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View Full Version : New Sax - Couple of Qs


K_rock923
05-04-2005, 10:46 PM
Hey, I just got a brand new alto. I've been playing for 9 years now and I figured it was finally time to get off the rental. Although, my old one did play very well considering it was a rental. I got a Selmer La Voix alto. Now, the thing doesn't play like my Super Action 80 Bari (wish i got to keep that) but it plays very nicely. Anyway, I want to get it right this time on care and things of that nature.

First, I have oily fingers. It's always been a problem. I use a polishing cloth to clean off my bari and sop every time i play them. Is this too much polishing? I don't want this to start lookng like my old alto (it has fingerprintes everywhere).

How often and with what method should I clean the inside of the neck?

I clean out my mouthpiece (It came with a C*) with one of those short little brushes every time I finish to get the gunk out. Again, this is a product of a mp I had a few years ago that I forgot about after getting a new one - it was covered in gunk when i came across it again. Is that too much/harsh cleaning.

Continuing with my relations of mouthpiece problems, how can I avoid all the bite marks in the mp? My old one has gouges in it that are very deep.

Oh yes, these two last questions are simply for my own curiosity. First, there is a zippered pouch on the top of the case that has a couple of elastic bands and a fabric strap with a metal ring at the end. Does anyone know what this is for?? I've just been keeping my polishing cloth/swab in it. And second, what is the difference between a C* and a C**? I play a double star on bari and they seem pretty much the same except that double sounds a bit darker. I can't really tell.

Thanks very much in advance for any questions of mine you might answer. If you know any of them, pleas answer it. I could really use the advice.

~Matt

Brendan Muse
05-05-2005, 02:43 AM
You can just wipe your horns down every week or so. There are companies that sell neck swabs, and you can buy one of them to clean your neck out after every couple of playing sessions. If your mouthpiece gets gunk in it all the time, you should start watching when you eat, as the gunk in the mouthpiece isn't nearly as bad as the gunk in the horn, and you can't get to that. You can buy packs of rubber mouthpiece patches that will get gouged instead of your mouthpiece. C* and C** are facing lengths, and the C** is just a bit longer than the C*.

I'm not sure about the bag thing, but I did my best with everything else.

K_rock923
05-05-2005, 03:07 AM
Wow. Thanks a bunch! That was a big help. As for the bag, oh well. It is a nice case.