Sax on the Web Forum banner
Cancel

C-melody Conn out of tune

1758 Views 2 Replies 3 Participants Last post by  csax, 
terjeo
Hi all C-melody fans!
I have a couple of silver plated Conn straight necks (serial no's within a few thousand in the 137xxx range), and they both have the same problem; The middle C is extremely flat! Using alternate fingering (RH palm key) is a lot better, but still not in tune with the rest. In general the lower stack is sharp and the higher is flat; I can usually compensate for that, but not the C. Necks are original with microtuners, I have a C-mel mouthpiece and use tenor reeds. They are both beautiful instruments but kind of useless right now.
Any ideas?
I've ordered a new C-mel mouthpiece from Aquilasax; anybody have any experience with them? I've also ordered one of his necks and some reeds, so I should probably just wait for his shipment and try them.

Any suggestion is appreciated!
Reply
Save
Like
1 - 1 of 3 Posts
ukebert
Aquilasax is great, excellent service etc. etc.

The middle C is fairly common I'm afraid, but using the ballad C isn't that big a deal. as for the Stack, could be a pad angle problem.

Ultimately, saxophones are never going to play in tune. These were made 80 years ago, so it isn't surprising that a little bit of creativity is needed. There are ways to compensate, including mouthpieces, reeds necks etc. etc. etc. I'm sure others more knowledgeable than I will help. Doc Frazier alters the angle that the pads make with the hole when closed, which is supposed to help with intonation.
Reply
Save
Like
1 - 1 of 3 Posts
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Sax on the Web Forum
A forum community dedicated to saxophone players and enthusiasts originally founded by Harri Rautiainen. Come join the discussion about collections, care, displays, models, styles, reviews, accessories, classifieds, and more!
Full Forum Listing
Explore Our Forums
Misc. Saxophone Discussion Word games Sax Repair, Maintenance and Modification Tenor mpc SOTW Member Recordings & Reviews
Top