Low "d" and middle "d" on the alto.

[almaxx]

I recently went back blowing my Selmer mark vii alto and as far as I can remember I always had problems with middle and lower D on the sax.It's simply sound stuffy on those notes, just like if someone put a rag in the bell and make those two notes sound darker than the rest.I own different mouthpieces including a fifty year old Selmer C*.but no different those two notes always sounds like they're coming from a different sax.Any suggestions what could be wrong?The sax doesn't have a leak.Thanks.

[kcp]

It could be a mechanism problem such as the octave vent being clogged or pad(s) not opening properly due to an unhooked spring or spring hooked upside down or spring tension problem, bented rod or it could be a lot of things. Have your horn checked

[goodsax]

Believe it or not, I solved a similar problem on my 1947 The Martin alto by increasing the key height of C1 (right pinky key). Stuffiness was more pronounced with D1 than D2, but both improved with the adjustment.

[mike_s]

i agree, check the key height on the low C, (it is adjustable by turning the felt screw). however, this can effect intonation, althought if its very stuffy i am guessing its flat?

[hornimprovement]

I third the motion for opening the C key. I find that it is frequently set too low for optimum timbre. Because the bow curve is beginning and the "C" tonehole that the D is speaking out of is followed by the closed "C#", the C key likes to be much more open than pads of comparable diameter. The nice thing is, it is easily adjustable/reversible and it is independent of other keys.
-Jeff

[jazzbluescat]

I agree with the above posters. However, after everything is said and done, those tones are going to sound a bit stuffy because of the inherent engineering of the sax, IMO. In order to get rid of the stuffiness is a matter of working on evening out the over all timbre of the horn using your embouchure, throat and mouth cavity.

[almaxx]

Just come to realize while reading here and there in the sax forums that the sax always seems to be out of tune in the notes that I mention.I also find out while reading that even middle "c" has an out of tune problem and I thought it was my sax,because I was having problems with that note too.I'll work harder to build some chops, trying to control them while not forgetting the false fingering.Thanks.

[hornimprovement]

Often this area of the sax is out of tune because we play it out of tune. I attempted to explain this in a simplified way on this thread: http://www.saxontheweb.net/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=31201
I hope you find this information helpful. -Jeff

[bubblegirlsax]

I have no idea as I've never had a sax of my own. Let me just agree with the others and pretend I know what they are saying :)