[Neil Kalman]

(I'm an Alto player)
A few years back, some really famous band in Israel offered me to play With them, but only if I can play Baritone as well. So I looked for something cheap but workable.
I found a really denty yanagisawa VITO low A baritone and decided to buy it. It cost me 1000$ with shipment. I was able to repair by myself most of the things that was bothering me on a more day to day basis and started playing on it. I got really attached to the horn and to my opinion it had a worm sound I didn't find on other Bari saxes.

Now I got a tiny problem with the low keys and I'm wondering what to do.
I can sell this Bari and buy a new one (still on a budget. So I can't buy a selmer or a yan)
Or I can repair this one all throu. I had a talk with one of the repairman in the USA who offered me to overhaul the sax, complete reconstruction, and that he'll teach me the basics of repairing things (changing pads, changing strings, leveling keys, etc. ) for a cost of something around 3,000$ (don't forget I gotta fly over to the USA for that. That's also costy)

So I decided to ask for you guys' advice.
What should I do?
1) get a brand new instrument worth around 4,500$
2) pay the repairman, get my saxophone (which i love) resurrected, and learn the basics of repairing while he works on my sax.

What do you think? Is the 2nd option worth it? Or should I just buy a new horn and finish the whole affair already?

Thanks,
Neil Kalman

Ps. It's a very well known repair shop.

 

[milandro]

First and foremost why don't you get in touch with Nitai Levi in Jerusalem? He is a Member here under the moniker "Clarinbass ", an outstanding technician, a young guy with lots of goodness within himself and a great pal of most of us on SOTW.

I would think that he would be a lot cheaper than that and I am sure that he would do a great job.

this is his site

http://www.nitailevi.com/

 

[Neil Kalman]

Don't forget that the price I mentioned include studying how to do basic repairs by myself on the saxophone.
Without that fact, I wouldn't have considered it.

 

[Neil Kalman]

But yeah I didn't know about his existence. Ill go check him out and tell u guys what he said.
Still tell me what you think tho

 

[milandro]

this is the site of a school in Great Britain
http://www.namir.org.uk/maldenschool.htm
spending some time there would be a lot more productive than going to the states and watching someone repairing your horn. I have done 1 revision under supervision(and much intervention) from a shop here and I have successfully carried out a re-pad on my own, that doesn't make me a technician by a very long stretch and I still use a technician for serious work. Also, you can find lot of information in Stephen Howard's Haynes manual
http://www.shwoodwind.co.uk/Haynes/Haynes_sax_manual.htm

but still I would recommend you go to see Nitai

 

[Gordon (NZ)]

"I had a talk with one of the repairman in the USA who offered me to overhaul the sax, complete reconstruction, and that he'll teach me the basics of repairing things (changing pads, changing strings, levelling keys, etc. ) for a cost of something around 3,000$ (don't forget I gotta fly over to the USA for that. That's also costy)"

Don't touch it unless you have thoroughly researched the standard of his workmanship and his teaching. Otherwise you could be very disappointed. I can think of so-called technicians whose offer of this sort of thing would not be worth any $ at all.

I thoroughly endorse what Milandro said about Nitai Levi. You only need to take a good look at what he writes here to know that he really does know what he is doing and is really conscientious. I have every reason to believe that he can offer services that internationally, are second to few.

Have a chat with him. The problem with your sax may be a lot more minor than you think, especially if it is a Yanagisawa, which is very well designed and made, unless it is a very early one.

 

[Chris J]

Just for clarity, Milandro slightly mis-spelt Nitai's user name. It is Clarnibass

http://forum.saxontheweb.net/member.php?11394-clarnibass

 

[milandro]

yes I did......Id do that more often