YTS23 leak between body tube and bow

[2toneblew]

what I thought was light reflecting from a leaky e flat pad, actually appears to be a seam leak between the body tube and bow. It runs about 45 degrees, around the back. An easy fix if it were my 62 with a compression band connection, but the 23 looks like a crimped on bow. Can this be fixed ? Is this a soldered joint? Seems weird as the sax shows no sign of any dents or mishandling.

 

[MMM]

Body tube on Yamaha are not soldered, they are glued. You could use some epoxy or silicone rubber from the inside of the tube along the seam (you may have to remove some keys to get to it).
If you had to do it properly, you would remove the whole section (with a little heat and after marking the parts, so on re-assembly you can place the tube exactly where it was originally ), clean up all the glue, make sure there is good contact between the surfaces (you will probably find a rubber gasket to ensure the seal, but not sure if this is present on all models) then apply epoxy, fit the parts and wait for the glue to set (24 hours), then re-fit all the keywork.
TBH, I would go with option A!
Hope this helps, M.

 

[2toneblew]

Thanks. I haven’t noticed any intonation issues, the joint is solid, and can’t see that the bow/tube length is elongated. So nothing to lose by trying option A first.

 

[Steve Marshall]

Check the alignment of the bell keys. The glue would fail on 25 or 275 in particular if the bell had a bit of a knock - sometimes when the sax was in the case.
Things to look for are the bell key alignment. Close the Bb so both Bb and B close and look down the bell. There should be no chinks of light around the pads. Then have a look at the D#/C pair of keys. If the bell moves there tends to be a gap develop so there is play between the posts. If you have either or both of those problem you may need to take off the bell/bow section and re-glue it. (really a job for a repairer.)
If you don't have these issues then take off the D#/ C keys and you'll have access to the inside of the joint where you can run some sealant or epoxy around to seal it. Leave it to dry !

 

[2toneblew]

Thanks to the advice and helpful info, the 23 is back and performing nicely. Just sealed the inside joint. I was not the first visitor to that location, found a heavy previously applied deteriorated coating .

 

[Stephen Howard]

I'd get that looked at sooner rather than later. This joint isn't merely a seal, it's a mechanical device. If it's broken it'll allow the joint to move, and over time it's only going to get worse. This leaves the horn almost completely reliant on the bell brace to maintain the alignment of the bell...and that ain't gonna happen.