Beginner strap hook ring

ssyleung

Member
87
Calgary
It has been 6 years since I first posted here for help for advice as a beginner. Now I am a frequent busker on the street, doing performance in public events and making some extra money. All these, just because this forum has given me lots of support and guidance to put me on the road. Thank you so very much, particularly to Pete, who has been actively helping in answering my silly questions among his busy schedule.

Now I have a new problem.

After working really hard on the instrument, I found that the ring has "developed" a notch. I wanna fit it without doing much work on the instrument, since Yamaha 62 is very much a reliable instrument to me.
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Please give me some advice. (see pictures)
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Wow. That's more than a notch, it's very nearly all the way through. Have you been using an uncoated steel hook on your sling?

I'd suggest getting it to a repairer as soon as possible. I don't know about in HK, but in the UK a new Yamaha strap ring costs £5.35 retail, and it won't take much technician time to unsolder the old one and put a new one on. I would suggest you get it done immediately, as if the existing, badly worn ring gives way, the sax will hit the ground and cause a lot of damage.
 
Thanks. Is that serious? hmmm
Yeah, I will take your advice and bring it to the shop. What I was worrying is that I doubt the technician in shop may not be experience enough to repair. Is there a certification for musical instrument repair? BTW, I have moved to Calgary, Canada. Anyone in Canada, please let me know the place in Calgary that I can rely on. Thanks.
 
The common repair is to unsolder it, flip it over, and resolder it.

Any tech in any shop that works on woodwinds or brass can do this job in 10 minutes. The lacquer right next to the ring might get a bit scorched.
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Being a Yamaha, the shop might have a brand new one on hand as well.
 
"Being a Yamaha, the shop might have a brand new one on hand as well." Can you rephrase this, I don't quite get it. my poor English.
 
The common repair is to unsolder it, flip it over, and resolder it.

Any tech in any shop that works on woodwinds or brass can do this job in 10 minutes. The lacquer right next to the ring might get a bit scorched.
\
Being a Yamaha, the shop might have a brand new one on hand as well.
You can’t rotate ring on this Yamaha. The attached side is squared to plate.
 
Thanks. Is that serious? hmmm
Yeah, I will take your advice and bring it to the shop. What I was worrying is that I doubt the technician in shop may not be experience enough to repair. Is there a certification for musical instrument repair? BTW, I have moved to Calgary, Canada. Anyone in Canada, please let me know the place in Calgary that I can rely on. Thanks.
Yes it’s serious ! ! !

Call music repair stores and ask first. Not all have repair techs on site.
A high school band instructor may have repair source. It’s worth trying to contact one.

For a emergency repair you could have a bit of brass rod soldered in. Solid fill gap and smooth off. This may or may not last until proper repair is made. Drawback is paying twice.
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Yes it’s serious ! ! !

Call music repair stores and ask first. Not all have repair techs on site.
A high school band instructor may have repair source. It’s worth trying to contact one.

For a emergency repair you could have a bit of brass rod soldered in. Solid fill gap and smooth off. This may or may not last until proper repair is made. Drawback is paying twice.
View attachment 27149
Sure, will check. Yeah, I was using a steel hook. When I got the strap I was thinking the black plastic cover on the hook is part of the packing, silly and stupid. I removed it. haha.
 
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"Being a Yamaha, the shop might have a brand new one on hand as well." Can you rephrase this, I don't quite get it. my poor English.
Yamaha saxes are extremely common, so the shop might have in their stock a brand new Yamaha strap ring that could be installed to replace your worn one.
 
You can’t rotate ring on this Yamaha. The attached side is squared to plate.
No, no, no. You don't undo the silver-soldered joint attaching the ring to the plate! You just rotate the plate 180 degrees. Now the worn place, that was on the top, is on the bottom. 10 minute job. All soft soldering.
 
Yamaha saxes are extremely common, so the shop might have in their stock a brand new Yamaha strap ring that could be installed to replace your worn one.
Don't know whether they will do soldering or welding. I don't wanna have too much heat work on my instrument, coz the sound now is perfect
 
Don't know whether they will do soldering or welding. I don't wanna have too much heat work on my instrument, coz the sound now is perfect
Don't worry about it. The heat will be very localised, a lot lower than welding temperature, and it's also how the instrument was made in the first place. This is a common type f repair, which any sax technician will be very used to doing.
 
No, no, no. You don't undo the silver-soldered joint attaching the ring to the plate! You just rotate the plate 180 degrees. Now the worn place, that was on the top, is on the bottom. 10 minute job. All soft soldering.
I've seen this done a fair few times. On this sax, though, I'd just replace the ring and plate completely, partly because the wear is so near to being right through, but mainly because the Yamaha part is so inexpensive.
 
I've seen this done a fair few times. On this sax, though, I'd just replace the ring and plate completely, partly because the wear is so near to being right through, but mainly because the Yamaha part is so inexpensive.
One of the thing I like this site soooo much is because the response time in this forum is spontaneous. Thank you all for your help, jonf, turf3, mizmar and PigSquealer. My final question is "Are you guys paid". haha, Anyways thank you all.
 
No, no, no. You don't undo the silver-soldered joint attaching the ring to the plate! You just rotate the plate 180 degrees. Now the worn place, that was on the top, is on the bottom. 10 minute job. All soft soldering.
I wouldn’t do this on a customers Horn. It’s almost halfway. That’s just asking for trouble. Better to replace the part.
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Remove the old damage ring and get a new good one. Just to replace the old one with a new in the same style/material is not a good solution. The metal of ring is too soft.

The problem is probably that the strap hook was made a of a harder material (steel ?). To cover the with strap hook with plastic is just helping up for a short time.

I have solid nickelsilver hooks on all my Martin Committee saxes and my saxes and brass spring hooks and brass spring hooks on my harness. Better to replace the harness/strap instead of body strap ring?
 
Yes, they last for a long time. Also less scratches on the sax with shrink tubing. My BG harnesses have shrink tubing over the brass hooks.
 

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