Holly’s Music

I have never been so compelled to write a good review as I am right now. I took my tenor and bari saxes into Holly's Music for some maintenance and gave Holly a list of issues that I knew needed to be addressed. Some notes were stuffy, some were more difficult to control at low volumes, and some played too sharp or flat. I knew some pads and corks needed replacing on both, as well as some adjustments to cups and keys to correct small leaks. She found additional larger issues I was unaware of, like a bent body on the bari, which she corrected. Since repads can be both pricey and labor-intensive, Holly only replaced the necessary ones on each horn, and adjusted/reseated others as needed. Both horns absolutely sang when I brought them home to play! Like your eyes that get gradually worse over time until you realize you may need a new prescription, the tone and playability of the tenor that hadn't been serviced in years slowly got away from me. The horn blows so freely now, and the key action feels great. All the mechanics are much quieter and smoother. I picked up the bari used a couple years ago, so I never had a benchmark on it. It had at least two previous owners and is not the prettiest thing to look at with an impact dent in the neck, but it fit my budget. I am completely amazed at the difference in both the tone and the playability of this horn now. A lot can be done by the player to adjust the intonation of each note, and I can't believe how much (and for how long) I've been compensating on both of these horns. Regardless of how they are playing, I will bring them in to Holly for routine maintenance at least every two years. Best of all, the price of this work was extremely reasonable, and she turned them both around in the timeline I requested. Holly's attention to detail and the precision of her work are top-notch! Treat yourself to a tune-up if it's been a little while since your instrument was last serviced!