[Il Padrino]

Hi all

Have recently bought a Yamaha YTS-23 as a back up tenor. All is fine bar the F# key. It is not lowering over the hole without considerable force. I do not mean it is leaking only to be spotted by a light, I mean it is clear that the key is not lowering enough. Around the entire whole there's a mm gap. Is there an easy way to correct this? The pad seems fine, new almost, so am wondering if one of the rods needs looking at....

Have never repaired my own saxes apart from small jobs, which this well may be. If so, can someone point me in the right direction?

Many thanks in advance.

Rico

 

[riFph]

Look on the F# bridge over the F and E feet. There should be some adjustment screws. Put a light into the horn if you can otherwise you just do the best you can. very slowly screw in the screw untill the F closes at the same time as the F#, then the E.

Go slow and open and close the F and E slowly and softly a few times to check. Idealy they should close at the same time but it would be better for the F# to close first, but only slightly.

Hope that helps

 

[Gordon (NZ)]

It is just as likely that the linkage form the F# key to G# or to Bb is incorrect, not allowing the F# to close.

BTW, I regard the stack key (F#/F/E/D) adjusting screw's purpose to be mainly for getting the F# arm to rest simultaneously on all three key feet (of F/E/D keys), and for making only VERY small linkage adjustments. Otherwise you introduce "double action". I have reason to believe that this is Yamaha's attitude too.

The entire Bb/G#/F# area of a sax is by far the most difficult to get right. I don't really recommend messing with it yourself unless you regard yourself as being at lease as competent as your local technician. It's could be compared to adjusting the carburettor of a modern car. IMO most DIY guys who attempt it have no idea of how much they don't know.

 

[Chris Peryagh]

Go slow and open and close the F and E slowly and softly a few times to check. Idealy they should close at the same time but it would be better for the F# to close first, but only slightly.

Due to the amount of flex in the mechanism, this is by far the best way to get the lower stack to work - if the top pad in the RH stack is set to close at the same rate as the others (while the long Bb and F#-G# adjusting screws are backed off), then the top pad will lighten up once the long Bb and F#-G# screws are regulated, or open slightly when the low C#, B and Bb keys are used making the bell notes unstable as the G# pad cup will force it open.

Even Yamaha set up their saxes this way. Provied all the pads are seating well and you close the RH keys with the right amount of pressure (ie. not having to squeeze them closed or playing with the featherlight touch some flute players use) then it'll all work. The flexibility of the keywork will be enough to ensure the fingerplates close.

 

[Gordon (NZ)]

It sure is a Mickey-Mouse contraption!

 

[Il Padrino]

"The entire Bb/G#/F# area of a sax is by far the most difficult to get right...."

Thanks so much guys for the advice. Have indeed sorted the problem. Only thing is now that the bottom Bb is not sounding. I believe there is double action going on (as in the bottom C# pad/key linked to the G# depress) - it is raising slightly. Can't quite alter the screws minutely to get a fine balance. Oh well, at least the main stay of the horn is now working, and sounding beautiful.

Now, if anyone has a spare Yamaha 62 tenor crook hanging around, fancy selling it? Have tried a 62's crook on it and it opens up the sound a touch more.

Have been told if I order here in the UK, it will take from 3 to 6 months to arrive.

Great. Not.

 

[griff136]

Have been told if I order here in the UK, it will take from 3 to 6 months to arrive.

Great. Not.

Who Told you that?

I order stuff directly from Yamaha-kemble and if its not in the UK it takes no more than 6 weeks.

 

[frasermanx]

I would rather adjust screws than file cork so I like the Yamaha construction. The problem is mostly that the screw pitch is too coarse .. so a very fine adjustment is necessary. I don't have experience with better adjustment screw mechanisms than Yamaha on horns .. so I stand to be corrected.

I like the adjustment screws so much that I am very tempted to install them on other horns that use the "filing the corks" system -- every horn should have them... and why not?

please correct me

Fraser in Toronto
frz

 

[Sigmund451]

Hammer?
:twisted:

 

[Gordon (NZ)]

For most saxes, most of the time, I either file nor screw. I bend, as obviously do the manufacturers. I suspecgt most other technicians do too. However it takes experience to do it to a stable state.