So, in 20-20 hindsight, did the neck seem a little loose to you?
Sounds like the first attempt at adjusting the tenon didn't dial it in along the entire length of the tenon. I've seen "techs" do that before - they take a tenon expander to one place on the tenon only and either put in a taper or a bulge. It needs to fit well along its entire length. I'm glad to hear that you found someone that knows his craft.SactoPete said:Hi George - I think John has it spot on. When I originally sent it out for a rebuild, the neck was loose, but when it came back it felt nice and snug. But it's interesting, at one point, not sure why, I thought maybe, just maybe there might be a bit of play in the neck-to-tenon joint, like it would rock in there a bit, even though it was snug from a rotation standpoint.
I know this is sounds counterintuitive, but on some saxes the neck tenon actually leaks more when the screw is tightened. It has to do with a small air pocket that forms right below the slot in the receiver when the two sides of the slot are pulled closer together. There is just no easy substitute for making both the neck tenon and receiver perfectly round and snug.whaler said:Add a little key oil to the screw on the receiver. The 2 second cure for most problems with the neck leaking.