Example of a Sax Rebuild

The saxophone to the right is a Selmer Mark VI Alto. The instrument was in a house fire! When the horn was brought into the shop it had the case melted over it, ready for the trash! The palm keys were missing and the body and bell were badly damaged. I used the palm keys from a Selmer USA Alto. I had to alter the base to make them fit. I made a thumb lever for the octave. I replaced all the springs, pads and corks. I adjusted/seated the pads and regulated the keys. The rest of the horn required lots of dent work and solder work.

The final touch! All of the lacquer had burnt off the horn during the fire. I polished the body, bell and keys with a brass brush in a buffing machine, which gave a nice satin finish hiding the large scars for the most part. I did not want to buff the body! The fire most likely deadened the sound of the horn. I did not want to buff the metal off the horn possibly changing the sound even more. When I played the horn for the first time, I was surprised! It sounded Great!

Most people would look at a job like this and laugh, saying "This instrument is not worth the work!" I loved every minute of it! Instruments like this are why I am in the business!

Any instrument can be fixed. It's just a matter of time and money!