Stephen Howard Woodwind - saxophone, clarinet, flute and other woodwind instrument repairs and servicing.

Stephen Howard Woodwind - Repairs, reviews, advice, tips and tales...

Haynes woodwind maintenance manuals

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Woodwind instrument advice, reviews, care, repair & maintenance.

Whether you're interested in buying an instrument, maintaining your flute or clarinet, hints on saxophone repairs or just plain curious about woodwind - you'll find something to interest you here, presented in a clear and relaxed manner.

There's a double dose of boutiqueness in this update - not one but two new(ish) brands on the market make it on to the workbench for a proper look-see. How did they fare? Well, there's some tears and some smiles. Swings 'n roundabouts...

As for the rest of the site, you'll find hard-hitting reviews that show no fear or favour; commonsense advice about looking after your instruments; myths debunkified; clear explanations and maybe one or two laughs. So fill your mug/glass/pipe/atty, give your mouse a buff and click on. You know it makes sense....

Latest reviews: "Don't blow it - bench it!"
New: Looking for a lightweight tenor? The Nexus Select's claim to fame is that it weighs about as much as a Selmer MkVI - but have they cut too many corners...?	New: Boutique horns are everywhere these days, but this one is priced a cut above most of the competition. I put it on the workbench to see exactly what you get for your cash.
Recent: A Borgani OBS soprano turns up on the workbench - and boy was this horn full of surprises...	Recent: A brand new Conn-Selmer Premiere 380V turns up on the workbench, and puts on a fine show.
Recent: The rare and rather distinctive Kohler Empor baritone comes in for a shakedown and gets the full Monty. Well worth a look - and check out the accompanying overview of the repair process.	Updated: Another addition to the Borgani Vintage tenor review - this time it's the Joe Lovano model that gets the treatment.
The Lupifaro Platinum baritone. Not quite a review, more of a comparison between it and two other strikingly-similar models...	A very rare Buffet Super Dynaction soprano turns up for a tweak, and I just couldn't resist running up a review of it. I'm glad I did, too, because it turned out to be quite a surprising horn.
I've always had something of a love/hate relationship with Italian horns. The playability is usually excellent, but the build quality often lets them down. How well did the Borgani OBA alto fare...?	Updated: An earlier version of a Yanagisawa T4 tenor (of which the Super Pennsylvania is a stencil) came in for a service - so I've added it to the review by way of a comparison. Quite a few differences.
Updated: Had a Yanagisawa T-WO33 tenor in for a service, so added my thoughts on it to the review of the T-WO32	A pair of beauties, from the hands of Adolphe (Edouard) Sax. What more needs to be said...?
Handy Hints: Hints, tips and maintenance advice
Everything you ever (and possibly never) wanted to know about swedging - including how to pronounce it.	The SHWoodwind F.O. Guide To Octave Key Problems. (Warning: It's long. It's very long. It's very long indeed.)
Miscellaneous: All the other stuff...	Glossary: What does it all mean?
Updated: The Black Museum's latest exhibit: The ultimate bodge job?	All you need to know about point (pivot) screws...and more.
Testing...Testing: What works, and what doesn't	Notes...from a small workshop
Updated: Dealing with green spots (AKA Verdigris). An overview of mechanical and chemical methods of removal (Addendum added March 2020).	The watch - a story of days remembered.
Haynes saxophone & clarinet manuals	Benchlife...the workshop rolling blog
An exciting update for the Saxophone Manual!	A section devoted to the (occasionally) daily dabblings on and around the workbench. Latest entry: A Chu Berry TJ RAW?

All material on this site copyright Stephen Howard Woodwind, unless otherwise stated. 14/08/2023

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