restore my grandfather's instruments

My Dad (the son of this particular grandfather) and I just had a conversation about the instruments. I wasn’t getting at anything beyond trying to come up with ways to make the instrument cases not stink up wherever they are. At first I thought it was simple… we should just throw the old cases out and buy new ones, but then once the instruments are restored they would need new, non-contaminated cases… again. This seemed a little silly… although probably preferrable to the ugly smell.

Anyway, he decides that it’s been long enough, they’re his Dad’s instruments, and he’d like them restored. So, he says he’ll pay for it. I say: I was going to do that, when I could afford it. And he says: I know, but I want to do it. So, maybe (just maybe) we might get somewhere on this goal. Although it’s maybe more of “see my grandfather’s instruments restored” now, as opposed to my covering the costs… but still, it’s a step in a good direction.

... quite a bit lately. I’m not sure what prompted it, but I’m wondering if it’s time to take the alto sax in and just get it done. I need to find out how much it costs again though – I’ve conveniently forgotten. I know there’s a decent guy down in London (Ontario) who repairs instruments and such, and he might be a good option. That isn’t where I got the long since forgotten quote, though. I still might need to wait a little while longer, since the cash isn’t exactly flowly freely at the moment. Oh well, time will tell.

My grandfather’s instruments were given to me when he died years ago, but I haven’t had the money to invest in the proper cleaning, repairs, and other restorative work needed to return them to their former glory.

The “set” includes an alto sax, a tenor sax, and an Albert system clarinet. I played the saxophone and the clarinet (not the Albert system though) a LONG time ago, and still look forward to restoring these. Especially the alto sax…. it’s the TRUE find of the bunch. It was his main instrument, and of the three it’s also mine, so it will work out quite nicely when the time is right.