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Does it worth a full overhaul ?

2K views 9 replies 4 participants last post by  milandro 
#1 ·
Hello all !

My music own an old Dolnet serial #26000 silver plate with the "diamonds" on keys. It is not in great playing conditions, some pads seem still be original or so (red brownish leather) and almost all needs to be replaced.
neckstrap ring to be repared.
Else the sax looks fine.

The repairman tech asked me €650 (some $850) to get it in shape.
Does it worth that money ?

I actually play a Selmer Serie II tenor.
Is there a good chance to get a fine instrument, or it is better to forget it ?
 
#2 ·
A Dolnet will always make a good horn to play but your repair man is way overpricing his rehauling! You live in east France so this makes it rather close to Holland, you might want to drive to North Holland to bring your horn to my repair man in Haarlem, if you meet me somewhere around Haarlem I'll introduce him to you, prior to your visit arange an appointment for you, and he will oly charge you 250 Euros for a complete rehaul with plastic or metal dome resonators Rigotti pads, change any cork, felt, straighten rods, work on the intonation with calibrating the height of the pads and even doing some minore dent repair (if you ask nicely). I don't know about soldering a ew ring on, at most add another 50 Euro. plus twice driving to Holland another 150 euro. 450 euro....I've saved you 200 euro and you'll have a Holliday in Holland to talk about!

Dolnets are nice horns but if you spend 650 euro on a rehaul you horn would be a great player but you'll never get your money back if you want tosell it on one day.
 
#6 ·
FooF said:
It isn't the repaireman that rehauled your beautyf' aheum! High pitch alto ?
Yes it is the same repairman of the HP alto:( but we have later found out that there was a problem with his tunerwhich probably was the cause of the cockup and that he had underestimated any problem with the horn being HP since he was of the persuasion that there were no saxophones HP made later than 1929. He did repair another two saxophones for me (the Dolnet Tenor and my Martin Alto) and had done a Weltklang before of the first Dolnet, the HP one, and I am very happy about them even though I am selling the Dolnet tenor because I bought a Selmer Mark VII in the meantime (I know, I know it is a little bit too much but what are youing to do it is a passion...:cool: ). He is really a very respected technician and although I wasn't too pleased about the incident with the Dolnet alto he made up for it by buying very good at servicing other horns and not charging me anything for removing small dents.

Anyway the Tenor Dolnet is up for sale....
 
#8 ·
Well, a Dolnet is not a Selmer. Regardles of the sound qualities which are remarkable by all standards, a Dolnet has different ergonomics and will never be worth as much as any Selmer, not even a Mark VII.:D

So, if it is not a question of the one or the other, I guess that if you want go into collecting and playing vintage (French) saxophones a Dolnet is a very good choice because it is quality through and through and it will give you lots of fun for a limited amount of money.

So, stick with your series II;) but if you are considering adding some less expensive realtives to your saxes collection, go for the Dolnet and you won't regret it, of course you will be more than welcome to buy mine which is already in perfect working order.:cool: :twisted: for just a little less your technician wanted just to fix your horn!:D
 
#9 ·
My Serie II is actually in tech's hand for revision, and I got a M7 for remplacement, plays well, has not the lower end of my SII neither the action, but is a really nice instrument. All M7 aren't playing like they were out of metal cans ;)
 
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