Stephen Howard Woodwind - Repairs, reviews, advice, tips and tales...
Haynes woodwind maintenance manuals
SHWoodwind - Woodwind advice, reviews, care, repair & maintenance
Haynes woodwind maintenance manuals
 

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!"

 

Nexus Select tenor reviewNew: 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...?

Remy tenor reviewNew: 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.
Kohler Empor baritone sax reviewRecent: 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... Buffet SDA soprano sax reviewA 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.

Borgani OBA alto sax reviewI'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...?

Super Pennsylvania tenor reviewUpdated: 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.

Yanagisawa T-WO32 Elite tenor  sax reviewUpdated: Had a Yanagisawa T-WO33 tenor in for a service, so added my thoughts on it to the review of the T-WO32

Adolphe (Edouard) Sax alto and tenor review A pair of beauties, from the hands of Adolphe (Edouard) Sax.
What more needs to be said...?

Handy Hints: Hints, tips and maintenance advice

 

SwedgingEverything 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?

The Black MuseumUpdated: The Black Museum's latest exhibit: The ultimate bodge job? Point screws thumbnailAll 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). Notes thumbnail The watch - a story of days remembered.

Haynes saxophone & clarinet manuals

Benchlife...the workshop rolling blog

Haynes saxophone & clarinet manuals thumbnailAn exciting update for the Saxophone Manual!

Benchlife - the workshop rolling blogA 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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