Saxophone catastrophes

[Nick Wyver]

I bought an SX90R alto in 2000. Within a month I had dumped it on a tiled floor twice courtesy of the usual not doing the case up. The first time it wasn't too bad and a bit tinkering sorted it. The second time resulted in the body being banana'd. It took Mr Noble to sort it properly. It's been fine ever since fortunately.

 

[Nick Wyver]

Actually, the biggest catastrophe from a playing point of view involved a mouthpiece a long time ago.
5 minutes or so before the gig started (sometime in 1978) I dropped my only soprano mouthpiece, which of course broke irreparably. This meant I had to do the gig on my tenor which was a complete pile of junk. Ever since then I always have a spare mouthpiece at gigs.

 

[U CAN CALL ME AL]

@Nick Wyver Awch! I’ve seen this happen at a workshop someone in a mad rush to leave a brand new Mauriat a matter of days old I thought I was about to see tears. May both you and your sax stay safe from here on in Regards Al

 

[Vetinari]

Bought my bari , on the way out of the shop fell down a step and dumped the bari on the floor. Got lucky, no damage to sax , but knees took a weel to heal.

 

[U CAN CALL ME AL]

Bought my bari , on the way out of the shop fell down a step and dumped the bari on the floor. Got lucky, no damage to sax , but knees took a weel to heal.

Still in the box unplayed in anger now that would have been a major disaster - bit of knee trembler then. Hope you were wearing brown trousers. Al

 

[U CAN CALL ME AL]

@nigeld I seem to have missed your post very irritating grrrr. not a catastrophe minor annoyance.

 

[U CAN CALL ME AL]

 

[jbtsax]

All of these mishaps are what those in my trade call "job security",

 

[saxyjt]

I wouldn't put a baritone on a wall-mount myself. But I guess in some instance that might be a good option.

I've seen those, but that's not what I have in mind. I want something that is attached to the wall, but rests on a shelf too! I wouldn't hang a bari on a wall. Way too risky!

But the bari stand on the floor is always kind of in the middle of the way. Not ideal...

 

[jbtsax]

The standard joke when something like this is posted on an instrument repair forum is: "Don't worry. That will buff out".

 

[JayeNM]

That sax was a Conn 18M btw.....

 

[jbtsax]

That sax was a Conn 18M btw.....

Good eye. It probably plays a little bit flat. (more repair tech humor)

 

[saxmad]

I was about age 15 and playing in a big band. At the end of the rehearsal I was unable to remove my mouthpiece from the crook as I had had to push it on a lot to tune up. The bass player said he would help and got the mouthpiece off but twisted the crook beyond repair to the extent it resembled cheese strings. Total disaster especially as it was a wonderful SML.

Many years later as a pro muso I finished a gig, put my saxes away and left my flute until last to find I had put the plastic Yamaha case on stage lights to discover the heat had melted it.

On another occasion as a pro muso I decided to give my Mark VI tenor a clean at home. My wife asked what was it she could see in the bell. One of the guys in the band had deposited a bra and left me with the job of explaining my total innocence to my wife!

 

[CliveMA]

One of the guys in the band had deposited a bra and left me with the job of explaining my total innocence to my wife!

And how does he explain where he got the bra? Surely your wife didn't buy your excuse?

 

[U CAN CALL ME AL]

@saxmad the SML is unforgivable the flute case naa. Keeping abreast of things is only natural!
Regards Al

 

[saxmad]

Yes, as u can call me al says, the SML was a real shame. Back in those days there wasn't any internet so unless a couple of nearby shops happened to have an authentic replacement crook you were stuffed. I was - a piece of copper tubing was brazed onto the "stump" but it was never the same again tone wise.
Regarding CliveMA's comment - the guys in the band were always pulling a prank on each other so I managed to safely explain my way out.

 

[JayeNM]

Good eye. It probably plays a little bit flat. (more repair tech humor)

Indeedy. At first it looked like a Yamaha 21/23 and I was gonna get a bit angry...

Then when I realized it was the 18M, I thought "OK..... understandable"....

 

[Nikki]

. My Mum originally bought me a 1949 Selmer Alto sax which I kept in the cupboard, avoiding catastrophes all these years since 1975. That itself, of course, was a catastrophe!

Ok wait a minute.
What.?
You were bought a Selmer saxophone which you kept stored in a cupboard ?
Wow! Surely this is a huge exaggeration.

I just thought of a ding a got on my SML alto. While playing outside for our high schools football team, someone bashed into me. I wasn’t too pleased but not much I could do. It was the edge of their portable music stand which was attached to their instrument so their excuse was that they weren’t accustomed to it. Being the push over that I was, I let it go. Probably still would. Stuff happens.

 

[GCinCT]

I just thought of a ding a got on my SML alto. While playing outside for our high schools football team, someone bashed into me. I wasn’t too pleased but not much I could do. It was the edge of their portable music stand which was attached to their instrument so their excuse was that they weren’t accustomed to it. Being the push over that I was, I let it go. Probably still would. Stuff happens.

View: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=mfebpLfAt8g

 

[jonf]

I don't think I've ever really damaged a sax. Saxophones, on the other hand, have damaged me on a number of occasions. The sax swinging on the sling, hitting me in the save with the tip of a metal Lawton mouthpice. Split my lip really badly. Numerous springs jabbed into fingers. A couple of solder burns. Running my finger round a tone hole ring to see if it was smooth? It wasn't, the burr went straight in.