Also, re "2" above:Just a question from a complete idiot - do any of you experienced techs replace the blued steel springs with stainless, on saxophones? I always thought that a) you couldn't mix them (due to different behavior of the spring and different requirements of spring hole size) and b) that stainless springs were inferior to blued steel.
Sounds like from the above that at least some stainless steel springs are high quality, so I guess b) is not true...
The type is steel used by Feree's matches the type used on 'student' instruments such as the Yamaha and early Yanagisawas. If you put something different in it feels different. Putting different types of steel springs in from what was used often requires a different diamter hole. This is the problem with Bauhaus springs. They switch from thicker steel to thinner blued steel without changing the hole diameter - so they can work their way out with use.IMO, compared with Kraus's, Ferrees are a substandard alloy (&/or heat treatment), that seems to have a high internal friction, and a spring coefficient that poorly matches that of steel. Also, the surface is not polished. They are the same low quality stainless steel springs used on student instruments. Smiths may be like Kraus's. He is obviously proud enough of the alloy to state what it is.