Although the old shop was ridiculously small it did have one great benefit; It could be made dark from the bench while working. Man, that was cool. You could drop a light into an instrument then dim the lights just as much as needed. The downside was that others working the shop had to cope with the dark.

The new shop has wonderful day lighting and plenty of open space but no dark areas. Hoping for the best of both worlds, we're building this pad room, or "pad oasis" as Matt likes to call it.

We started this project on Thursday and today is Monday. We still have some work to do on it but it will have to wait until after the NAMM show in CA.

The Pad Oasis is a 10 x 8 room with a 10 foot long bench. The room can be made completely dark from the bench. Here is a shot of the pad oasis which now sits in the corner of the shop.



The Pad Oasis has 4 recessed can lights that dim independently and a ceiling fan to pull out the heat of the torches and air guns that we use when padding.

Worried that legs on bench might limit us as we set up the pad room and work in there, we built our own bench with some rectangle channel that we had in the shop. Welding up the new bench and bolting it to the wall turned out to be pretty sturdy. There was some discussion that one could park a car on that bench.

Certainly strong enough to hold even the heaviest saxophones!

Here are some shots of the bench. With the door opening so close to the bench, it was difficult to get a shot of the entire bench so here are three pics from left to right.



Now we have to add some switches to the room for the lights, a little trim, a door, and some paint then we're off to a great start!

More on the pad room later!

-Curt

OK, here's a cool and useful little modification that we did in the MusicMedic.com SaxProShop the other day.

A picture tells a thousand words and you all know what a front F is. This Buescher Curved Soprano did not have the front F so we added one. We made the key with stock and a pearl holder that was in the shop.






This mod is more difficult than it looks because of the limited space involved. Also, when the Front F is pressed, the F key needs to travel more than one might imagine. This added travel provides it's own difficulties.

As this horn went out the door, we all took a moment to talk about how great the new modifications bench in the new shop will be. We're setting it up now. Imagine an entire area (about 600 sqft) set up only to do key modifications. I can't wait!

-Curt

Lots of people have been asking where to stay when they come to the Saxomania-NAPBIRT clinic here in February. This blog should answer those questions....

First off though, let me tell you the good news! You don't have to worry about being the only one at the clinic. We got a call from Bill Mathews at NAPBIRT today and he said there are record numbers of participants signed up! So we're ordering more cheese wine and food... Hurry and sign up so we can be sure we have a comfy chair for you!

Reserve a spot at: www.NAPBIRT.org

Also, note that the Clinic is $80.00 for Anyone. You do not need to be a NAPBIRT member to get in.

Here is some information about the Hotel pictured above.


Hotel:
Best Western Coastline Inn
503 Nutt Street
Wilmington, North Carolina 28401-3339
www.coastlineinn.com

Call: (800) 617-7732 or 910-763-2800 or by fax at 910-763-2785

Tell them: You're with the NAPBIRT group.

Rate: $69.00 per night.

Reserve a room for:
Friday the 5th
Saturday the 6th
Check out Sunday morning.

Clinic is on Saturday.


Here is the long version from the Hotel:

Experience a hotel in Wilmington, North Carolina that has it all — accommodations, warm service and a scenic location with riverfront views from every room! It’s waiting for you at the Coastline Inn Best Western, a Wilmington hotel located in the charming Historic District. Situated among countless attractions in a culturally rich area and features all the comforts of home. Wake up to a complimentary continental breakfast and newspaper delivered to your room. Stay productive on the road with free high-speed wireless Internet access. However you spend your time, you’re sure to enjoy the quaint, historical city and panoramic view of the Cape Fear River.
The Best Western Coastline Inn Hotel in Wilmington, North Carolina features 53 guest rooms and suites, all with riverfront views. Flexible meeting facilities are available in the hotel and at the adjacent Coastline Conference and Event Center, and offer a convenient option for guests who want to hold that meeting or conference in their hotel. The Best Western Coastline Inn has recently become a member of the Green Hotel Association and offers environmentally friendly accommodations.
While strolling along the historic riverfront, sample the many savory restaurants or shop ‘til you drop, you’ll always enjoy staying at our riverfront hotel in Wilmington, NC, filled with entertainment and a Southern flavor all its own. The Best Western Coastline Inn is just minutes from the best the city has to offer, including the beach, golfing and the Historic District of Old Wilmington.
When you stay at the Best Western Coastline Inn, you’ll enjoy the historic beauty of Wilmington, North Carolina and the comfort of our riverfront rooms. With 53 elegant Best Western hotel rooms in Wilmington, NC, we promise an excellent stay for corporate travelers, groups, leisure travelers, families and more! A beautiful waterfront location in the heart of the city’s Historic District.

We also offer spacious suites with sitting rooms. Additional toiletries are also available for guests. Sorry, we don’t allow pets. Children 17 and younger stay free in a room with one paying adult.

Catch up on your email at Coastline Inn, a hotel with high-speed Internet in North Carolina’s historic coast. Or take an adventurous tour of historic Wilmington and return to a beautiful riverfront view from one of our hotel rooms. Coast Line Inn Wilmington, NC, offers a home away from home for every guest.

With 53 riverfront hotel rooms in Wilmington, NC, Coastline Inn offers a fantastic location in the midst of history, dining and entertainment. At the Coastline Inn in Wilmington, North Carolina, Best Western amenities and services include:
53-room hotel with suites available
32' Flat Screen HD TV's with cable & HBO
Free wireless high-speed Internet access
Private bath with large walk in showers with rain heads, hairdryers & toiletries
Work area with desk & chair
Free local calls & long-distance access
Dataports
Coffee/tea maker
Alarm clock/radio
Iron & ironing board
Public pier & dock
Complimentary continental breakfast
Banquet & meeting facilities (small conference room and adjacent Coastline Conference and Event Center)
Catering available for events (through a third-party vendor)
Handicapped-accessible rooms available
All Nonsmoking rooms
Exercise room
Dry cleaning
Business center with computer, printer, fax & copier
Children 17 and younger stay free with one paying adult
Complimentary “USA Today” newspaper delivered to room (M-F)
Free parking & truck/RV parking
24-hour front desk
Elevator & exterior corridors
Safe deposit box
Ice/vending machines
Wake-up calls available
For comfortable hotel rooms in Wilmington, NC, with excellent service to match, choose Coastline Inn and the largest historic district in North Carolina. Best Western amenities like delicious complimentary breakfasts and a convenient business center offer the standard you’ve come to expect, with all the Southern charms of Wilmington. Coast Line Inn hotel services are also available for on-site meetings and banquets. Call us toll-free at (800) 617-7732 or 910-763-2800 or by fax at 910-763-2785 for more information or to make a reservation.

Or You May Contact us at:
Best Western Coastline Inn
503 Nutt Street
Wilmington, North Carolina 28401-3339
www.coastlineinn.com

Directions to the Best Western Coastline Inn

From The New Hanover International Airport: Turn left onto 23rd Street. At next stoplight turn right onto Hwy. 74 West/Downtown. Continue on route to downtown and it will become 3rd Street. Follow 3rd Street for five blocks until you reach Red Cross Street. Turn right onto Red Cross Street and follow for two blocks. Turn right onto Nutt Street. Second drive way on left is the entrance to the hotel. The Best Western Coastline Inn is located at the very back of the property.

From Raleigh/Durham area: Follow Interstate 40 East to Wilmington. As you approach Wilmington, turn right onto MLK Parkway/74 West/Downtown. Continue on route to downtown and it will become 3rd Street. Follow 3rd Street for five blocks until you reach Red Cross Street. Turn right onto Red Cross Street and follow for two blocks. Turn right onto Nutt Street. Second drive way on left is the entrance to the hotel. The Best Western Coastline Inn is located at the very back of the property.

From Charlotte area or the Western part of the state: Take Highway 74/76 East to Wilmington. After crossing the Cape Fear Memorial Bridge turn left at the traffic light onto 3rd Street. Follow 3rd Street for 1.5 miles until you reach Red Cross Street for two blocks turning right onto Nutt Street. Second driveway on left is the entrance to the hotel. The Best Western Coastline Inn is located at the very back of the property.

From South Carolina/Myrtle Beach area: Take Highway 17 North to Wilmington. After crossing the Cape Fear Memorial Bridge turn left at the traffic light onto 3rd Street. Follow 3rd Street for 1.5 miles until you reach Red Cross Street for two blocks turning right onto Nutt Street. Second driveway on left is the entrance to the hotel. The Best Western Coastline Inn is located at the very back of the property.

From Jacksonville NC: Take Highway 17 South to Wilmington. Stay on Highway 17 South (will turn into Market Street). Stay Market Street ends at Water Street. Take a Right, past Wilmington Hilton, continue around curve to Best Western Coastline Inn Conference and Event Center on the left.

After the mod, can you see what was done?



It could also be argued that invisible modifications are the most wonderful! Well this little mod, done in the MusicMedic.com pro shop, may not look like much now that it's done but, before it was done the horn was barely playable.

Anyone that owns one of these Yanagisawa soprano saxophones knows that the Eb (E flat) key is too large. For many, the large Eb key makes the horn unplayable. This was certainly the case for Joey so, we did what any good saxophone pro-shop would do. We made it work.

Here you can see the amount of key that we intended to remove.


Here's the Yanagisawa after the key was cut and buffed. Simple and effective.


The owner of this soprano and, one of our favorite clients, Joey, wrote in just after the horn was shipped home:


The Soprano is excellent....The E-flat key is just awesome this should be marketed, my technician said
one of his classical brass musicians sold his yani curve because of the E-flat issue....Anyway, just excellent workmanship.

Joey

SAXORAMA, SAXOMANIA, SAXFEST, SAXESGALORE


No matter what you call it, it's happening here at MusicMedic.com and it's gonna be outrageous!

What's this all about? MusicMedic.com has been asked to host a regional clinic for our favorite trade organization, the National Association of Professional Band Instrument Repair Technicians (NAPBIRT). Every year, there are regional NAPBIRT clinics happening around the US and some abroad. This year, one of those clinics will be hosted right here at MusicMedic.com. But you know us, it ain't gonna'be no regular thing....

The Regional NAPBIRT clinic held at MusicMedic.com will be all about Saxophones, sax parts, sax mouthpieces, sax construction, sax intonation, sax modification, sax regulation -you name it! There will be live (sax) music performed by RooPads endorsing artist Benny Hill. MusicMedic.com is sponsoring a "coffee breakfast" a "Wine and Cheese" brunch and a lunch with live music. Saxophone repair product demonstrations will be given at lunch time. All this will happen in the new MusicMedic.com facility in Wilmington NC.

OH yeah, we have also invited the finest saxophone technicians from around the US to come and share their knowledge with you! Jeff Peterson -Yamaha's big-dog saxophone repair tech from California, Matt Stohrer -NYC's newest and greatest sax-tech, Steve Goodson -N'awlins famous SaxGourmet, and Curt Altarac -of the MusicMedic.com fame will all be present to give a clinic.

Come early and plan to stay late. After the clinics, we're all going to Historic Downtown Wilmington for more food and libations. Seats at the clinic are limited so hurry, sign up, and reserve a spot.

Contact us regarding hotel options and register for the clinics at www.NAPBIRT.org.

UPDATE!!!
Just after posting this blog, I got a call from my very good friend Lee Kramka of Saxworx. Lee's one, if not thee, finest sax techs in the country. Lee said he's planning to jump on a plane and show up for the clinic. -You know he'll spice up the conversation!