

Early days, but he's engraved a set of bagpipes before (silver ring thingys?) which he sent me a photo of and I'm very impressed. I've sent him a link to Jason Dumars' YouTube videos which don't faze him at all.

I'm going to drop in a scrap instrument (not a sax, don't panic!) in the next few days for him to have a practice on, and we'll take it from there.

If it works out, I'd like a little embellishment to my Grassi as it's not over endowed. See what the prices are...

I'm not naming him at present in case it doesn't work out. Keep you posted...

;}

 

[ProfJames]

Will the engraving affect the tone of the sax?

 

[DavidUK]

Will the engraving affect the tone of the sax?

No, or none would be engraved. Think SBA, MkVI, etc...

 

[ProfJames]

Appreciate that..........but you have to be so careful to not go too deep I would have thought?

 

[DavidUK]

Appreciate that..........but you have to be so careful to not go too deep I would have thought?

Yes, that's why I'm going to someone who's been engraving 24 years and teaches his craft to others.

Here's his bagpipe thingamabobs.....

 

[kevgermany]

That looks very promising!

 

[DavidUK]

Do you think there would be much call for a good UK sax engraver? I've looked before but couldn't find one. Spoke to Don Blocksidge, gun engraver, months ago but he didn't like the idea of not being able to secure a large instrument while he worked on it - not his cup of tea.

If you think about it, the majority of horns are lacquered which does not lend itself to engraving as the still lacquered areas surrounding the engraving would be prone to tarnishing. Engraving is most suited to bare brass instruments, either those intended to remain "raw" or during an overhaul where they are to be re-lacquered.

 

[ProfJames]

Looks stunning I think but if it came to resale how may people would buy a personalised instrument? Would that be a problem?

 

[DavidUK]

Looks stunning I think but if it came to resale how may people would buy a personalised instrument? Would that be a problem?

Yes, I think it would in general.
Take a SBA, MkVI or YAS-62. All have distinctive engraving and a buyer faced with a line up of any of these with one being different may think as you are thinking "what about re-sale"?
But then take a very lightly engraved sax, such as the Grassi....

Faced with a line of these with rather nondescript engraving, but with one looking (hopefully!) rather more splendid, I think most would be attracted by that one and think "... and if I like it, others will when the time comes to sell."

But it's all down to the engraving cost of course. If I spend £800 on engraving, nobody is going to pay that amount extra for the Grassi. So I have to think carefully whether it will be a labour of love or whether what I have done will be sufficiently attractive to recoup the outlay. I doubt the latter is possible so it will be a little of each thought process. I'll aim to get back half of what the engraving costs at resale. The other half I'll have "spent" enjoying looking at a piece of artwork, as the Hanson aptly illustrates.

 

[Fraser Jarvis]

If you think about it, the majority of horns are lacquered which does not lend itself to engraving as the still lacquered areas surrounding the engraving would be prone to tarnishing. Engraving is most suited to bare brass instruments, either those intended to remain "raw" or during an overhaul where they are to be re-lacquered.

Are you sure about that? many vintage as well as modern sax's are lacquered prior to being engraved....

 

[DavidUK]

Are you sure about that? many vintage as well as modern sax's are lacquered prior to being engraved....

Yes, it brought to mind Steve Howard's review of the J6: http://www.shwoodwind.co.uk/Reviews/Saxes/Alto/academy_alto.htm

About half way down, paragraph starts with "The finish was very....."

But then that's why so many vintage and modern saxes suffer tarnishing, especially immediately adjacent to any engraving.

 

[DavidUK]

Update:

I took the old instrument, a euphorium or such like, to the engraver today and he's going to have a doodle and send me some photos before we embark on the Grassi.

I thought maybe some engraving inside the Grassi's bell rim, on the bow brace, brace and sides of the crook?
Any other ideas anyone?
The original engraving is so shallow it could almost be polished off and re-started. He can't go over this to make it more defined as it's impossible to follow the lines created by rocking the tool from side to side as he hand engraves. The brass is 0.5mm at the rim of the bell and he was concerned that polishing the original engraving away may leave the brass too thin to re-engrave, A valid concern.

Will post photos of his trials when I have them.

 

[Pete Thomas]

Do you think there would be much call for a good UK sax engraver? I've looked before but couldn't find one. Spoke to Don Blocksidge, gun engraver, months ago but he didn't like the idea of not being able to secure a large instrument while he worked on it - not his cup of tea.

Exactly the response I got from Katia Filipovic, gun engraver. There is not enough demand to make it worthwhile getting the kind of jig to secure different instruments.

Check out her gallery, some really nice stuff including ducks.

 

[Plod]

Exactly the response I got from Katia Filipovic, gun engraver. There is not enough demand to make it worthwhile getting the kind of jig to secure different instruments.

Check out her gallery, some really nice stuff including ducks.

Very nice, a true artist, right! the Browning or the Yani ?,, As I can't hit many, but sound like a Duck, I think that solves my dilemma

 

[gladsaxisme]

I think the expression polishing a turd could be very apt when it comes to engraving and the decision about when you are actually doing that and when the engraving adds to the quality of the sax, after all a heap of junk with a fabulous engraving is still a heap of junk.
I thought that Jason Dumas did his engraving free hand with no jigs to hold it .....John

 

[gladsaxisme]

When manufacturers engrave their saxes they obviously do it to increase the attractiveness of the instrument and being the owner of one of Selmers bird series horns I have to say they have failed miserably the engraving is actually abysmal and they should be ashamed of themselves ......John

 

[Chris J]

Conn Artists to be admired!

It is hard to get the balance right between garish and beautiful, but as with most art, the beauty is in the eye of the beholder and cheque payer. We all have different tastes

I love the balance achieved in old Conns. The tiny detail and intricate patterns, all done by freehand, I assume.











Chris

 

[Pete Thomas]

This is what I want:

 

[Ivan]

Check out her gallery, some really nice stuff including ducks.

She'll be jolly good if she can engrave a duck

They don't half squirm

 

[DavidUK]

I think the expression polishing a turd could be very apt when it comes to engraving and the decision about when you are actually doing that and when the engraving adds to the quality of the sax, after all a heap of junk with a fabulous engraving is still a heap of junk.
I thought that Jason Dumas did his engraving free hand with no jigs to hold it .....John

I can see where you're coming from. I had a go at engraving some scrap brass then gave up but I do like what Jason does and just have this bee in my bonnet about getting a sax engraved, no particular sense to it. The Grassi looks good in its raw brass state so I do have to be careful to enhance that and not spoil it.
Jason engraves with the sax in his lap but not many seem keen to do it that way.