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CafeSaxophone Forum
Tech/maintenance Sax Key Action (how it affects tone)
Hi All,
Long story, but I'll summarise my question first:
I realise that the question is highly subjective, but like guitar (too low an action causes fret buzz) there must a universal rule of thumb that says "this is too low"? Would really appreciate feedback from the sax techs on the forum!
I was in a London sax store this weekend and tried a Mauriat Curved Sop, which I worriedly took to one of the audition rooms in the store and played; this is the first time I've ever played a curved sop and I was quite concerned after the tales of curved sop intonation being more difficult to tame than Alto or Tenor. Unusually I had wifey with me (she's not normally present for sax porn!), anyway I picked it up and blew, went up and down a scale or two, she told me there and then I could buy it of I wanted it. After checking her temperature, and making sure there were no obvious signs of head injury I asked for her to clarify.
She told me that the sound I produced with the instrument was much more fluid, smooth and slick, and made me sound more like I'd been playing the horn for 5 years instead of a year or however long I really have.
I decided not to walk out of the store with it, but instead take a day or two (being an analytical kind of guy) to understand what was different, and why this was so different to my other horns. I eventually decided that the key work felt more "solid" and the action was much lower.
When I got home I confirmed this, the action on my other horns was significantly higher, and it would seem that when I see an note and the signal is sent from my brain to my fingers to shut the key, when the action is particularly high, sometimes it can introduce a sufficient delay to make the note timing "off". I thought that this is something I just have to learn to build into my playing and deal with as a part of my growth as a player becoming familiar with the instrument. That is until I played the Mauriat!
So can I get the action lowered on my other horns?? Am I imagining all of this? Will affect my sound in a negative way?
Sorry for the novella, it's all a bit confusing to me right now, incidentally the store will probably be calling me back this morning to ask if I want the horn, but I'm holding off for at least the next few hours while I contemplate my navel; especially if I can make my other horns feel as smooth, fast and positive as the Mauriat.
Cheers
T>
Long story, but I'll summarise my question first:
How low can action on a horn be before it becomes detrimental to the sound of a sax.
I realise that the question is highly subjective, but like guitar (too low an action causes fret buzz) there must a universal rule of thumb that says "this is too low"? Would really appreciate feedback from the sax techs on the forum!
I was in a London sax store this weekend and tried a Mauriat Curved Sop, which I worriedly took to one of the audition rooms in the store and played; this is the first time I've ever played a curved sop and I was quite concerned after the tales of curved sop intonation being more difficult to tame than Alto or Tenor. Unusually I had wifey with me (she's not normally present for sax porn!), anyway I picked it up and blew, went up and down a scale or two, she told me there and then I could buy it of I wanted it. After checking her temperature, and making sure there were no obvious signs of head injury I asked for her to clarify.
She told me that the sound I produced with the instrument was much more fluid, smooth and slick, and made me sound more like I'd been playing the horn for 5 years instead of a year or however long I really have.
I decided not to walk out of the store with it, but instead take a day or two (being an analytical kind of guy) to understand what was different, and why this was so different to my other horns. I eventually decided that the key work felt more "solid" and the action was much lower.
When I got home I confirmed this, the action on my other horns was significantly higher, and it would seem that when I see an note and the signal is sent from my brain to my fingers to shut the key, when the action is particularly high, sometimes it can introduce a sufficient delay to make the note timing "off". I thought that this is something I just have to learn to build into my playing and deal with as a part of my growth as a player becoming familiar with the instrument. That is until I played the Mauriat!
So can I get the action lowered on my other horns?? Am I imagining all of this? Will affect my sound in a negative way?
Sorry for the novella, it's all a bit confusing to me right now, incidentally the store will probably be calling me back this morning to ask if I want the horn, but I'm holding off for at least the next few hours while I contemplate my navel; especially if I can make my other horns feel as smooth, fast and positive as the Mauriat.
Cheers
T>
12 Replies
·
13538 views
Saxophones The Alphabet of Tone
The Alphabet of Tone
words often encountered when one discusses or expresses an instruments tone....
Bright
Warm
Rich
Dark
Lush
Centered / Focused
Spread
what else have YOU heard?
words often encountered when one discusses or expresses an instruments tone....
Bright
Warm
Rich
Dark
Lush
Centered / Focused
Spread
what else have YOU heard?
2 Replies
·
42 views
Cafe Moderator
Café Supporter
Miscellaneous Daily Check In
Good morning,
We thought it might be good to have a thread where you can just come and say hi, tell us what you are doing today, have a moan, share an idea that you wouldn't necessarily start a thread for ( we can always create a new thread from posts here if it became a substantial discussion).
It doesn't have to be sax related🙂
Basically an easy way to connect on a daily basis.
So to kick us off, I am writing this whilst prepping a casserole for the slo cooker as I am playing sax today with café sax and need a quick easy tea when I get home.
I am still suffering with a cough which will impact my playing today and I am worried as we are playing our first care home gig next Sunday!!
Have a lovely Sunday
Jx
We thought it might be good to have a thread where you can just come and say hi, tell us what you are doing today, have a moan, share an idea that you wouldn't necessarily start a thread for ( we can always create a new thread from posts here if it became a substantial discussion).
It doesn't have to be sax related🙂
Basically an easy way to connect on a daily basis.
So to kick us off, I am writing this whilst prepping a casserole for the slo cooker as I am playing sax today with café sax and need a quick easy tea when I get home.
I am still suffering with a cough which will impact my playing today and I am worried as we are playing our first care home gig next Sunday!!
Have a lovely Sunday
Jx
2987 Replies
·
96091 views
Cafe Moderator
Cafe Announcements 📣 Testing new feature: Social Feed
As some of you have noticed we are testing a new forum feature that may or may not be made permanent. It is still under development so any critique, bug reports are welcome.
This is a different way of viewing recent posts, in a social media type view. This is never going to replace the existing traditional forum / subforum and new posts view, rather it's an alternative if you like that kind of view. So we don't need need an opinion on the feature itself. In fact I don't really like it myself. The reason is to make the forum more familiar and hopefully less perplexing for new users who may be used to this type of view but not the traditional forum format.
Currently the access to Social Feed is a sub menu item of New (along with the various different New views). You can also switch back and forth between the SF view and trad view via a link at the top of each thread. Social Feeds shows the latest started or replied to threads showing the first post and latest two or three replies. The Load More Replies link opens up each thread to show all replies (but we may reduce that to 10 or so at a time)
If you reply to a post in SF format it will show as "nested" but when viewing the same post in traditional view it will have the post it is replying to as a quote. (or rather, it should do with any luck)
Please supply any comments in this thread, so not interrupt normal threads with comments about the Social Feeds system.
Again: this is totally optional and will not replace any current view so we won't be taking a poll on whether you like/want it or not.
What will be most useful is if those of you who are used to this kind of feed with social media can comment in this thread which may be sticky for a while
This is a different way of viewing recent posts, in a social media type view. This is never going to replace the existing traditional forum / subforum and new posts view, rather it's an alternative if you like that kind of view. So we don't need need an opinion on the feature itself. In fact I don't really like it myself. The reason is to make the forum more familiar and hopefully less perplexing for new users who may be used to this type of view but not the traditional forum format.
Currently the access to Social Feed is a sub menu item of New (along with the various different New views). You can also switch back and forth between the SF view and trad view via a link at the top of each thread. Social Feeds shows the latest started or replied to threads showing the first post and latest two or three replies. The Load More Replies link opens up each thread to show all replies (but we may reduce that to 10 or so at a time)
If you reply to a post in SF format it will show as "nested" but when viewing the same post in traditional view it will have the post it is replying to as a quote. (or rather, it should do with any luck)
Please supply any comments in this thread, so not interrupt normal threads with comments about the Social Feeds system.
Again: this is totally optional and will not replace any current view so we won't be taking a poll on whether you like/want it or not.
What will be most useful is if those of you who are used to this kind of feed with social media can comment in this thread which may be sticky for a while
Do you use the social feed?
10 votes total
31 Replies
·
2086 views
Miscellaneous Photography - all aspects
Following various recent posts, I thought I would create a thread specifically for photography. Somewhere to talk about equipment, experiences, processing...
To start off, I was a Nikon user for over 40 years, but had to 'down size' as handling full-frame cameras and lenses was getting to be too much like hard work and giving me shoulder issues. My current digital camera is a mirrorless Fuji X-T5.
For film cameras, I have a Pentax MX, Mamiya RB67, and a Sinar F2.
To start off, I was a Nikon user for over 40 years, but had to 'down size' as handling full-frame cameras and lenses was getting to be too much like hard work and giving me shoulder issues. My current digital camera is a mirrorless Fuji X-T5.
For film cameras, I have a Pentax MX, Mamiya RB67, and a Sinar F2.
422 Replies
·
16446 views
I found this ancient Otto Langey Saxophone Fingering Chart, circa 1890, inside the case of a 1921 C Melody sax. The condition is poor, but it's still a cool find. I gather it's a fingering chart for those transitioning from the "older" 12-key saxophone to the "newer" 15-key layout. I don't see a date on this anywhere, so the 1890 guess came from the PC.
13 Replies
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Saxophones Trying to date my Amati Kraslice Tenor
Hi everyone!
A coworker's grandma passed away and her family passed her Amati Kraslice Tenor on to me.
It looks quite old (for example: the whole thing is silber, but the inside of the bell is gold), but me and my friends didn't have any luck finding something with the serial number.
The serial number is: 43826
I've added some photos, maybe this will help 🙂
Thanks already!!
A coworker's grandma passed away and her family passed her Amati Kraslice Tenor on to me.
It looks quite old (for example: the whole thing is silber, but the inside of the bell is gold), but me and my friends didn't have any luck finding something with the serial number.
The serial number is: 43826
I've added some photos, maybe this will help 🙂
Thanks already!!
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Saxophones Franken-sax?
My primary instrument is Tuba. Among tuba players there are quite a few who build what are called Franken-Tuba's. Basically we find old junk, sometimes buy new components, and build homemade conglomerations.
Is this a thing in the saxophone community?
Is this a thing in the saxophone community?
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Saxophones Alto for warm tone
Me again!
I'm curious to know - what alto do you think produces the warmest, most mellow tone?
No particular reason for asking just pure curiosity........
I'm curious to know - what alto do you think produces the warmest, most mellow tone?
No particular reason for asking just pure curiosity........
33 Replies
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Tech/maintenance Super glued pads - a cry for help
Hello, folks. Many of you may know me from that other site.
A while back, I bought a nice, shiny purple logo Yts-32 from a guy in Japan. It arrived unplayable due to leaks. No prob, I think. I'll fix 'er right up. Wrong again.
The pads are glued in with ca glue. Lots of it, filling the cups. It is very hard and thick. I have scraped out a couple of pad cups. It was a long, tedious drudge. Acetone barely softens the surface.
Is there a better way?
A while back, I bought a nice, shiny purple logo Yts-32 from a guy in Japan. It arrived unplayable due to leaks. No prob, I think. I'll fix 'er right up. Wrong again.
The pads are glued in with ca glue. Lots of it, filling the cups. It is very hard and thick. I have scraped out a couple of pad cups. It was a long, tedious drudge. Acetone barely softens the surface.
Is there a better way?
33 Replies
·
439 views
Saxophones Pork Tales: Saxophone Repair DIY Adventures.
Tales from a pig that likes to stick his nose into everything.
Paint that S. How difficult could it be ?
1) Search the net.
2) Find the color.
3) Order color.
4) Study task on University of YouTube, aka; For destruction by DYI presented by pro tech.
Do the cleaning & prep.
Paint and cleanup / detail the edges with hard cotton swabs. Sounds easy……
Yeah tha guy Matt makes it look easy.
Anyone remember your first experience cooking bacon crispy while still in the frying pan !
Paint that S. How difficult could it be ?
1) Search the net.
2) Find the color.
3) Order color.
4) Study task on University of YouTube, aka; For destruction by DYI presented by pro tech.
Do the cleaning & prep.
Paint and cleanup / detail the edges with hard cotton swabs. Sounds easy……
Yeah tha guy Matt makes it look easy.
Anyone remember your first experience cooking bacon crispy while still in the frying pan !
1248 Replies
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Recipes What's Cookin'?
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I make it every year for the game, whether I watch it or not. In a pot I actually won... at a chili contest.
Now how 'bout a bowl of red:
I make it every year for the game, whether I watch it or not. In a pot I actually won... at a chili contest.
Now how 'bout a bowl of red:
169 Replies
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9520 views
Great Players Who sparked your love of Sax music
As an aside to Bobby's "first album' thread... I am curious to know which golden moment made you think "Now there's an instrument I fancy having a go at"
For me it was Tex Beneke. My parents used to play a lot of Glenn Miller when I was growing up. It was the only music I knew as a kid: big band stuff. Then I became a teenager and discovered Dick Parry's voice on Dark Side of the Moon, and thought "ok, this might be fun" After Dick it was Didier Malherbe from Gong and then my mate played me Charlie Parker and I was fully hooked!
For me it was Tex Beneke. My parents used to play a lot of Glenn Miller when I was growing up. It was the only music I knew as a kid: big band stuff. Then I became a teenager and discovered Dick Parry's voice on Dark Side of the Moon, and thought "ok, this might be fun" After Dick it was Didier Malherbe from Gong and then my mate played me Charlie Parker and I was fully hooked!
625 Replies
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114689 views
I'm wondering if anyone's noticed a change in the consistency of Vandoren Java Red reeds recently? My last two boxes have been noticeably substandard, with the last box not having a single, decent reed in it. Resistance has increased noticeably and the sound is much less bright. I swapped in an old Red and it was great.
It feels like they've changed how they gauge the Reds, or changed the design slightly. Is it just me or has anyone had this recently?
It feels like they've changed how they gauge the Reds, or changed the design slightly. Is it just me or has anyone had this recently?
16 Replies
·
324 views
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