Saxophones The Bauhaus Walstein Sax Owners Thread

[Pete Thomas]

Excuse me for pointing out what you may already know, but first make sure you can get a good F with the palm key and secondly make sure you are using the right fingering. You must hold down the C key with the front F.

 

[TonyMoroney]

Hi DaveW,

Can confirm (just tried) that I can hit high F on my Walstein Tenor, but I do have "run up" to it, due to my lack of ability, but if I take a good run up I can hit it fine.

Cheers

T>

 

[DaveW]

Hi Pete,

Yes I can get a good F with the palm key but with the high F key it is as if someone had put a cork bung in the neck :?

Had another go and can now get F but it seems to take a lot more air support than the palm key..guess I won't be using the high F key very often 😉

 

[DaveW]

I find the palm keys easier to blow but more of a struggle to manipulate. More practice needed 😉

 

[ByteOfTheCherry]

For the palm keys get yourself the rubber 'slip on risers' 'n' dont be afraid to bend the lower portion of the teardrop keys to a better position...worked for me.. :whistle:

 

[TonyMoroney]

Linky wrote:
The case is wrecked though, time for a hiscox.

Hey Linky,

I bought a Hiscox at the same time that I bought my Walstein Tenor. So I have an unused (it was only used to ship it to me in a cardboard box) Walstein Tenor case. If you're interested make me an offer, it'll save you stumping up for a new Hiscox for a bit longer yet.

Or if anyone else is interested, let me know. 10% of sale goes to Pete's Charity.

Cheers

T.

 

[dooce]

After a couple of weeks struggling with the upper octave of my new soprano - sounds weedy/reedy, can't get anything from the palm keys and rubbish intonation above G - I spent this morning looking carefully at the action and noticed that the upper octave key on the body was barely opening.

It's so complicated - I am used to a pre-historic Conn tenor that has about half the ironmongery of the Walstein, but eventually tracked it down to a bit of packaging that I hadn't spotted before - the rod that activates the crook octave key had a tiny plastic sleeve on it for protection.

Got that off and, wah-hey - 2 of the above probs solved. Still struggling with the palm keys but at least they sound like I might get there eventually.

 

[u_can_call_me_al]

I hate to tell you this but that bit of plastic packaging was a teflon sleeve to prevent undue wear on the mechanism. There was obviously a problem if removing it solved it. Probably a knock bent the octave key outwards towards the neck ring. I suggest you see a sax tech and get him to correct it

 

[TomMapfumo]

I had wondered about that as well, UCCMA 😛

 

[dooce]

U Can Call Me Al wrote:
I hate to tell you this but that bit of plastic packaging was a teflon sleeve to prevent undue wear on the mechanism. There was obviously a problem if removing it solved it. Probably a knock bent the octave key outwards towards the neck ring. I suggest you see a sax tech and get him to correct it

Thanks for that but if it's teflon, it's not teflon as we know it Jim (sorry, Al). Looked like a very standard piece of plastic tubing to me, but I will call WW&B to discuss - it's only 2 weeks old so I won't be getting it fixed at my own cost just yet!

As an aside, if they have to fit plastic sleeves to protect metal parts, what does that say about the quality of metal they are using? And how long does the, presumably, sacrificial bit of plastic last?

 

[DaveW]

I lost that sleeve on my BW tenor Bill and when I took it into the local repairer for a different problem he said the sleeve was there to stop the metal 'clunking' when you operate the octave key.

He replaced the missing sleeve.

I think you will find that every potential metal to metal contact is cushioned by either felt or cork.

BTW My sleeve looked like ordinary plastic 😉

 

[TomMapfumo]

The plastic/teflon sleeve on my Ref 54 Alto seems to work fine, as does the one on my T901 Tenor. Its not clear what point you are trying to make, but it seems a negative one. As DaveW says it is very much the norm, and desined to protect the metal and avoid clunking - same reason you have felt pads on trumpet valves.

Kind regards
Tom 8)

 

[dooce]

Tom, I only have my ancient Conn tenor as a point of comparison, and the octave key mechanism there is straight metal to metal - although there is no "clunk" to the action. Not being negative, just confused. Undoubtedly, removal of the sleeve opened up the body octave key and made the upper register much easier to handle. If the sax has had a knock, it hasn't been while in my possession, so I do need to talk to the suppliers.

Thanks for your help.

Bill

 

[TonyMoroney]

dooce wrote:
Tom, I only have my ancient Conn tenor as a point of comparison, and the octave key mechanism there is straight metal to metal

Just as a separate point of reference, my Walstein Tenor and my TJ ALto have the plastic sleeve where the octave mechanism connects to the crook.

I'm no sax tech, and I'm not familiar with the Walstein Sop, but I'd have thought removing the plastic sleeve would give you less lift. In the original comment you mentioned that you didn't think the lift was great enough, did removing the plastic give more lift?

T.

 

[phil_edwards]

TonyMoroney wrote:

dooce wrote:
Tom, I only have my ancient Conn tenor as a point of comparison, and the octave key mechanism there is straight metal to metal

Just as a separate point of reference, my Walstein Tenor and my TJ ALto have the plastic sleeve where the octave mechanism connects to the crook.

Some do, some don't, it's not a big issue. Most new saxes do, most old ones don't and I don't think that's because they've lost them over the years. They just didn't do that sort of thing.

My Martin has an elaborately profiled and shaped rod, including a shallow piece milled out to accept a fitted cork where the contact is made to lift the octave pad 'arm' - couldn't afford to do that nowadays.

But, if it does have it, it will be a working part of the instrument and not a piece of packing, so removing it to make it work better does suggest that something in the mech is out of line.

Phil

 

[TomMapfumo]

Hi Bill!

My apologies 🙁
Kind regards
Tom 8)

 

[mark_wheeler]

I am new to the Breakfast Room and to the Sax. But, I am now the chuffed owner of a B-W Alto.

Bought from your very own Birdman, the last of the "old" stock - pre Italian Leather pads and all the latest upgrades, but - at least in the hands of Birdman - a sweet sounding thing nonetheless.

Interestingly, Pete had a Yani alto on hand when I went to collect. Similarities more striking than the price difference...

I've added a Yammy 4C mouthpiece and Rico reeds and a pair of stabilisers and I'm trying to find some notes, I am sure they're in there somewhere!

So, "Hi", fellow Bauhausians.

M

 

[phil_edwards]

Mark Wheeler wrote:
I am new to the Breakfast Room and to the Sax. But, I am now the chuffed owner of a B-W Alto.

Bought from your very own Birdman, the last of the "old" stock - pre Italian Leather pads and all the latest upgrades...

M

You bought that one, did you? I saw it on ebay - damn good price. I'd have considered that but didn't get on with a BW that I tried - but that was down to me, not the instrument.

There are a lot of fans of them on here, so you're in good company.

Nice to have another alto player too, that's my choice.

let us know how you're getting on.

Phil

 

[mark_wheeler]

Hi Phil

Yes, a bit of a bargain, forced my hand! And Pete is a thoroughly nice and knoweldgeable chap. Fortunately Abergavenny isn't too far from home for me, so I got to pick up in person and got a demo of what the alto is capable of in the hands of a very experienced player. Needless to say, my own efforts are a long, long way from doing the instrument justice, but it's early days and I'm loving the learning.

Mark

 

[stephen_howard]

Thanks for that but if it's teflon, it's not teflon as we know it Jim (sorry, Al). Looked like a very standard piece of plastic tubing to me, but I will call WW&B to discuss - it's only 2 weeks old so I won't be getting it fixed at my own cost just yet!

As an aside, if they have to fit plastic sleeves to protect metal parts, what does that say about the quality of metal they are using? And how long does the, presumably, sacrificial bit of plastic last?

Fitting plastic sleeves where there would be sliding metal-to-metal contact has been common practice for decades - and if it bears any relation to the quality of metal then Yamaha, Yanagisawa, Selmer. you-name-it-etc. are all in trouble. It's more reliable than gluing bits of cork or felt on, and it lasts a great deal longer. The payoff is that it's a tad noiser.

As it happens, Chinese horn keys are often substantially harder and stiffer than those found on many a more expensive horn:

http://www.shwoodwind.co.uk/Reviews/Saxes/Tenor/Walstein_versus_Yanagisawa.htm

Where you might find some variance is in the type of plastic used. Some makers prefer a soft plastic, others a harder one - and some even use fancy plastics like PTFE.
Sticking octave key mechs often bind where the crook key meets the actuating pin - if there's a groove in the plastic tube or it's quite soft, the key sometimes digs in and gets caught. The trick is to replace the tube with a harder plastic, or slightly adjust the angle of the actuating pin...or put a drop of cork grease on the pin.

Regards,