[ilikesax]

Hi, I've recently bought a Buescher "Big B" tenor sax, after about 2 month playing I love this sax, but it has one problem- the higher M and F is too low and if I try to push it higher the sound is horrible, the cause of this thing might be that the sax doesn't have an original neck...
Any suggestions how to fix this problem and where could I get an original neck? (I'm not an American)

 

[Seasax]

high M??!?!

 

[ilikesax]

3rd octave M and F of saxophone...

 

[Dave Dolson]

ilikesax: There is no note called "M." I suppose this could be a language problem, but more likely, you have named the note incorrectly.

Also, I think what you mean is that those high notes are flat in relation to other nearby notes.

No matter . . . I assume your Big B is in tune otherwise (from the low Bb to most of the way up the horn). If so, I doubt if your tuning issue is caused by the neck.

Have you played around with where you place your mouthpiece on the neck-cork? How are you deciding whether the rest of the horn is in tune? By ear? By playing it against a known in-tune source (like a tuned piano)? By playing it against a tuner?

It may be as simple as shoving the mouthpiece further onto the cork so those high notes come into tune, then trying the lower notes to see how far out they are. Please report back. DAVE

 

[ilikesax]

ok in europe we have different system of calling notes...
the saxophone is in tune except those higher notes,
moving mouthpiece dont help...
I'm deciding that the rest of the horn is in tune by playing it against a tuner and piano and just by ear, I can hear it..

 

[Dave Dolson]

Okay . . . maybe you need to try different reed strengths and/or mouthpieces. I've experienced certain mouthpieces that do not allow me to play the extreme high notes in tune.

For instance, on my sopranos (all seven of them), STM Links (the metal ones) play flat up that high. When I switch to different mouthpieces, those notes are in tune. AND, the Links require a harder reed than I normally use on my other mouthpieces (but the Links still play flat up there).

I'm wondering if some of our European posters could address the note-naming issue. I always thought that musical notation (and terms) were consistent throughout the world. DAVE

 

[ilikesax]

ok I'll try that... thanks

I thought that too .... (actually we have "do, re, mi, fa, sol, la, si" calling notes) isn't there C, D, M, F, G, A, B in C major scale? maybe I'm not right...

 

[daigle65]

(actually we have "do, re, mi, fa, sol, la, si" calling notes) isn't there C, D, M, F, G, A, B in C major scale? maybe I'm not right...

Mmmmm....so M is E. I've never heard of that.

I know that in german their B is our Bb and that their H is our B natural.

 

[ilikesax]

now i got it, no you are right... ofcourse right is "E" there is no such note as M

 

[ilikesax]

sorry, my mistake...

 

[bruce bailey]

Ah, but in Germany B=Bb and H=B.

 

[ilikesax]

but is there some other saxophone necks which could fit to my buescher? because those notes still are too low...

 

[daigle65]

If it's just the E and the F it could be that those palm keys don't open far enough.
Compare the space of the opening with the D and Eb keys.

 

[ilikesax]

they seem to bee the same.