servicing you axe

[Greywolf]

I've had my Yani T991 for nearly three years now. It is a fantastic horn, but it was getting a bit rattly, one or two of the pads were a bit iffy so I decided to have it serviced.

John Clark at Johnny Roadhouse on Oxford Rd, Manchester

Now when I bought it (from Woodwind Exchange, Bradford) I had read all the stuff that says that of all the new saxes you can buy Yanis are less likely to need an initial setup than most.....so I didn't bother. and it's been fine...or so I thought.

But now
UNBELIEVABLE

I'm a better player than I thought.

Itis like a brand new horn.

John....you are the man!!

So everyone out there:

"Go get your axe maxed"

 

[Pete Thomas]

Greywolf wrote:
Now when I bought it (from Woodwind Exchange, Bradford) I had read all the stuff that says that of all the new saxes you can buy Yanis are less likely to need an initial setup than most.....so I didn't bother. and it's been fine...or so I thought.

Awlays worth getting a good tech to check it over, whatever make (but especially Selmer as it happens). Quality Control is not what it should be

 

[Bobby G]

I got my YAS-62 done not too long ago, it made a lot of difference. One thing you will notice when it comes back is how much harder it is to stop playing it 😉

I also had my curved soprano checked over when I first got it, and even though it only needed a couple of minor tweaks it just gave me the confidence to play it knowing it was all set up ok. Meaning any strange noises and bum notes are entirely down to me >.< and there's been one or two

I bought my Yani tenor, an old-ish 900, through the shop and the price included a checkover. That one sounds and plays great too.

How often should you get your sax serviced? Partly I suppose it depends on how much you play, but just a a rough guide?

Cheers, Bob

 

[Greywolf]

I've thought about this a lot. It's a bit like getting your car serviced, the only difference is that lives aren't at stake.

Like a car, the more you use it the more things will change.

In retrospect I think I will try to get mine checked out once every 12 to 18 months. I play every day for at least half an hour to an hour plus 8 hours of rehearsals a week and gigs.

I don't know whether that's a lot or not really.

 

[rs2sensen]

Typically, I hear that one should have one's sax in for a tune-up every 6 months. Personally, that seems like a bit too often to me, and I'm familiar with many tech's who agree with me. Often, I'll bring in my alto every 6 months, only to find "it only required a miniscule tweaking. everything looks great." and the horn plays great. So why get it serviced when it doesn't need it? And really...I play a lot. I shoot for a minimum of 2 hours of practicing a day, plus 1-4 hours of rehearsing per day. On days I don't rehearse as much, I practice more.

I oil my keys every few months. If anything acts up, then I bring it into the shop. If I find I am having trouble with something on the horn, I have someone better than me play it to see if they have the same trouble. Then it's time to bring it in.

I think that if you oil your keys yourself, roughly every 6 months, then it would be a good idea to bring in the horn for a servicing between 1 and 2 years.

 

[griff136]

HI Guys,

One of the problems here is the misunderstanding/difference of the use of the word "service". You will find in the UK and most other places too that techs/repairers have a diiferent view on what a service is to that of the customer.

Generally speaking repairs can fall into 3 types

1.Checkover/checkdown - checking the instrument to make sure that all the pads seal, adding cork/silencing and dampening material where required and regulating the instrument to bring it to good working order - this does not include cleaning or stripping the instrument down. nor does it generally include replacing pads or springs.

2. Service - this requires stripping the instrument down, cleaning the body, bore and keys, taking up play (slackness) in ant of the key work, cleaning all the pivot screws and rod screws checking them for straightness and thus the smooth operation of the keys,
replacing the odd pad (some repairers offer the first couple free some dont) replacing cork, felt, silencing material as required. re assembling the instrument, lubricating and regulating the sax to bring it to good working order. Some repairers include and minor dentwork here.


3.Repad - all of the above plus replacing all the pads.
some repirers call this an overhaul which would include any accessible dentwork.

I personally recommend a checkover every 6 months or when the the sax is not playing its best.

I recommend a service once a year/18 months for people who play a lot say as much as rs2sensen or play their sax for a living and once every 2 years for those who dont play as much.

A repad would only be required when the customer demanded it and couldnt be persuaded otherwise, or when a sax has been re laquered, or when a fair percentage of the pads were shot away and damaged.

Getting to Greywolfs original post.


As for Selmer (paris) they dont even come in a case - just a cardboard box with polystyrene and do require tons of work to set up.

 

[Bobby G]

Thanks for all that Griff. I've had mine subjected to option 1, a checkover and tweak, which is all I was expecting. I guess mine only need to be serviced as in option 2 every couple of years.

When I took my YAS-62 in a few months ago, the tech told me it'd need a full repad soon. Was he touting for business or trying to worry me? Are you saying a pad or pads are ok until they are noticeably damaged/split, visible to the untrained eye? FWIW, I am very happy with the way my alto is playing right now. Does the tech know something I don't...?

BTW, I find it quite appalling that Selmer are so shoddy about setting up and shipping their horns. OK, I can accept 99% of horns will Need some setting up, but no case? At that price? Not even a back-pack style gig-bag?

Cheers, Bob

 

[griff136]

Hi Bob,

Pads deteriorate over time, leather hardens and the felt swells etc , the first pads to "go" are usually the following:

left hand palm keys, Low Eb, G#, right hand side keys. i.e. the pads that are sprung shut and usually in the order of nearest to the crook first.

As regards to your sax how old is it and how often do you play? I play regularly - 5 times a week - and have not had a repad since 1998 - and Im a repairer!

If your sax is playing fine then generally speaking it shouldnt need a repad. having said that I have seen saxes that play fine with pads that have a ring cut through the leather by the tone hole and still played!

You could always take it to another tech to ask his/her opinion.

I couldnt say whether yours needs a repad or not without seeing it.

 

[Bobby G]

Hi Griff. I'm playing on average about an hour a day, nearly every day, and I've had the sax for about 6 months or so, but I believe it dates from the 80's (it's a YAS-62 with the attractive purple logo) so if it's never had a repad maybe it does need one, if only partial.

Then again it seems to be ok but I'll check those pads that you say are first to go. A second opinion sounds like a good idea too.

My tenor (Yani 900), which I've only had a few weeks, dates from 1995 and seems fine, although I'm not aware of its service history.

My little'un is only a few months old, I bought it as an ex-rental, had only been out for one 3-month rental and was fine after a bit of minor tweakage.

I don't want to disrespect my regular tech's ability, but he does get mixed reviews. I am in Herts, and although one or two people I've spoken to say he's ok, one young lady in particular doesn't rate him and has her horns serviced by someone in Putney or somewhere like that sarf of the river, I think.

Cheers, Bob

 

[griff136]

nice Horns those older 62's.
I am well sarf of the river - Croydon and Devon!

you could try Graham de vere White or Jim Prior at Myatts in Hitchin both do very good work or if you are in town pop in and see Darren at Footes.

 

[Bobby G]

Hey Griff, Graham is the man who does my bits and pieces. I think he's ok but a bit of a rum cove 😉 I've never met Jim Prior, didn't he used to be a Tory MP in the 70's?

Cheers, Bob

 

[ken]

With mass production and "badged" horns from the far east etc., are any/many of the parts interchangable between makes?.

I'm tempted to cut one of the linkages off of my tenor (won't unscrew) and try for a replacement. Just wonder if there is some uniformallity in these parts?