The Action and Adjustment Screws on a Yamaha YAS62 alto sax.

[greg_strange]

After many years of playing the sax I must admit I am a bit ignorant of how the saxophone functions in regard to the action.
I understand you blow in one end, move your fingers up and down on the outside and the sound comes out the other end. Push the low C key and it closes the tone cup over the tone hole, etc. My question is the L2 pearl or 2nd octave C key activates a lever lower down on the horn which appears to rest against a screw that does not appear to do much. This is near the low F and F# tone holes. I traced a metallic clicking sound down thinking a piece of cork might have fallen off. The screw exposes quite a bit of thread. When I screwed this screw up to check if any cork had fallen off the notes from low D to low Bb were hard to play and when they did come out were hollow sounding. What does this screw do? And does it alter the tone of the whole range of the sax or just the low notes as mentioned.
I hope it's not too complicated to understand and thanks in advance.
Regards,
Greg Strange.

 

[Rogerb]

If Stephen Howard is reading the forum, I'm sure he can and will help, Greg, as he's a 'super-tech' whose personal favourite sax is, IIRC, a YAS62 🙂

 

[spike]

Hello Greg, If you look very carefully and waggle your L2 you'll see that it's the Bis key (between L1 and L2) that is actually connected to the rod which "activates the lever lower down". Depressing L2 also takes the Bis key with it. In fact you've grabbed the stick at the other end. The mechanism in question is operated by the right hand stack keys and is there to open and close the F#/G# keys and the Bis key simultaneously.
It's a very tricky mechanism to set up correctly and best left to a good sax doc. Try depressing any one of the RH keys without the left hand and watch what happens further up. Hopefully, Stephen Howard or Griff will see your post and offer their best advice. gruss - spike

 

[griff136]

Hi Greg,

As Spike has suggested you have indeed grabbed the stick from the other end.

The adjusting screw you mention is the linkage if you like between the bottom stack and the bis key, - this is linkage is "in use" when you press the fingering for long Bb ie pressing down L1 and R1


I should imagine that you have over regulated this mechanism, by doing this the Bis key is closing too soon and the bottom stack keys are not fully closed unless you press real hard.

firstly back off/undo the adjusting screw until you can close your bottom stack F-E-D and no gaps are evident - you can check these pads are fully closed by placing a thin strip - ideally pointed - cigarette paper beteen the pad and the tone hole. close the pad using the correct fingering and pull at the paper to feel for resistance eg the pad traps the paper between it and the tonehole.
you should check each pad around its entire circumference to ensure it seals. do the remaining pads on the bottom stack.

once the bottom pads are sealing tighten the adjusting screw a little at a time until you can close the F key, and in turn the Bis key closes, so that they have equal pressure when tested using the cigarette paper

make sure that you test the sealing of the Bis key pad you use the long Bb fingering with your right hand ie press the F key so that the linkage in question is doing its job.

also if you do use cirgarette papers make sure you cut off the glued edge first. and also make sure theres no moisture on the pads particularly the bis key before putting the paper near it.

good luck and keep us posted.

 

[greg_strange]

Thanks to Roger, Spike, and Griff for his detailed explanation/instruction. I'll have a cautious go at setting it up, if things look like going to custard I'll take it to a local repair guy I found last year. The sax had some of the pads replaced about 12 months ago by one of New Zealand's top horn shop (about 80 miles away from me in Auckland) and frankly did not do a very good job. The action went out of kilter less than two weeks after receiving it back, spent it back to get adjusted again and since then I have had bits of cork and felt falling off which I have managed to fix myself. This local guy has fixed a minor problem for me before so I may let him have a go at setting it up. Good sax repair people are hard to find in NZ. The sax is not playing too bad anyway and it probably deserves a yearly service.
Thanks once again.
Regards,
Greg Strange.

 

[Rogerb]

There's a NZ guy called Gordon, on the Sax on The Web forum .... he certainly seems to know what he's talkin about...I wonder if he is close to you.

I can ask him if you wish....... I just hadda look at his profile and he's in Auckland, too.

If you are a member, his profile is at:
http://forum.saxontheweb.net/member.php?u=9436

 

[greg_strange]

Thanks Roger.
A few years ago I worked with a guy who played the trumpet in a local big band and he said at the time some of the people who played in the sax section got their horns serviced by a guy called Gordon Palmer in Auckland. I think it might be the same person. I had his address and phone no. but I have since misplaced them.
If I had his address or phone no. it might be another repair person to consider. I live in Hamilton which is about 80 miles (130 km) south of Auckland and I don't own a car, so getting to Auckland is usually by public transport, the bus.
Thanks for your help once again.
How do you get on in Spain for sax repairs/sax shops - some good stores/people around?
Regards,
Greg Strange from a wintry New Zealand.