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Loose neck on tenor sax

maxonpaul

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Auburn, AL
Hello,
I recently bought a new Tenor Sax and it has had the problem of the neck not being tight from day one. I have seen suggestions of using Teflon tape or bending things. I just wanted to see what everyone else thought. It took me a while to figure out the neck wasn't suppose to swing 90 degrees when I opened my mouth lol.
 
Neck and tenon should be a snug fit. Your local tech will be able to adjust it if it is not. Don't be tempted to over tighten the screw as it's likely to snap. If it's a new instrument, return it.
 
Hello,
It took me a while to figure out the neck wasn't suppose to swing 90 degrees when I opened my mouth lol.

I hope you get it fixed, but that comment has me picturing you chasing the neck around the sax body :D Could be quite handy for some quirky dance moves!
 
A "new" saxophone should not have a loose neck. Repair techs often use what is referred to as a "can opener" tenon expander. It expands the neck tenon by pressing the metal between two steel rollers. It slightly thins the brass which expands the diameter slightly. My criteria for a well fit neck is that a 1/4 turn of the tightening screw keeps it from turning from side to side. It is very important to have a well fit neck so that it doesn't present a leak at the top of the saxophone. I typically charge $15 for a neck fitting if there are no unusual difficulties.


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I recently bought a new Tenor Sax and it has had the problem of the neck not being tight from day one.
That should not be the case with a new sax. As jbt says: A "new" saxophone should not have a loose neck.
 
At the risk of upsetting the purists or even those who actually know what they are doing.
Try tightening the screw without the neck in it, this might squeeze the gap closed a little obviously don't overdo it.
This worked when mine could be moved a bit when it was supposed to be tight.
Alternatively if the neck turns right round you might call in a exorcist.
 
At the risk of upsetting the purists or even those who actually know what they are doing.
Try tightening the screw without the neck in it, this might squeeze the gap closed a little obviously don't overdo it.
This worked when mine could be moved a bit when it was supposed to be tight.
Alternatively if the neck turns right round you might call in a exorcist.
This won't fix any leaks from the loose neck, and will lead to a neck that's tight when you insert it, but still wobbles.
 
This won't fix any leaks from the loose neck, and will lead to a neck that's tight when you insert it, but still wobbles.
I think you must have missed the bit where I said this worked for mine.
 
Did you buy the sax new from your local dealer or did you buy it mail order. ?
Whichever the case you should take it back or send it back.
A new sax should be in perfect working order and be perfectly setup and you should have at least a 1 year guarantee for any adjustments that need to be made within the first year of playing.
 
David Sanborn played with a loose neck when we saw him at the RNCM a couple of years ago, perhaps it's the new way to play :)

Jx
 
At the risk of upsetting the purists or even those who actually know what they are doing.
Try tightening the screw without the neck in it, this might squeeze the gap closed a little obviously don't overdo it.
This worked when mine could be moved a bit when it was supposed to be tight.
Alternatively if the neck turns right round you might call in a exorcist.
Actually doing this on a loose neck has a tendency to create a "bulge" or "bubble" below the slot which in turn can develop a leak. I know this because the majority of Bundy II's that were rental returns in the store I worked at had this condition. I'm not saying that happened in your case, just calling attention to the possibility if the loose neck is not "properly" attended to.
 
I bought it from woodwind brasswind wwbw.com website. I sent a message to them today to see what they say. I really don't want to have to send the whole thing back to them but I also don't want to have to pay to fix a new instrument. :(
 
Send it back, or they pay for a local tech to sort it out would be the options I'd accept. Worth the hassle in the long run. Loose necks can give a lot of problems when you play, it's not only the movement, but also the leaks that don't always get properly diagnosed and fixed.
 
Interesting thread...My alto is still relatively new and I find that the neck doesn't spin but sometimes slightly moves up and down. Very annoying!
 
David Sanborn played with a loose neck when we saw him at the RNCM a couple of years ago, perhaps it's the new way to play :)

Jx
This is true and since it happened it got me curious at the time and most recent vids of Sanborn have him holding the neck ! at 3-45 you see him finish his solo and instantly grabs the neck.
Great tune to listen to, so no need to fast forward
View: https://youtu.be/vJbkFwjeGIo
 
Interesting thread...My alto is still relatively new and I find that the neck doesn't spin but sometimes slightly moves up and down. Very annoying!
Yes, get it fixed, otherwise it'll get worse and start leaking.
 
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Interesting thread...My alto is still relatively new and I find that the neck doesn't spin but sometimes slightly moves up and down. Very annoying!
This indicates that it is tight at the top of the receiver, but not at the bottom. A properly fit neck should neither turn, nor go up and down with the tightening screw barely tightened.
 
I recently read the Charlie Parker biography, "Kansas City Lightning" and there was an anecdote that this thread reminds me of. Apparently , as a very young man, Bird was fired from a band for refusing to replace the missing screw on his alto. The band leader got tired of the neck spinning around every time Parker took the horn out of his mouth. It seems like such an odd thing to lose a job over, but eccentricity is certainly no stranger to innovative artists.
 

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