ph 207-712-8572
MAINE SAXES - ADAM MONTMINY
  • Home
  • About
    • Testimonials
    • Repair Philosophy
  • Services
    • Repairs
    • Lessons
  • For Sale
    • Horns >
      • C Melody
      • Soprano
      • Alto
      • Tenor
      • Baritone
    • Mouthpieces >
      • Soprano
      • Alto
      • Tenor
      • Baritone
    • Reeds
    • Consignment Service
  • Gallery
    • Photos
    • Videos
  • Contact

1973 Selmer Mark VI Tenor Overhaul

1972 Buffet Super Dynaction Overhaul

1967 Selmer Mark VI Alto Overhaul

Andreas Eastman "52nd St" Tenor Overhaul 

#132,000 Selmer Mark VI Alto Overhaul

1937 Buescher Aristocrat Tenor Overhaul

1973 Selmer Mark VI Tenor Overhaul 

Selmer Series II Alto Overhaul

Keilwerth SX90R Alto Overhaul

1967 Selmer Mark VI Baritone Overhaul

1946 Selmer Balanced Action Alto Overhaul

1946 King Super 20 Alto Overhaul

1960 "The Martin" Committee III Tenor Overhaul

1938 Buescher Aristocrat Tenor Overhaul

Selmer Series III Tenor Overhaul

Octave Key Repair

Yamaha Custom 82Z Alto Overhaul

1966 King Super 20 Tenor Overhaul

1936 Conn 10M Tenor Overhaul

1946 Buescher Aristocrat "Big B" Alto Overhaul

Here's one I bought for myself! I must say it's one of the most gorgeous altos I've seen and it sounds just as good. 

1977 Selmer Mark VII Alto Overhaul

This is one of the most impressive altos I've played. Don't believe what you've heard about the Mark VII. The altos in particular can be absolutely fantastic. This is an oversimplified description but I would describe it as a good mix of a Mark VI and Series II. It's fatter and deeper sounding than a VI but more flexible and open than a Series II. Sure, the spatula keys are a little too big but honestly, you'll forget all about it after a couple weeks. 

1963 Selmer Mark VI Tenor Overhaul

From the owner - "Just wanted to say thank you again for your work on my horn. I was up till midnight playing it because I just couldn't put it down. I don't think it has ever played as well as it does now. The resonators really seem to clarify the sound, and overtones are really popping out. Thanks again!"
Before

Keilwerth SX90 Straight Alto Overhaul

1955 Selmer Mark VI Tenor Overhaul

This took me about twice as long as most overhauls but the effort was well worth it. The keywork was extremeley worn and had excessive amounts of play. Now it is super tight, smooth, and noise-free. I have to say, this is definitey one of the finest tenors I've played. It's really hard to get a bad sound out of it. I re-used the original Selmer Tonex resonators which are nickel-plated brass and screw in with a small flat-head screw and washer. The nickel plating was worn down to the brass on most of them so they now look much like the rest of the horn.
Before straightening the body
After straightening the body
Before
After re-soldering and cleanup
Before
After
Before
After

Keilwerth SX90R Tenor Overhaul

This is the way this tone hole came from the factory. Most of them looked similar.
This is the same tone hole after I leveled it without filing.

Custom Palm Key Risers

I make these out of thermoplastic without using any adhesives to attach them to the instrument. They are completely hard when cooled and won't move but you can heat them up an infinite number of times and change the shape, add more, or take  some off. 
Picture

Keilwerth SX90R "Shadow" Alto Overhaul

1949 Buescher Aristocrat "Big B" Tenor Overhaul

1955 King Super 20 Alto Overhaul

Yamaha YAS-62 Alto Overhaul

Dent Removal on a Yamaha Custom YAS-875 Alto

Before
After
Before
After

1954 Selmer Mark VI Tenor Overhaul

This amazing first-year Mark VI needed A LOT of help when it came in. Another repairman had told the owner that the horn was irreparable and that he should get rid of it and buy a new horn! I spent a lot of time on this overhaul but it was well worth it because this horn plays incredibly well and is easily one of the most memorable tenors I have ever played. If I had to choose one word to describe this horn, it would have to be "smooth." The keywork, the tone, the fluidity between notes are all incredibly smooth and connected. This is one very impressive tenor!

Dent removal on a Yamaha tenor

Selmer Mark VI Alto Overhaul

This nice dent was caused by a dropped cell phone!
After dent-removal
Teflon carefully applied to the key cradles for smooth action.

Cannonball Stone Series Tenor Overhaul

Grassi Prestige Alto Overhaul

This is a very interesting Italian-made alto from Grassi and was their top-of-the-line professional alto. I really really like the way this horn plays! It blows big, wide, and deep and can even feel a bit like a tenor at times. The aesthetics are very Mark VI-styled but the bore is much larger, particularly in the neck taper. So it looks and feels a lot like a Mark VI but plays very very different, much more like a big-bore American horn like a Conn or King Zephyr.   

Yamaha YAS-23 Damage Repair

This student model Yamaha was dropped onto a tile floor. The bell obviously got smashed but what wasn't obvious to the owner was that the entire bell section of the horn shifted over towards the bell keys, causing them to hit really hard in the back while leaving a large gap in the front. This is very common when a horn takes a drop or a bump.
Before
Before
This is with the low Bb key depressed all the way! You can see how the Bb pad is hitting hard in the back, causing a huge leak in the front of both pads.
After re-rounding the bell flare, realigning the bell, leveling the tone holes, and replacing the pads, these keys are finally sealing.

Selmer Series III Alto Overhaul

This Series III wasn't playable at all when it came in for an overhaul. One interesting thing about these altos is that they have an extra key to help raise the pitch of the middle C#. In my opinion, it was a decent attempt by Selmer to solve the typically flat middle C#, but the factory setup always feels draggy and sticky because of the materials used. And in general, the mechanism for this extra key just adds unneeded complexity to an already complex upper stack. I ended up using different materials and set it up a little differently and the end result felt easy and slick, MUCH better than the factory setup. On a side note, this horn polished up beautifully! This is definitely one of the most beautiful horns I've worked on.
Before


Woodstone Prototype Tenor Overhaul for Ryan Zoidis (Lettuce, Soulive, Rustic Overtones)

This prototype had taken some falls and the body was badly bent as you can see in the photo. I straightened the body and did a complete overhaul with Saxgourmet kangaroo pads and solid brass resonators. This horn plays great! 
Before
Before
Before

Dent removal on a "Bundy Selmer" tenor neck

These Bundy necks are often dented here at the front under the octave key unless someone has installed some cork or felt there on the underside of the key. The neck is the most sensitive part of the horn so I usually try to remove any significant dents.
Proudly powered by Weebly