Tech/maintenance SHWoodwind Updates

[Stephen Howard]

It's update time again - and for the first time in 16 years I've put an Ultra-Cheap soprano through its paces (and how). It's the Gear4Music SS-100G.

Gear4Music SS-100G soprano saxophone review

A workbench review of the Gear4Music SS-100G soprano sax

www.shwoodwind.co.uk

 

[PigSquealer]

Where the pads actually leather ?

 

[Stephen Howard]

Where the pads actually leather ?

Yeah, they were. It's usually quite thick stuff too

 

[h4yn0nnym0u5e]

Thanks for that Steve. For £250 plus another £250 for fettling, you’re never going to get your money back when you upgrade, are you?!

...and the proofreading findings:

• trim them up a little of you're not confident
• old-fashioned palms keys
• On the plus side its a (loose) copy

 

[Stephen Howard]

Thanks for that Steve. For £250 plus another £250 for fettling, you’re never going to get your money back when you upgrade, are you?!

...and the proofreading findings:

• trim them up a little of you're not confident
• old-fashioned palms keys
• On the plus side its a (loose) copy

Sure thing, you'd have to be a bit mad to spend that much on such a horn - unless you felt it played well enough to warrant it. Thing is, I'm not sure what's out there that would match it for the money. Maybe a tatty Yani S6?

Thanks for the typos, much appreciated. I'll get right on them!

 

[Colin the Bear]

Nice read on the G4m sop. As a fettler/meddler I think they offer good value for money. In fact they're all I can afford.
Have you had a look at the new style tenors and altos? My old alto is ten years old and going strong but it would be reassuring to know if the new ones are as good.

 

[Stephen Howard]

Nice read on the G4m sop. As a fettler/meddler I think they offer good value for money. In fact they're all I can afford.
Have you had a look at the new style tenors and altos? My old alto is ten years old and going strong but it would be reassuring to know if the new ones are as good.

They changed models for the alto and tenor a while back and switched to the Selmer type. The build quality is the usual stuff, but they're not quite as nice blowers as the Yani/Yamaha style horns. They may be sourced from a completely different manufacturer.

 

[Stephen Howard]

Just a small update - a new entry in the Black Museum: Guess how much the 'repair' cost.

The Black Museum - a woodwind house of horror.

An exhibition of botches, horrors, monsters and other assorted nasties

www.shwoodwind.co.uk

 

[PigSquealer]

Not enough time to do it once, enough time to do it twice

Your timing with this post is hilarious. I’m still doing prep work and securing the adjacent hardware. I didn’t clean outside the original circle. I don’t want it to flow there.
Wish me luck 😉

 

[Stephen Howard]

Did you pre-tin the tonehole bases? It's easier and less messy than tinning the body, and it makes the solder flow better around the joint

 

[PigSquealer]

Did you pre-tin the tonehole bases? It's easier and less messy than tinning the body, and it makes the solder flow better around the joint

Yes. I usually pre-tin anything I can. As you know it’s a sure fire way to know you will get flow and the surface is clean.

 

[Stephen Howard]

Couple of site updates just gone live..

First up is a review of the Sakkusu Deluxe alto - sax.co's step-up budget alto. It's around £100 dearer than the basic model - but is it worth the extra?

Sakkusu Deluxe alto saxophone review

A workbench review of the Sakkusu Deluxe alto sax

www.shwoodwind.co.uk

And then we have a new Handy Hints article, in which I discuss the technique of key swedging, along with the pros and cons...and an alternative approach.

Swedging keywork - the pros and cons

An in-depth looks at key swedging, and the alternatives.

www.shwoodwind.co.uk

Typos on a postcard to the usual address!

 

[Stephen Howard]

Another update - and this time a Cardinali tenor finds its way onto the workbench for the review treatment. And after a while it becomes clear that I've seen this tenor somewhere before...

Cardinali tenor saxophone review (early model)

A workbench review of an early Cardinali tenor sax> <meta name=

www.shwoodwind.co.uk

 

[Stephen Howard]

More lovely saxes - and this time it's a pair of Adolphe (Edouard) Sax beauties...an alto and a tenor.
Bunged them in the same review, as they've been together now for forty years...an' it don' seem a daaaay to longggggg...

Adoplhe (Edouard) Sax alto and tenor review.

A workbench review of a pair of Adoplhe (Edouard) Sax saxophones

www.shwoodwind.co.uk

 

[PigSquealer]

A great review (and history). The felt bumper mount I like a spot of glue.

 

[Stephen Howard]

Managed to find some time to work up a review of a Borgani OBA series alto that came in recently for a service.
Bit of a mixed bag, this one...

Borgani OBA alto saxophone review

A workbench review of the Borgani OBA alto sax

www.shwoodwind.co.uk

 

[Stephen Howard]

A little update to the Black Museum...
Had a nice Selmer MkVI tenor come in the other day - 'just been serviced' prior to sale. Yup - you know it's going to be a shocker when it makes its way into the museum...

The Black Museum - a woodwind house of horror.

An exhibition of botches, horrors, monsters and other assorted nasties

www.shwoodwind.co.uk

 

[Colin the Bear]

I love your sarcasm.

 

[mizmar]

I love your sarcasm.

I never figured you for someone who like sarcasm🙂

 

[Stephen Howard]

As the temperature hits the high 30s there's a scorcher of a review just gone live on the site.
It's a Borgani OBT Vintage tenor. Brand spanking new...just came in for a post-purchase tweak...

Borgani OBT Vintage tenor saxophone review

A workbench review of the Borgani OBT Vintage tenor sax

www.shwoodwind.co.uk