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1967 King Cleveland 615 Restoration Props

3K views 1 reply 2 participants last post by  empressdiver 
#1 ·
I recently bought an old King Cleveland 615 Tenor Sax (302xxx) from a small local retailer, that I believe acquired it from an estate sale. The Horn was in good visual condition, original case, and was playable, however appeared to be locked in it's case for a decade or so... A mix match of pads over it's years. I sought out a repair tech here and visited several stores from Oshawa to London, not limited to L&M or Cosmo.

I finally decided to take it to Gazebo Music in Pickering and am pleased with the results. Garry Lamb paid fine attention to detail on this overhaul / re-pad. Leveling the tone holes / key-cups, replaced all pads, felts, springs, and corks. I knew overhauling a tenor wasn't going to be cheap, pads alone were probably over $150. This is something I 'might' have been able to tackle myself, not far from my own line of work. However I am glad I left it in the hands of a professional yet personable service.

I doubt this horn has ever played this good. It now plays very consistent throughout it's range, be it soft like a lamb or loud like a King!

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#2 ·
I also recently bought a King Cleveland tenor made by H.N. White in Cleveland in 1965, serial no. C166xxx. I took it to Terry at Cosmo Music for the repair work who really made it play well.
it has the same tightening nuts on the rods as my Super 20.
It has the same main body, bow and bell and key cups as a Super 20.
The necks are the same diameter and fit into the ends of both horns equally well.
The ergos feel the same to me as my Super 20 except for the left hand pinkie table.
The bell keys and rods of the Cleveland are on the left side so they are directly connected which provides more precise movement than the pro level Zephyr.
The Zephyr has the bell keys on the right side and the rods on the left, with a cam system connecting the rods to the keys - this system is not as well-designed according to engineering principles, and tends to be less precise in movement.
I find the sound of the Cleveland is very close to my Super 20. Initially, I notice some small differences, but after playing for a short while, they seem to become imperceptible.
Overall, the King Cleveland is a very good deal for a player.
 
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