Tech/maintenance What material was used for the key guards?

[djarossens]

Hello, I have a 1929 couesnon baritone sax. The lower key guards are « wire »cages and I’m wondering what was originally used to regulate the key opening? Was it a round cork or a leather wrap or cotton threads? Does anyone have one pictures they could share of what they looked like please? Thanks

 

[saxyjt]

Hello, not from a Couesnon, but from a wired guard Martin Indiana alto. You'll get the idea.

So that's a piece of brass/copper/metal curved around the wire guard squizing a piece of felt. The felt can then be trimmed as required.

I'm sure there will be more and probably better replies to help you with this. But I knew I had something similar to share, so here it is.

I've been out of this game for too long and I still have a horn waiting for my attention to start screaming again...

 

[Stephen Howard]

Where there are no tabs it was most commonly cork - shaped like a barrel; drilled, split and then glued over the rear bar.
Be warned though...it's quite hard to make a neat job of it!
If you're not that interested in keeping it original you can glue a felt cylinder onto the crosspiece with epoxy resin.
Another alternative is to glue the felt onto the key cup...but only with contact adhesive.

 

[saxyjt]

See! Here comes the expertise... Never very far.

 

[djarossens]

Hello, not from a Couesnon, but from a wired guard Martin Indiana alto. You'll get the idea.

View attachment 32458

View attachment 32459

So that's a piece of brass/copper/metal curved around the wire guard squizing a piece of felt. The felt can then be trimmed as required.

I'm sure there will be more and probably better replies to help you with this. But I knew I had something similar to share, so here it is.

I've been out of this game for too long and I still have a horn waiting for my attention to start screaming again...

That is a really neat idea. I’ll take a look at how I could adapt that for my instrument, thanks for sharing

 

[thomsax]

The lower key guards are « wire »cages and I’m wondering what was originally used to regulate the key opening?

I think key guards are
- protecting the keycups to get bent (fasten in cloths, cables...)
- set the keyhights
- stabilize the bell

On straight sopranos the are no keyguards around the B and Bb toneholes. The keyheights iare adjusted with corks under the keyfeets.

On my "The Martin Baritone" the keyguard is a bridge over to the bell connected with five screws. I think it stabilze the bell and helps up to get better bell tones. The keyguard helps up to avoid clothes to come in contact with keycups. Not 100 %, the right leg pocket on cargo pants can come in contact with the bell keys. Bell keys on the left side of the bell.

B and Bb kyeys on a 1927 Kohlert soprano.

 

[PigSquealer]

Does anyone have one pictures they could share of what they looked like please?

Play D with material between guard and Lo C to determine the thickness / distance needed. Then mount a bumper that thickness. Better too much than too little. It’s easier to remove than add on.

 

[thomsax]

Here is a solution with felt key bumpers "glued-on" with shellack on the key cups on a The Martin Alto.