Saxophones Pork Tales: Saxophone Repair DIY Adventures.

Life around the barn.

Tales from a pig that likes to stick his nose into everything.

Paint that S. How difficult could it be ?

1) Search the net.
2) Find the color.
3) Order color.
4) Study task on University of YouTube, aka; For destruction by DYI presented by pro tech.

Do the cleaning & prep.

Paint and cleanup / detail the edges with hard cotton swabs. Sounds easy……

Yeah tha guy Matt makes it look easy.
Anyone remember your first experience cooking bacon crispy while still in the frying pan !

 

[mark_addy]

So it looks more like a true tone than an aristocrat.

Split bell keys on one of those, I would think?

 

[PigSquealer]

I’ll guess the pile is a New Aristocrat post 1934. 1933 was still a split bell. Not sure if the change from split to left was 1934 or 35.
The sax has features consistent with the New Aristocrat catalogs. Six roller table, new octave system, wire guard and front F. G# is half moon. The A30 was square. Stencils didn’t get Snap- On pads

 

[PigSquealer]

So it looks more like a true tone than an aristocrat.

That’s what I looked up first. Looked at pictures of LH pinky table. Nope, not an TT.

It looks like an Elkhart 30A.

Extremely close until the LH pinky G# touch. The catalog above dates to 1932. The conversation sax lacks the forked E shown in revised guard picture. The catalog shows a split bell. Lots of changes 1930-1940.

1932 Buescher Aristocrat Saxophone Brochure | Saxophone.org

Saxophone.org - created by saxophone players for saxophone players. Features an active saxophone forum, buy sell trade your sax, saxophone museum, sax teachers and more.

www.saxophone.org

Split bell keys on one of those, I would think?

The TT in 1935 had LH bell keys, but a different pinky G#. A rectangle like the 30A.

1935 Buescher True Tone General Catalog No. 31 | Saxophone.org

Saxophone.org - created by saxophone players for saxophone players. Features an active saxophone forum, buy sell trade your sax, saxophone museum, sax teachers and more.

www.saxophone.org

 

[Tuppertn]

No sure how well the features compare between alto and tenor, but I have a mid-to-late 30's Elkhart 20A with LH bell keys, G# trill and no forked Eb. The thing that really made me think 30A is that bell key guard. It looks just like my 20A which looks exactly like an Ari 1 except that there's only one support going back to the body instead of two. My 20A has the LH pinky table straight off a series III/IV TT.

 

[kamak]

When someone sends an email. “I’m going to need help”.
View attachment 34630

Should I reply with the phone number of a good psychiatrist

Holy cow, I am so glad that I didn't end up in this situation working on my C-mel 😀

 

[PigSquealer]

No sure how well the features compare between alto and tenor, but I have a mid-to-late 30's Elkhart 20A with LH bell keys, G# trill and no forked Eb. The thing that really made me think 30A is that bell key guard. It looks just like my 20A which looks exactly like an Ari 1 except that there's only one support going back to the body instead of two. My 20A has the LH pinky table straight off a series III/IV TT.

View attachment 34676View attachment 34677

Thanks for sharing your knowledge. I see more clue details daily.
Bad listing pictures are making this detective work interesting. I don’t know Buescher / EBIC products 1930 onwards well.
Looking at the body….
Only one partial view of bell wire guard. It’s a single like 20A. Where it attaches to body in another view is single also.
SF#, Eb & LC wire guards have round feet like 20A
SF# guard is “C” shape hoop.
Will be interesting to see what LH pinky table actually looks like. Appears the table and largely the G# touch changes multiple times, 1930- 1950 30A net pictures have mostly rectangular touch. The spare in post #682 upper left is not.
I just noticed a bow fin. The TT had the fin but not a 30A or Crat🤔.
No clear visible SN# or “sunrise” shape.
The simple engraving has department store catalog flavor like Sears.

 

[PigSquealer]

One priceless picture from the listing. Anyone know “Dan” in Idaho ?

 

[Tuppertn]

Thanks for sharing your knowledge. I see more clue details daily.
Bad listing pictures are making this detective work interesting. I don’t know Buescher / EBIC products 1930 onwards well.
Looking at the body….
Only one partial view of bell wire guard. It’s a single like 20A. Where it attaches to body in another view is single also.
SF#, Eb & LC wire guards have round feet like 20A
SF# guard is “C” shape hoop.
Will be interesting to see what LH pinky table actually looks like. Appears the table and largely the G# touch changes multiple times, 1930- 1950 30A net pictures have mostly rectangular touch. The spare in post #682 upper left is not.

As I understand it, the Elkhart horns were a bit Frankenstein-ish by design. To produce a low cost, second-label horn they pieced together whatever overrun parts they could from the Buescher factory.

I just noticed a bow fin. The TT had the fin but not a 30A or Crat🤔.

Matching fin on my 20A, though later versions didn't have them.

The simple engraving has department store catalog flavor like Sears.

Actually, the 20A's and 30A's sold in the Sears catalog were stenciled "Silvertone". Check this one out:

Silvertone Tenor sold on Reverb

Not a perfect match to yours but there are lots of matching bits, especially the LH pinky table. Maybe they built some with left over TT bows?

 

[PigSquealer]

Saxophone made by “Pick-A-Part” or “It Works Ltd.” 🤣
Yes, I remember the “Silvertone” brand at Sears now. Department store catalogs all had competing products. Just change the trim.
Sax ETA is Saturday. I’ll pass on the unpacking video. With luck maybe a SN & model number will be visible 🤞 Add a half hour and I’ll have it together.

 

[PigSquealer]

Sax ETA is Saturday

Now Sunday afternoon. I didn’t know FedEx delivers on Sunday 🤔

 

[PigSquealer]

Uncle Fred delivered “Sax Dan” @ 14:00 today 🙌.
Scary small carton😬 8-3/4 x 8-3/4”.

Unboxing non-video.
I didn’t see “Sax Dan” on the carton…. Because it was the carton inside the carton. The 8” x 8” one 😬

Note on carton from Dan ?

Yep, tight fitting.

Houston, we have 30A 🙌 SN# is Elkhart Band Instrument Company, 1949.

 

[PigSquealer]

Nicely packaged ! I was expecting everything to be loose in box. Start time 15:40. Inventory is first.

 

[Tuppertn]

I hope those hinge tubes aren't all bent up from being off the horn since forever. I hate straightening hinge tubes. It's tedious and frustrating as #%@&.

No fair that they can "pack" a horn like that and have it arrive unscathed. I wrapped mine in bubble wrap, placed inside a wood case, bubble wrapped again then double boxed and they still manage to smack it hard enough to push in the bell brace. Sometimes I wonder if they see my name on the shipping label and toss my stuff out a fourth floor window.

 

[PigSquealer]

I hope those hinge tubes aren't all bent up from being off the horn since forever. I hate straightening hinge tubes. It's tedious and frustrating as #%@&.

None bent 🥳

No fair that they can "pack" a horn like that and have it arrive unscathed. I wrapped mine in bubble wrap, placed inside a wood case, bubble wrapped again then double boxed and they still manage to smack it hard enough to push in the bell brace. Sometimes I wonder if they see my name on the shipping label and toss my stuff out a fourth floor window.

I was shocked it wasn’t a pretzel. A minuscule of a bend on bell lip was all. One hit with a leather mallet and it was fixed.

 

[PigSquealer]

Everything laid out in system groups. It all here✅

Hardware check I’m short two pivot screws and one small rod, but what one ?
The two missing screws needed are to the newer style body octave touch. Easy to overlook as the older style had a long rod. Luckily I have spares on hand.

 

[PigSquealer]

I start by measuring the small rods. 3 LH palm, 2 RH palm, 1 crook octave key. Six and I have five. They are all the same diameter and appear factory original.

All but one are the same length. There’s usually a reason why one is smaller. The shorty on left with less thread is a clue.

Here’s the reason. Palm D has a blind threaded hole. Bad idea to bottom out hardware in these.

The missing # 6 small rod was to neck octave key…I had a spare for that too🤪

 

[PigSquealer]

Everything sorted. Oily rag restoration. WD-40 on pipe cleaners for the barrels. Just a courtesy wipe. Same for hinge rods.
Fully assembled at 17:04. Including shaking the carton and stuffing looking for spares, dumping the carton and putting all four tools away. 1:24 hr total time to vet the risk was well worth it. The action is solid. Springs are great (I did break one😒. It stuck on working towel). Body is in great shape and not bent. Crook to receiver is tight. It’s clean and smell free😇

 

[PigSquealer]

Total damage to bell.

I lost a little time assembling the bell keys. Took three tries. The wire cloth guard from bell to body being the issue.
Sequencing matters. I mounted the bell keys first. Thinking I could slip LC# under the wire and into place.
Nope, strike one.

So I removed the bell keys and then LC# will pass by and mount. Starting with cup down and below bell brace.

LC# mounted I proceeded to reinstall the bell keys..😤 Can’t get the B Bb hinge rod in with LC# mounted. The touch interferes.
It’s common for the B Bb rod to install from the bottom 🤦‍♂️
Strike two 😳

LH Bell key 🤔 don’t think I have any cases that fit 😩

 

[PigSquealer]

Many neighbors comment about all the tools I have (never enough) collected, made or restored. My sources are many. Like Sunday afternoon sidewalk sales discovered while walking Dug.
This vendor was having a 100% off sale 😃 I see some potential …

….but Dug has no interest. Just wanted to keep on truck’n.

 

[PigSquealer]

The place was a mile from the farm. Had a few minutes to think about the plié (and hope it was gone if I returned).
Soda in hand I looked over the picture again.
Bench grinder and stones is caught my eye first. Could be other vintage tools in the tin ??
Add on’s..
Flatware tray, good for small parts / tools.
New in bag HDMI cable that I actually need to order one.
New appearing RCA cable (2) meh.
A bicycle rack ? Good bit of mild steel or possibly a sax holder for soldering ?
No room for any plastic / wood garbage storage bins.
But then my eyes sees a push button radio 🤩….parts to fix the one in Buick 🫨

I do have a hidden JBL speakers I run by Bluetooth off phone. But for competitive judged car shows a radio, 8 track, or working sound system is 5 points. That’s like an automatic 2nd place.

Off to the sidewalk sale I go.