Anyone done work to the modern Otto Link NY tenor pieces?

I've been "breaking myself in" on a brand new 5* and 6* - thought I'd 
be picking one or the other, but they are so characteristically 
different I've decided to keep them both, probably.

The 5* has a facing length around 48 and the 6* around 44.  The 5* is 
awesome for "foofy" subtone ballads with a Fibracell MH and the 6* 
projects a bit more using a Medium.

Curiously, both pieces have crooked lays left to right about 1/2mm, 
so the tables are somehow both equally uneven (in the same direction 
by the way).  Also curious is how the pieces measure up almost 
exactly the same from 0.010" to 0.050".  The tip openings on 
Babbitt's website are greater by 0.005" than what I'm measuring on 
both of them (and I'm using tools I bought from them...)

Anyhow - if anyone's got some before and after stories about working 
on these pieces (particularly in terms of increasing the facing 
length or evening the lay), I'd like to hear about your results.  It 
wont be long before I'll be tempted to lengthen the 6* and/or balance 
the curve on both.  (My facing length preference is to the longer 
side, but somehow I've managed to "live with" my Airflow Table C* at 
44 - too mint to monkey with)  And if I go so far as to venture into 
those waters, I'd appreciate leads on who's the going gold-plating 
outfit. (Anderson's?)

To unnecessarily continue what's become an unintended endorsement of 
these pieces and altogether long posting (sorry about that), I'm 
quite impressed with these modern NY's.  Enough so that I've got an 
8* on the way...

Well, I'll answer my own post...

I refaced the 6* NY tenor Link yesterday and it is greatly improved.  
Lengthened to facing from 44 to 48 and made it a perfect radial.  I 
let it close up from .087 to .080 in the process of flattening the 
table (what a mess it was), so now it's actually more like a 5* but 
warmer and responds better than the stock 5*.  I might experiment 
with a Powertone baffle to assist the high end and add a touch more 
projection to it.  I left the baffle alone.

So the chirps are eliminated, the response improved, etc. etc.    The 
table was wavy and concave to the point of being leaky.  So I'll 
attest that the modern NY tenor Links make great blanks!  Just buy 
them a little more open than you want the final product to be - it'll 
save some work so you don't have to overwork the tip.

Can't wait until my 8* shows up and I break out the sandpaper!

Didn't someone here offer plating as a service?  I'd like to "seal 
the deal".

Lappingly,

- Ed



What amazed me --- In MouthpieceWork@yahoogroups.com, "zed_saxmaniax" 
<zed@s...> wrote:
> Anyone done work to the modern Otto Link NY tenor pieces?
> 
> I've been "breaking myself in" on a brand new 5* and 6* - thought 
I'd 
> be picking one or the other, but they are so characteristically 
> different I've decided to keep them both, probably.
> 
> The 5* has a facing length around 48 and the 6* around 44.  The 5* 
is 
> awesome for "foofy" subtone ballads with a Fibracell MH and the 6* 
> projects a bit more using a Medium.
> 
> Curiously, both pieces have crooked lays left to right about 1/2mm, 
> so the tables are somehow both equally uneven (in the same 
direction 
> by the way).  Also curious is how the pieces measure up almost 
> exactly the same from 0.010" to 0.050".  The tip openings on 
> Babbitt's website are greater by 0.005" than what I'm measuring on 
> both of them (and I'm using tools I bought from them...)
> 
> Anyhow - if anyone's got some before and after stories about 
working 
> on these pieces (particularly in terms of increasing the facing 
> length or evening the lay), I'd like to hear about your results.  
It 
> wont be long before I'll be tempted to lengthen the 6* and/or 
balance 
> the curve on both.  (My facing length preference is to the longer 
> side, but somehow I've managed to "live with" my Airflow Table C* 
at 
> 44 - too mint to monkey with)  And if I go so far as to venture 
into 
> those waters, I'd appreciate leads on who's the going gold-plating 
> outfit. (Anderson's?)
> 
> To unnecessarily continue what's become an unintended endorsement 
of 
> these pieces and altogether long posting (sorry about that), I'm 
> quite impressed with these modern NY's.  Enough so that I've got an 
> 8* on the way...

>  So I'll 
> attest that the modern NY tenor Links make great blanks!  Just buy 
> them a little more open than you want the final product to be - it'll 
> save some work so you don't have to overwork the tip.
> 

There is an advantage to ordering modern Link STMs small and opening 
the tip.  Many are too narrow compared to the width of a standard 
reed.  Opening them helps to fix this.  Plus, it gives you some 
additional baffle material to rework and allows you to improve the tip 
rail.  Often one side rail (usually the right side) is short at the tip 
and the tip rail is tilted.

> 
> Didn't someone here offer plating as a service?  I'd like to "seal 
> the deal".
> 

Steve Fowler offered us his plating services at discount prices.  I 
have not heard from any takers yet.

Once I have a buddy play test my modified NY (open like a 5*) against 
a stock 5*, I'll probably open the 6* back up to original spec (but 
more evenly!) and take advantage of the remaining baffle matl.  He 
liked the stock NY 5* a little better than a vintage Tone Master 4* 
we've been hanging onto.  He was wishing the 5* was a little warmer.

Correcting these imperfections (not to mention closing the tip a bit) 
certainly warmed up the piece.  Opening it up and working the baffle 
a touch will improve the response further.

The tip rail was definitely tilted and a little flatter than I like - 
hence it's original chirpiness (now pleasingly vanished).

The table is a bit thick, so I might do a little work there at the 
window before having it replated.

Thanks for the reminder on the lead.  I'll take him up on his earlier 
offer and let the forum know how it goes.  It may be a while before I 
get around to doing the replating, though...

Putting my sandpaper where my mouth is...

- Ed



--- In MouthpieceWork@yahoogroups.com, "Keith Bradbury" 
<kwbradbury@y...> wrote:
> >  So I'll 
> > attest that the modern NY tenor Links make great blanks!  Just 
buy 
> > them a little more open than you want the final product to be - 
it'll 
> > save some work so you don't have to overwork the tip.
> > 
> 
> There is an advantage to ordering modern Link STMs small and 
opening 
> the tip.  Many are too narrow compared to the width of a standard 
> reed.  Opening them helps to fix this.  Plus, it gives you some 
> additional baffle material to rework and allows you to improve the 
tip 
> rail.  Often one side rail (usually the right side) is short at the 
tip 
> and the tip rail is tilted.
> 
> > 
> > Didn't someone here offer plating as a service?  I'd like 
to "seal 
> > the deal".
> > 
> 
> Steve Fowler offered us his plating services at discount prices.  I 
> have not heard from any takers yet.