Crook cork

[funkymonk]

Hey guys, I brought a new mouthpiece the other day, just an upgrade from the one that came with my sax to a yamaha. The mouthpiece, however doesn't fit -its too big, but the cork on the end of the crook is really flat (i can see how the cork used to be from the part that didnt go in the mouthpiece its alot less flattened).
Is this easy to replace myself, or is there another solution?

Thanks

Matt

 

[Linky Lee]

yeah it's not too difficult a job.

It will cost you slightly more to do it yourself than to get a repair do it on the spot though, and he'll probably do a better job as well.

If you really want to go ahead and do it visit www.shwoodwind.co.uk and go to the 'Handy Hints' page I believe, it's under recorking a sax crook. Et voila!

 

[Bobby G]

You may be able to expand the crook cork by heating it; I have heard advocated the use of a cigarette lighter, but I hold the corked end of the crook in the steam from a boiling kettle. This usually expands the cork enough for the mouthpiece fit to become more snug. If the cork is in good condition this may be all you need to do.

Cheers, Bob

 

[Linky Lee]

I've actually had the opposite problem before and had the mouthpiece to small with a heartily compressed crook cork.

Had to take sand paper to the inside of the mouthpiece and give it a hollow out very carefully because if you take too much off it will be loose and leak. Unless I went and expanded the cork and tried again!

These things are completely mad. A mouthpiece should just fit.

 

[jersey_mike]

The steam from the kettle thing works very well (thank you for that tidbit a few months ago.) I've also used direct fire and have a slightly darkened, but still very usable, cork as a result.

 

[Saxlicker]

http://www.shwoodwind.co.uk/HandyHints/Recorking_crooks.htm

But I recommend you take it to a repairer

 

[funkymonk]

Thanks guys, I just carefully put it over a flame and it seems to be expanding 🙂 muchas gracias!

 

[mfox]

just tried over a flame.. anyone got a spare room for a few weeks while my house is rebuilt after the fire?

only joking..

new saxes are the worst.. the MPs never fit..

 

[tris]

Linky_Lee wrote:

Had to take sand paper to the inside of the mouthpiece and give it a hollow out very carefully because if you take too much off it will be loose and leak. Unless I went and expanded the cork and tried again!

These things are completely mad. A mouthpiece should just fit.

Dude... would it not have been better to sand the cork on the crook? That is the route I took.

 

[Linky Lee]

no because I have other mouthpieces I use that do fit and would go on too far down causing it to be sharp if I changed the amount of cork.

It doesn't matter now, the mouthpiece was rubbish and gotten rid of.

 

[tris]

Makes sense... you would think that they would standardize that particular dimension? When i got the Lamberson I could not even get it half a cm onto the crook!

 

[Linky Lee]

Yeah the crook on the Hanson alto seems to be slightly bigger than some other altos. Maybe that helps towards giving it that big fat broad sound?

But I agree, a standard crook diameter should be standardised, as with mouthpiece shanks. I hate long shank mouthpieces as I have a very loose embouchure and stick the mouthpiece quite far down the cork to play in tune (my reasoning behind the position of the mouthpiece on the crook as it seems to be pretty consistent throughout my saxes, excluding the baritone). Long shank mouthpieces make this ridiculously difficult as the shank goes even further down the crook cork and gets very stiff and tight and compressed the cork where your other mouthpieces normally go making them loose! They call it madness...

 

[griff136]

I rarely change mouthpieces -and only ever on my alto when I'm either doing soul band/big band gigs or the odd concert band stuff, but am lucky that when I do the 2 mouthpieces have roughly the same internal camber diameter.

you could always use PTFE or plumbers tape, its non stick and extremely thin wrap it round your cork until your mouthpiece fits snugly, hey presto!

crook diameters and shank sizes will never be standardised - why would manufacturers want to do this and change all their tooling? also what's good for one person may not necessarily be good for another - and most players in my humble opinion will usually stick to one mouthpiece - once they've eventually found the right one!!!