Your tunes.

[Bobby G]

Ken wrote:

Bob Green wrote:Obviously I'd like next to learn 'Giant Steps', preferably as a ballad

Cheers, Bob

I'm leaning towards Giant Steps as a 'Rock' Ballad at the moment Bob. Have you ever heard anyone mention it could be played as a ballad?
:whistle:

No I haven't, but I wonder if it is

 

[BeeVee]

Bob Green wrote:
Hello beevee, long time no see! Sounds like you've been busy playing. Hope you're still enjoying it.

Cheers, Bob

I am very much enjoying it, Bob and although 'long time no see' I assure you I am around, watching, listening and lurking in the Breakfast Room! 😉

 

[ken]

beevee wrote:
Since I'm just about on my first anniversary as a sax novice.

Hi beevee. Nice to know your around... and posting.

The tunes sound good, how are you getting on with that sax?

Ken

 

[BeeVee]

Ken wrote:

beevee wrote:
Since I'm just about on my first anniversary as a sax novice.

Hi beevee. Nice to know your around... and posting.

The tunes sound good, how are you getting on with that sax?

Ken

Good to hear from you Ken.

I think, on the whole, I'm doing OK. I finally got my ST8 tamed and setup to my liking and it's really good now. I do believe, however, I've come across a bad set of reeds. Not one in this box would perform without being drilled, filed, sanded and threatened with the firing squad. Consequently the ST8 takes a lot of 'warming up'. On the other hand, my old, tarnished and spotty Jupiter Alto is always ready and willing to sing with whatever reed is on there.

Guess I should experiment a bit with other makes of reed. (other than my present Rico Royals and Vandorens). :S

BeeVee

 

[ken]

Hi BeeVee,

When you say you got the ST8 'setup' was this by your own doing or Hanson or a tech. Other things permitting, I am keen to get mine over to Steve Howard (sax techs in Spain seem a bit thin on the ground) for a repair/twiddle or two.

A couple of months ago, I experimented with a bunch of different make/strength reeds. I was quiet surprised at the differences noticed, then I played around with a selection of mpc's and a couple of other saxes... which was "interesting"!

Ken.

 

[BeeVee]

Ken wrote:
Hi BeeVee,

When you say you got the ST8 'setup' was this by your own doing or Hanson or a tech. Other things permitting, I am keen to get mine over to Steve Howard (sax techs in Spain seem a bit thin on the ground) for a repair/twiddle or two.

A couple of months ago, I experimented with a bunch of different make/strength reeds. I was quiet surprised at the differences noticed, then I played around with a selection of mpc's and a couple of other saxes... which was "interesting"!

Ken.

Mornin' Ken,

I set it up myself- by trial & error. It eventually ended up with all of the lower pads being almost as wide open as they would go. Only then would it deliver the lowest notes properly. But it's fine now.

Good luck
BeeVee

 

[ken]

Good morn to you too BeeVee,

Thanks for the info. Very interesting.

Ken.

 

[mfox]

1.first tune i remember playing is "sunnyside of the street" i still like that melody..
1a my grandfather was quite a famous sax player in his day (1930s-40s)he taught me.
2 same as above
3 can't remember but i wasn't into beebop (didn't understand it) i remember having a book with tune like "blue monk" " all blues" "song for my father in it"so im sure i played them first off..
4. next five.. well i love well written duets so some mulligan.. nights at the turntable springs to mind..
a new interest in funk in deep freeze "hank mobley"
sandu "clifford brown" is a nice one to play.
fungi mama "blue mitchell is nice..
all the things you are has been with me for about 12 months now..

i know these tune are not monsters..but the changes are great, and the heads have to be played spot on,,

 

[Bobby G]

Ken wrote:

Pete Thomas wrote: This key is not to do with sticking G#, for that you need lighter fluid.

Curiousity....

Most pads are made of leather yes?. If so, I can't quiet get my head around wiping lighter fluid on leather!. I accept that it will probably cure the sticking pad (remove the gunge), but a solvent like petrol seems (imho) to be the last thing you'd want to put on leather, surely it would dry out the pads and deteriorate them quickly!!??

Would it not be a good idea to use a proprietry (non sticky/evaporating) leather conditioner???

I don't know the science of this, but I suspect a quick wipe over of a pad with some kind of cloth that's got a small squirt of lighter fluid on it probably won't harm the pad. I literally use just a couple of drops, so I'm not soaking the pad.

Cheers, Bob

 

[ken]

Bob Green wrote:

Ken wrote:

Pete Thomas wrote: This key is not to do with sticking G#, for that you need lighter fluid.

Curiousity....

Most pads are made of leather yes?. If so, I can't quiet get my head around wiping lighter fluid on leather!. I accept that it will probably cure the sticking pad (remove the gunge), but a solvent like petrol seems (imho) to be the last thing you'd want to put on leather, surely it would dry out the pads and deteriorate them quickly!!??

Would it not be a good idea to use a proprietry (non sticky/evaporating) leather conditioner???

I don't know the science of this, but I suspect a quick wipe over of a pad with some kind of cloth that's got a small squirt of lighter fluid on it probably won't harm the pad. I literally use just a couple of drops, so I'm not soaking the pad.

Cheers, Bob

You may well be right Bob and I don't know the answer. It just seems to me that lighter fuel or any such solvent will take the natural oils out of the leather and eventually harden/crack it. I could be wrong on this, but I also had it in my head that pads are sometimes covered in 'dope' to help keep out moisture. The old dope that I remember, from modeling days, would disolve in a petrol spirit, so I wonder if even a few drops will also affect this?

Don't know... anyone know of a pad manufacturers website... I'll e-mail em.

 

[Bobby G]

That 'old dope' was shellac, wasn't it?

My, we are having an evening of getting as many threads as possible as far off-topic as possible!

 

[ken]

Bob Green wrote:
That 'old dope' was shellac, wasn't it?

I don't think so. My understanding is that shellac is/was used to fit the pads in the cups. I 'think' that proper dope may be used (on some types of pads) on the facing/seal surface as a waterproofering type thing. Different application, different place (I think)

 

[griff136]

Your' right on both counts Ken.

 

[ken]

griff136 wrote:
Your' right on both counts Ken.

Thanks Griff,

So the last step is to detirmine if lighter fuel is detrimental to leather and/or dope. Anyone know any pad manufacturers names that I can google to find an e-mail address???.

BTW Griff, nice to see your tech postings again.

 

[griff136]

Thanks Ken I have been busy of late - marriage and an 8 month son!

I suppose in the long run lighter fuel would be detrimental but you would have to use it a hell of a lot.

I like to put some onto a dollar bill (better material than a fiver) wait till its almost dry then put the note between the pad and the tonehole then slowly drag the note out.

Lighter fluid is also what I was taught to use on pads whilst at college learning to be a repairer.

 

[Bobby G]

I use a long-stemmed cotton bud, available free by the shedload to ATM engineers, with just a drop or two of lighter fluid, depending on the size of the pad.

I've heard before about using a dollar bill, somet ing to do with the texture being goid for cleaning pads and toneholes, is that right. Where can I get one, and how much will it cost me?

Cheers, Bob

 

[Pete Thomas]

I've got some that have been hand selected as the best for pad cleaning, only $5 each.

 

[mfox]

strange out of all the keys on a sax the G# is always the sticky one.
i use a small baby toothbrush when things get real bad..just water..
powder paper is good.
as for money notes, i guess new ones would work, don't the have a coating on them to stop them becoming greasy so fast..also they are sprayed with a talc type dust like printers use to stop reams of paper sticking together..

 

[Bobby G]

Pete Thomas wrote:
I've got some that have been hand selected as the best for pad cleaning, only $5 each.

I'll have half a dozen please. All profits (if any) to selected charities, I hope

 

[ken]

I'm sure your right Griff, perhaps I just have some adversion to petroleum products and I do wonder if petrol + leather + dope will only make the problem return quicker ie soften the dope as well.

I, like mfox, find plain old water works. Sometimes I'll soak some of the missus's cotton 'make up swabs' in plain water and just close the pads on em.

BTW: should pads be re-doped regularly?

I've also heard of the dollar bill tip. I don't think it's 'talc' there coated with, I think it's a liberal dusting of "snow"!!