[sushidushi]

I am currently hoping to buy a sax - my first - and I am trying to make sense of some of the features advertised on saxophones. I am not yet sure if I will go for very cheap and virtually disposable, or to try to get something a bit better. Anyway, I digress a bit.

Some saxophones are advertised as having tilting G# / Bb table keys. Is anyone able to tell me what this means, please? What are the keys like if they aren't tilting? Should I care...?

 

[Raphyel]

You should care, but most modern horns have a tilting mechanism there. Some modern student models like a Yamaha 23 does not have tilting. The tilting mech, adds a bit more comfort to playing there. Its not a necessity. In fact, a Selmer SBA does not have a tilting mechanism, and people play he crap out of those things. Look at any modern pro horn and you will find a tilting mechanism.

 

[sushidushi]

Many thanks. That is really helpful. It doesn't sound like something I need to pay too much attention to. I have never played a saxophone and know very little about them, so it's good to get advice from the experts...

 

[Raphyel]

I would say try both types and see what you prefer. I play a Conn 10m which does not have a tilting mechanism. I dont miss it, but if you are used to that, its very hard to live without it.

 

[sushidushi]

As I have never played a single note on a saxophone, the difference between tilting and non-tilting is lost on me. That's lucky in that if I do end up buying one without the tilting mechanism, I won't know what I'm missing...

 

[Stephen Howard]

A point to bear in mind is that the tilting table is a mechanism, and as such it's only as good as the level of quality to which it's built.
While a good one can feel balanced and responsive, a poorly made one can feel vague and spongy.

I wouldn't worry too much about selecting a horn for this feature - at this stage of the game it'll be quite a long time before you can realise the benefits of such a mechanism.

Regards,

 

[sushidushi]

Thank you. I think I am learning towards buying a very cheap Chinese horn for now, and hoping that it'll be one of the gems thatare out there, but fully expecting to have to replace it in a year or two. That way, I will at least get to know if the sax is the instrument for me.

 

[35TangoTango]

I was very interested in this question as I've never had a horn without one, but wasn't quite sure what it was. I found this explanation:
"Tilting table or tilting spatula refers to the key touches operated by the LH pinky finger. If equipped with a "tilting" mechanism, the low Bb touchpiece will tilt back when the low C# is depressed, allowing an easier transition between notes. This feature was made popular on the Selmer Mark VI in 1954and has been adopted by many other makers since."

 

[sushidushi]

I was unable to resist getting this saxophone. It might not be QUITE as good as the Selmer Mark VI, but I might be lucky. And at this price, this won't go down in history as one of most reckless financial decisions, even if it isn't very good at all. I just hope it will be good enough for this impoverished old man to learn on.

http://www.music123.com/Woodwinds/S...ophone-Model-AAAS-301.site7prod585010.product