AA3NK
08-29-2008, 12:13 AM
Greetings All,
I wanted to share a story with you--it's my story and I am sticking to it:TGNCHK:
So, I bought a Kessler Custom soprano sax from another fellow on this website--it was every bit of what he offered and being the nice guy that someone will one day accuse of me being--he can buy it back from me whenever, if ever, he feels like it for the same price I paid him.
This is my first soprano sax and I am not really worthy of it, yet, but am working on it. For sure, I'd buy another of Kessler's horns without flinching. But, here is the story.
Sometimes, it is less inhibiting to taste a little beer and try new things on the sax that I might not try if I was drinking Dr Pepper. As you probably well know, drinking anything and then playing a sax is ill advised, it might get a little sticky inside--but what can I tell you--I am just like that, I like girls and saxophones8-). You just have to deal with what life presents.
C# was getting a little tacky, not a smooth release, I tried the old dollar trick, cleaned the pad off, drank a beer, tried to use a little moisture to get it to not stick, drank a beer and then decided to work on it myself.
Yep. This is where it starts... I am just sure that the blue steel spring was not up to the tension necessary to accomodate my outrageous finger speed and decided that the only resolution to the problem was obvious, to increase the spring tension. Blessed as I was, possessed of a very fascile and well outfitted Swiss Army knife, replete with pliers, tiny screw drivers, magnifying glass and a bottle opener I did what you would probably do under similar circumstances. I took that weak spring out and bent it to increase the tension.
I was not real tense myself, at that point, about three Labatt's Blue beers into the project, a Saturday night and money in my pocket. Dang. No matter what I did, it was not getting better, not more springy, much worse, sagging, and then with another beer, more adjustments and greater insight, it quit working altogether.
You should know that it is entirely possible to play almost any song there is without playing C# but if C# is not working---Yeah, that's right, every other note is a C#. Maybe it was a spell that was cast or something but my mind was locked on to old Classics IV melodies and ballads--the stuff where C# haunts us all but sometimes masquerades as Db. Curse the day when D is flat, clearly a note run amok and not worthy, let alone note worthy. Sorry. Ah, shucks, it is humbling to confess these things but confession is good for the soul.
Fortunately, my son, not quite 21 yet, sober and all that inserted himself into the situation and suggested that I leave it alone. Good advice there, don't know where he came by it but whoever was the inspiration of his thought process is a sage and venerated before most of civility and wisdom of the world as it has come to be known--thus far.
I decided that it was probably time to discuss the problem with a instrument repair person and I called a couple of places including Rayburn's in Boston and Dominic's in Danvers. Egads. Rayburns was very cool about it, matter of fact but a little pricey for a spring--it is not up to me to set anyone's prices, just my take on the thing--not cheap. And then I called Dom. Do not make this mistake. However, Dominic did suggest that I send the horn back to Kessler--why didn't I think of that!
Here is my letter to Dave at Kessler's:
"Greetings Kessler’s and Company,
The enclosed Kessler Custom soprano sax was having some sticking and weakness on the first C# pad. So, being possessed of a Swiss Army knife, needle nose pliers and a couple bottles of Labatt’s Blue Label beer I did what anyone with a similar situation would do, I worked on it.
The spring was a bit weak and had some trouble holding the pad open when holding the horn in the normal playing position though with a little help from gravity it would readily stay open. I tried to put a bit more bend in the spring to increase the tension but you can see that the end result did not work out as well as I had hoped.
On a side note, since I live near Danvers, MA, I called Dominic’s Music and asked what he might charge to install a new spring… there is a reason for his unsavory reputation on some websites. When I told him it was a Kessler Custom he remarked that he was sorry and then asked if I had gotten it from that place in Las Vegas!! I told him that it was from there and he declined to work on it saying that he did not work on Kessler horns. Thank God?
I don’t think I will ever wander into Dominic’s shop and would not wish his character on anyone, unsuspecting of the sort of siftiness that he kind of exudes. That fellow may well be his own worst enemy. But, I digress."
You know, all I wanted was a new spring for that note. I'd have installed it myself--probably not my best idea but how much worse could it have been than not being able to play, "All the Things You Are" or "The Shadow of Your Smile?"
I mean sheesh, jeez, WTF and dang-it. Dadgum and SUGAR!
So, I packed it all up, in the box it came in and sent it off to Kessler's with a full explanation about what happened and what I had done. This is where the truth, justice and the American WAY shines forth--almost. Not only did Kessler's fix my horn, UNDER WARRANTY, for free--and I am NOT the original purchaser. Yes, that is right, they did the UPRIGHT DEAL, fixed my mess, at NO charge and then shipped it back to me at NO COST.
Folks, it does not get better than this. I am including a small part of the work order that the instrument repair tech included with my horn. I understand that some of y'all are from the UK and others from Canada. What do you think? Guiness or Labatts?
The repair tech prefers Guiness. Well, heck! I prefer Guiness Stout over almost all commercial stout brews but when it gets down to beer--the Emerald Isles tend to prevail. And, on a purely continental view, how much better should beer be than Canadian? Of course, almost all micro and craft breweries withstanding, it is not easy to get good beer in North America or at least in the U.S.
However, I must concede on this one--Kessler's sax tech did a very fine job of undoing my mess and making it better. I think I should send him a six pack of Guiness or maybe something really good. Do you have any recommendations?
If you ever wondered, is all that hype about Kessler's true or are they legit, read my words. They did for me what they did not HAVE to do, they just DID it! Herewith, is the instrument tech's comments--We'll just call him Saint Tekkie since I don't know his name:
Truly,
Bob
I wanted to share a story with you--it's my story and I am sticking to it:TGNCHK:
So, I bought a Kessler Custom soprano sax from another fellow on this website--it was every bit of what he offered and being the nice guy that someone will one day accuse of me being--he can buy it back from me whenever, if ever, he feels like it for the same price I paid him.
This is my first soprano sax and I am not really worthy of it, yet, but am working on it. For sure, I'd buy another of Kessler's horns without flinching. But, here is the story.
Sometimes, it is less inhibiting to taste a little beer and try new things on the sax that I might not try if I was drinking Dr Pepper. As you probably well know, drinking anything and then playing a sax is ill advised, it might get a little sticky inside--but what can I tell you--I am just like that, I like girls and saxophones8-). You just have to deal with what life presents.
C# was getting a little tacky, not a smooth release, I tried the old dollar trick, cleaned the pad off, drank a beer, tried to use a little moisture to get it to not stick, drank a beer and then decided to work on it myself.
Yep. This is where it starts... I am just sure that the blue steel spring was not up to the tension necessary to accomodate my outrageous finger speed and decided that the only resolution to the problem was obvious, to increase the spring tension. Blessed as I was, possessed of a very fascile and well outfitted Swiss Army knife, replete with pliers, tiny screw drivers, magnifying glass and a bottle opener I did what you would probably do under similar circumstances. I took that weak spring out and bent it to increase the tension.
I was not real tense myself, at that point, about three Labatt's Blue beers into the project, a Saturday night and money in my pocket. Dang. No matter what I did, it was not getting better, not more springy, much worse, sagging, and then with another beer, more adjustments and greater insight, it quit working altogether.
You should know that it is entirely possible to play almost any song there is without playing C# but if C# is not working---Yeah, that's right, every other note is a C#. Maybe it was a spell that was cast or something but my mind was locked on to old Classics IV melodies and ballads--the stuff where C# haunts us all but sometimes masquerades as Db. Curse the day when D is flat, clearly a note run amok and not worthy, let alone note worthy. Sorry. Ah, shucks, it is humbling to confess these things but confession is good for the soul.
Fortunately, my son, not quite 21 yet, sober and all that inserted himself into the situation and suggested that I leave it alone. Good advice there, don't know where he came by it but whoever was the inspiration of his thought process is a sage and venerated before most of civility and wisdom of the world as it has come to be known--thus far.
I decided that it was probably time to discuss the problem with a instrument repair person and I called a couple of places including Rayburn's in Boston and Dominic's in Danvers. Egads. Rayburns was very cool about it, matter of fact but a little pricey for a spring--it is not up to me to set anyone's prices, just my take on the thing--not cheap. And then I called Dom. Do not make this mistake. However, Dominic did suggest that I send the horn back to Kessler--why didn't I think of that!
Here is my letter to Dave at Kessler's:
"Greetings Kessler’s and Company,
The enclosed Kessler Custom soprano sax was having some sticking and weakness on the first C# pad. So, being possessed of a Swiss Army knife, needle nose pliers and a couple bottles of Labatt’s Blue Label beer I did what anyone with a similar situation would do, I worked on it.
The spring was a bit weak and had some trouble holding the pad open when holding the horn in the normal playing position though with a little help from gravity it would readily stay open. I tried to put a bit more bend in the spring to increase the tension but you can see that the end result did not work out as well as I had hoped.
On a side note, since I live near Danvers, MA, I called Dominic’s Music and asked what he might charge to install a new spring… there is a reason for his unsavory reputation on some websites. When I told him it was a Kessler Custom he remarked that he was sorry and then asked if I had gotten it from that place in Las Vegas!! I told him that it was from there and he declined to work on it saying that he did not work on Kessler horns. Thank God?
I don’t think I will ever wander into Dominic’s shop and would not wish his character on anyone, unsuspecting of the sort of siftiness that he kind of exudes. That fellow may well be his own worst enemy. But, I digress."
You know, all I wanted was a new spring for that note. I'd have installed it myself--probably not my best idea but how much worse could it have been than not being able to play, "All the Things You Are" or "The Shadow of Your Smile?"
I mean sheesh, jeez, WTF and dang-it. Dadgum and SUGAR!
So, I packed it all up, in the box it came in and sent it off to Kessler's with a full explanation about what happened and what I had done. This is where the truth, justice and the American WAY shines forth--almost. Not only did Kessler's fix my horn, UNDER WARRANTY, for free--and I am NOT the original purchaser. Yes, that is right, they did the UPRIGHT DEAL, fixed my mess, at NO charge and then shipped it back to me at NO COST.
Folks, it does not get better than this. I am including a small part of the work order that the instrument repair tech included with my horn. I understand that some of y'all are from the UK and others from Canada. What do you think? Guiness or Labatts?
The repair tech prefers Guiness. Well, heck! I prefer Guiness Stout over almost all commercial stout brews but when it gets down to beer--the Emerald Isles tend to prevail. And, on a purely continental view, how much better should beer be than Canadian? Of course, almost all micro and craft breweries withstanding, it is not easy to get good beer in North America or at least in the U.S.
However, I must concede on this one--Kessler's sax tech did a very fine job of undoing my mess and making it better. I think I should send him a six pack of Guiness or maybe something really good. Do you have any recommendations?
If you ever wondered, is all that hype about Kessler's true or are they legit, read my words. They did for me what they did not HAVE to do, they just DID it! Herewith, is the instrument tech's comments--We'll just call him Saint Tekkie since I don't know his name:
Truly,
Bob