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a mk VI, a few tweaks and it's as good as ....

My eye detected a tonehole that might not be 100% level. But I could be wrong.

the most major item i picked out was on the backside by the bell brace, I saw a scratch back there that definitely affects the visual aspect of the horn.

:p

of course, if you read the description the last sentence says it all: "IT has some very pretty engraving on the front."
 
I'd bid on it, but I am still working on this one:

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When ever I see something like this I usually think, what happened here? The first thought is that the owner backed his or her car over the poor thing after setting it down while loading other items into the trunk. But in this case, the seller tells us that the case is intact, so that rules that out.

My next scenario, based on personal experience, (fortunately not my own) is that the horn was laying out of the case, or in it's stand at the owner's residence, when the owner's wife or husband found out about a clandestine affair that the owner was involved in. At this time, the spurned husband or wife takes the horn in hand and turns it into a projectile, flinging it down stairs, or across the room, or possibly out the window. A friend of mine once returned home to find his brand new custom made electric bass floating in a bathtub full of water, courtesy of his wife, who had uncovered information about the man's love life that had inspired her actions.

I once saw a nice mk6 tenor in pretty much the same condition as this alto. It was at the repair shop of an old time Philly repair tech named George Sarkis. I looked at the horn and then looked at George. He could see the question in my eyes before I even asked it. He looked at me and simply said "too much cocaine." Seems that the horn's owner was playing a gig on the second floor in a loft when the drugs told him to throw his horn out the open window. What a waste.

Then there's the backing cars over the horns deal. Many years ago, a friend showed me his beautiful newly aquired mk6 soprano, one of the very early examples. It would have been in truely mint condition except for the fact that it was mangled. Poor thing was smashed flat. He told me that he had dropped it down his basement steps and it had landed on the hard concrete floor. A year of so later, he showed me the horn again, this time pointing, telling me, "yeah, that's where the wheel ran over it." So the truth came out. He was ashamed to tell me that he had ran over his own horn, concocting the stairs story. Later, he forgot to lie and told me the truth. Either way, it was a sad story.

Man, I hate to see 'em end up like this.

Julian
 
Mine was found in a dumpster in New Jersey (without a neck of course). I had to pay another $400 for a Mk VI neck that some idiot had engraved their name in the side.

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Just curious: how much do you think repairs would be? I'm relatively serious: I've seen people have horns that have had more damage than this repaired.

Another way of looking at it: if it's repaired to better cosmetic condition, it'll probably easily sell for twice that price on eBay ....

Oh. And you will be assimilated.
 

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Just curious: how much do you think repairs would be? I'm relatively serious: I've seen people have horns that have had more damage than this repaired.

Another way of looking at it: if it's repaired to better cosmetic condition, it'll probably easily sell for twice that price on eBay ....

Oh. And you will be assimilated.

I would estimate at least 6 hours for the disassembly and body dent work, and another 2 to 3 hours straightening keys. At a $60/hr shop rate that would put you at around $500 just to begin with and then at least a $1200 mechanical overhaul/repad on top of that.

Adding the purchase price, that would put the cost of the sax around $3500---just about what it would be worth on the market.
 
anything can be repaired. You just have to be careful not to go too fast and create a tear in the brass. With alot of the twisted & smashed brass there you also want to be careful not to thin out the brass too much while burnishing, alot of burnishing, alot of long time consuming small burnishing steps ....
 
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