Old dog needs new tricks for May 9 concert!

[AmyPf]

Look I know, I know LOOONNNNG tones are what I ought to be doing. But I just don't have time (I've got a toddler & an elderly MIL to look after). I started playing in this community band about three months ago. This is after a 5 or 6 year hiatus of not playing *anything*. Played bassoon in high school, flute after that, and bought myself a "servicable" student tenor about ten years ago. It's a King Cleveland 615, c. 1972, and a Rico Royal Metalite mpc (M9). It was overhauled, repadded in 1993, then sat pretty much idle until January.
Frankly, I've got major problems w/ my tone. Middle D, C, B all sound stuffy/fuzzy/blah. Can never seem to get low C or C# or Bb. My lft. hand pinky is so weak I can't seem to press those low note keys down all the way (esp. low C#), and my jaw has to go all over the place to even get close. Of course, when you're playing a piece, no one is going to allow you the time to mess around just to find a couple of notes - ya gotta keep up! I'm playing Rico Royale #2 and LaVoz 2 1/2 reeds,trying to find SOMETHING that'll keep me from this excrutiating squeaking and squealing :oops: ! Our concert is May 9th, I'm crying out for help on this very informative forum after lurking here for several weeks.
TIA for any advice!

[Mike W]

Hi Amy. I don't remember remember the tip opening of your mouthpiece but I think it is around 0.115" or so. When I started back playing, after laying off for much longer than you, I started on a Vandoren T27 mouthpiece with about an 0.075 or 0.080" tip opening because it was very easy to play. After playing again more more than 3 years now, I am just now able to handle mouthpieces in in 0.115" range. based on my experience, I suggest you give a more closed mouthpiece a try. Most local music stores carry student mouthpieces in a close tip opening range.

You may also have a few leaks on some of the pads. As a quick, but not ideal fix, clamp the normally open pads closed with some rubber bands for a day or so and see if the horn then plays better. The rubber bands will help seat the pads much like pad clamps. If a horn is properly rebuilt, these are not necessary to keep it playing well, though.

Best of luck with your concert.

[gary]

Hi Amy! I would first get that sax checked out top to bottom by a competent repair man. If the instrument has serious problems, all else is moot.

Next, and this is opinion, but I had a student who was playing a Rico Royalite and it was bad. I got him a Ralph Morgan Protone mouthpiece, which are "student" mouthpieces at a reasonable price but are made by a master craftsman and hand finished, something few even expensive professional mouthpieces aren't, and the improvement was immediate. And as Mike said, regardless of the make of mpc, the tip opening on yours may just be too big for you to control at the moment.

Regarding the weak pinkies -sorry. I think you already answered that one for yourself. With this caveat. I had the L.H. pinky-key springs replaced by a tecnician when mine were too strong. That might be an option but maybe not the real answer in the long run.

(Long tones :wink: )

Cheers and good luck.

[AmyPf]

Many many thanks for your good advice. First, I tied rubber bands on all the open pads (not an easy feat!) and left it overnight. When I got in a 30 min. practice today, it made a huge difference! Sounded 100x better. The downside is, after about 40 minutes at rehearsal tonight, the squeals and squeaks started up again. My #2 reed was pretty soggy, so I changed to a 2 1/2, but then I couldn't seem to get any air through the sax to sound a note! Maybe I was just tired. Sigh...
I think you're both right on about the mouthpiece - it's too damn big! I found the original plastic mpc, complete with big tooth dents, and tried that. A vast improvement on the squeaking, but alas, well, it sounds like an old beat up plastic mouthpiece. I'm ordering a Morgan Protone ASAP. Don't have the $$ or time (only 3 weeks till this concert!) for a repad job, but I'm sure the old King needs one – bad. Guess I'll just have to muddle through somehow. I do truly appreciate your help.

[gary]

Don't have the $$ or time (only 3 weeks till this concert!) for a repad job, but I'm sure the old King needs one – bad.
What would be the chances of you're borrowing a (relatively speaking) problem-free sax for the performance (and a few days earlier to aquaint yourself with the horn)?

[AmyPf]

Gary,
Chances are pretty slim, but not impossible if I use my best wheedling and whining techniques :wink: ! I'll have to do a lot of phoning around since we live in the middle of nowhere (nearest music store is at least 100 miles away) but that's a good suggestion. It would be such a pleasure to play something that didn't cause me so much grief. Thanks for the idea!

[Tom Goodrick]

If you do not have a competant repair facility nearby, you should consider getting a new horn. It sounds like you are having a good time playing sax and that is the most important aspect. I also had a cheap student horn to start with. I did not know how much that really limited my advancement until I bought a good one. Now every note built into the horn sounds great and a few above that range sound pretty good too.

You may be in the sticks but FED EX or UPS makes deliveries there. Check out www.music123.com or some of the other online music suppliers. I bought my sax online. They provide good service and good prices. If you pick a good brand, the chances of a new sax playing well out of the box are good. My Yanagasawi has been great. Check elsewhere on this Forum for remarks about that. It takes less than a week to get a horn. You could be fully accustomed to it by May 9.