Overhaul Details

Here you can read about the what-and-why of some aspects of my process.

Cleaning

Abrasive polishes are not a standard part of my work due to their destructive nature. If and when I do feel an abrasive polish is absolutely necessary, I will apply it as minimally and as carefully as possible.

Most saxophones will be cleaned with acid-free eco-friendly soap and water. Silver-plated saxophones will be treated with sodium bicarbonate and aluminum, which instead of physically removing silver sulfide (tarnish) from the surface, chemically reverts it to elemental silver with much less loss.

Adjustment Materials

I use either natural cork or a lamination of natural and synthetic cork for most key feet and connections. Selecting the right balance and laminating two materials adds time to the job, but I find this hybrid approach provides superior longevity to natural cork where thicker pieces are needed, which means lower maintenance costs and better intonation, while avoiding the key noise and rubbery feel often associated with using all synthetic cork. I also use very thin Teflon in sliding connections to minimize friction.

Resonators

When choosing resonators, I will typically use the option closest to the saxophone's original resonators. My concern here is mainly cosmetics - assuming they are the same diameters, different styles and materials of resonators make effectively no difference in the way a saxophone sounds.

In a few cases it is possible to remove the original resonators from the pads and reuse them, and I will always do so in these cases. Some examples include Selmer's old screw-in resonators from the Mark VI era, and Buescher Snap-Ons from 1923 through the 1950s.

With horns that originally had rivet pads, I usually choose the resonator option closest to what the manufacturer used in later models.