Making Saxophone Necks by Hand in NYC | KB Sax
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https://boesken.biz/necks/ - my German sax mad buddies espouse the virtues of this guy
I know one thing about Kim Bock. He is really into the neck thing. I emailed him about a BA neck I have and he responded quickly.
I could notice some difference between the original Mark VI neck and the KBs but I preferred the sound of the original Yanagisawa neck at the end of the video.
I could notice some difference between the original Mark VI neck and the KBs but I preferred the sound of the original Yanagisawa neck at the end of the video.
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1,794 Posts
I wish Jay was still playing Links/Link Style mouthpieces. He still sounds great, but those Jody Jazz pieces...well let’s just say I prefer his sound on Links and I think a Link matches his style better.
Anyway, I think a Link would have made the differences in the KB necks more apparent. The Jody Jazz piece just made everything really...crunchy...buzzy...I can’t find the word to describe it.
Anyway, I think a Link would have made the differences in the KB necks more apparent. The Jody Jazz piece just made everything really...crunchy...buzzy...I can’t find the word to describe it.
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5,722 Posts
Because they're like blowing through a pipe, zero resistance. I don't know how people play them. Sure, use a size 5 reed I guess?
Don't you think it's presumptive to think that you know better than someone else what they should be playing? I do.
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That is my impression also. That WO2 tenor with original neck was the one I preferred. Jay sounds good on all the necks.
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I don't know better and never claimed that I did. I clearly stated my preferences on Jay's sound on Links vs his newer Jody Jazz.
Reading comprehension is an important skill.
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1,555 Posts
I was really surprised after all that to have the same impression. When he was playing at the end, and I wasn't looking, I went "oh yeah, that's great," and it was the normal neck. I didn't like the buzz that came from the neck new, but I imagine the feeling behind the horn is different.
-Bubba-
Why? There could be proprietary stuff involved.
BTW, I have seen the setup and it is for real. Kim and his crew have worked incredibly hard on this. It is super costly in time and effort. A labour of love and not much else.
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Kim said that he indeed has proprietary stuff (likely about forming the halves) - and opted not to show it in the video. Not everything is proprietary, but it is nice to see that he actually makes the necks himself.
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I am not saying we have to see every part of the manufacture but at the very least see that they are the makers making the stuff they sell
In another video by another person selling his own necks we see him only tapping the finished neck lightly with a light hammer. I prefer KB in this
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20,667 Posts
Add me to this...I agree. The Yani neck sounds smoother, more low harmonics come thru...the KB seems narrower focused, a bit 'thinner' in tone production....and IMHO Yanis are already tonally focused enough.
Amazing craftsmanship going on there, BTW....
Whenever I see these guys that make custom necks, I always think why don't they make a real custom neck that could transform a tenor? When I had my vertigo period ten years back, I turned a battered bow Elkhart 30A into a straight horn thinking the only way I may be able to play if this gets any worse is by lying in bed, and I started a neck using plumbing fittings, but let it slide when my balance improved. The idea was to make a neck that lets you play a tenor vertically like a clarinet by using a neck that U turns down beside the tenor like the top of a baritone, then U turns back up vertically almost, so you can get your face in it, for the mouthpiece. That way you could play in bed or even better in an easy chair. Don't know what that would do to the sound. A side effect to the straight Elkhart was it got a dryer sound like a Conn rather than its richer Hawkins sound it had originally.
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One of his necks made a big improvement on my 143xxx Mark VI.
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I don't think it's fair to judge anything through highly compressed YT videos. Just listen to when he plays his Mark VI neck at first compared to at the end, after playing the KB's. I hear as much difference between those 2 takes with same neck as across all necks played in the video.
I admire the hand craftsmanship! Great so see this type of work being performed.
I admire the hand craftsmanship! Great so see this type of work being performed.
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1,555 Posts
He tried all the necks on the Mkvi in the video. I thought some of them sounded better. However then he buys a neck for the Yani, and its not clear that it better. Doesn't make sense to me. It undermined the point to me.
I can't see spending $1275 on a neck. However if I had a BA, SBA or early VI without a neck I would consider one, as many might perceive it as not such a negative if I ever wanted to sell the horn. For my 72 vi I would just buy a new selmer neck if I needed one.
Also Yani have about a 27.5mm tenon. Many after market necks will fit. Would a $350 bronze Yani neck improve a VI? I don't know if some other necks would improve a Yani.
I can't see spending $1275 on a neck. However if I had a BA, SBA or early VI without a neck I would consider one, as many might perceive it as not such a negative if I ever wanted to sell the horn. For my 72 vi I would just buy a new selmer neck if I needed one.
Also Yani have about a 27.5mm tenon. Many after market necks will fit. Would a $350 bronze Yani neck improve a VI? I don't know if some other necks would improve a Yani.
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