I feel like the mosquito at the nudist camp. I don't know where to start.
Let's try this first. Go to
Music Medic Articles and read all of those that you think might apply. I'm going to start with the low bell keys. Check low B first:
- Darken the room and insert your leak light in the bell. Lightly close the B key using the finger touchpiece (very important). Do not close the keycup using your finger.. Make sure its spring is attached. To get a lighter feel I like to disengage the G# spring when I do this.
- Check all 360º for any light showing through.
- Let's call the pointy part on top of the keycup its spine. The point of the spine is 12 o'clock and where the key cup is attached to the key arm is 6 o'clock. Directly on the right looking down is 3 o'clock, and directly on the left is 9 o'clock.
- Determine what part of the clock face touches the tonehole first when you lightly close the key. This is the part of the key cup that needs to be rotated up.
- Next determine what part of the clock faces does not touch the tonehole at all letting light (and air) through causing a leak. This is the part of the keycup that needs to be rotated down. Note: I am using the word rotate rather than bend, because you are not going to bend the keycup itself. You are going to turn, tip, lift, or twist the keycup as a whole on its key arm to change its orientation to the tonehole.
- Using a popsicle, craft stick, or tongue depressor place your wooden tool between the resonator and the tonehole in the quadrant of the pad that touched first. Then press down using 2 or 3 fingers on the side of the key cup opposite the wooden tool you are using as a fulcrum.
- Remove the stick, gently close the pad and check the result. If it is better but still leaking in the same spot, repeat the process. If it is now leaking where it formerly touched first, you have gone too far. In that case reverse what you did before. It often takes some back and forth and moving the stick about to get it perfect.
- In the cases where the front of the pad (12 o'clock) touches first and the back of the pad does not close or the back of the pad (6 o'clock) touches first and the front of the pad (12 o'clock), before you do anything else check the other bell key if its on the same side of the bell---in this case low Bb. If both keys exhibit the same leak jump down to
*
- When the back hits first and the front is leaking, set your stick across the back at 6 o'clock and press down on the front of the keycup.
- When the front hits first and the back is leaking you need to find a small hammer and a small wooden dowel. Place your stick under the front of the pad. Hold the dowel over the spine at the back of the key just in front of the key arm and give it a smart tap with the hammer. This area takes more force because you are bending right at the key arm itself.
- In most cases, it is easier to work with the bell keys with the key guard removed.
- After low B is seated, put a rubber band around the key and attach it in a place that keeps the key closed and out of the way. You can also release its spring. Next, using a pair of smooth flat nose pliers bend the tab down slightly that extends from the low B touchpiece to the key arm below the low Bb touchpiece in order to free the connection as you work on the low Bb keycup.
- Repeat the above process with the low Bb keycup until you are satisfied with its closing.
- The last step is to bend the tab back so that pressing the Bb key also closes the low B key at the same time. If they both have been seated perfectly independently, this this should be easy. That's all. Good luck.
* Warning, this is not for the faint of heart or the squeamish. If the bell keys are on the left side looking directly at the front of the bell and both are leaking in the back (touching first in front) the bell has been tilted to your right. The solution is to yell "bad saxophone" and give it a smart slap on the right side of the bell. If both pads are leaking in front (touching first in back) the bell has been tilted to your left. Give the saxophone a smart slap on the left side of the bell. Check again with your leak light. If it is better but needs a bit more, slap again. If that doesn't work use a karate chop. If you went too far, slap yourself, vow not to hit so hard and do a reverse, more gentile blow.