[bmdaustin]

Hi All,

I did a search for "bubble" but got no results so I'm asking here to ask about a bubble/gurgle around low D and E. It's consistent with different mouthpieces (STM Link and Jody Jazz HR) so I'm wondering if its the neck? I've tried putting things in the bell to disrupt the airflow, but that hasn't changed anything. The horn is otherwise in excellent adjustment, no leaks (confirmed by my tech). Thoughts on what else to look for?

Thanks!

 

[mijderf]

Putting objects in the bell can affect C,B and Bb, but is not likely to impact D or E since these tone holes are upstream of the bell area. The warble problem can have multiple causes, but leaks (and they can be anywhere, even in the palm keys or neck) are a major warble generator. Leaks can be tricky to find, so you might consider taking your horn to a different tech as a cross check. Warble can also result from not having a mouthpiece pushed very far onto the cork. If this is the case, you may have to adjust embouchure and reed strength in order to lower your existing playing pitch.
There are many, many threads on this subject. Try searching for "warble" or "motor boating" to find them.

 

[bmdaustin]

Putting objects in the bell can affect C,B and Bb, but is not likely to impact D or E since these tone holes are upstream of the bell area. The warble problem can have multiple causes, but leaks (and they can be anywhere, even in the palm keys or neck) are a major warble generator. Leaks can be tricky to find, so you might consider taking your horn to a different tech as a cross check. Warble can also result from not having a mouthpiece pushed very far onto the cork. If this is the case, you may have to adjust embouchure and reed strength in order to lower your existing playing pitch.
There are many, many threads on this subject. Try searching for "warble" or "motor boating" to find them.

Thanks. I didn't know what exact term to search for. The mpc is pushed appropriately far onto the neck so that's not the problem.

 

[milandro]

Hi All,

I did a search for "bubble" but got no results so I'm asking here to ask about a bubble/gurgle around low D and E. It's consistent with different mouthpieces (STM Link and Jody Jazz HR) so I'm wondering if its the neck? I've tried putting things in the bell to disrupt the airflow, but that hasn't changed anything. The horn is otherwise in excellent adjustment, no leaks (confirmed by my tech). Thoughts on what else to look for?

Thanks!

Unfortunately when you search with a wrong term (and probably in the wrong place which in my experience is this https://www.saxontheweb.net where it sais top middle page GOOGLE CUSTOM SEARCH) if you had searched for burble motorboating and gurgle you would have found lots of previous threads ( and I mean LOTS here a few for your leisure).

The issue normally affects other notes but there are threads which also concern your problem. There are leaks that may not be spotted at a superficial analysis. Read those threads (and many more)


BURBLE

https://forum.saxontheweb.net/showthread.php?68279-Inharmonicity-and-low-note-quot-burble-quot

https://forum.saxontheweb.net/showt...sted-low-tone-burble-on-22-conn-c-mel-is-back

https://forum.saxontheweb.net/showthread.php?26040-Burble

https://forum.saxontheweb.net/showthread.php?76011-low-note-burbling-but-WHY


GURGLE

https://forum.saxontheweb.net/showthread.php?173430-Gurgling-on-Low-D-and-also-middle-G-Fixed!

https://forum.saxontheweb.net/showthread.php?24038-The-Infamous-Low-B-C-Gurgle

https://forum.saxontheweb.net/showthread.php?31196-Low-D-and-C-vibrato-type-gurgling-sounds-Help


MOTORBOATING


https://forum.saxontheweb.net/showthread.php?196956-Motorboating-(gurggling)-on-low-notes

https://forum.saxontheweb.net/showthread.php?241957-1948-SBA-low-D-warble

https://forum.saxontheweb.net/showthread.php?224845-Problems-with-gurgling-in-the-low-register

 

[turf3]

The Conn 10M is notorious for this.

Even a completely leak-tight horn can do this. At base it's due to an acoustical design problem. I also believe that instruments like this will be far more sensitive to a leak higher up the horn, while those without the acoustical problem can play right on through all kinds of leaks. Being excessively sensitive to a leak is still an acoustical design problem, because saxophones need to be somewhat tolerant to pad leaks - every saxophone has them once a couple days have passed since the repair bench.

The best chance for solving it is to shove the mouthpiece way on, shortening the sounding length. This might require a larger chambered piece. But even with that sometimes it's uncorrectable. I had a 10M like that. And your Link is not a small chamber piece.

There is a chance that a neck change would help; I have had four Conn tenors through the years and only one of them had this incurable problem. I think that the body tubes were basically the same amongst the four saxes, but have strong suspicions that the necks were slightly different. Something that might be interesting would be to drop a thick cord (like clothesline cord) down the neck and see what happens - it'll screw up the tuning and it's not a permanent thing, but if a large disruption to the neck interior volume eliminates the problem (or makes it far worse) then that might be an indication that a neck swap was worth pursuing.

It seems that this problem is more common on tenor saxophone - I wonder if the bore anomalies of the double-recurved neck have something to do with it?

 

[JayeLID]

I would posit that the tech missed a leak someplace, primarily because Coufs do not have this propensity.