Bari Sax problem

[MandyH]

Hi all,
I’m hoping you can help!
A friend plays Bari sax in a sax ensemble (I play tenor in the same group)
About an hour into rehearsals, she loses a lot of the “middle” notes - G A B C etc.
She can still play the lowest notes with ease.

The sax has had a recent full service, and she took it back after she started having problems.

Do you think the problem is with the sax? Or could it be the player? (That seems really unlikely, she’s been playing sax for 30+ years, but ..)

She changed her posture slightly recently, after some Alexander technique sessions, and some neck pain. She uses a FreeNeck Harness.

Any thoughts or suggestions?

I will be playing her sax today for as long as I can to try to see if there is something wrong with the sax, but what would “fail” after an hour’s playing?

Thanks.

 

[nigeld]

I had a problem with my bari sax about a year ago, it was with the high notes, but the cause might be similar.
One of the rod screws was coming undone, and was rubbing against a key, which stopped it closing fully.
It only happened once the sax was properly warm.

 

[Colin the Bear]

After checking the obvious, check Bis and the little one above (that controls C to C#) regulation. Bis may be closing with the lower stack but not with the upper.

 

[MandyH]

I have now played this Sax for 1 1/2 hours, and not been able to repeat the problem, but I have noticed these 3 “concerns”

A) octave G and G# buzz at the open octave pip/hole in the pig-tail. (I’ve tried pushing down on all closed pads, but nothing has helped), however getting someone to close the open octave pip while playing stops the buzzing.
B) if you hold down the G# key while playing D E F And octave D E F they all buzz (holding the G# pad closed while doing this stops the buzzing -which would suggest the screw on the G to F adjustment is not quite correct)
C) the neck tenon is looser than I am used to - she may tighten the neck screw more than I do, (I was loath to tighten it too hard, since it’s not my sax) but I was aware that I re-adjusted the position of the neck several times, only slightly, but I kept realising things weren’t quite as comfortable as they had been.

I have no idea whether any of these could influence her playing.
They “bothered” me, but the sax was still playable throughout.

 

[jbtsax]

What is missing from this discussion is the make and model of the bari sax. That may be important in diagnosing the "buzz" at the body octave vent when it is opened.

 

[MandyH]

ah yes, it is a Yanagisawa B901