Micro Tuners

kevgermany

ex Landrover Nut
I post this not to start a fight, but for info.

I asked my tech today if he'd be able to free off the mcro tuner on one of my Kohlerts. Reply was interesting....

1 -.Yes, can be done, no problem.
2 - But don't use it as when you tune with that it messes up the overall intonation due to the non-tapered part of the neck.
3 - Recommendation was that if I want to have it done, he'd do it, but then I should tune in the normal way by moving the mouthpiece on the cork...

This guy knows what he's doing, makes parts for Epplesheim, services a lot of instruments for the musicians in the Munich orchestras....
 
If you have a working saxophone with a micro tuner, you might try this test.

Tune to low F# (A concert) moving the mouthpiece on or off the cork with the tuner in the shortest position.
Play a C scale in two octaves one note at a time without lipping one note at a time. Have a helper record the intonation without you looking at the tuner.

Then tune to low F# with the mouthpiece all the way on the cork and bring the sax down to pitch by using the tuner to lengthen the end of the neck. Do the same scale, and have the pitches recorded.

Compare the intonation of each type of tuning. It should provide at least a partial answer to this question.
 
Thanks. I reread your post and you didn't indicate you had the work done. I freed one a while back using Stephen Howard's excellent article and advice from other techs. I remember having to make a special tool and using lots of PB Blaster.

I honestly don't know the acoustic properties of the microtuner neck since I have not done any tests or read any specific studies related to it. However, I do want to share some information to help put "cylindrical" neck areas into perspective. Pictured below is a detailed measurement I made of my Selmer SBA alto neck when I was working on trying to calculate the length and volume of the missing cone. You will note that the first 50mm from the opening (where the cork is located) is very nearly cylindrical increasing only 1mm in diameter in a 50mm span. The last 21mm is also perfectly cylindrical where the neck tenon fits into the receiver. As you can see saxophone necks are not evenly or perfectly tapered tubes to begin with.

 
Yes. I seem to remember reading that one or more makers made the tenon internals conical, but gave up as it made little/no difference, just cost more.

The old German ones are different to the US ones. There's no obvious way of getting the cover off, looks as if it may be pressed or clipped in or screwed. But it won't turn and I'm not going to force it. It's been soaking in Wd40 for a couple of years, but nothing gives. I tried finding something on the web, but drew a blank. Probably very similar inside, though.
 

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