[DryMartini]

Hi all,
Quick question. When a shop says we can adjust the key heights or spring tension- I was wondering- How long does it take them to do these things? is it a big deal? How much should it cost?

I believe key heights affect the tone but what does spring tension affect?

Thanks!

 

[1saxman]

Spring tension obviously controls the resistance of the key to being closed (or opened) and the speed with which it opens (or closes). The entire action should be 'balanced' so it all feels the same ('Balanced Action'). Adjusting the key opening heights is done in 'voicing' the sax or returning it to spec. It affects intonation as well as clarity and volume. Either one of these services on the whole sax can take some time but if only doing it on a 'spot' basis can be fairly quick, such as working on the G# key that has two springs to control it or maybe your D2 is weak.

 

[Dr G]

Hi all,
Quick question. When a shop says we can adjust the key heights or spring tension- I was wondering- How long does it take them to do these things? is it a big deal? How much should it cost?

I believe key heights affect the tone but what does spring tension affect?

Thanks!

Spring tension needs to overcome the friction in the mechanism as well as the inertia, when returning the spring from actuation. Some horns need more spring tension due to the geometrical design of the spring cradle and acting length of the spring. There is a limit as to how little tension you have - I have played some horns where the tension is so low that heavy keys will change position as the horn is tilted. Others have been so stiff that it becomes tiring to play. You really don't need a lot of stiffness to still have a responsive horn.

Is it a big deal for a shop to adjust spring tension? No, but it can be time consuming - especially when trying to find what is right for you. If you have another horn that you like for comparison, that will help. Else, tell 'em medium-light and go with what you get. Cost will depend on the shop. Call to ask your local favorite repair person.

 

[saxoclese]

Opening the key heights of the "stack keys" a small amount can be as simple as sanding the cork on the key feet. Lowering key heights can be done by gluing thin pieces of cork to the existing key feet which I don't like to do, or replacing the material with thicker cork. Spring tension is mostly a matter of bending or putting more curve in a spring. In extreme cases to "beef up" weak springs requires re-drilling the holes in the posts and replacing them with thicker springs. In my shop I can generally do minor spring tension adjustments "over the counter" at little or no charge. Anything more involved requires a "sleep over". Price estimates on the internet can be given only if you hold the sax up close to the monitor.

 

[ptung]

I would just add to what's already been said that for most players getting spring tension just right -- which is more critical to some players than others -- is sort of a process and is likely to take more than 1 go. Meaning: usually it will take you a few visits to get the spring tension just right, if you are picky about it. I'm picky, but it's individual, and I know that the way I'm picky is different from other people -- what I like may not be what someone else likes. I like a stiffer B2 spring and a stiffer F1 spring than you usually find on people's horns.

Arguably, more people should and would be more picky about spring tension if they learned to adjust springs themselves (though that requires a warning that if you play with this you may break springs, and if they break off flush with the post you could have expense that's sort of oversized for the improvement you were seeking).

Spring tension changes on one or two keys can change how you hold your entire hand, and how smooth the entire hand feels.

For me, the way to adjust spring tension is to play and adjust and for me it takes at least 20 minutes to get warmed up to the point and connected (or however you want to put it) to the horn closely enough that issues present themselves to me as I play, as sticky spots ergonomically. For that reason, when for example an overhaul is local I would rather ask the player to take the horn home after I do my initial set-up, and then take notes on what they're experiencing on the horn -- the more detailed, the better -- and then I can make improvements to spring tension based on their notes, and that means there is more than one visit involved.

Before I learned to do repair, it always took numerous visits to get to the point where I was happy, sometimes to different techs, over time.