Saxophone Repair Done Right

My name is Kaleb Berg, and I specialize in complete vintage saxophone overhauls. My work is thorough and meticulous, with attention to every detail to ensure your horn plays as easily and freely as possible for years with minimal maintenance.

Service Inquiries: KBWinds@gmail.com

My Repair Philosophy

It is my goal for every overhaul that leaves my workbench to play better than it did the day it left the factory. To simply make it play is not sufficient. A completely rebuilt saxophone should, in my eyes, play its low Bb and altissimo range as easily as any other notes on the instrument at any dynamic the player demands. I do not cut corners, and every job receives my full attention and capability to ensure it is mechanically perfect and reliable, and a joy to play for its user.

Every instrument is unique

Saxophone repair does not allow for a one size fits all approach, and this is even more true in the vintage world. Each instrument’s specific history dictates its repair needs, from correcting damage and wear received throughout years of playing to oversights and errors leftover from its initial construction and assembly. I address every problem on a horn at its foundation so that additional repairs besides the most routine maintenance will not be required for many years after completing a job.

Working with me

  • Contact me via email at KBWinds@gmail.com for a consultation. We can schedule a phone call to go over your horn, and I will ask for photos to get a rough idea of where we will be starting as far as repair is concerned, and discuss shipping your horn to me for a quote and to begin work.

    • Disassembly and cleaning

    • Body straightening and dent work

    • Tonehole leveling (as appropriate)

    • Polishing and straightening of all rods, and degreasing and polishing of pivots and receivers

    • Key cup leveling and alignment

    • Spring adjustment and replacement as needed

    • Mechanical key fitting for free, exact, and quiet motion

    • Replacement of all pads

    • Installation of all new key corks, felts, bumpers and adjustment materials, with meticulous attention to smooth feel of the action and longevity of adjustment

    • Neck tenon fitting

    • Rigorous and thorough playtesting to ensure satisfactory setup

    The above list is far from exhaustive when it comes to any given instrument. Additional steps such as soldering and fabrication may be required, and many smaller steps in the repair are not listed here.

  • Due to the unique nature of each job, there is no flat rate for my services, and every instrument, even ones of identical make and model will have different needs. We’ll begin with a consultation about your specific horn and its history to determine a baseline, and a concrete quote can be provided once an instrument reaches my workbench for evaluation.

  • Once I receive your instrument, each overhaul typically requires around 40 hours or more of bench time to complete. This cannot always be completed consecutively, and part of my playtest process includes allowing time for materials, including the natural felt inside the pads, to settle so that I can be certain everything is completely stable before returning the instrument. This means that after arriving with me, your saxophone will be in my workshop for 10 days to two weeks before it is ready for pickup or packed and shipped home.

About Me

My name is Kaleb and I’ve been repairing saxophones for over 10 years, and playing them for nearly 20.

I got my start in repairs and service studying Band Instrument Repair Technology at Renton Technical College before moving to Reno, NV where I’ve spent the last 10 years as a woodwind technician at Blue Note B’s Horn Shop. I’ve always taken great pride in the quality of my work on any instrument, but saxophones, and more specifically vintage saxophones have always been the most challenging and rewarding to repair, particularly when given the opportunity to fully overhaul them and make them play better than they did brand new.

Through the years I’ve built my skills and have accrued considerable experience working on saxophones of many makes from all eras of the instrument’s existence, including but not limited to Selmer, Conn, Buescher, Martin, Yamaha, Yanagisawa, Buffet, Cuesnon, Rampone & Cazzani, and many more.