I have a Martin alto I stripped (for appearance's sake)and it's been "aging" for the past year. I'm not of the opinion that stripping the lacquer makes a big difference on alto unless the lacquer was very heavily done to begin with, though I think it makes a slight difference on tenor. I sensed a 10M I once stripped vibrating more in the lower range, but it's hard to say if it was due to the delacquering or the other things I did as part of the refurb. The patina on the Martin is really cool now - almost like a rainbow finish with the different hues. It is important to dry and wipe down a bare brass horn when you are done, but you should do that with lacquered horns as well. Good horn maintenance can not be emphasized enough for any saxophone. If you aren't playing it, it should be dry. Period.