[CatDuet]

The octave lever lifter screw-in rod on my alto got broken. Where can we buy a replacement rod? I see Yamaha and Buffet rod kits for sale "out there," but would these fit my Buescher Aristocrat?

(Sorry if my vocabulary isn't up to snuff. I am a very new sax player--just two years under my belt. Also, I'm on a strict budget, hence not just running downtown to the woodwind store for a repair if I can order replacement part myself.)

I appreciate your advice, if you happen to know.

 

[clipper]

Selmer Bundy altos use the same octave mechanism. There are still new ones out there. A repair shop quoted me $40 for a new one and $30 to repair the old one, presumably by tapping a screw thread into the mechanism. That was for an Aristocrat Tenor. Altos should be more common and maybe cheaper. There are some techs on this board that can probably help you out. I'm thinking slausonm.

 

[bruce bailey]

Re: Replacement rods for other saxes fit on Buescher Aristocrat Altos?

Ferree's in Michigan has some parts. First step is to remove a rod (steel) from another key that has the same diameter and thread, put it in the place you need to fill and take measurements. Many of us have parts horns or drawers of loose parts and can find you one.
How can a rod break? I have been repairing for 50 years and I don't remember seeing that happen. Could you be talking about the key alone? If it is just the key, have it soldered together but it it is the shaft, measure it and we will try to find one for you.

 

[slausonm]

The octave lifter rod on the sax body at the top broke on my Buescher alto...

The rod is probably different than the other brands that you mentioned. I'm assuming you mean the floating lever rod that attaches this key to the octave lever. Aside from the problem of finding a new rod/arbor/hinge screw... typically these screws don't just break. They break because there is some kind of stress or wear or damage... or on occasion it comes loose and is lost. Replacing the screw may not fix the total problem. As a repair tech, most of us provide much more than the part replacement. If the customer asked me to just replace the screw, I would feel obligated to repair the problems that made the screw break and the mechanism stop working. Typically in an octave mechanism it is because something has been bent multiple times and it has broken due to the stress. So going to a tech to replace the screw for a fairly nominal price would probably be less expensive in the long run if you don't have the capability to replace the screw and fix what ever problem made it break.

FYI, making screws is a pretty routine venture for most repair people. I have a stock of drill rod I make screws from. The typical process is to start by accurately measuring the old screw then select a drill rod that will slide through the key. I then check the next larger size(s) to see if the key is worn and will accept a larger size rod. If a rod will slide partially through the key then I know that the key is bent. The next step is to straighten the key and re check the rod. The last step is to select the proper die to make the threads and thread the end of the rod. A while back there was a lengthy and heated discussion on how to do this so you can probably search the site for the many different and successful methods for cutting screw threads. Oh! and lastly if the rod is only bent and not broken as you said, it can be straightened in about two minutes most of the time and may not need to be replaced.

Shorter answer No, I don't have a screw, No the other brands probably won't work, yes I can make one and so can your local repairman most likely.

 

[JayeLID]

Yes, agreed...why in the world would anyone wanna go searching out...and figuring out...a replacement rod on their own ?

In my experience, it's a $20-40 job for a tech to do it. And any decently equipped tech should be able to whip out a replacement rod of correct diameter and thread it correctly in about 10-20 minutes....

Just take the horn to a tech...or in this instance,you can even save time by just calling the tech. It's such a straightforward job, they should be able to give you a price estimate over the phone.
'
best of luck...