Parts

What you need

A saxophone that you are ready to overhaul

The backing magnet lives under the pad, so a technician will need to remove your pads to install this system.

Backing Magnets

Backing Magnets live under the saxophone pad and come in two sizes.

  • Small Backing Magnets - for pads under 20mm (25/32")
  • Large Backing Magnets - for pads 20mm (25/32") and over

Magnetic Resonators

Magnetic Adapter Rings - Install your own resonators. Ideal for techs with resonator stock.

OR

Pre-Magnetized Resonators - Buy sets already installed. Ideal for players who want to start swapping.

Tools

Aluminum Bench Block - a non-magnetic surface to flatten and cool shellac on

Buescher True Tone Pad Center Punch

Rivets

Only necessary if you are installing your own resonators on anything that is secured with a metal rivet, such as:

  • Flat Metal
  • Domed Metal (SA 80 style)
  • Maestro/Noyek

Special Pads, Glue, or Resonators?

Nope.

Techs can use their favourite pads and padding technique. I designed these with special attention given to allowing techs to continue doing the good work that you go to them for in the first place. This wouldn't work if I demanded that techs buy and master another style of pad.

Same goes for resonators - if a tech already has resonator stock, I am happy to just sell the magnets to keep their stock minimal. If a tech wants to save time, I can do the installation for them.

Installation

Install Magnetones on an instrument

  1. Prep your overhaul as normal
  2. Select pads from your stock without resonators (or remove current resonators)
  3. Using the Buescher True Tone hole punch, enlarge the hole using the largest punch for the largest magnet, or the smallest punch for the smallest magnet.
  4. Superglue Magnetic Backing to underside of pad - this keeps the magnet from leaking shellac inside of the pad during seating and adjustment.
  5. Add shellac or hot glue to the back of the pad as normal. The typical 'business card thickness' will be enough.
  6. Overhaul the instrument as normal, with or without the resonators installed. Magnetones will not interfere with the quality work you are already doing.

Install Adapter Magnet on your Resonators

  1. Using a Backing Magnet, insure your Adapter Magnet is in the proper orientation. (Don't glue the resonator to the wrong pole of the magnet).
  2. Select the right Adapter Magnet for your resonator stem or rivet
  3. Scuff the surface of the magnet to be glued.
  4. Run a bead of superglue around the contact area of the resonator.
  5. Mount magnet to resonator using stem or rivet as a centering guide.
  6. Let it dry without accelerator.
  7. Rest this assembly on a magnetic/ferrous surface so that the magnet is continually drawn towards the resonator.

Using Magnetones

Switching your Resonators

  1. Use resonator lifting tool to remove the resonator from each pad
  2. Drop new resonators in place. The magnetic strength is strong enough to pull them into place without the need to carefully align them.