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The best sax repairman in USA

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mcham...@hotmail.com

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May 13, 1999, 3:00:00 AM5/13/99
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Wondering if anyone can tell me who (in your opinion) the best
repairman is in the USA? Bill Singer in NYC is known to repair
Sanborn's horns as well as others. Is he the best? I have a alto MKVI
in need of complete overhaul and will send wherever I need to, to get
the best. I don't trust just anyone with the repair. Are there nuances
to the VI not found in other horns, that need to be addressed when
repairing? I'm in Phoenix. Know any good repairmen here? Also wonder
what to expect to pay for a complete overhaul?

Thanks

Mark


--== Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/ ==--
---Share what you know. Learn what you don't.---

Pat Wattam

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May 13, 1999, 3:00:00 AM5/13/99
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<mcham...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:7hfapo$ppq$1...@nnrp1.deja.com...

> Wondering if anyone can tell me who (in your opinion) the best
> repairman is in the USA? Bill Singer in NYC is known to repair
> Sanborn's horns as well as others. Is he the best? I have a alto MKVI
> in need of complete overhaul and will send wherever I need to, to get
> the best. I don't trust just anyone with the repair. Are there nuances
> to the VI not found in other horns, that need to be addressed when
> repairing? I'm in Phoenix. Know any good repairmen here? Also wonder
> what to expect to pay for a complete overhaul?
>
> Thanks
>
> Mark

Mark,

Ask ten players and you will probably get ten different answers. The simple
fact is that we are all over the country . You need to consider a couple of
points before shipping your axe to anyone. First, an instrument prepared in
New York will react to the change of climate when moved to the dryness of
Arizona and vice versa. The closer you can keep it to its final
destination, the better. If you travel extensively in your gig you would do
well to establish a network of repairmen just in case.
Second, the advantage of being able to sit down with your tech, discuss your
preferences and
customize the instrument to you is immeasurable...but expect to pay for this
kind of service.

As to your question of cost, I assume you're not looking for a complete
factory restoration (new lacquer) which would run about $1100 and lable your
a barbarian in the eyes of Mark VI purists. A mechanical overhaul which
concentrates on the mechanism and leaves the original finish intact will run
about $400-500.

Goo luck with your search.

Roger Wattam
Staff Tech
School of Music
Louisiana State University

SRCsax

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May 14, 1999, 3:00:00 AM5/14/99
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Try Eric Swanson at Cedar music in Flagstaff. I have had three horns overhauled
by Eric and they are wonderfull. He also does my flute, pic and clarinet
reapirs. Good honest price from an honest guy. I don't have the phone #
offhand, but information will get it for you.
Steve Carmichael

Paul C.

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May 14, 1999, 3:00:00 AM5/14/99
to
I think you will find that the best repairmen have very long waiting lists.
Can any of the repairmen on this NG give mean idea of their current wait
list for a complete overhaul?

saxmac

mcham...@hotmail.com wrote in message <7hfapo$ppq$1...@nnrp1.deja.com>...


>Wondering if anyone can tell me who (in your opinion) the best
>repairman is in the USA? Bill Singer in NYC is known to repair
>Sanborn's horns as well as others. Is he the best? I have a alto MKVI
>in need of complete overhaul and will send wherever I need to, to get
>the best. I don't trust just anyone with the repair. Are there nuances
>to the VI not found in other horns, that need to be addressed when
>repairing? I'm in Phoenix. Know any good repairmen here? Also wonder
>what to expect to pay for a complete overhaul?
>
>Thanks
>
>Mark
>
>

jack

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May 15, 1999, 3:00:00 AM5/15/99
to
Well... You shouldn't be willing to ship your horn anywhere if you
want to fix it. You might pay a few hundred to have the horn fully
adjusted and repadded etc., and have everything negated while it bounces
around in transit. A Bundy tenor I have on loan from the school, I put
it through $130 worth of adjustments and repairs, and then after a trip
to Disneyland and back, it plays worse than it did when I got it in the
first place. I think we all know what it takes to hurt a Bundy. If you
take your MKVI somewhere, take it there yourself, or send it with
someone you know.
If I was you, I would find the local wind symphony or whatever large
congregations of serious musicians that there are, and ask around among
the sax/flute/woodwind players where they take their horns.
There is a website where people are welcome to post their opinions of
Repair shops, but it is underused.
Homestead.dejanews.com/user.jack22930/sax.html
If you are dead set on not going to a Phoenix repair shop, I would
advise you to go to Lyle at Custom Music in Bellevue, Washington. He
knows what he's doing, does it perfectly, and doesn't charge an arm and
a leg for it. Horns seem to be all he does in life.

As for the fact that it's a MkVI, it's just like any other horn to a
repairist. The only difference is that Selmer uses expensive
resonators. But that is a recent development. You might want to have
the new Selmer Super Action 80 Series 3 resonators put in with the pads
rather than the common domed plactic; Selmer made the change to nippled
metal for a reason.
-jack

In article <7hfapo$ppq$1...@nnrp1.deja.com>,


mcham...@hotmail.com wrote:
> Wondering if anyone can tell me who (in your opinion) the best
> repairman is in the USA? Bill Singer in NYC is known to repair
> Sanborn's horns as well as others. Is he the best? I have a alto MKVI
> in need of complete overhaul and will send wherever I need to, to get
> the best. I don't trust just anyone with the repair. Are there nuances
> to the VI not found in other horns, that need to be addressed when
> repairing? I'm in Phoenix. Know any good repairmen here? Also wonder
> what to expect to pay for a complete overhaul?
>
> Thanks
>
> Mark
>
> --== Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/ ==--
> ---Share what you know. Learn what you don't.---
>

--
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Windlordsl

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May 15, 1999, 3:00:00 AM5/15/99
to
There are only 2 repairmen that I would ever feel comfortable using and they
would be:
Emilio Lyons with Rayburn Music in Boston ( He has been gracious enough to
always repair my horn while I wait) and Joe Sax who himself is a wonderful
repairman and man of integrity. I recomend them highly!

Tiger Meazell
Jazz Alto Saxophonist
Boosey & Hawkes Artist/Clinician
Email: Windl...@aol.com
"When in doubt...Chromatics! - Phil Woods"

Mitch

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May 15, 1999, 3:00:00 AM5/15/99
to
The fellow who owns the school I go to sent my Martin tenor out for
re-pad. I waited three months for it to come in to play test it... but,
this wasn't a "I need it for a Saturday gig" type deal. Russ Ackerman,
Bob's brother, did a really nice job.

Mitch


Paul C. wrote:
>
> I think you will find that the best repairmen have very long waiting lists.
> Can any of the repairmen on this NG give mean idea of their current wait
> list for a complete overhaul?
>
> saxmac
>
> mcham...@hotmail.com wrote in message <7hfapo$ppq$1...@nnrp1.deja.com>...

Mitch

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May 15, 1999, 3:00:00 AM5/15/99
to
Oops, forgot to mention this was prior to purchase.

Mitch

David Woodford

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May 15, 1999, 3:00:00 AM5/15/99
to
I would agree with Tiger about Emilio Lyons in Boston. He IS the master,
as far as I'm cncerned. I've never worked with Joe Sax, but ave heard
wonderful things about him.
With all the sax repairmen here in LA, the only one who touches my horns
is Rob Kirschner. He has a shop at the musician's union, and is a
master at setting up your horn for your particular needs. Anyone
interested can email me for his number.

Dave Woodford


LeliaLoban

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May 16, 1999, 3:00:00 AM5/16/99
to
saxmac wrote,

>I think you will find that the best repairmen have very long waiting lists.
>Can any of the repairmen on this NG give mean idea of their current wait
>list for a complete overhaul?
>

My personal worst record: The repair guy kept my bass sax more than 10 months.
Can anyone top that?

I think there were several factors involved. As you say, he's got a waiting
list. He deserves his popularity, IMHO. He's good, I trust him with a vintage
sax, and I'm willing to wait...within reason. I did start to bug him about the
bass. I mean...10 months?!!

I'm an amateur. He knows I don't *need* the sax for a gig, an audition, a
competition or even a lesson, so I suspect he keeps bumping other people ahead
of me in line. Also, this sax is a 1926 C. G. Conn that the previous owner had
dropped and then neglected in a wet basement. The bass neededeverything,
including some dent work. My repair guy farmed out the latter to someone he
calls "The Dent Man," apparently a rather eccentric fellow who doesn't get out
much and does things if and when the spirit moves him. It seems he's the one
who held onto my sax forever.

Eventually, the two of them did a beautiful job of restoring the bass, so I
couldn't stay mad.


Lelia
Please delete NOSPAM from my address to reply by e-mail.

OurHouse8

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May 16, 1999, 3:00:00 AM5/16/99
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Hmmm...best sax repairman? What about the women? Wenda Zonneveldt is good.
Maybe a different word than repairman would be a good idea?

Tnrmadness

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May 16, 1999, 3:00:00 AM5/16/99
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Randy Jones in Cedar Falls IA does some really incredible work as well...
-greg

Pat Wattam

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May 16, 1999, 3:00:00 AM5/16/99
to

Paul C. <sax...@applink.net> wrote in message
news:7hihka$kks$1...@news.onramp.net...

> I think you will find that the best repairmen have very long waiting
lists.
> Can any of the repairmen on this NG give mean idea of their current wait
> list for a complete overhaul?
>
> saxmac
>
Paul,

Depends on your definition of "complete overhaul". If you mean "complete
restoration to factory new condition", my current wait time (from receipt of
instrument to delivery) is about 5 months. This is mainly due to the fact
that I subcontract the body refinishing out to a shop that has a tremendous
backlog (as do most of the shops that do subcontract work, due to the labor
intensive nature of refinishing work). If you want a mechanical overhaul
(replace all the perishable parts-pads, corks, felts-make all necessary
repairs to the body, and completely refit the key mechanism), turnaround
time for me is currently 3-4 weeks.

Roger Wattam
Staff Technician

Fly1jet

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May 16, 1999, 3:00:00 AM5/16/99
to
Technician, Repairperson....

The great (H.N.)white hunter

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May 16, 1999, 3:00:00 AM5/16/99
to
fly...@aol.com (Fly1jet) wrote:
>
> Technician, Repairperson....

Let's be all-inclusive--Repairmammal

Mister Lucky

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May 17, 1999, 3:00:00 AM5/17/99
to
In article <19990516041327...@ng-cd1.aol.com>,

tnrma...@aol.com (Tnrmadness) wrote:
> Randy Jones in Cedar Falls IA does some really incredible work as well...
> -greg

as does mark rasmussen at the windsmith in san diego...(619) 220-8984

bill

Oscarmine

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May 19, 1999, 3:00:00 AM5/19/99
to
Emilio is the name and Lion could be his surname, I'm not sure.
However my repairer, one of the best in Italy, perfectionned there.
I know his origins as the name let imagine are italians.
Bye Oscarmine
mcham...@hotmail.com ha scritto nel messaggio
<7hfapo$ppq$1...@nnrp1.deja.com>...

>Wondering if anyone can tell me who (in your opinion) the best
>repairman is in the USA? Bill Singer in NYC is known to repair
>Sanborn's horns as well as others. Is he the best? I have a alto MKVI
>in need of complete overhaul and will send wherever I need to, to get
>the best. I don't trust just anyone with the repair. Are there nuances
>to the VI not found in other horns, that need to be addressed when
>repairing? I'm in Phoenix. Know any good repairmen here? Also wonder
>what to expect to pay for a complete overhaul?
>
>Thanks
>
>Mark
>
>

DTorosian

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May 20, 1999, 3:00:00 AM5/20/99
to
There are many excellent sax repair techs all over the U.S. (and probably the
world, but that's outside my experience) who have extensive experience with
MkVI horns. Emilio Lyons in Boston is certainly excellent. I have also had
great work done in Central Texas (without having to ship the horn off and have
it readjusted when it was shipped back to me) by Kent Winking at Strait Music.
Karen at Strait also has a loyal following of saxophonists. I spent some time
with Steve Goodson in New Orleans a few weeks ago, and he is incredibly
knowledgeable. I've never had him work on my horn, but he works on many of the
best players' horns. I have heard Bill Singer recommended highly, I have
played horns overhauled by Joe Sax which played absolutely beautifully. Ditto
for a repairman/dealer in Hollywood (Oleg?). Unless your in the saxophone
boonies, I'd get a recommendation from some local pro players and go with that
rather than getting stuck on a "who's the best" approach. Hope this helps.

DT

Keith Henson

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May 22, 1999, 3:00:00 AM5/22/99
to

I was so impressed by what Steve GOODSON, the sax gourmet did to my mark
VI that I have a website dedicated to the
experience:http://www.accessone.com/~khenson/goodsonbeware.html

Keith Henson
khe...@accessone.com
http://www.accessone.com/~khenson/

Deborah Andrews

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May 24, 1999, 3:00:00 AM5/24/99
to
Bill Singer - hands down...

ASILANT57

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May 25, 1999, 3:00:00 AM5/25/99
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>I was so impressed by what Steve GOODSON, the sax gourmet did to my mark
>VI that I have a website dedicated to the
>experience

Heh heh heh heh heh ......


I read that one .............
Dave w.

schat...@gmail.com

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schat...@gmail.com

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schat...@gmail.com

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johnk...@gmail.com

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Oct 6, 2018, 1:18:24 AM10/6/18
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Do you have Rob Kirschner #?. He sold me/worked on my horn back in mid 80's. He had it figured out back then, maybe time to refresh.
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