Maybe I'm just not made for tenors...

[Konrad]

I tried a Yamaha 62 today. Great price. New horn. I really liked the sound... But again I have trouble with making the left hand pinky stretch. My hands are just beat to hell from boxing, and although I have speed, it's not easy for me to grab that key clean...

Will I get used to it? Is there a better, more ergonomic horn out there?

K

[Konrad]

Just so you know, I'm an intermediate player who has adjusted to a crap horn. However, even though it is hardly comfortable, the keys are not that difficult to reach cleanly. Oddly, I am having a hard time finding this in other tenors. The problem is that I greatly prefer the tenor to the alto...

K

[Balladeer]

Konrad: I wish I could offer some help to you with your pinky cluster problem.

Perhaps you can advise me. I expect to be visiting Czestochowa, Poland, in October. I will be traveling with a group of Christian musicians. Can you recommend a music dealer in Poland where I can rent good quality saxophones (alto, tenor, soprano) for about 10 days while I am in Czestochowa?

email: sax-balladeer@att.net

Thank-you.

[Konrad]

Ummm, the odds of renting that kind of equipment here are pitifully small. IF you want to play, bring your own horns. You can rent sound equipment, but as I have never spent any time in Czestochowa, I can't give you much advice there. Actually, I don't think you will find anything to rent at all.

K

[Morry]

It's hard to find a more ergonomic, comfortable horn than the Yamaha pro horns. Their action is smooth, and the key placements are fairly close. I've just moved from Yamahas to Keilwerths, and the differences are challenging, since the JK keywork is much more spread. I always felt that the Yamaha 62 tenor keys felt almost exactly the same as the alto.

[Lyle]

Would it be possible to modify the pinky key arrangement? Perhaps if you put a pad of some kind on the most difficult key, to build it up. I play a Yamaha tenor. My hands are small, and fingers short. I have finally gotten used to the pinky keys but it was difficult at first.

[bari_sax_diva]

Hey, Konrad--what about getting the horn that's closest to what you want to sound like, then having key extensions added to deal with the pinky group? There's at least one shop I've seen on the web that seems to specialize in major adaptations (beyond anything you'd need), but I would guess that any good repairman should be able to help you with a couple of tweaks. Give it some thought.

Cheers,
Leanne

[Bill Mecca]

The late great Santy Runyon have trouble with his hands(arthritis) and made interesting customizations to his horns, many with the clear red synthetic material he made mpcs out of.

I believe Paul Coats has some nice pictures of some of those modifications.

I will try to track down those pics.

Paul, you out there?

[Konrad]

Really?

I would really like to see those...

Actually, I am kind of surprised that Yamaha, for example, doesn't have a custom horn with a smaller reach or different pinky arrangements. The right hand is just fine, but the left is a pain...

[Bill Mecca]

Konrad,

drop me an email, I found the pics.

[Konrad]

Bill,

I must be stupid, but where is your e-mail?

K

[Hurling Frootmig]

Hit the email link under his post.

[tyler_terlecki]

if i remember correctly, the guardala line of saxes are supposed to feel like they were made for smaller hands, i have never tried them, but i have read it somewhere...

i hope you find a solution for your problem, having the wrong horn can make someone seem not as good as they really are, i just found my jewel a month ago, i hope you find yours

[Konrad]

I just got a message saying that "Private messaging has been disabled on this board."

[max]

Try the one that says, "e-mail"

(it's not enabled unless you turn it on, which Bill has - so make sure you're looking at Bill's post...)

[Bill Mecca]

to make it simple, sax@billmecca.com works.

[Lowell]

Konrad: I feel the same way about Yamaha key work. Great horn but does not fit my small hands. Try a B&S. The pinky table is angled very comfortably for me. These are great horns at a reasonable price. Familiarity is a huge factor here so experiment with as many different brands as you can. I also recommend Buffet-Crampon ( Superdynaction or S-1 models ) horns for their fast, light, keywork. These are rare horns but well worth the price if you are lucky enough to find one in good condition. ( The french Buffets, not the Taiwan models. The taiwan models have "R.O.C." stamped on the side of the bell. )