I believe in the value of one-on-one consults for each customer. Through appointment-only meetings, we have the opportunity – and the time – to really talk about what you’re looking for in terms of sound and performance from your saxophone. I can ask questions and share my recommendations for the highest quality repair, setup and/or restoration. It also gives each customer the uninterrupted space they need to try a new instrument or mouthpiece.
– SOLD –
Here is your chance to own a very rare modern horn. This gold plated Series II Jubilee was made for the Japanese market. It has plenty of extra engraving on the neck, body tube, and bell as would be expected. The plating is 99+%. The pads have had little playing time spent on them.
Aside from the stunning beauty of this alto, it plays even better than it looks. It has a sound like no other Series II Jubilee. There is plenty of sizzle and zip to the sound when pushed, but still maintains a beautiful warm core to the sound. This alto is all set up and ready to go!
Imagine turning brass WWII artillery shells into a saxophone. Literally. That’s the foundation of this Sax4Pax tenor from Adolphe Sax & Cie. Talk about a remarkable transition and a powerful humanitarian statement. The brainchild of Karel Goetghebeur, Sax4Pax (peace in Latin) began with WWI and WWII shell collection all over Europe. Then the shells were melted down, turned into brass sheets and finally formed into saxophones.
This particular tenor is a tribute to the owner’s father, William E. Gast, and bears a custom etching of him on the backside of the bell. Gast was a tank driver in the 743rd Tank Battalion during WWII and landed on Omaha Beach six minutes early in the first wave of D-Day. He fought through the entire war including the Battle of the Bulge and the liberation of Magdeburg, Germany. Ironically many of the shells collected for the S4P project were from a munitions factory located in Magdeburg. Imagine artillery rounds fired at my customer’s dad being transformed into his son’s new saxophone 70 years later.
The owner wanted to take this saxophone to the next level, so he turned to Aaron Barnard. Custom work included a complete set of handmade key guards and bell-to-body brace fabricated from hexagonal brass stock; handmade neck and bow guards; handmade receiver clamp with high-mass screw; numerous key modifications; re-contouring the walnut “pearls” made from a WWII Lee-Enfield rifle stock; custom mount for a Tino Schucht thumb rest; hugely-oversized AB domed brass resonators; Pisoni Pro pads; and a setup that is rock-solid and wide-open.
This tenor is figuratively a tank. It has serious weight given the heavy-gauge brass and puts out a sound that is so deep, booming and gnarly it’s hard to believe it’s still a tenor. The final result is an instrument that makes a profound point and tells a story that should never be forgotten.
One further note of interest, some of the shells fired at Bill Gast were made by a Jewish slave laborer with the name of Ernest Kan who was forced to work in the Magdeburg munitions factory. When the city was liberated and the doors to the factory were broken open, the first thing Kan saw when he was freed was a tank with the numbers 743 painted on it. Some 60+ years later, Kan and Gast met formally for the first time. They hugged each other, wept and became friends for the rest of their lives. Truly a miracle.
Read Ernest Kan’s story in his own words.
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The Aaron Barnard Bare Naked Brass Restoration is the ultimate expression of freeing a saxophone for maximum vibration. It enables an instrument to realize its full potential in terms of performance from the perspective of resonance and the quality of sound produced.
To learn more about the benefits of stripping, download this PDF.
See the full story on this King Super 20 alto.
$2,295.00
Here is an example of a beautiful vintage Buffet R13. It is in near perfect condition, with no signs of cracks or any other damage. The nickel plating on the keys is in great condition. The tenons are nice and square, with very little wear.
This clarinet was just overhauled in this shop using top quality Omni Pads. All the corks and felts were replaced as well. You can expect years of playing without any issues.
Clarinets of this vintage and caliber don’t come around often, so get this while you can!
Barnard Instrument Repair has a constant turnover of vintage professional saxophones for sale. Some are in the shop awaiting restoration and others will be arriving in the near future. Aaron is very picky about the inventory he selects and offers for sale. Every instrument needs to be special in its own way. And every instrument will be tuned to perfection.
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ALTO SAXOPHONES
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TENOR SAXOPHONES
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BARITONE SAXOPHONES
King Super 20 443xxx
This is a great example of a Super 20 baritone. We will be uploading pictures as soon as it is ready to sell.
Conn Transitional Bari 259xxx
This is a players horn that had its fair share of use and abuse. It will be going through a complete restoration in the shop!
Yamaha 52 Bari 011xxx
Another bari coming into the shop needing a lot of TLC. We will be starting on it in the near future and will have photos and complete description when done.
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CLARINETS
Buffett R-13 Nickel Platted Keys Bb Clarinet 82xxx
This horn will undergo a complete rebuild. No cracks. Wood is in excellent condition!
Buffett R-13 150th Anniversary Nickel Platted Keys Bb Clarinet 162xxx
This horn will undergo a full mechanical rebuild and is in really nice shape!
Yamaha Custom YCL-81 Clarinet
This clarinet is playing on an older pad job that is still in good condition. It will receive a full setup in the shop before heading out.
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– SOLD –
The EX model is the most economical Miramatsu flute. It is built with the same craftsmanship as the higher end models. It features a french cut, solid silver head joint, with silver plated body and keys. It also features open holes, B foot, and offset G.
This flute is in remarkable condition. The pads are in terrific condition, and it is all set to take out and play. It will make a great flute for a doubler, or any person looking to get a serious upgrade to their flute setup.
$6,495.00
Here is a super rare and highly coveted Selmer “Jimmy Dorsey” model alto saxophone.
What makes the Dorseys so rare and unique is that they were made in the middle of the Balanced Action production but feature characteristics of both the Radio Improved and Balanced Action models. This includes the body tube of the Balanced Action and the bell and bow of the Radio Improved. What is most noticeable though is that the bell keys are on the left side of the bell and feature the triangular-shaped key guard. This particular horn falls into the 2nd series of these horns as it has the stamped metal key guards.
Mechanically, this horn just received the royal treatment here at the shop and was rebuilt with Pisoni Pro pads and domed brass resonators. It also has a Barnard Bare Naked finish so it looks great and resonates like crazy. The engraving has a ton of personality. There was some damage to the bell, but that has been expertly repaired. It has no effect on the sound which is powerful and will not disappoint.
This Dorsey delivers in a huge way and will surely excite whoever decides to make it theirs!
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Schedule an appointment.
AB Products is on a mission to enhance the way a saxophone performs. The inspiration behind our products comes from the mind and decades of hands-on experience of world-class tech Aaron Barnard. His extreme commitment to the highest quality of function, materials and fabrication is the foundation for everything he develops.
Stay tuned.
Barnard Instrument Repair has always been committed to perfection when it comes to woodwind instrument performance. Aaron’s international reputation for his work with saxophones is proof positive. What some players don’t know is that his focus also includes clarinets. Aaron has been working in all aspects of clarinet restoration for years and taking on challenges that may give others pause. From replacing and leveling tone holes to pinning cracks in the most valuable grenadilla-wood vintage instruments. His key fitting and timing adjustments are spot on. Plus, he knows how to set up a clarinet to each player’s exact preference. See for yourself why so many professional clarinet players turn to Aaron Barnard for repair and restoration of their precious instruments.
Barnard Instrument Repair also has a terrific inventory of vintage professional clarinets and mouthpieces for sale including golden-period Buffet R13’s and Selmer Centered Tone P and Q models. Nothing quite like the sound of those instruments – especially when they’re set up to your precise specifications.
Imagine a saxophone stand that holds your horn more securely, won’t tip over, weighs practically nothing and collapses to fit into the bell of your sax for travel. That’s exactly what the new carbon fiber saxophone stand from Woodwind Design delivers.
No more separate bags of heavy gear for gigs. Consider a Hercules steel tenor stand at 2.09 pounds compared to a Woodwind Design carbon fiber tenor stand at 0.33 pounds. With four legs and a molded bell cradle, the stability is outstanding. And the neoprene foam inside the bell cradle won’t damage your instrument’s finish. Plus, it assembles in seconds.
Fit and finish? Hands down the coolest stand on the market.
Barnard Instrument Repair is pleased to offer these fabulous stands to discerning players and will have a limited number of stands in stock. Given that each one is handmade, there will be a 4-6-week lead time on back orders.
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Pricing as follows:
$ 65 / Soprano Stand
$ 175 / Alto Stand
$ 175 / Tenor Stand
$ 230 / Low A Baritone Stand
$ 230 / Bb Baritone Stand
$ 35 / Alto Adapter for Tenor Stand
$ 75 / Additional Low A or Bb Bell Support
$ 20 / Pouch for Alto Stand
$ 20 / Pouch for Tenor Stand
$ 25 / Pouch for Baritone Stand
Fill out the form on our Contact page to place your order.
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Product testimonial:
A customer recently shared an interesting story about a mishap on a gig that he was playing. Turns out a mic stand accidentally got knocked over and ended up hitting something that ricocheted off his tenor sax that was at rest in its carbon fiber stand. Unfortunately, the body tube of the sax now has a dent, but the stand with the instrument stood firm and didn’t fall over which prevented major damage. Ultimately a nice testament to the stability of the Woodwind Design stand.
– SOLD –
Wow!! Here is a super rare and highly coveted Selmer “Jimmy Dorsey” model alto saxophone. This particular horn is just 5 serial numbers away from Dorsey’s personal axe!
What makes the Dorsey’s so rare and unique is that they were made in the middle of the Balanced Action production but feature characteristics of both the Radio Improved and Balanced Action models. This includes the body tube of the Balanced action and the bell and bow of the Radio Improved. What is most noticeable though is that the bell keys are on the left side of the bell and feature the triangular shaped key guard. This particular horn falls into the 2nd series of these horns as it has the stamped metal key guards.
Physically speaking, this horn was re-laquered quite some time ago. With that stated, it was done right! The lacquer color was correct and the engraving was not buffed and remains sharp. The lacquer has aged well and this horn looks great!
Mechanically, this horn just received the royal treatment here at the shop and was rebuilt with Pisoni Pro pads and domed brass resonators. This horn is ready to go!
Dorsey’s are sought-after not only for their rarity but their sound. This horn definitely delivers on both. This horn will surely excite whoever decides to make it theirs!
The vintage and professional saxophone market can be tricky to navigate. Sometimes horns (and mouthpieces) are available in the “usual places” and sometimes they aren’t. But that doesn’t mean a particular vintage Selmer, Conn, King or whatever you’re looking for isn’t there for the taking. I have a high-quality network of collectors who may have what you want. Talk to me about your needs. Who knows, I just may be able to surprise you.
Share your info so I can help find what you’re looking for.
Want to see what we currently have in stock? Take a look at our For Sale section.
We’ve all been there. You try to hit a G# or a low C# and nothing happens. Turns out the pad is glued tight to the tone hole. So you reach down and open it manually. And then it sticks again. Now there’s a better fix. Pad-Stick. You simply run the Pad-Stick strip between the closed pad and tone hole under light pressure. Its fabric surface magically cleans the pad. The Pad-Stick strip is tapered so the narrow end works perfectly on small keys and the wide end is great for big ones. And if it ever gets dirty, a little soap and water will clean it right up. As a repair tech, I always have Pad-Stick on my bench. I love this product. It really works.
Pro Tip: As a preventative measure, run Pad-Stick between your closed keys before putting your horn away to keep your pads nice and tidy.
Click here to purchase Pad-Stick and end sticky problems.