[olympicsaxman]

I inherited my grandfather's 1944 Conn 10M (with the topless lady engraving). He played it professionally way back in the day, so it's always been well-maintained. I had it serviced and re-padded (roo pads) by the excellent technicians at Melk Music in Milwaukee, WI, but otherwise it's 100% original.

The only tenor mouthpiece that I found in his stuff is an early 1950s Selmer "Classic" short scroll shank D (silver). I don't really care for the tone or the feel in my mouth, so I'm currently playing a modern Otto Link STM #6.

I grew up an alto player on a modern Yamaha (for about 15 years), so it's been a pretty big change moving over to a vintage tenor. My question is about the intonation.

I've been working with a strobe tuner to dial in my intonation, but as soon as I go past the upper G, everything (except the C#, oddly enough) goes flat. Like a quarter step flat. I try to lip it up, but can't qet there without tuning the whole horn sharp and dropping my jaw for 75% of the range (which seems impractical).

Is this a tenor thing, a mouthpiece thing, or a technique thing?

I've read through a bunch of forum posts, but others seem to have issues going sharp.

I'll take whatever recommendations I can get. Thanks in advance.

 

[Saxaholic]

This sounds like a technique thing. If it was recently professionally overhauled, and you have a normal quality mouthpiece on there, I'm willing to bet it's your inexperience. The Conn 10M's are one of the best vintage tenors for intonation. The other thing I would check is to make sure the octave mechanism is engaging properly. Take it back to the shop who overhauled it, and demonstrate your issue. In person, they'll immediately be able to tell you the answer to your question, and if it's a technical thing, I imagine they should be able to instantly fix it.

- Saxaholic

 

[BOPITY FUNK]

Should play well in tune with STM 6. It's probably more to do with mainly playing alto especially on a Yamaha-which virtually plays itself.

 

[turf3]

Push in; it'll make the short tube notes relatively sharper. Then lower your "input pitch".

 

[buddy lee]

Push in; it'll make the short tube notes relatively sharper. Then lower your "input pitch".

This. Guessing your embouchure is too tight and mouthpiece is out too far.

 

[Reet McVouty]

I would tune up to concert A and then just play. Play with backing tracks, records, ect. Do that for a month or so and then pull the strobe tuner back out and see what you got. If you don't see a change then, my guess is you've got a horn/mouthpiece problem.

 

[Airflyte]

Hmmn, yeah - C# with no fingers on the sax should be flat. The G - F - E - D w/ octave bring it right on pitch and gives it some body.

 

[pontius]

I would suggest having your tech play the horn and see what they think. There are probably adjustments needed on your part but sometimes the key heights can be adjusted to help intonation. My 32 Conn had similar issues and I think it was cause by minor leaks that develped after new pads settled in. Also I raised the upper stack keys a bit and it helped.

 

[olympicsaxman]

Thank you, that's mostly what I was thinking - that it's my inexperience on the tenor, and a vintage one at that. I've been playing around with reed strength, too, which seems to change which notes are most out of tune, so I think that rules out mechanical issues.

At least technique can be improved!

 

[olympicsaxman]

Thank you. I think i have a lot of re-learning to do and new face muscles to train up. Playing a Yahama alto feels like a wholly different experience. It's like driving a nice little motorbike. Compared to the Conn, which feels more like trying to control a Harley-Davidson.

The pleasure of getting it under control wiil be worth the work.

 

[olympicsaxman]

This sounds like a technique thing. If it was recently professionally overhauled, and you have a normal quality mouthpiece on there, I'm willing to bet it's your inexperience. The Conn 10M's are one of the best vintage tenors for intonation. The other thing I would check is to make sure the octave mechanism is engaging properly. Take it back to the shop who overhauled it, and demonstrate your issue. In person, they'll immediately be able to tell you the answer to your question, and if it's a technical thing, I imagine they should be able to instantly fix it.

- Saxaholic

Thank you, that's mostly what I was thinking - that it's my inexperience on the tenor, and a vintage one at that. I've been playing around with reed strength, too, which seems to change which notes are most out of tune, so I think that rules out mechanical issues.

At least technique can be improved!

 

[whaler]

The main reason I dumped the two 10Ms I’ve had is the drastic difference between high G And A when the octave key on the neck opens.
It had nothing to do with the condition. The last one I had was a closet queen with the original set up.

 

[pontius]

The main reason I dumped the two 10Ms I've had is the drastic difference between high G And A when the octave key on the neck opens.
It had nothing to do with the condition. The last one I had was a closet queen with the original set up.

Can you explain this a little? How were they different?

 

[turf3]

Hmmm...

Been playing Conn 10M since 1978 and have never noticed any tuning anomalies at all.

 

[turf3]

Hmmn, yeah - C# with no fingers on the sax should be flat. The G - F - E - D w/ octave bring it right on pitch and gives it some body.

I believe that's a Selmer issue, not a Conn issue. The Selmer Mark 6 is notorious for a flat middle C# which I believe resulted from an overcompensation for the typical sharp high C# of older design instruments (which is why so many sopranos and even a few altos have a linkage to partly close the top stack pad when the octave key is depressed). Conns in my experience tend to a slight sharpness on the upper C# and the middle C# is pretty much dead on.

 

[whaler]

Can you explain this a little? How were they different?

The tonality or texture changes. I guess it's hard to pin down but I've never had it with Selmers. I've played plenty of clunky old horns growing up but I won't bother with them any more.

 

[pontius]

The tonality or texture changes. I guess it's hard to pin down but I've never had it with Selmers. I've played plenty of clunky old horns growing up but I won't bother with them any more.

Yeah, they are not for the faint of heart that is for sure!

 

[whaler]

Can you explain this a little? How were they different?

The tonality or texture changes. I guess it's hard to pin down but I've never had it with Selmers. I've played plenty of clunky old horns growing up but I won't bother with them any more.