Woodwinds that are old, or those that have had a lot of use, tend
to show their age in the hinge rod tubes. Over time, the metal of the
tube wears down and the key develops side motion. With enough
wear, the tube may also develop an out-of-roundness, causing the
key to become unstable, resulting in a leak. Replacing a pad on an
instrument that has this kind of wear will not stop the leak.
What to do? Swedging is the remedy.

Using a special tool, the hinge tube is compressed around the rod with
a twisting motion. This causes the key to fit more snuggly around the rod
and also causes the metal of the tube to be stretched, thereby taking up
the space between the keys, or the key and the post.

This kind of repair requires the expertise of a skilled repair technician,
since damage can occur to both the key and the rod if done improperly.
Rarely is it possible to swedge a key while it is still on the instrument.
So, the procedure requires the key to be individually removed and
replaced after each bit of compression, to check for binding, or to see
if the key requires more compression. Just swedging the lower stack on
a saxophone may require disassembly and re-assembly of those keys a
dozen times or more. Yes, it can be time consuming, and no, a computer
will never be able to do it.

So, before you plunk down your money for a yard sale horn, grab onto the
key hinge rod tube, and see if it moves up and down the rod. If, it does,
know that the price to make that horn play will include whatever your local
musical instrument repair person charges to swedge the entire horn.
Because, usually, if some of the keys have play, they all do.
But, at least now you know what swedging is.

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Reed Revival - Make them last longer



Let's face it, the cost of reeds is getting pretty dear, and will probably
continue to go higher in the future. If your gigs aren't paying you more,
then you'll need to make those reeds last longer. You're already using
a reed-saver to store the used one's in (aren't you?), but that's not enough.
Enter the reed-trimmer.

Reed-trimmers have been around since Charlie Parker jammed in his
first Kansas City club, and the design and operation is basically the
same as when they were first made. You simply take your reed with the
chip on the end, that you would have normally thrown away, place it under
the clamp, adjust the position so that the flawed tip is beyond the blade
edge, then press down or lift up, depending on the design of the trimmer,
and clip the end smooth.

Obviously, with the reed trimmed, it's going to be a little shorter and
therefore a tiny bit stiffer. Some players have chops to blow right past this
difference. For those of you who want it the way it was, take your reed rush
(which you'll buy when you pick up the trimmer) and a piece of 1000 grit
sandpaper, lay the reed on a piece of wood, flat side down, and gently
(very gently) make a few strokes with the sandpaper, rubbing from the thick
part toward the tip. Once you feel you have the thickness you want, rub the
reed rush over it, again from the heart toward the tip, to make the surface
smooth and ready to play. That's all there is to it.

The cost of the reed-trimmer, reed rush and a sheet of sandpaper, is about
the same as a box of reeds. So, after you trim your first box, the reed-trimmer
has paid for itself. There's simply no reason for a clarinet or sax player to not
have this kit in the case or gig bag.

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