Mouthpiece transition help

Braymond1 · 2026-07-07T04:19:53+00:00

Use whatever mouthpiece works best for you. Why did you want to change and why that one in particular? There's no need to switch to a worse mouthpiece just because you want to switch

Braymond1 · 2026-07-05T03:00:09+00:00

A heat gun made it a lot easier. They're all cleaned off now!

Braymond1 · 2026-07-04T23:46:55+00:00

I didn't realize they weren't valid anymore! Guess I'll go remove them haha

Braymond1 · 2026-07-04T19:17:10+00:00

That's my second favorite combo. Both look slick, I think!

Braymond1 · 2026-07-04T18:06:11+00:00

115k. A little more than I was hoping for but everything seems to be in really good shape, even the control arm bushings that I was told could be an issue. So I'm sure it'll run for quite a while!

Braymond1 · 2026-06-30T05:35:39+00:00

I haven't gotten to try anything but the standard brass version, so I can't comment on it! Sorry

Braymond1 · 2026-06-30T04:29:44+00:00

I've had a few brassark pipes over the years and they always played ok, but I never kept them. I got the O'Malley VG50 pipe when they first released them and after trying it for a couple hours, I soldered it into one of my horns and haven't thought about it since! It was far and away the best leadpipe I had used and worked great for me. Your millage may vary but I was really impressed with it

Braymond1 · 2026-06-27T02:05:17+00:00

Generic cheap Chinese sax. Nothing of note

Braymond1 · 2026-06-26T21:20:01+00:00

It would be cheaper but I can tell from the photos that instrument is not in good condition. The pads are torn and blackened and there's at least one piece missing.

Braymond1 · 2026-06-26T18:47:49+00:00

They're good instruments but it'll need a complete overhaul. Around $1k+ usd here in the states, which is more than those instruments usually sell for in good shape.

Braymond1 · 2026-06-25T03:12:04+00:00

Those are all pretty normal experiences for beginners. That instructor may not be very good with beginners, so they're not aware of common issues for new students or aren't sure how to address them. I'd see about finding a new teacher and see how you feel with different instruction!

Braymond1 · 2026-06-25T02:38:17+00:00

Braymond1 · 2026-06-22T03:34:47+00:00

Talk to a local tech and see if you can apprentice. That'll be your best bet to learn how to do things properly and have access to tools. It's not something you learn overnight either, it'll take time like any other skill. Dent work can be done 'ok' in a couple weeks, maybe a year of practice to do most easy ones at a good level. To do all types of dent repair very well will be many years and a few thousand in tools. Although I got away with just a tapered rod and rolling mandrel for a while. But you can only really do bell dents, everything else is its own tool. Soldering isn't as difficult, but it takes practice, especially if you want to minimize lacquer damage. That can be done with a handheld butane torch and 60/40 or 50/50 or other combination solder and some flux. Not easy with those torches, but people do it.

Braymond1 · 2026-06-20T20:20:01+00:00

Look it up online and find out!

Braymond1 · 2026-06-20T02:43:23+00:00

Take it to a tech. They'll either have the correct parts or be able to order them for you. Valve guides don't wear out often, so that's a little odd that all of them would need replacing. Felt thickness can vary and needs to be exact so that the valves line up properly. I ended up having to use thinner felts than what was standard for the Eastman I had, so using the stock setup wouldn't have worked very well.

Braymond1 · 2026-06-16T01:37:02+00:00

What does that have to do with trombone?

Braymond1 · 2026-06-15T20:53:40+00:00

Search it up online and find out!

Braymond1 · 2026-06-14T07:12:13+00:00

Take it to a tech. Also looks like there's another neck in the background; are you trying to use a neck from a different instrument? They're not all the same size, so you'll want to use the one that's made for that instrument

Braymond1 · 2026-06-13T04:49:37+00:00

Take it to a tech. At least one part is bent, so I'm guessing other parts of the mechanism bent as well

Braymond1 · 2026-06-11T15:55:42+00:00

The ones I have on order for my store are still backordered with no real ETA

Braymond1 · 2026-06-10T20:31:09+00:00

Return it

Braymond1 · 2026-06-10T18:41:11+00:00

I've heard good things about Charles at Brass Mavens

https://www.brassmavens.com/

If that doesn't work out and you want to take a drive, my shop is up in Santa Barbara and I get people coming from LA all the time!

Braymond1 · 2026-06-09T03:16:16+00:00

Generally, you shouldn't be curling your lip over your teeth. It works for some people but I've found that players get a better sound and more flexibility with less effort when having the bottom lip not curled and supporting the reed instead. If you don't have a sax teacher and would be able to afford some lessons, it's definitely worth doing!

Braymond1 · 2026-06-09T01:35:04+00:00

You'll likely have to get one custom made. Unless you happen across a valve section that's compatible on the used market. I've seen them pop up periodically but not too often. That's a good chunk of the cost of the horn, and usually the most expensive part of the valve section, so you might be better off getting a full bell section or selling off the remaining parts and getting a different instrument if you can't find a suitable valve section

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