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I have been advised to re-post this here because it is a technical question rather than a Martin question.
I have just got a 1950's Martin "The Martin" Alto, described as repadded and leak free (aren't they all)
When playing a 2nd octave :space5: G or G sharp (i.e with the octave key depressed) initially the note is fine, but if I try and play quietly, or fade the note out, the note splits into harmonics and sounds awful. The only solution is to dramatically bite and alter my embouchure.
Any ideas what may be causing this?
I have tried
1) changing reed, lig and mpc
2) sealing the top octave hole in the neck by pressing the pad, whilst playing, no difference
3) lowering slighty by hand the height of the main tube octave pad (the tiny one at the back) whilst playing the G, this works, but only because it lifts off the neck pad slightly
The only thing that cures it is manually lifting off the neck octave pad, but that is not how it is supposed to work, and would be hard to incorporate into a performance
The horn plays easily from top to bottom, easier than my Yamaha, and it does seem to be leak free, so is this just an adjustment thing???
Thanks in anticipation
I have just got a 1950's Martin "The Martin" Alto, described as repadded and leak free (aren't they all)
When playing a 2nd octave :space5: G or G sharp (i.e with the octave key depressed) initially the note is fine, but if I try and play quietly, or fade the note out, the note splits into harmonics and sounds awful. The only solution is to dramatically bite and alter my embouchure.
Any ideas what may be causing this?
I have tried
1) changing reed, lig and mpc
2) sealing the top octave hole in the neck by pressing the pad, whilst playing, no difference
3) lowering slighty by hand the height of the main tube octave pad (the tiny one at the back) whilst playing the G, this works, but only because it lifts off the neck pad slightly
The only thing that cures it is manually lifting off the neck octave pad, but that is not how it is supposed to work, and would be hard to incorporate into a performance
The horn plays easily from top to bottom, easier than my Yamaha, and it does seem to be leak free, so is this just an adjustment thing???
Thanks in anticipation