In some cases, kind of a bluish-brown (if that's a color). The effect of the solution on the red film was that it was turned kind of brown. Sorry that the above picture is a little blurry, as this is the money shot. The tarnishing solution works by what might be called "protective corrosion." It is similar to the benefits of blued steel or anodized aluminum, i.e., a layer of "induced corrosion" protects the metal from further corrosion (unless your saliva is more corrosive than selenic acid, which is the active ingredient in this solution). Here's what it looked like when UPS delivered it. The one that I'll be working on was under $140, including shipping in a perfectly functional hard case. If I were a collector, a 1924 horn pitched in Db and made in Paraguay might interest me. Keep in mind that my goal is producing a playable horn. True junker horns from that era and area are rare. For instance, if the horn appears French and between 1935-1955, I'm interested. Second, if the sax was made by an unidentified manufacturer, but I can determine the date and general area of production, that helps. A few manufacturers simply did not make second-rate horns even though they produced lots of stencil horns. First, if I can determine that it is a stencil from a known manufacturer, that helps in calculating what I want to pay or bid. I have a general theory for purchasing a sax to completely rebuild (what I will call a "carcass"). That's why horns in this condition end up selling for under $150.
Unfortunately, these are often in such poor condition that it isn't even possible to test them to see whether the horn is not worth fixing up. Most repair technicians would say that this horn has lived a good life and is now not worth fixing up. It seems well made, but has fallen into disrepair, probably because of its bad cosmetics and off-brand name. The engraved name is " American Knight." It's not an American horn, but appears to be post-war European, probably German. As you can see on the example below, the lacquer was completely missing in most areas. With that in mind, we begin the rebuilding of a "no-name" saxophone, including removing the lacquer. It gets even more confusing when people learn that some Selmers are Bundys, or vice versa. When you "see" Selmer or you "see" Bundy, that controls what you think you are hearing. In fact, it wouldn't matter that the Bundy is in better physical condition, has more accurate intonation, and sounds better. Welcome to the world of vintage stencil saxophones, where a saxophone built by Buescher and engraved (i.e., stenciled) with the name "Bundy" will sell for much less than a Buescher-built sax engraved "Selmer." It does not matter that the horns are identical. We have seen the same thing with identical saxophone mouthpieces, one having a "famous" name and the other having no name. If the horn is engraved "Selmer," the value of the horn could be well beyond it's intrinsic value as a saxophone. Of course, the reverse is also true in that the name can drive the price up for no good reason. The second "condition" that drives down the value of the horn is the brand name engraved on the horn. In fact, I'm not sure that there is a good reason for re-lacquering a horn. And a shiny horn will make you more popular. So, if your horn cost $400, or even $1,000, what's the point? Well, the horn will be shiny again. For that, you should figure on paying at least $500 for a quality job. It is possible to do a proper re-lacquer. Re-lacquers can look okay from a distance and, like an Earl Scheib paint job, are guaranteed for 4 years (or less). The results of a re-lacquer tend to be like the results of an Earl Sc heib paint job (that's a "recent" commercial, it used to be $49.95). The lacquer can be a "re-lacquer," meaning that somebody thought the original lacquer was in such bad condition that the horn would be improved by cleaning it up and re-applying lacquer. Two of the biggest "flaws" that don't effect the playing are the condition of the lacquer and the brand name engraved on the horn. These conditions don't necessarily effect the playing characteristics of the horn, but they can greatly effect the value of the horn. There are a zillion saxophones out there that suffer from conditions that drive the price down.
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