[saxoclese]

This recent project for a friend is a new one for me. I am used to working with "birth defects" on saxophones from the factory, but this one was very strange.

His YTS-61 had no spring to hold open the G# key, no hole in the post to install one, and no groove in the key in which to attach the spring. It was an easy fix. I unsoldered the post, drilled a hole for the spring, installed a spring and cut a groove in the key. What baffles me is how anyone could have played the sax in that condition. The two other parts missing were the rod to engage the G# touch and the front F rocker. I had to brush up on my lathe skills and got to "tinker" with all the raw brass parts I got from Perry Ritter on EBay---much more fun than doing "play conditions" on student saxes.

 

[Arundo Donax]

How does something like this even leave the factory? I would think the major manufacturers test each sax not only for functionality but also for sound.

 

[Sacks Of Phones]

Why was the horn not returned?

 

[saxyjare01]

There is rarely a horn that comes from ANY factory, including Selmer, where there aren't flaws. Some of the oversights are HUGE while others aren't. I've seen this before and it's not that much to repair. The entire horn should be serviced after that, though.

 

[clarnibass]

the rod to engage the G# touch

You mean the part that makes the G# key close by the lever, right? In that case, G# was sort of dangling there for... decades? It was impossible to play G (unless you were more or less lying on your back maybe and even then probably not). I can imagine even something this weird sneaking through them... but how was it played all those decades...? Or it wasn't?

 

[littlewailer]

As a YTS-61 enthusiast this troubles me.

There's only a couple of visible scratches in that photo. Was the rest of the horn as clean? Closet horn? Original pads?

Mine looks like it's been to war but still shiny where it counts.

 

[Arundo Donax]

There is rarely a horn that comes from ANY factory, including Selmer, where there aren't flaws. Some of the oversights are HUGE while others aren't...

What about Yanagisawa? It's been stated their horns are the most out-of-the-box playable, with minimal or no setup.

 

[soybean]

Possibly a prototype. What is the serial number?