Passion for music leads to love of instrument repair

Musical instruments can produce tones that sound like magic, but repairing those instruments is nothing like magic at all, said musical instrument repairman Steve Collins.

Collins Hornworks grew out of Collins’ love of music and playing the saxophone. He specializes in saxophone repair, but he said he can work on most instruments from his basement workshop in the Oak Mountain area. Collins said he is passionate about restoring an instrument to better-than-original playing condition.

“So many people say there’s more than one way to fix a horn, and that’s true,” he said. “But there is usually a best way.”

Repair jobs can range from minor adjustments such as removing dents and dings in the metal, replacement of the pads, or a thorough cleaning  to complete overhauls, such as truing the tone holes. Over time, the edge of a tone hole can become uneven from wear and tear, which prevents the pad from completely covering it and allows air to escape, resulting in an improper note. Collins checks this by inserting a light in the instrument and looking for any light leaks when the pads are in place.

Collins began his love of musical instruments while in the band at J.O. Johnson High School in Huntsville, but he said he didn’t have any idea he would one day repair instruments for a living. The Huntsville native grew up planning to pursue a career in architecture until he heard the University of Alabama Jazz Ensemble play.

Collins played the alto saxophone and recalled being blown away by the Jazz Ensemble.

“I knew right then I wanted to be a part of that ensemble,” he said. “Alabama did not have an architecture program, so I had to find another major.”

Collins played in the Jazz Ensemble, and he marched in the Million Dollar Band where he saw coach Paul “Bear” Bryant’s final season. He also said he saw coaches Ray Perkins and Bill Curry during his six years as an undergrad. 

After graduation, he moved to Atlanta where he worked several sales and manufacturers representative jobs. He later became a physical therapy assistant.

He said he credits the book “What Color is Your Parachute?” with giving him the nudge to learn to repair musical instruments.

“The way you learn this craft is either by going to tech school or by apprenticeship,” Collins said while removing a dent from a saxophone. 

He said he decided to leave behind his career as a physical therapy assistant after his second child was born and found a music shop in Atlanta.

“So I just walked in off the street, and [the owner] said, ‘I’ll bring you in and start teaching you,’ and I just loved it,” Collins said.

He said he worked at the music shop for eight years and decided to venture out on his own when his family planned to move to Birmingham.

While at his workbench, Steve Collins checks his work by placing a light inside a Yahama alto saxophone that he was restoring. He said the light test allows him to see if there are any leaks around the pads that seal the tone holes that form the notes. He carefully makes any adjustments using a variety of tools. 

Collins said the repairs are “nothing magical, [it’s] just setting it up the way it’s supposed to play.”