[SoulMate]

3 Days ago a got a new mouthpiece. It played fabulously!
The second day it seemed I needed to work a little bit harder to get a good sound.
I figured I was still adjusting to it and my embouchure was not “set” yet.
The third day it played even more difficult. Even some notes jumped an octave or I would get random squeaks…
Checked the horn and could not find any leaks or mechanical issues.
I finally found it by playing a low G and wrapping my right hand around the neck/mouthpiece. Sure enough it played fine. There was a tiny leak between the neck cork and the bore of the mouthpiece.
Drove me nuts…

 

[click]

Cracked cork?

 

[DryMartini]

oh man the saxophone has so many parts and so many things that go wrong, get bumped- bent- or whacked out of shape and then never play the same again. it can drive you nuts for sure.

sonny rollins talked about this in an interview. it made me feel bettter.

 

[whaler]

oh man the saxophone has so many parts and so many things that go wrong, get bumped- bent- or whacked out of shape and then never play the same again. it can drive you nuts for sure.

sonny rollins talked about this in an interview. it made me feel bettter.

This is why you have to get a well made sax.
If you go cheap it will feel different every time you pick it up and play.

 

[MaxTT]

This is why you have to get a well made sax.
If you go cheap it will feel different every time you pick it up and play.

It helps to have a quality horn but they can still be sensitive beasties.

 

[Reet McVouty]

This is why you have to get a well made sax.
If you go cheap it will feel different every time you pick it up and play.

So, what part of this thread was there any mention of what make of saxophone was being played? My guess is because the OP was using a new mouthpiece the wear on the cork from his old MP doesn't match up, hence the air leak. A simple re-cork job should remedy that. Until then he can use a couple of winding's of Teflon tape to seal things off.

 

[turf3]

This is why you have to get a well made sax.
If you go cheap it will feel different every time you pick it up and play.

Well, in this case it depends on who put the last neck cork on, and how old it is.

 

[Gordon (NZ)]

Well, in this case it depends on who put the last neck cork on, and how old it is.

And the difference in tenon socket diameter between the previous and current mouthpieces.

 

[JayeLID]

And the difference in tenon socket diameter between the previous and current mouthpieces.

Good to see you, Gordon.

It'd seem to me if the mouthpiece went on snugly, there'd be no problem to be expected. If the mouthpiece went on a bit loosely, then possibly...

 

[saxoclese]

Years ago I played a Berg Larsen on a vintage Conn sax pieced together from 2 pawnshop saxes and named "Frankentenor". That long narrow mouthpiece needed to be pulled way out to get down to pitch. Sometimes it played great, and other times it was hard to make the low notes come out. I eventually discovered that the angle of my head was making the difference. When the mouthpiece tilted one direction it sealed on the cork. When it tilted the other direction it leaked. I eventually installed a thicker cork, and that helped but the problem didn't go away entirely.

The sax was butt ugly due to my amateurish efforts to relacquer it myself and I eventually sold it to Jaice Dumars when I got a better tenor. At the time he said it was the best tenor he had ever played. A while later he posted the following picture in a thread entitled "most beautiful saxophones".

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