[olds1959special]

Is it normal for a tenor to be a little resistant in these notes? Am I not using enough finger pressure? Low notes are fine...

 

[turf3]

No, it's not normal, and no, gripping the keys harder is not the solution.

 

[awholley]

Probably a leak.

In this area, it is often caused by compressed cork or felt. One quick check would be to finger middle C with normal finger pressure and see if the pad underneath can be depressed further with the bis key and/or the smallest pad at the top of the upper stack (the one that is open for C# and closed for C) can be depressed further (when fingering C).

This also an area where a reed with a warped table can have a similar effect. That seems far less likely since your signature indicates you use synthetic reeds.

Alan

 

[olds1959special]

Probably a leak.

In this area, it is often caused by compressed cork or felt. One quick check would be to finger middle C with normal finger pressure and see if the pad underneath can be depressed further with the bis key and/or the smallest pad at the top of the upper stack (the one that is open for C# and closed for C) can be depressed further (when fingering C).

Thanks, I'll take a look! Maybe using key clamps contributed to this?

 

[JayeLID]

I agree with AWholley and Turf, it is a leak someplace. If finger pressure improves it, probably a leak in the upper stack. If it doesn't, could be a leak on one of the backdoor keys or palm keys. When the tech checked for leaks did he check the keys away from the upper stack ? or just the upper stack ?

FWIW, there's a difference between 'blowing resistance' and the horn not speaking cleanly on certain notes. Many a sax has some blowing resistance as part of its intrinsic design, but that doesn't mean its notes are stuffy or not cleanly speaking.

Changing resonators is a bit of a silly suggestion, actually. Unless the pads are quite old, in which case changing resos results in installing new pads...which might be beneficial in that now you have new pads....

 

[turf3]

Doesn't have to be a bad pad, either - cork compresses, adjusting screws back out. Check all your pivot screws too - if one gets loose it can cause a leak due to increased slop in the mechanism (my bass sax has one that just wants to back out and I check it regularly).

 

[Dr G]

Thanks, I'll take a look! Maybe using key clamps contributed to this?

It can. If the clamps either apply excess pressure (more than you would apply when playing), or apply pressure contrary to the pressure applied during normal play (ex. Pressure applied to different part of key cup), then bad things follow.

The discussions on key clamps predate your membership, but the consensus is that they may cause harm if used inappropriately or excessively. I used to use them myself, but no longer.

 

[Dr G]

...

 

[saxoclese]

When you say "the low notes are fine", can you play low C down to low Bb softly? A leak in the upper part of the saxophone that could cause the upper stack notes to be "stuffy" typically affects the lowest notes as well. Using a bright leak light in a darkened room will reveal what is going on "leakwise" except for a leak at the neck tenon which requires a different test.

 

[olds1959special]

Probably a leak.

In this area, it is often caused by compressed cork or felt. One quick check would be to finger middle C with normal finger pressure and see if the pad underneath can be depressed further with the bis key and/or the smallest pad at the top of the upper stack (the one that is open for C# and closed for C) can be depressed further (when fingering C).

This also an area where a reed with a warped table can have a similar effect. That seems far less likely since your signature indicates you use synthetic reeds.

Alan

Thanks, this was it. I glued on a few layers of paper under the compressed felt and it fixed the problem!

It can. If the clamps either apply excess pressure (more than you would apply when playing), or apply pressure contrary to the pressure applied during normal play (ex. Pressure applied to different part of key cup), then bad things follow.

The discussions on key clamps predate your membership, but the consensus is that they may cause harm if used inappropriately or excessively. I used to use them myself, but no longer.

Thanks for your advice. I never really adjusted the key clamps to fit properly, they were on a bit tight and I think this might have caused the felt to compress. I adjusted them so that they apply as little pressure as possible to properly close each pad. Maybe now they won't cause any problems. We'll see...

 

[saxoclese]

Probably a leak.
In this area, it is often caused by compressed cork or felt. One quick check would be to finger middle C with normal finger pressure and see if the pad underneath can be depressed further with the bis key and/or the smallest pad at the top of the upper stack (the one that is open for C# and closed for C) can be depressed further (when fingering C).

Good call. If the A key (touch) doesn't close the bis completely, the A, G#, and G would be affected. If the regulation from the F# to the Bis is in good adjustment everything from F down would speak ok barring any other problems.

 

[Dr G]

Thanks for your advice. I never really adjusted the key clamps to fit properly, they were on a bit tight and I think this might have caused the felt to compress. I adjusted them so that they apply as little pressure as possible to properly close each pad. Maybe now they won't cause any problems. We'll see...

They'll cause even fewer problems if you stop using them. Seriously. They really are not necessary.