In repair lingo "regulate" generally means to adjust the keys that must close together so that they all close perfectly at the same time and with the same finger pressure. For example on the upper stack when you push the first finger B key it must also close the small C pad above it. When you push the second finger A key by itself it must close both the small C pad and the Bis Bb key at the same time. On the lower stack each of the the three keys must also close the F# tonehole pad and the G# tonehole pad in addition to itself. On the bell keys the low Bb must also close the low B key and the low B key in turn must keep the low C# from opening. This regulation is done by either turning adjusting screws or bending keys or a combination of both. In order to have perfect regulation each pad must individually be seated perfectly and there can be no wobble or "sloppy movement" in the keys. In addition the material between the linkages must not be too thick or compress when the keys are pressed. Your question really can't be answered without knowing the quality of the sax to begin with and the condition it is in when you take it to your tech. It could take anywhere from 5 minutes to 5 hours depending on what the instrument requires to be brought into perfect regulation. John

jbtsax, your definition of 'regulate' is what I was talking about. Just generally checking for leaks and adjusting. Also, I was talking about a working (as in playing out on gigs on a regular basis) pro horn.

I'm not sure what system your tech uses. In our shop customer instruments are repaired in the order that they are brought in unless they are under store warranty and those go to the front of the line. As far as pro's horns go. Some of those I've worked on are in worse shape than student horns. The players apparently play so well they just make it play in spite of the leaks. Some of the working pro's horns are the dirtiest as well. Go figure. You can probably tell the time your tech spends by how much he charges. $40 to $60 per hour shop rates are common in the industry. John

john has the answer..