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Forum » Sax Repair » Neck plaster...?


by mega band geek
(60 posts)
20 years ago

Neck plaster...?

Today was my first day as a tech apprentice at my semi-local music shop. One of the first people to come in brought in a bass sax neck to have recorked. Funny thing is, the neck had a layer of plaster about half a centimeter thick around it. The guy said it was badly damaged, then badly repaired, so he added the layer to add support to the neck. He claimed it played alright, but I don't know how reliable he was because the mpc he had the cork fitted to was clearly a Bari mpc... Wouldn't doing something like that to the neck interfere with the vibrations traveling through the neck and vastly effect the sound? I may be a noob to repair, but that just doesn't seem right to me...

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  2. by johnsonfromwisconsin
    (767 posts)
    20 years ago

    Re: Neck plaster...?

    Whether the material of the bore has significant effect on the sound of a horn is perhaps the greatest controversy of saxophonology. Unlike percussion and strings, where force or vibrating strands put the instrument into motion to produce standing sound waves, wind instruments produce sound from the vibrating column of air inside the instrument. I'm sure there is some effect from material, just not sure how much. I understand that some people use large chambered bari pieces with bass saxophones with no intonation issues.

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    1. by Slausonm
      (51 posts)
      19 years ago

      Re: Neck plaster...?

      A bad repair with perhaps some cracks left in the neck would cause more problems than the plaster. I have repaired cracks in brass by cleaning and silver soldering the crack shut. This makes the most cosmetically pleasing repair if it is done well. I have also done patches with brass or nickle. I think your customer may have taken the best route by accident. Do no harm! A good soak in a bucket of water should remove the plaster for a proper repair when he finds the right repairman.

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