How Can You Keep A Silver Tenor Sax Clean
One of the offset things we detect nearly a saxophone is its finish. And in that location are loads of options here both on vintage and new horns from bare brass to silver and gold plating and a multifariousness of lacquered finishes.
Merely do you know how to clean saxophone finish properly and how does the terminate touch on the sound that comes out of the horn?
Lacquered horns
The lacquer on all modern horns is very durable and thankfully requires minimal maintenance. A soft lint-free fabric is all yous really need to keep the stop in top condition. For an actress clean y'all tin use any not-abrasive lacquer polish like furniture polish, machine polish, or even Pledge (for that lemon freshness!). Carnauba wax can also exist used for an actress smoothen.
The bottom line hither though is that you need to avoid using any annoying cleaning products then equally to not impairment the lacquer. So, stick to not-annoying cleaning products and soft cloths.
Vintage lacquered horns
Older vintage horns are generally finished in a nitrocellulose lacquer which isn't equally hardy every bit modern lacquer finishes. Be very careful to never put an older lacquered horn in hot h2o because this tin lift the lacquer off. It's best, as with new horns, to stick to non-abrasive cleaners and if you need to do some more thorough cleaning to get rid of dirt build-up , utilize some cold soapy water and a cloth .
Silverish Horns
There are two basic differences with silver horns. Near modern silverish horns are generally finished in a clear lacquer over the silver plate. You tin can clean these mod horns in the same manner you lot would clean a lacquered horn of any finish as described to a higher place.
However, older silver horns are generally unlacquered. You lot can tell if a argent-plated horn is unlacquered because it will show smudge marks and the finish will besides tarnish. For these horns keep some 3M anti-tarnishing strips in your case. This will slow downwardly the tarnishing procedure a lot.
Y'all tin also apply a silver polish cloth to clean unlacquered silverish horns. These work not bad merely can get out a film on the horn which will get on your skin and can as well eventually get on the pads making them viscous. And then, always wipe your horn downwards afterwards with a clean piece of flannel.
In the workshop, we employ a product called Tarni-shield when we take a silver horn apart. It has no abrasives in it so you can't wear information technology through the end. Just like with lacquered horns, it is always important to not use any annoying products because you tin wear them all the way through the plating if you lot are not careful.
Unlacquered silver horns will ever tarnish so If y'all are really concerned about keeping your saxophone looking all pretty and shiny all the time then the bottom line is, don't purchase a vintage silver saxophone!
Unlacquered horns
These days lots of manufacturers including ourselves offer saxophones without any lacquer or plating whatsoever. It'due south not uncommon to see older horns without lacquer or with virtually of their lacquer missing. Plus many players opt to take their lacquer removed.
If you have an unlacquered horn then it's best to not use any products to clean it except a cloth or some cold soapy water for a proper clean.
Remember office of the charm with older horns (and the audio – more than on that later on) comes from the aged look of the contumely. Delight don't utilise Brasso or a metal polish on your old horn – it will expect horrible and will badly affect the audio.
There'southward money in the lacquer
If yous're in the market place for a vintage saxophone then it's always important to check if a horn has been relacquered. A vintage horn with original lacquer will always be worth far more than one that has been relacquered. Always check that a seller discloses whether a vintage horn has the "original" lacquer.
If a horn has been relacquered then look the cost to exist lower appropriately. Although relacquering a horn won't necessarily affect an instrument'due south sound or the way it plays, there are a few things to exist aware of.
Firstly, y'all tin't ever be sure how well an musical instrument has been relacquered. It is unlikely that the chore was washed to the high standards of the original manufacturing plant lacquer.
And secondly, although instruments are sometimes relacquered purely for visual reasons, virtually frequently a horn is relacquered following a serious repair. For these reasons, I would generally advise steering away from a relacquered horn.
A vintage horn in its original lacquer, whatsoever the lacquer condition, will give you a more authentic idea of how it has been treated and will be worth more than.
Does the lacquer affect the sound?
With so many finish options for saxophones, it can be confusing to know which to go for. Here is a quick roundup of how the finish of your saxophone volition affect the sound information technology makes.
Unlacquered horns
Completely clean brass sounds quite bright however as it ages, oxidization appears on the surface. This can make an older unlacquered horn sound warmer. The cool thing almost unlacquered horns is that, if you're not compulsive virtually cleaning them, they sound better the older they become. So over time, a horn develops its ain sound that we as repairers are e'er very careful to protect.
Lacquered horns
Simply about all modern horns have a lacquered finish. Generally, lacquer gives horns a slightly brighter sound on the summit end and a fleck more weight in the lesser of the sound than unlacquered instruments. The tonal spectrum is greater in lacquered horns and this makes them generally more than suitable for modern playing.
Gilded and Silver plated horns
This is a tricky expanse because not all plated horns are the same. Selmer, Yamaha, and Yanagisawa all offering silver and aureate plated horns. These horns are considerably more expensive than their standard lacquered horns with the manus-selected Selmer horns topping the cost charts. Gold plating will generally make a horn sound darker and unlacquered silverish plating will more often than not make the sound brighter.
This difference in sound is much more than apparent with Selmer, Yamaha, and Yanagisawa than you will observe with almost modern horns manufactured in Taiwan or China. With other brands, the plating is more often than not much thinner so the consequence on the tone is minimal.
It is however worth mentioning that it is possible to make a horn play much darker by adjusting the way it is fix and this is something nosotros do regularly in our workshop.
Randy'south peak tips
Check your venting
The altitude your pads open (or your venting) can brand a dramatic divergence to the manner your instrument plays and feels. This is something to cheque on your ain horn or on a horn you are looking to buy. As a general rule, if it looks as well high – it's too loftier, and if information technology looks too depression, it's too depression!
On the tenor sax, you should see 7mm on the left-manus B key, 9mm on the correct-hand F key, and 11mm pm on the low C, B, and Bb keys. Alto saxes should exist about ½ mm less all effectually.
Venting is hands stock-still by a skillful repairer but identifying a problem here will help to explain why your horn behaves the fashion it does.
Tenon madness
Check the join between the cervix and body of your sax. This joint called the "tenon" is crucial to the way your saxophone plays. Make sure it's a tight fit and not distorted. If you're looking at a used horn to buy, check the bottom of the cervix and inside the tiptop of the trunk. If you encounter whatsoever worn areas or feel any ridges then this is an indication of a poorly fitting tenon and possibly a poorly carried out repair.
Randy Jones is regarded as i of the leading saxophone makers and repairers of vintage horns in the USA. Bank check out his range of saxophones as played past Doug Lawrence from the Count Basie Orchestra.
www.tenormadness.com
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Source: https://saxschoolonline.com/articles/how-to-care-for-your-saxophone-finish/
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