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Saxophones advice about cork please

Basil

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on the edge of Dartmoor
This is a really silly problem, but is starting to get to me so I need advice please. I play 2 separate mouthpieces on my YAS 62, both Vandoren. An AL4 and a V16. Problem is that they have a slightly different bore, so that the AL4is quite tight.

Recently I left the AL4 on the crook as I stored it away in my Hiscox case (ie in the neck), and now the V16 is loose. It isn't really really loose, but enough not to be able to realiably flatten the instrument so as to tune it to others that I am playing with because just playing it allows the mouthpiece to shift back to where the AL$ stopped (if you see what I mean).

How can I get the cork to expand back. Will it just do so if I leave it, or do I soak it in water, or does it need recorking ?

Obviously the answer for the future is "don't store the AL4 on the crook"...but a quick fix would be useful if anybody has any ideas please ???
 
I have had this problem with my otto link being tight so i try not to leave it on for too long.

If you leave the piece off for a couple of days the cork will expand again

mamos
 
GENTLY steam the cork in the steam from a kettle turning all the time,to keep the heat even. Don,t overdo it or if your cork has been stuck on with shellac it might just drop off. Alternatively use plumbers PTFE tape wrapped around the neck to tighten the loose mouthpiece.( I always keep some in my case as I have the same problem with a Dukoff and Yanagisawa on my bari)
 
Thanks Guys. I don't need to play this weekend so will leave the mouthpiece off and let time do it's job. If not, steam it is...only it is almost bound to fall off if I do it...things like that just follow me around.

A bit silly of me I know, but I had rather assumed that mouthpieces of the same make might be the same bore for a given size sax . ie Alto. How wrong can you be ??:confused:
 
Thanks Guys. I don't need to play this weekend so will leave the mouthpiece off and let time do it's job. If not, steam it is...only it is almost bound to fall off if I do it...things like that just follow me around.

It shouldn't fall off, as long as the original glue was OK. Shops do this all the time, and I've done it on a couple of my saxes with no ill effects at all. If it does fall off, it really just means that it was knackered anyway and is due to be replaced. It only costs a tenner at most sax shops anyway.
 
But be careful not to steam the neck, it could take the lacquer off. Wrap an old cloth round the neck first.
 
Someone here recommended the steam trick for me, worked well. I was amazed how quickly the cork expanded. Thanks whoever it was. I've tried ptfe, works, but is a pain as the tape won't stay put and needs redoing almost every time.
 
I use a alcohol lamp instead of steam. Keep the neeck over the flame and rotate all the time. The old corkgrease is also leaving the cork. Both metods works but I think the steam dries out the cork and makes it fragile. To replace the cork neck is an easy operation that everybody can do. No need to take the sax to a repairshop for this if you have shellack and the cork (sheet or tapered tube).

Thomas
 
Re corking a sax mouthpiece

This is a really silly problem, but is starting to get to me so I need advice please. I play 2 separate mouthpieces on my YAS 62, both Vandoren. An AL4 and a V16. Problem is that they have a slightly different bore, so that the AL4is quite tight.

Recently I left the AL4 on the crook as I stored it away in my Hiscox case (ie in the neck), and now the V16 is loose. It isn't really really loose, but enough not to be able to realiably flatten the instrument so as to tune it to others that I am playing with because just playing it allows the mouthpiece to shift back to where the AL$ stopped (if you see what I mean).

How can I get the cork to expand back. Will it just do so if I leave it, or do I soak it in water, or does it need recorking ?

Obviously the answer for the future is "don't store the AL4 on the crook"...but a quick fix would be useful if anybody has any ideas please ???


:w00t:This link should be made a sticky http://www.shwoodwind.co.uk/HandyHints/Recorking_crooks.htm :welldone
 
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