Pad heights are a show-stopper, so fix that. Once good there, try tuning to middle C and see where the rest of the horn is.
Also, clean out BOTH octave vents with a pipe cleaner. Sixty years of leftovers ain't too good for tuning, my boy
SBA altos play quite sharp from A on top of the staff upwards. Plus, since there -are- two fingerings for middle F#, maybe you're tuning to the wrong one for your setup.
Tuning sax to middle F or F# is not a guarantee for the rest of the horn, it's just a compromise that sometimes work and sometimes doesn't.
I prefer to tune more for the range in which I'm playing, then use fingering modifications for the fine tuning, as much as possible.
Also, clean out BOTH octave vents with a pipe cleaner. Sixty years of leftovers ain't too good for tuning, my boy
SBA altos play quite sharp from A on top of the staff upwards. Plus, since there -are- two fingerings for middle F#, maybe you're tuning to the wrong one for your setup.
Tuning sax to middle F or F# is not a guarantee for the rest of the horn, it's just a compromise that sometimes work and sometimes doesn't.
I prefer to tune more for the range in which I'm playing, then use fingering modifications for the fine tuning, as much as possible.
