Vintage Selmer Neck Tenon Replacement
This neck is from a vintage Selmer - one of the early 'cigar cutter's', made in 1931! As you can see, the original neck tenon was completely worn out and had split down the side. This meant it was impossible to get a good fitting connection between the neck and the body. The rest of the neck and sax was in great condition as was the body. On any horn this fit is critical to ensure no leak of air and a solid feel throughout the instrument.
Vintage Conn Neck Tenon Complete Rebuild
This instrument required even more work. Both the neck tenon and the receiver had been completely worn out of shape. While the Rest of the instrument sealed like a dream, because of the leak around the neck it felt unstable and insecure to play. After meticulously reconstructing the tenons to the right dimensions they were fit to horn, reconstructing the airtight fit.
Importance of Neck Tenon Fit
Replacing this part of the neck with a new tenon, machined to exact (original) dimension, enables a perfect seal. With plenty of meat on the tenon, it restores stability and strength to this wear-spot and makes all the difference in the response and playability of the sax. While these are extreme cases, all sax necks need to be properly fitted as part of their annual servicing.
