Knipex pliers are for technicians who won't settle for anything less than the very best. Once you hold these pliers in your hands, you'll know why the brand is praised all over the world for their high quality products. If you are looking for a pair of pliers to last a lifetime and do the job consistently without marring the material you are working on, invest in Knipex products and we guarantee you won't regret it.

You may have seen the Knipex Plier Wrenches in our catalog or in photos of the Sax ProShop technicians in action. Now we have a modified version of them available on our website: Knipex Parallel Swedging Pliers. They come in Small for most flutes, clarinets, and oboes, and Medium for saxophones. At the key fitting station in the Sax ProShop, these pliers have become the new favorite because they drastically cut down on the time it takes to swedge.



The Knipex Parallel Swedging Pliers do not slip even if you loosen your grip, they do not marr the instrument, and they do not give or flex as cheaper tools often do. One grip, one controlled crush of the tubes, and you're done. While swedging, you can squeeze and rotate the pliers around the rod at the same time as usual, but they are also powerful enough to squeeze and then rotate if necessary to reduce strain on the instrument.

The pliers are not cheap, but they are worth every cent.

In one of our recent Bench Notes we talked about the different kinds of materials used on a saxophone and when to apply them. We now have another material to add to the list.

Sorbothane is our new synthetic polymer which we have mainly used as a silencing material on bell key bumpers. It also works well on key feet, especially on MKVI's, to eliminate the "bounce" that can happen when the key foot hits the body of the saxophone. Sorbothane is highly durable, non-porous, elastic, and absorbs vibration well. It is easy to cut and can be applied with contact cement or super glue.

This material was invented in 1982 and combines characteristics of rubber, silicone, and, according to a shoe manufacturer, human flesh. Sorbothane changes shape at the moment of impact, dispersing shock waves sideways. You will find this material very quiet and a great alternative to felt. Give it a try and let us know what you think!

We recently introduced our new Spring Bending Lever, which was designed by MusicMedic.com with the help of the technicians at the Sax ProShop to improve and accelerate spring tensioning. While working on that particular tool, the technicians realized that aligning pad cups could also be improved. After all, trying to grab the spine with a pair of pliers and twisting the tool without slipping in order to bend the pad cup seems like a rather inaccurate method.

As the primary "aligner of pad cups" in the Sax ProShop, Ryan was especially excited when our tool designer came out with the Pad Cup Aligning Lever and he has fondly been referring to it as his "T-Pal". This T-shaped tool easily slides in between the keys and grabs the key arm behind the pad cup, with the pad cup and spine fitting inside the special cut-away of the lever. Aligning the pad cup is simple, because the tool has a safe hold on the cup and the handle offers a good grip and great leverage. Pad cups can easily be adjusted without taking the keys off, which is not only more accurate, but also saves time and money.



We have more new tools to introduce, so check back shortly for updates! Let us know if you have any questions about this tool or any others on our website: Questions@MusicMedic.com

Here at the Sax ProShop, we always try to come up with ways to improve our efficiency and precision in an effort to provide our customers with the best service possible. If a task seems too tedious, the technician performing the task on a daily basis will sit down with our tool designer and find a solution to the problem. This is exactly how the Spring Bending Lever came into existence. The technicians felt that adjusting spring tension on the stacks was more time consuming than it needed to be, simply because there was no tool that could reach and give consistent, controlled results. The technician would have to remove an entire stack of keys just to make an adjustment to a single spring. With the keys off, the technician bent the spring and re-assembled the stack keys. If the spring tension still needed adjustment after that, the technician had to remove all the keys yet again, make the adjustment, and reassemble. Talk about time consuming!

Not anymore! After prototyping and testing for a few weeks, we have created the Spring Bending Lever. It's a compact tool that can reach the stack springs without taking the keys off or sacrificing control and precision. The Spring Bending Lever comes in three sizes to accommodate all types of saxophones and even some clarinets. Each side of the tool is curved for clearance in opposing directions, allowing the technician to approach the spring from different angles. The curved end is slid into place and grips the spring, allowing it to be bent in the desired direction. The hardened tips and protective finish on the Spring Bending Lever will ensure that this tool saves you time and energy for many years to come.

This tool is now available to you through MusicMedic.com. Check it out below; we are sure you will benefit from it as much as we do.



For more information, don't hesitate to contact us:
Phone: 910-667-0270
Email: Questions@MusicMedic.com

The busy traveling season is over here at MusicMedic.com now that Curt has returned from his latest trip to Renton, WA, where he taught 2 all-day clinics and attended meetings at Renton Technical College. Curt enjoyed spending time with his friend, Instructor Dan Bainbridge, and the dedicated students of Dan's Band Instrument Repair class. Dan's course is known to be one of the best in the country and next year's students are already lined up with a growing waiting list for the program. Thank you, Dan, for opening up your classroom, sharing ideas at the Advisory Board meeting on Friday, and enjoying some gin during a sleepless night out in Seattle. Thanks also to all of the students who attended the clinics! Curt enjoyed meeting everyone and is proud to see such promising talent entering the industry.

While traveling is fun and his many trips around the country and world so far in 2013 have been productive and rewarding, Curt is very happy to be spending the next few months at home with his family here in Wilmington. Welcome back, Curt!