[gspiegel]

I play a Keilwerth SX-90R alto, and I find that, while intonation is generally pretty good, "a" is sharp in both octaves, more so in the lower octave. Changing mouthpieces didn't make any difference. Any thoughts about this problem and what to do about it? Thanks.

Glenn

 

[Randy Hunter]

You might need to have a tech check the key heights and also check for leaks. Either of these can affect the intonation. The mouthpieces can also be an issue. I went through a number of quality alto mouthpieces, mainly because of intonation issues, before settling on a plain old Meyer 7. Other than that, you learn the intonation tendencies of the instrument and how to work with them as you play. If you just can't seem to resolve the issue, you might need to look for another sax. I also did this. I had a great sounding Buescher, and I still own it, but ultimately settled (for the time being) on a The Martin as my playing axe, because it has a wonderful tone and plays more in tune.

Randy
www.randyhunterjazz.com
Online Jazz Lessons and Books
New Lesson:
Making Sense of Jazz Improvisation
Lesson Series:
Introduction to the Blues
The Arpeggio Circle
Through the Keys
and more...
Lessons page: www.beginningsax.com/Jazz Improv Lessons.htm
Rhythm Changes Demo:

Rhythm Changes Lesson:

 

[Morry]

A is not a particularly bad note on my Keilwerth horns. I know it is different for everyone, but for me and my anatomy, straight wall mouthpieces work extremely well on the JKs.

 

[mike_s]

i would wager a bet that your G key is opening too high.... or possibly the whole right hand. try playing the a and with your right hand slightly pressing hte the g key a little and see how that effects it. either take it to a tech, or adjust the height by shimming where it interacts with the octave key.

i looked at 3 sx90r's this weekend it was impressive how uniform the key heights were between the 3 horns.

 

[martinm5862]

I play a Keilwerth SX-90R alto, and I find that, while intonation is generally pretty good, "a" is sharp in both octaves, more so in the lower octave. Changing mouthpieces didn't make any difference. Any thoughts about this problem and what to do about it? Thanks.

Glenn

Have the G key lowered. You can do it yourself with a piece of cork in the right spot.

 

[ShadowSax]

It could also be a combination of mouthpiece and key height. So keep that in mind. Both my Keilwerths love round walled mouth pieces (especially with large chambers but that may be just me) Also by changing mouthpieces you didn't specify from what to what. Going from a Selmer C* to a D isnt going to barely make a dent to make a difference at all in intonation. or you could of made it worse by changing to another piece poorly matched for the horn.