Miscellaneous Noise from low E flat key.

[StockholmSax]

Looking for ideas as to why the low E flat key rattles when slaming shut. It's more of a metallic dink noise.
Several of my saxophone's do this. Yamahas are especially noisy.
I do all my maintenance on my horns but I'm having a bit of trouble with this one.
I have softened spring tension and lubed the spindle but the rattling continues. Is the pad bouncing? Possibly a softer pad?
Ideas?

 

[thomsax]

Take a look at the key felts bumpers. Maybe the are hard and need to be replaced.

 

[skeller047]

Or maybe the key guard is loose and needs the screws tightened. Or the bumper felt holder is rattling in the key guard.

 

[Stephen Howard]

A good place to start (as mentioned) is to check the tightness of the guard screws. All of them. Ditto the bumper felt adjusters.
You've oiled the rod/pivot screws - but did you oil the rollers?
Is there any play in the keywork? If so you might be better off using grease rather than oil to lubricate the keys.

Be careful with backing off the spring tension on normally closed keys - it can lead to a slight growl on notes further down the horn.

 

[StockholmSax]

Take a look at the key felts bumpers. Maybe the are hard and need to be replaced.

Sorry, not sure why the key felt bumpers would have any effect.
It's when the cup is leaving the felt and closing the rating noise is heard.
Anyway felts are soft.
Key guard screws are tight.

 

[StockholmSax]

A good place to start (as mentioned) is to check the tightness of the guard screws. All of them. Ditto the bumper felt adjusters.
You've oiled the rod/pivot screws - but did you oil the rollers?
Is there any play in the keywork? If so you might be better off using grease rather than oil to lubricate the keys.

Be careful with backing off the spring tension on normally closed keys - it can lead to a slight growl on notes further down the horn.

No play in mechanism whatsoever. Not oiled rollers.
Didn't back of tension so much. I like normally closed cup tension to be reasonable hard to avoid leaks.

 

[skeller047]

Did you look at the screw adjuster that holds the felt bumper? I’ve had this rattle on me.

Another possibility is the resonator is a little loose on the pad.

 

[StockholmSax]

OK thanks for all the advice, appreciated

 

[Colin the Bear]

Could it be the C or C# that's rattling?

 

[turf3]

Well, when it closes the felt bumper won't be involved, unless it's so loose it rattles.

It's very likely that there's just enough play between the hinge tube and rod to cause that click. I'd also confirm the hinge rod is tight.

If it's about the play between hinge tube and rod, use a heavy oil (I like Phil Wood Tenacious Oil, for bicycles, doubt this is available in Stockholm). The Eb key is heavily sprung and a little bit more viscosity won't hurt anything.

 

[StockholmSax]

Could it be the C or C# that's rattling?

No, I checked that.
Anyway I changed the pad and used a cheap ebay soft pad and the noise is much quieter.
Actually it could be anywhere on the sax was rattling. Very hard to locate where the noise was coming from.

 

[Vetinari]

My bari does it and I traced it to the key roller.

 

[Vetinari]

Low C does it aswell.