Link NY Tone Master Metal Repair Restoration

May 2012 -
I restore a beat up tenor Link NY Tone Master. During the job I show how I fill the worn away brass with silver solder and shape a proper bite plate area. Fire and molten metal. Is this cool or what?
See MojoMouthpieceWork.com

[@skimanization]

I once bought a used Selmer tenor sax from a friend but the mouthpiece, perhaps an otto link, was bad and it looked similar to this one, I did not know what to do with and, I probably threw it away. I wish I knew about this. Having lost that mouthpiece I'm now using cheap mouthpieces. My saxophone teacher once told me that the secret of sounding good on a saxophone is on the mouthpiece...the properly crafted mouthpiece will make your sax sound good no matter how cheap the make is. There's a lot I can tell about my experiences but not now. But this is a great job!!!

[@Joaquin77]

Wow!! Things like these are the ones I enjoy the most... What ever you do, patience is the key...

[@leonardocorona]

Nice work Keith. Congratulations! I love your videos.

[@singmysong4444]

Nice work... I got an old tone master so was interested in what you did with this... you have infinite patience... it was like a zen meditation watching you go through your magic with this... well done. Wish we could have heard it played before and after. Best, Joe

[@MisterBigDave]

I stumbled on this looking for something else, great restore sir A+. I don't touch vintage pieces any more, at least 10 years now. Best Regards, Dave

[@mrpeebee1]

Same here! Great to share all this information Keith, thanks for that.

[@chalazonclark6810]

Craftsmanship to a higher level. Wonderful!

[@user-kw2fe4nd3h]

Very satisfying

[@MojoBari]

It is a high speed roatary tool with a burr. Mine is an old Weller made model that I outfitted with a variable speed foot switch and a flexible shaft I got from Micro Mark. Dremmel is a big name in rotary tools.

[@MauriatOttolink]

Please excuse me for jumping to conclusions but I am left with the distinct impression that you know precisely what you are doing. Absolute delight to watch. What's wrong with the 3 idiots with thumbs down?

[@singmysong4444]

Nice job.... well done.

[@Unor1ginal]

you're a miracle worker!

[@user-kw2fe4nd3h]

So cool of this refacing！

[@martyg374]

He repaired by dropped/bent Dokoff alto mouthpiece. That's craftsmanship and patience at work.

[@RogelioEscobar]

wow Paul Gonzalves!!! I remember spending so much time working on all the his solo work on Ellingtons Nutcracker Suite when I was in college, I was the Paul Gonzalves chair on two xmas concerts featuring the entire suite, wow!! amazing work Can you build baffles with silver solder?

[@maverickdallas100]

A hunk of scrap metal is now made worthy of a fine instrument. Amazing!

[@gordoncrew8020]

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[@coreyjared8813]

@Gordon Crew Instablaster =)

[@gordoncrew8020]

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[@gordoncrew8020]

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[@coreyjared8813]

@Gordon Crew Glad I could help =)

[@scottwood5098]

im noticing that refaced mouthpieces that are hard rubber and plastic after refacing the tables dont stay flat long after the ligature puts preasure. though it might be the heat here in the philippines too.im thinking the metal brass mouthpieces might retain a flatter table .The new york ottolink and dukov types appear to be longer and im thinking also might have a lower tone when pulled out more.im always in fear of loosing a mouthpiece to the floor when trying to play along with aubra graves stuff. Love the videos mouthpieces seem to be the key to my improving longtones and frazing.

[@MojoBari]

I have not tried to make a baffle out of silver solder. I suppose it is possible. But the high heat would damage the bite plate and gold plating. Epoxy putty is more practical.

[@coffeesciencereviews2175]

I use 1/8" thick black sheet acrylic. McMaster-Carr sells it as do other suppliers. The adheasive is 3M DP-810 black. There are photos of a Link STM bite plate job on my web site.

[@rdraznik]

Beautiful........

[@stevel6895]

Great job Mojo. I would have used it for a door stop ...

[@danwww]

Hi Mate - Greatings from Australia & thanks for the videos! Just one question; Where do you get the bite plate material? Nice work btw..

[@erykahf453]

omg I have this mouthpiece and it needs one hell of a cleaning. Keeps making my reed turn green and now I notice my reed tastes like metal. I take it off every day so it's not constantly on my mouthpiece. But I think I just learned how to fix my problem. Thanks!

[@MojoBari]

Getting it replated will solve your problem.

[@erykahf453]

+MojoBari I can't just lacquer it?

[@MojoBari]

+Erykah Faulk lacquer will not hold up.

[@erykahf453]

+MojoBari okay thanks!

[@SekiToni]

9:57 what is that machine that you use to buff the sliver solder?I am planning getting one of those so I can buff out all excess of flux when I remove the old pip and replace it with a new pip

[@jpc4liny]

My God this player must have rat teeth great repair loved the video

[@garyzimmer8061]

Great video. Was wondering if you could recommend a vendor for refacing tools. I'm a tech myself and used to work on mpcs.. I had the old Eric Brand tool kit, with radius gauge, etc., but lost it in a move, and it's no longer available. Any ideas would be much appreciated!!

[@MojoBari]

Wanne and MusicMedic. MicroMark for small tools in general.

[@travisthompson8828]

What adhesive do you use to attach the biteplate?

[@thestevenorman]

Hi may I send you my Ponzol m2 110 brass. It needs a bite plate. It has one but it is too short width-wise and has some top surface damage as well. . I've been trying to get a bite plate for 2 years, but Ponzol no longer manufactures this bite plate.

[@MojoBari]

I can fix you up. Email for info at [e-mail]

[@FriaGram]

Nice work. Have you tried using a foredom motor with a precision handpiece? They are worlds better than dremels for control and accuracy.

[@MojoBari]

Fria Gram No I have not. One problem I have with other flex shaft rotary tools is the hand piece is too large to fit inside the mouthpiece shank. Even the slim one I use is not made any more as far as I can tell.

[@milandro8682]

Do the length of your fingernails provide more resonance to your tone? The SOTW vibrationalists probably believe so!

[@duggr3055]

Nice Work! How many hours did you have in repairing the Link

[@MojoBari]

I think about 6 hours.

[@DanielGuzman-lz8ls]

Where can I find those mouth plates?

[@MojoBari]

I make them from scratch. Most of the time with powder acrylic and liquid monomer. This video shows a sheet of black acrylic that I heated and bent. Sheets can be purchased from McMaster. Photos on my web site show how I bend them. www.mojomouthpiecework.com/Photos/tabid/59/AlbumID/386-228/Default.aspx

[@MauriatOttolink]

Daniel Guzman From previous KZbin advice from MojoBari, I have restored a bite-plate not replaced it, with Acrylic Powder and the monomer for artificial finger nails . A simple, smallest pack will you leave with enough to do dozens more! You find a KZbin clip on how to do it. Dip the brush in the liquid then in the powder and apply to the hole. Keep doing and agitating it to dispel bubbles, until you have over-filled the bite groove. Work fast...It sets fast. When hard, use fine files and abrasive papers to reshape it to match the undamaged part of the bite plate. I couldn't get black but a white streak can't be seen with the reed cap on again or in your mouth! Who cares anyway? Damage it when re-shaping? Just add some more and do it again. Good luck.

[@treslongwell1332]

the mp looks like brass. Why not braze brass?

[@MojoBari]

I guess I thought that would take more heat than I can make with propane and air.

[@MojoBari]

I think the temperature needed to melt brass brazing rod would melt the mouthpiece too.

[@SekiToni]

How Strong is your client teeth exactly?

[@saxophonemechanic5454]

any audio demo's?

[@MojoBari]

I do not have any. Listen to Paul Gonsalves. It belonged to him.

[@saxophonemechanic5454]

MojoBari This reface would of had way more kudos if you had recorded it being play tested before and after the work, don’t you agree?

[@mojobari79]

Hard to say. I was not going for kudos.

[@dasteufelhund]

Where are you located?

[@MojoBari]

New Jersey, USA

[@dasteufelhund]

Bugs Bunny played that mouthpiece.

[@MojoBari]

Looks like I was logged in under my son's name...

[@woodandwinds]

Isn't it risky to use silver solder in a place that is going into a persons mouth? I know plumbing and other solders are lead based, but I was under the impression that silver solder is also dangerous. Maybe only when you are liquifying?

[@MojoBari]

+Mike Borkovic (Dad Stuff) Most soft plumbing solders have been lead free in the US for years. I used an easy flow hard solder which is more accurately a braising operation. No lead. You can search via Google for more info.

[@MojoBari]

+Mike Borkovic (Dad Stuff) BTW, the original mouthpiece brass probably has lead in it. It is debatable wether a significant amount of lead is released or not when a player chews through it.

[@woodandwinds]

+MojoBari oh fair point, I misread my own brazing rods. Thanks for the response - very nice work

[@Rock-Bottem1982]

You have fingernails that would make many women envious of you

[@MojoBari]

I get so busy sometimes I forget that everyone is watching my hands in detail.

[@richardcasey7521]

I love your work, but in the case if this particular old Link, my opinion is that it’s beyond repairing. There comes a time when any consumer product has arrived at the end of its useful life span. It’s time for a new mouthpiece.

[@MojoBari]

richard casey I agree. But in this case it was a historic mouthpiece belonging to Paul Gonzalves, Jr. He wanted it restored. Since it was a new challenge for me, I only charged for about half of my time on it.

[@mojobari79]

It was totaly unplayable before. And "after" would sound like "me". The piece belongs to Paul Gonsalves, Jr. So you can listen to his dad to find out how it could sound in the right embouchure.

[@mojobari79]

I just found out that this is owned by Paul Gonsalves, Jr. You can guess who made the tooth gouges.

[@i_am_jazz]

I often wonder whether the unique and individual sound a lot of the greats got was in part due to the rough (DIY) work they did to open up their mouthpieces.

[@robandmarageraghty3341]

Keith Bradbury Lol. That poor mouthpiece. Paul was rather famous for his remarkable drinking. I’d imagine there’s been a house or two worth of liquor blown through it! On a separate note, surely if you’re chewing bare brass several hours a day, you’ll be left with little nubs for teeth!? Might explain Coltrane. He met Gonzales and said “screw this, I’m going double embourchure”!