Tech/maintenance should I strip? ;)

[c9off]

When I re-corked my Yamaha alto, I cleaned the area with, IIRC, acetone; it took the lacquer clean off, unfortunately in the area I wanted it to remain!!!

 

[thomsax]

The Buescher company, and most of the other big manufactors, started to laquer saxes in the mid or late 20's but during the "roaring decade" silverplated instrumnets was most in demand. After 1930 (gold)laquer saxes was standard at the Buescher company and (silver)plated saxes was just on special orders. Buescher discountined the TT's to -34-35. After that the TT's became stencils.

Thomas

 

[Martin]

The Buescher company, and most of the other big manufactors, started to laquer saxes in the mid or late 20's but during the "roaring decade" silverplated instrumnets was most in demand. After 1930 (gold)laquer saxes was standard at the Buescher company and (silver)plated saxes was just on special orders. Buescher discountined the TT's to -34-35. After that the TT's became stencils.

Thomas

Thanks Thomas, for the interesting background info.

So my TT, from 1927/8 may originally have been bare brass but equally could have been factory laquerred, or may have been returned for laquerring at a later date, as Pete suggests. Either way, I think it's going to come off soon.

Martin

 

[thomsax]

Thanks Thomas, for the interesting background info.

So my TT, from 1927/8 may originally have been bare brass but equally could have been factory laquerred, or may have been returned for laquerring at a later date, as Pete suggests. Either way, I think it's going to come off soon.

Martin

I have saxes that are relaquered but not by me. Nothing wrong with relaquering, if it's done in a proper way. Lots of saxes are relaquered because a complete overhaul included laquer- or plating-job. The big repair shops/firms invested in laquer equipment and they did good job. For a small repairshop it was a lot of money to investe in laquering equipment. Beside the cost there was also some "fear" about laquering!:

"Many factories and shops are quite annoyed when various inspectors come to check on their equipment. This is quite strange when one stops to think about it because in almost every case these inspectors are sent by agencies, such as local fire departments, police departments, and fire insurance underwriters whose interests and those of the firm being inspected are mutual. It is best to follow the advice of these inspectors ; this holds true especially when installing spray equipment." (from "Band Instrumnet Repairing Manual" by Erick Brand, 1939).

So maybe all this lack of confidence in (re)laquering and terms like dark "vintage tone", "vintage look", "freeblowing" is more a result of not letting the authority into the repairshops????

Thomas

 

[phooesnax]

I have noticed especially with the plated horns that the sound will change if the horn is cleaned. I had a friend who played an old silver plate bari Buescher and he showed up when day with it clean. I heard the change before I saw the change.

I thing the crud keep it from ringing. I thought he was using a new mouthpiece. Nothing else change.

As for lacquer....not sure. I have one friend who has a cigar cutter alto stripped. He is a great player and I think that is what makes it sound great.