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- Pad Work
- 1933 Selmer Super
- '55 SML Rev D Tenor
- SML Five Star
- 1940 Conn 30M Connqueror
- '46 Gold Plated King Super 20
- '37 Martin Committee I Tenor
- Repads
- Overhauls
- Full Mechanical Rebuilds
- Gold 30M Al Epstein Horn Loved Hard
- 1935 Conn 10M For Sale
Repads and Economy Overhauls
Repads generally cost about $1,200, but can be more depending on what extra work is needed and agreed upon.
These are basically extensive Tune-Ups. With a Repad or an Economy Overhaul you get all new pads, and all new adjustment materials. That's pretty much all there is to it. There are many shops offering this service and calling it an Overhaul, and that is misleading because there is no key fitting included in these jobs, and if this has not been discussed with you during your consultation then you don't know what you're paying for and you don't know what longevity to expect from your repair.
Either of these jobs require more frequent and more costly subsequent shop visits because without the stability of tight keywork that is included in more extensive jobs, the adjustments will not hold as long. That being said, you should know there is nothing wrong with opting for a Repad or an Economy Overhaul, however, to put it in dangerously simple terms, you should consider this job an extensive Tune-Up.
But you do in fact get a lot out of a Repad: The tone holes will be leveled and chamfered selectively, your neck will be refit and lapped-in, the oil will be changed, broken solder joints will be addressed, poorly aligned mechanisms will be realigned and so on. However, with each new needed repair, the cost of labor obviously increases as well.
So, the only real problem with this job is the lack of understanding in what exactly it is, because some shops do not take the time during the consultation to educate their customers about it. Then, when the horn ends up in a different shop several years later, the owner is shocked when the estimate of work needed is given. Then they say, "But this was overhauled by X not that long ago." Which means they were misinformed. It is not their fault. It is the fault of the shop that did not take the time to tell them explicitly what would, and what would not, be done.
If after the consultation you decide to go for the Repad in my shop, your detailed invoice will clearly state in an itmeized fashion everything that was done as well as clearly stating, "This is not an Full Overhaul."
Repads generally cost about $1,200, but can be more depending on what extra work is needed and agreed upon.
These are basically extensive Tune-Ups. With a Repad or an Economy Overhaul you get all new pads, and all new adjustment materials. That's pretty much all there is to it. There are many shops offering this service and calling it an Overhaul, and that is misleading because there is no key fitting included in these jobs, and if this has not been discussed with you during your consultation then you don't know what you're paying for and you don't know what longevity to expect from your repair.
Either of these jobs require more frequent and more costly subsequent shop visits because without the stability of tight keywork that is included in more extensive jobs, the adjustments will not hold as long. That being said, you should know there is nothing wrong with opting for a Repad or an Economy Overhaul, however, to put it in dangerously simple terms, you should consider this job an extensive Tune-Up.
But you do in fact get a lot out of a Repad: The tone holes will be leveled and chamfered selectively, your neck will be refit and lapped-in, the oil will be changed, broken solder joints will be addressed, poorly aligned mechanisms will be realigned and so on. However, with each new needed repair, the cost of labor obviously increases as well.
So, the only real problem with this job is the lack of understanding in what exactly it is, because some shops do not take the time during the consultation to educate their customers about it. Then, when the horn ends up in a different shop several years later, the owner is shocked when the estimate of work needed is given. Then they say, "But this was overhauled by X not that long ago." Which means they were misinformed. It is not their fault. It is the fault of the shop that did not take the time to tell them explicitly what would, and what would not, be done.
If after the consultation you decide to go for the Repad in my shop, your detailed invoice will clearly state in an itmeized fashion everything that was done as well as clearly stating, "This is not an Full Overhaul."