They know it when they hear it.

Engraving 1

Horn is inspected upon arrival and before engraving.

Engraving 2

The saxophone is disassembled and the bells are sent to Elkhart, IN, where they are hand-engraved.

Soldering the Bell Preparation 1

The bell is carefully prepared before soldering. Soldering the bottom bow is a traditional way of assembling the bottom bow to the body tube in order to ensure a proper seal and increase response in the lower register.

Soldering the Bell Fitting

Fitting the bell to the body brace is one of the most critical aspects of assembling a TM tenor.

Soldering the Bell

Attention is paid to minimizing the amount of solder.

Thumbrests

Thumbrests are all shaped and hand-fit in our shop.

Leveling the Tone Holes 1

Before and after of a rolled tone hole. Each tone hole is carefully checked for evenness and leveled if needed. This is a process we have many years of experience from my (our) early days of restoring Conn saxophones.

Leveling the Tone Holes 2

Before and after of a rolled tone hole. Each tone hole is carefully checked for evenness and leveled if needed. This is a process we have many years of experience from my (our) early days of restoring Conn saxophones.

Swedging

This is the process of swedging each key on the tenor saxophone. Much time is spent to ensure a perfect fit in order to maintain tight tolerances between keys.

Swedging - hinge rod

This is to ensure the hinge rod is perfectly fit in the post, so each key stays in position.

Neck Customization 1

The shape and inside diameter of the ring on the end of the neck can have a major impact on perceived response. This is mouthpiece-dependent. We can tailor this for an individual customer's wish.

Neck Customization 2

Installation of tip ring

Neck Customization 3

Due to the wide variety of playing styles and mouthpieces available, we have found there is no perfect size or shape for the neck vent. Our answer is to make each one individually and tailored to the customers needs.

Saxophone Setup

We have a standard setting for key height which we can adjust to the customer's preference. Our standard set-up is the result of several years of repetition and adjustment. This is done for the sake of consistency.

Pearls

We dress the edge of the pearls to give the saxophone a "broken in" feel.

Pads and Resonators

Only the best pads available are used along with our one piece constructed solid brass resonators. These resonators are sized and voiced for our horns.

Synthetic Felt

Materials were carefully chosen to ensure the stability of the regulations.

Neck Options

Wide variety of custom necks are available specifically voiced for our tenor. Call for pricing: 319-234-3561.

Thumb Hooks

One more option for individual voicing. Call for pricing: 319-234-3561.

Play Testing

This is where we decide spring tensions and the final voicing of the tenor.