HOW DID YOU GET INTO THE VINTAGE HORN BUSINESS, STEVE?

Well, when I was starting out, I was too broke to buy new horns! My first alto was a 1930 Martin Handcraft, which I still own. My first tenor was a Buescher 400, which I should never have sold. My first bari was a Buescher True Tone, and my first soprano was a gold plated Conn “New Wonder”, which I deeply regret parting with! I got my first Mk VI in 1964, and still use that horn regularly. In the early 70′s I began to understand that there was something about the horns that had been played a lot and were well broken in that just couldn’t be duplicated with current production. I find that new instruments just lack that certain undefinable “personality” that you only get with a vintage example.

WHAT VINTAGE HORNS SHOULD A POTENTIAL BUYER CONSIDER, OR MORE IMPORTANTLY, AVOID?

Well, that really depends on what you’re going to do with them. If you’re gonna hang them on the wall, or make lamps out of them, then the Kings from the 20′s with that elaborate engraving are hard to beat. The Holton’s look pretty cute as well, particularly the Rudy Weidoft models. Of course, neither of these play like real saxophones, and are generally pretty useless in any type of modern music. I would caution anyone who is considering actually using a vintage horn to make real music to be very wary of anything before 1930.

Up until that time, intonation was a little sketchy, and the horns just don’t feel right in the hands and are hard to use. After 1930, there’s some really great stuff available: the Conn “Chu Berry” models have a fantastic sound. The Martin Committee models are unusually lush down low. King got it really together with the Zephyr. The Bueschers, both Aristocrat and 400, are among my favorites, particularly the 400. What a horn!

When Conn replaced the “Chu” series with the 6M alto and 10M tenor, they took a giant leap forward in intonation and playing ease. I’m not a big fan of the Selmers before the Super Balanced Action. I find that you really have to humor them to get them in tune.

SO WHERE DO YOU FIND THESE HORNS?

I’ve been at this long enough to where most of my stuff comes to me. You hear the stories about the great deals in pawnshops and on E-Bay, but those great deals are getting harder to come by. Today, there are a number of knowledgeable dealers who can help guide a novice buyer through the process. That dealer network didn’t exist until a few years ago, and now a customer can get lots of information and competent advice.

ANY TIPS ON WHAT TO LOOK FOR TO HELP DETERMINE THE TRUE CONDITION OF AN OLD SAX?

If you like the way the horn plays, and think the price is fair, buy it and ignore everything I say after this. If the engraving on the bell does not have sharp edges to the touch, and is not clearly defined, the horn has been relacquered at least once, so be careful!

YES, I NOTICED THE FIRST THING YOU DID WHEN YOU SAW MY MK VI WAS FEEL THE ENGRAVING. WHAT ELSE?

Look at the keywork on the stacks and first, be sure it’s tight with no horizontal play. Make sure that the “tubes” are of an absolutely consistent diameter. If they look a little pinched where two keys meet, then the horn has been swedged, and that’s a sign of high mileage. The pads should be smooth and flexible, with no rough edges. Take close look at the pearl holders and be sure that the metal part is not worn down. If they are, you’ve got a horn that’s too long in the tooth! The metal should be smooth on the body, not lumpy from dent removal by someone not competent to do it.

WHAT’S THE NUMBER ONE MISTAKE YOU SEE BUYERS MAKE?

They buy an old horn that is not complete and assume that they can get parts. You can’t. They don’t exist. Particularly necks. If you can find the parts, usually in the hot little hands of someone like me, I can only tell you to get out the big leather bound checkbook. If it’s not all there, don’t buy it!

IF YOU COULD OWN ONLY ONE VINTAGE HORN, WHAT WOULD IT BE?

I’m lucky in that my wife lets me buy all the horns I want for my own collection. They’re all my favorites. I wish I could have as many wives as I have saxophones, but I just don’t think Sharon would understand! I do have a favorite: the LeBlanc Rationale. A little too complex to be owned by mere mortals, but what a great design. After that, probably a Buescher 400.

WHAT DO YOU THINK ARE THE BEST BUYS FOR THE MONEY?

Martin Committee and The Martin models. King Zephyrs and Conn 10Ms with the underslung octave mechanism and nickel keywork. You can pick them up, the Conns at least, at bargain basement prices.

ANY FINAL WORDS OF WISDOM FOR POTENTIAL BUYERS, STEVE?

Yeah. Learn all you can. Be realistic about what these horns cost in the market place. Understand that old does not necessarily mean good. Look at any horn literally with a magnifying glass. I do! Believe me when I tell you that pictures you see on the internet are not sharp enough to tell you what you need to know to make a final decision. Modern mouthpieces, particularly the high baffle ones currently in vogue, often do not work on vintage horns. A $1000 Conn 10M that needs an overhaul is probably not a bargain. There’s a huge amount to learn, and generally lots of folding money on the table, so take the time to educate yourself!

[insert images from diagrams...text instructions included below]

1. Left Hand
2. Hand position on sax
3. Hand position on flute
4. Cutting paper template for sax
5. Cutting paper template for flute
6. Refining paper template for sax
7. Refining paper template for flute
8. 5/8″ Lexan. I am using thick stock so I can shape it to fit later on. Traced templates and ready to cut out.
9. Using jigsaw w/jig blade, I cut out pieces.
10. Time to shape out pieces. Using a Dremel with very abrasive drum sander.
11. Using template as guide to shape out exact measurements.
12. Piece after about 15 minutes. Notice shape…I tried to get it to fit my finger and the instrument as well as I could. It’s very important to note that I beveled out the back of the piece to fit down over the key like a glove. This will maximize contact with the surface when I use the adhesive later on.
13. Finished pieces. To get the pieces to turn clear, I used a low speed cloth wheel and toothpaste and the Dremel Tool ®.
14. Paul Coats suggested I use E6000 instead of contact cement. I’m glad I did. Not only does it have better holding power, but it allowed me to adjust the piece as I applied it to the instrument for an exact fit to my hand. This adhesive will come off as well if I ever decide to sell the instrument without hurting the surface. Once I applied the piece, I waited 72 hours before trying it out.
15. Piece on saxophone
16. Piece on flute
17. Finished product and ready to play!

[end diagrams and instructions]

Notes from Paul Coats: I would like to thank John for joining me as co-author of this article. I received a wonderful call from John shortly after he made these modifications. “I played a gig last night and didn’t once think about my finger!” Man, THAT is what it is all about! The music! I would also like to thank Gunnar Mossblad, Saxophone Journal columnist (www.dornpub.com) for his inspirational two-part article about his experience with Bell’s Palsey, and his prosthetic work that allowed him to continue performing during that ordeal. I would hope this article, and Gunnar’s, will encourage players who encounter physical problems to not just give up, but to “think outside the box”. ~Paul R. Coats

Well, I was wrong, they were wrong, and the music store owners who talked me out of ordering the high F# option were wrong. I now find this key to be a very useful, welcome addition to the Saxophone.

Dave wrote:

I am still getting used to the feel of this horn and I never had a high F# key to use before. I really should get hold of a modern fingering chart for these things.

Thanks, Dave

Paul answers:

Dave, there are so many good uses for the high F# key, besides the obvious one. But let me first mention this… to use the various fingerings I will show you, you must get in the habit of using the right hand middle finger to press the high F# key.

The first and most obvious use of the high F# key is to extend the range of the regular palm key fingerings. So, for the “palm key high F#” you would press the D, Eb, and F palm keys with the left hand, the high E key with the knuckle of the right hand, and with the middle finger of the right hand, the high F# key. Of course you know the “fork E and fork F”. These use the “front F key”, also called variously the “fork F key”, “auxiliary F key”, or “alternate F key”. The E3 can also be fingered: Octave key, front F key, LH2, LH3. This works on soprano, alto, and tenor saxophones. For bari sax, and some tenors, you must add the RH2 to bring this note in tune. Practice playing from C3 (Octave Key and LH2) to the fork E fingering, and back to C3. Also practice playing from D3 (Octave key and D palm key) to the fork E and back to D3.

F3 may also be played with the fork F fingering, which is: Octave Key, front F key, LH2. Practice playing from C3 to F3 and back. Incorporate the fork E and F fingerings into your playing as much as possible. So, to extend this even further, you may use the high F# key with the fork F fingering to produce another high F# (F#3). I call this the “fork F#.” Or, you may simply add the high F# key to the A2 fingering (Octave Key, LH1, LH2) and you have another easy, fast high F#. The high F# key can be used to produce an excellent high G (G3).

For alto and soprano, this is fingered: Octave Key, front F key, RH1, high F# key. It is easily seen that it is very easy to go to this high G from fork E, fork F, or fork F#. This G3 is hereby named “fork G”.

For tenor sax, the fingering is slightly different. To play G3 on the tenor: Octave Key, LH1, side Bb key, high F# key. This is the clearest, most stable high G that can be played on the tenor saxophone. And it is not flat, as is the traditional fingering.

So, here are a number of fingerings that utilize the high F# key. I hope they help your high register playing as much as they do for me.

Dave wrote back:

Far more ways to use the high F# key than I imagined. I will have to train myself to use the second finger to add the high F# key quickly and accurately.

PC: Tell us about yourself… background, playing, etc.
TA: Because my father, Bob Alexander, was a busy studio trombone player on the New York scene in the 1950′s-80′s, I was around music from the crib you could say, and picked up a lot from hearing the sounds of jazz wafting through our house on a regular basis, or later going to gigs with him, and meeting other musicians. As he played lead ‘bone on the Tonight Show and some other gigs when there were a good number of TV shows being broadcast from New York, I got a chance to hear some great big band stuff live from those studio orchestras, which were staffed with some very strong players, I might add. And my mom, being an avid jazz lover (to this day), also always liked to have the record player or radio going with anything from Count Basie and Prez to Charlie Parker and other great players. Let’s face it, how can you go wrong when you were raised with Bird in the air!
I kind of messed around in high school as an ear player with trombone, drums, keyboard, and bass, and then later got involved with working on pipe organs (repair, tuning, installation, etc.) in NYC, Boston, and Portland, Oregon for a few years, but didn’t really get into the playing end of music seriously until I started on saxophone at the late age of 24 when I was attending California State University (Sonoma). I was lucky in that I was gigging within the next couple of years and this gave me a starting point from which to work with the horn.
During this time, I was also very lucky to be able to hook up and hang out with some excellent musicians such as Vel Selvan (aka David Luell), San Francisco legends Mel Ellison and Smith Dobson, Jim Dukey, Marvin Williams, Bennett Friedman, and with jazz greats Joe Henderson and Dave Liebman. These were just excellent learning times for me, both from the music and life learning points of view…Needless to say, they all taught me some very valuable things not only about playing, but equipment, tone, attitude, and the importance of saying something as a musician.
I moved to Tokyo, in ’82 as I had become fascinated with the culture of Japan and spent my first five years here basically delving into that side of it, but nothing much in music until 1986 when I decided to get back into the horn on a serious level by practicing long hours every day.
In the next year, I met Mike Ellis, another American sax player (who has been on the scene on three continents) who became a very good friend of mine. We put a sax quartet and later a quintet called M.E.T.A. together, and this was essentially a band built around my and Mike’s original compositions.
So around this time I started to become very active on the scene over here in Tokyo with M.E.T.A., which had monthly gigs at the “Pit In”, and a number of other jazz and funk groups that worked in Tokyo and some on the road. The 80′s & 90′s were a golden time to be playing here as there were gigs galore and people really liked jazz a lot….I mean you could actually hear Bird or Miles in some supermarkets! Those days were really something.
Unfortunately however, I eventually had to give up playing altogether because of chronic neck and joint problems, but at least I was lucky enough to have been able to put in a good amount of gig time. It became a logical choice for me to throw myself into this reed project full time, as it is kind of a continuation through music and as my friends will tell you, I’m still a jazz guy…

PC: Why did you get into this?
TA: My concentration into the reed end of things basically evolved through having had bad luck with the ones I was using myself at that time in the mid to late 80′s. I remember experiencing several problems in playing which led me to throw away whole boxes of reeds and wondering if it was the reed, me, the mouthpiece, etc.?? I tried to isolate all the factors and it occurred to me that the reeds I had played some years earlier seemed to have something special that the ones I was currently using lacked. So from this vantage point I decided to delve in and really research this… try and locate the best cane and work on cut designs, so I could somehow at least find a reed that would work well for me. Little did I know then, that it would grow to be what it is today!

PC: What about equipment? Did you design your own, adapt equipment actually made for another purpose, etc?
TA: We use state of the art, computer driven machinery for both the strength testing and cutting of the reeds, which is also used by some of the other top reed manufacturers. One machine I did make from scratch is a reed gauge that measures the grid points of the vamp with extremely fine accuracy using 3 different digital dial indicators…it is pretty cool.

PC: Where do you get your cane? Tell us particulars about how the cane is treated, aged, whatever.
TA: Our cane comes from the Var Region of Southern France, long known in the 100+ year tradition of reed making as producing top grade stock.
The process of cultivating, aging, storing, selecting and cutting the cane tubes is basically the same as it was years ago…no treating, just pure, naturally grown “Arundo Donax” cane. After the cane is harvested, it is sun dried and aged in the time proven tradition of French reed making. But the advantage now is that our cutting and other machinery is far more advanced from earlier types and some aspects of it computerized, so that we can get much more accurate gauging and cutting than was available before. However some operations, such as the splitting of the cane tubes into 4 pieces of pre-milled blank stock, are still done by hand.

PC: Would you describe the differences in your three cuts of reeds?
TA: I’ve written a good deal about this on the specific pages on each individual model which you can see here:
Superial: http://www.superial.com/superiale.html
“DC”: http://www.superial.com/dce.html
Classique: http://www.superial.com/classiquee.html
and some more info on the FAQ page to compliment this:

http://www.superial.com/FAQ.html

PC: Some reeds work better on some mouthpieces than others, and I know artists that will use a jazz cut reed for classical, or vice versa… any particulars in this area?
TA: This is kind of a tough one to answer simply as there are several factors involved. First I’d say that we tried to design reeds which bring out the most efficiency from the mouthpiece. In other words, I feel a good reed should allow a mouthpiece to reach its maximum potential in terms of tonal color, response, attack, dynamics, and freedom of blowing. We did a lot of testing to try to cover this ground, so that players would have the ease of response, balanced out with an even scale throughout the registers, and a solid tonal platform that would provide flexibility, power, subtlety, and yes, beauty, in the resultant sound. And with the reed being able to vibrate efficiently along the course of the mouthpiece side and tip rails in a manner which makes the entire piece resonate freely, we believe our designs perform very well. We have also had this point verified by several recognized master mouthpiece artisans, among them Ralph Morgan, Dr. Paul Tenney, Theo Wanne, and the late Jon Van Wie, who felt our reeds brought out the best in their work, so I believe we must have been on the right track here. And this is a key point because lack of vibrational efficiency can lead to a feeling of stuffiness or sluggish response, one nemesis woodwind players have often come up against.
And in trying to achieve the positive characteristics of free resonance, I realized early on that just one cut would not suffice to cover everybody’s playing needs. There many styles of music and various musical situations where a reed player might want to explore different tonal possibilities and we worked on distinctly separate cut profiles I felt would cover them over a broad area. I had very specific ideas in mind about what tonal and playing situations should be addressed and the result was the 3 separate models we came up with… Superial, with it’s buzzy, warm, and brighter response, “DC” with a somewhat darker and more solid, yet with a powerful tonal core, and “Classique” with it’s thicker profile for an even dark, but “alive” timbre. It’s been fortunate that many of the jazz, classical, concert, rock, and funk players we have heard from or about seem to feel our reeds fit the bill for the type of playing they are involved with.
Another factor is of course, a player’s taste… There is just no one reed model that will make everyone happy, and so our 3 types cover a wide performance ground. At least in part, I think this can be attributed to the vibrational characteristics of this wonderful cane we use and in my opinion, the cane definitely does make a difference. So whether it be saxophonists like Joe Lovano, Greg Osby, Dave Liebman, the late great Bob Berg, Ravi Coltrane, Seamus Blake, Tim Price and our most recent endorsers Branford Marsalis, Vincent Herring, and Jaleel Shaw playing intense and powerful jazz music, or ones such as James Houlik, Paul Brodie, or Ken Radnofsky in a classical setting, scores of other pros, teachers and students, I think there is a common thread that binds these players, despite the wide diversity of styles. Though the cut profile some classical players prefer as opposed to those of jazz players may be quite different, we feel that the same cane delivers truly excellent performance, as it has for more than 100 years.
And you know Paul, it has been just amazing to see how many players of all types, from beginners to these top artists, have switched over to our reeds and feel so strongly about them. Frankly speaking, it wasn’t easy entering a market where there were so many brands established years ahead of ours or trying to compete with two large companies which practically dominated the field before we came in. However by now, we have definitely become “a player” in our own right. We’ve heard from woodwind player after woodwind player who seem to be convinced that our reeds do indeed deliver something special and I don’t feel it’s just a fluke that this has occurred. We have got a huge file of letters from people all over the world who were kind enough to take the time to write and express their feelings that our reeds gave them a marked improvement in tone and response, with some going so far to say that ours were the best reeds they have ever played in their lives. Receiving these kind of comments and knowing that we are now making a definite impact and difference in the saxophone and clarinet community is one of the greatest things about this job. I remember years ago how happy I was once I started using these reeds myself and to think that they have also given satisfaction to so many other players is a truly gratifying experience and a dream come true.
And I must add that I have learned a good deal in the process of working with some of the top reed players in the field. It’s interesting to see how their needs vary. The challenge for me is like one of trying to recommend the best and most expressive paints for a master artist about to fill up a blank canvass. Since I too played for years professionally and have been involved on the mouthpiece and horn side of it as well in that time, I know where they are coming from and this helps me get to what they need faster and with more accuracy. It has been really cool getting to know and work with these happening players and it’s also a singular honor for us that they decided to select these “tools” of ours to contribute to their personal sound and musical concepts. Most of them stay in regular touch with me and we are on the same wavelength, so that makes working with them just great.
Here is a little anecdote about how I met one of them, Dave Liebman…He was playing at a club in California in the later 70′s and I went to check him out. This was the first time I ever saw him and I was just blown away with his playing…seeing and hearing things I never imagined even possible on the saxophone! At one of his breaks, I showed him a Super Tone Master Otto Link Tenor I had customized and he just grabbed it out of my hands, stuck it on his horn and started playing some incredible stuff… From that point on, I started working on his mouthpieces (until he moved back to New York) and we began our long and friendly association, which has lasted around 25 years. In a way, that was a turning point for me…he really believed in me and my ideas very early on and helped me along the way, in same the way he has done for others he’s met and had faith in and they too will testify to his generosity and greatness as a player.
Incidentally, I should also mention that it is wonderful to have an extremely talented young player like Mingus Big Band member Jaleel Shaw with us now. Music of depth and intelligence is just pouring out of this gifted Alto player and it is quite something to witness such a bright light burning at such an early age. You owe it to yourself to check out this important up and coming saxophonist, who we will all undoubtedly be hearing more of in the future.

PC: How do you go about testing your reeds, developing the actual cut?
TA: To put the horse before the cart, the first thing on my mind, design wise was what type of tone and music should we address our efforts to? I thought a very free blowing, warm and vibrant tone was a good place to start, which would be suitable for jazz, fusion, brass band, etc. and Superial followed these guidelines. So by studying earlier designs and then making modifications I believed to be improvements, and then doing a good amount of blow-testing myself and with the feedback of some other players, we arrived at a cut we felt would cover these requirements.
Next was “DC”, where I was after a slightly darker and more solid tone core associated with some leading saxophonists active in the music of the 50′s-90′s Blue Note era who inspired me, and one which would also have immediate response and presence, which these reeds certainly do. I spent even more time with “DC” trying cut design after cut design, where the differences were at times so subtle and minute, that it took immense concentration and hours of work to get to that “Eureka!” moment, which finally and luckily occurred after all this…it was really apparent that we had come upon something special here when we hit on it.
The natural succession to the first models was “Classique”, a reed specifically designed for classical saxophone players. This reed has a darker tone (favoring the fundamental tones more than let’s say Superial in which the higher harmonics in the series are more prominent), but which also even some jazz players favor for it’s darker, but lively power.

PC: What is important for a beginner to look for in reeds? As a kid I thought pretty, clear bark might be better than spotty… then I thought the opposite. And looking for splits, evenness of cut, etc. And that reed with the thick dense fiber running up the left side just MAY work well… what I found was, I did not know what made a good reed or bad reed by only looking.
TA: This is an interesting question and if you get 10 saxophone players together in a room and start in on this subject (like many others regarding the saxophone), you may very well get 10 separate and completely different opinions! So I guess what that says is that there really is no one answer. Of course basically speaking, you should try to select reeds that aren’t flawed in any obvious ways like you mentioned such as splits, etc. However, you also will find reeds that still can play well, even if they don’t look perfect in the vamp cut. When you think of how the vamp of a reed tapers down to around the thickness of a piece of paper, it’s pretty hard to expect that out of the tens of thousands produced, they will all be perfect. However, we put our reeds through two levels of quality control to root out any of these and actually do some hand work on some after they are milled and finished. We have instituted a check system on every single reed we pack in Japan, and I don’t know of any other company that goes to this extent in quality control.
But I have to agree with what you said; “that reed with the thick dense fiber running up the left side just MAY work well”. Once again, in my experience the way a reed looks does not necessarily correlate to how it will play. I’ve used both mouthpieces and reeds that didn’t look perfect at all, but played GREAT, and some perfect looking ones that were just awful. Naturally we try to cut them as perfectly as we can given the limitations of the most advanced reed milling technology (which is not perfect itself), but the proof is in the actual playing.
I believe you should look at a reed as a “platform”. If the cane quality is high, even if the cut is a little off center, or either a bit too hard or soft, it should not be thrown away, but worked on! This is the way I learned at least, and I think spending a little time on your reeds can be a good idea if you are not happy with the way it plays straight out of the box. In essence, this means a little customizing and it is no big deal, really.
Generally speaking, we want to aim for an even cut where the right and left sides are correctly proportioned and balanced. Unfortunately, we don’t know of any improvements over the state of the art cutting machines yet which will turn out reed blanks and finished reeds exactly the same. First and foremost, it’s a good idea that you actually play the reed before deciding what, if anything, it may need in the way of customizing. You know the old saying…”if it isn’t broken, don’t fix it”. To tell you the truth, at least with these reeds, I rarely had to do much of anything with the majority of them other than softening a few (especially if my chops had been down to a week or so when I wasn’t playing), because they usually work really well for me right from the box.
And remember that every player may feel strength differently due to the different brand, model and tip opening of mouthpiece they use, how well developed their chops are, the way they blow, etc. For example, 10 different players from beginner to pro could feel the strength and response of a Superial No. 3 as being completely different depending on their set-ups, whether they were blowing correctly via a well developed embouchure and diaphragm and open throat, whether they had been playing and practicing regularly or had laid off for awhile (in which case reeds could feel harder) etc. I have come across case after case of a player blaming resistance, stuffiness, or squeaking on a reed when it was later discovered that their set-up had some problems, such as a pad leak, loose neck, worn out neck cork that weren’t sealing 100% inside the bore of the mouthpiece, using a mouthpiece too open or closed, or one in which the table or rails are out of balance, a mouthpiece with a too high baffle or convex shape to the baffle right past the tip rail, mouthpiece tip rails too thick or too thin, a worn out or loose ligature, playing a dry reed, etc. When you think that just a single one of these points might contribute to problems with response, just imagine what a combination of them can do!
And another common occurrence a reed might get blamed for (especially with less experienced instrumentalists) is when a player subconsciously uses their jaw muscles or “biting” and a closed throat to give the airspeed enough momentum to set the reed in motion or bring it up to pitch, and a bright nasally type of tone (usually sharp), squeaks, a feeling of stuffiness, a choked sound, or no sound at all can be the result.
Similar difficulties can arise if players, thinking they want to get a huge loud tone, buy a mouthpiece that is really way over their heads in the sense that it is too open in the tip, or one with a radically high baffle. It can be an extremely challenging proposition to have any control over the intonation, dynamics, or general playability in this case. Or likewise, they may think they will get more power with a reed that is really too hard for their set-up, or use one too soft, and problems will be the end result. In these cases, the reed is not at fault and it is important that the right reed be matched with the right set-up and players level of physical development. We tried as best we could to come up with a reed comparison chart (http://www.superial.com/reed%20comparison.html), given the limitations created by the fact that every reed maker has different cup profiles, may use different types of cane and manufacture, etc. We try to give people a general idea of where our models stand relative to those of other makers. This is to help, let’s say, a first time player of our reeds make the most appropriate choice they can…if they are presently using regular Rico, for example, they probably should not be trying our Classique, but Superial model…Anyhow, this is not a perfect science and a little experimentation may need to be done.
However, if you do notice a reed may be softer or harder than you prefer, it’s a useful thing to keep some essential tools life a good reed knife, clipper, sandpaper, and reed rush handy at all times. These tools have been used for years and you should learn something about them, as a good teacher will tell you. Personally, I got to the point where I could do a lot in making harder reeds a bit softer with just my hands from a trick Joe Henderson showed me years ago which he used quite a lot himself (http://www.superial.com/notes.html). For reeds which are initially too soft, it is a more difficult proposition because you can’t really put much hardness back into the cane or cut…clipping or burning the tips is a second best way to achieve this. Clipping matches a spot behind the tip which was not intended to be the tip, though it can be useful in emergency situations. If the reeds you select basically feel too soft, you either should move up a half a number or try a model with a bit more resistance. Or you might also want to consider a slightly more open mouthpiece. Also, if you righteously do the break-in and prep I suggest, our reeds should harden up a bit after the first couple of days.
Either way, the whole question of getting the perfect balance between reed and mouthpiece is an age old one for reed players and in my experience, “The Middle Path” for the majority of players works best…a medium chamber/tip opening mouthpiece for a medium reed works very dependably and without the player killing himself trying to play well and in tune.

PC: What break-in procedure do you recommend, what brings out the best in your reeds. How should a reed be treated, handled, stored, as it ages? Should reeds be soaked or not? What should be done from one playing session to the next?
TA: Well, here’s another issue that has a myriad of possible answers. As far as our reeds specifically, I feel from experience that preparation and break in can have a good amount to do with bringing out the best in what they offer. The steps I recommend are not new…they were garnered from what I learned from several books and teachers, plus my own trial and error experiences, but they definitely can make a difference in the areas of reed stability, longevity, and peak performance.
For example, as opposed to just putting a reed in your mouth for a few seconds, slapping it on your mouthpiece and then blasting away full bore for the next hour, it certainly is better to follow the routine we suggest. So yes, we definitely recommend that you soak our reeds in water as you can see form the instruction sheets we put in the boxes for the U.S., or in the Notes on Superial (http://www.superial.com/notes.html) page of our website. The reeds should always be wet before any playing session as dry reeds can cause squeaking or stuffiness, so the reed or reeds you want to immediately play should be soaked in water a couple of minutes or more, not just a quick few seconds in the mouth. Reed tips will last longer if they are broken in as they are very thin and it’s just common sense that they will wear out faster if it is pushed all out in a prolonged amount of time from the first tone.
After the initial break-in & prep of the first couple of days, we recommend a light soaking a minute or so, or more if desired, (though too much soaking of well broken and in and played reeds may tend to waterlog them), and once again, this will vary between players. Some players like myself also seem to prefer to keep the reed with always some amount of moisture in it to prevent it from drying out and warping, which will happen to any cane reed.
You can see more on this on our FAQ page: http://www.superial.com/FAQ.htm
For storage, there is no single way to do it, as players have different preferences, but you can see some of them in our Notes on Superial (http://www.superial.com/notes.html) and FAQ (http://www.superial.com/FAQ.html) website pages.

PC: Are you making reeds for bass saxophone? There are maybe 75 guys in the country who really need a source of good bass sax reeds! Hah!
TA: Yes Paul, as a matter of fact we do make both Bass Sax and Bass Clarinet reeds. The Bass Saxes are big beauties, by the way!

PC: Anything new coming up from Alexander?
TA: In the coming years, I plan to add other high level accessories to complement our reed line. Actually, there are two major projects in the research & development stages now, but I don’t want to say much about them until they reach the level of refinement, quality and performance that convinces me they are ready to be debuted. In fact, I’ve had several opportunities in the past to add certain items, and I suppose we could have made money from taking them on, but I wasn’t satisfied that they were the best. I’m not interested in short cuts, but just making the top level products we are capable of…after all, I got into this as a player, not a businessman, just trying to come up with a better reed and that same philosophy continues to guide me today.

PC: Tom, I’d like to thank you for this very educational interview. You not only gave us insights into making your very popular reeds, but you also gave us a reed selection lesson, a reed break-in lesson, a reed care lesson, and other information that will benefit all reed players, from beginners to pros. Thank you!

Foreword by Paul: Stan Garber, Marketing Manager of Band Instruments at Selmer, is our first guest columnist. Stan attends all of the trade shows and clinics… go by and meet him at the Selmer booth.

Most people don’t realize that the saxophone is really a very complex instrument, consisting of 500 parts and pieces and some 3,000 different labor operations. For example, a single key can consist of a hinge rod, cup arm, cup, lever, spatula (touch plate), and spring hook – all of which must be formed, processed, soldered, polished, lacquered, and assembled.

Within the Elkhart, Indiana factory Selmer makes nine different models of saxophones (not including models from Selmer Paris). Multiply that by the number of parts and labor operations and you begin to have an understanding of the operation’s complexity. In order to keep track of it all Selmer uses an IBM AS400 computer that records the movements of every single part.

The manufacturing process itself has even become more high tech. For example, tone hole pulling is now automated. Previously workers loaded pulling balls into a steel mandrel and slipped on the brass body tube. A specially modified drill press was manually lowered, threading into the pulling ball through a hole that was pierced into the tube. Raising the drill press pulled or extruded the metal upwards, creating the tone hole chimney. The process was repeated for each tone hole. Now a machine, loaded with several body tubes, automatically extrudes tone holes.

But computers and machinery can never replace the human element. Each Selmer saxophone is individually hand assembled. Finally, every saxophone is play tested before leaving the factory.

“Soprano saxes have intonation problems…”  True, but so do most musical instruments.  I will show you how to minimize these problems in the following paragraphs.

All saxophones have similar inherent intonation tendencies, but they show up more noticably on soprano saxophone for a number of reasons.  Any slight change in embouchure tension will cause a greater change in pitch than is to be expected by the experienced alto or tenor saxophonist.

A mouthpiece of medium chamber volume and tip opening will give the best results.  The Runyon Custom mouthpiece, with #5 to #7 facing (.050″ to .060″ tip opening), will give good results for most players.  Try these tip openings with #2 1/2 to #3 reeds.  This mouthpiece has exceptionally good response in the palm key range.

The biggest problem to overcome is the tendency to play with improper embouchure tension.  If playing with too little tension, the mouthpiece must be pushed onto the neck cork too far in order to tune to Concert A or Bb.  The palm keys will be sharp and the low notes flat.

Too much embouchure tension will require the mouthpiece to be placed too far out on the cork.  The palm key notes will be flat, and probably choke off when the player attempts to lip them up to pitch.  Notes on the other end of the sax will be sharp.  The tone will be strident.

Here is the easiest way to find the proper embouchure tension.  Playing the mouthpiece and reed only, the player should produce a concert Db, two octaves and a half step above middle C on the piano.  Blow the mouthpiece/reed repeatedly until this pitch can be produced consistently.  This method of blowing particular pitches with each mouthpiece of the single reed family is outlined in Santy Runyon’s “Suggestions for Woodwind Players”.

Now place the mouthpiece on the instrument.  Using a good tuner (at A = 440 hz reference), tune the soprano’s middle C to concert Bb.  Mark the cork lightly with a pencil.  Remove the mouthpiece and recheck the embouchure tension by blowing the concert Db.  Replace the mouthpiece on the cork and check the middle C tuning note again.  Concentrate on using the same embouchure tension as when blowing the concert Db on the mouthpiece only.  (Some bands and orchestras tune higher than A = 440.  This can only cause problems as modern instruments are designed to play at A = 440.)

Play up and down the scale and check the pitch of each note with the tuner.  Do not lip notes into tune, but just observe which notes are sharp or flat, and by how much.  Every so often remove the mouthpiece and check the embouchure tension by blowing the concert Db.

Check the tuning of middle C and upper C.  Check low register A and upper A.  Find the mouthpiece position that is the best compromise for these notes.  Do not lip them into tune.  Play them all with the same embouchure tension.  When the best mouthpiece position is found, mark the cork with a pen for future tuning reference.

Make sure the octave key is fully depressed for upper register C#.  This is necessary so that the lower half of the aperture assembly will close fully.  A cork or plastic wedge may be glued (using E6000 craft glue) to the octave key to aid operation of this key.

Do not “bite” for the palm key notes.  These high notes are aided by slightly raising the tongue position, thus reducing the oral cavity volume and increasing airstream velocity.  Begin this oral cavity alteration at high C or C#, and increase it gradually as you ascend to higher pitches.

On some soprano saxes leave the D palm key closed for high Eb through F#.  This is the advantage of having independent palm keys.  If palm key notes are still sharp, have these pad openings checked and possibly reduced.

If the middle C (concert Bb) tuning note is in tune but both the lower and upper register A’s are sharp, the G pad may be opening too far.  This pad’s opening is controlled by a cork on the linkage just over the lower octave vent on the side of the sax.  The octave vent pad and the cork on the linkage above it may have settled in and compressed.  Have a thicker cork put in to reduce the G pad’s opening to the proper setting.

Do not drop the jaw for low notes.  If low notes do not respond easily, “dope” the pads, or have a repairman check the instrument with a leak light.  Also check that the G# pad does not crack open when fingering low C#, B, or Bb.  If it does, adjust the G#  closure.

When playing a straight soprano sax, hold the body out at about 30 to 45 degrees below horizontal.  Do not hold it close to the body like a clarinet (unless playing a curved neck).  The mouthpiece should enter the mouth at about the same angle as an alto saxophone mouthpiece.  Holding the soprano sax in a near vertical angle will cause the tone to be choked off and likely to “warble” in the low register.

If the above suggestions are followed, the soprano saxophone may be played as well in tune as the other members of the saxophone family.

As a teenager I had asked an older player how to produce vibrato.  “When you play with enough emotion, it’ll just happen naturally,” I was told.  Hmmm.  Yes, but how?

Vibrato is a pulsation in the tone of pitch, volume, timbre, and/or a combination of these three.  Vibrato is produced in a different manner on various instruments.  On the violin, it is produced by wiggling the finger holding the string against the fingerboard.  The flutist pulses the diaphragm to change the air speed.

Moving the jaw up and down in a rhythmic motion best produces vibrato on the saxophone.  Other methods produce less than satisfactory results (giving the “nanny goat vibrato”).

As soon as the student is capable of producing a nice basic tone quality (see my Tone Production for Beginners) he should begin vibrato studies.  Have the student play a long tone, such as his low register G (concert Bb).  He should lower the jaw a far as possible and still produce the tone, about one quarter inch.  Then slowly bring the jaw up to the normal playing position.  Have the student repeat this, doing it very slowly.  Let the student experiment to see how far he can drop the jaw, and still produce a tone.  The results will sound horrible, but don’t worry.  This is best practiced while everyone else is out of the house.

The saxophone vibrato is produced by starting at the normal pitch level, dipping below pitch, and coming back up, in a cycle.  So now the fun begins.  Have the student practice his scales, applying these vibrato exercises, thus killing two birds with one stone.

With the teacher conducting 4/4, at 78/min, have the student play a scale, whole notes.  Drop the jaw on the first beat, bring it back up on beat two, down on the third beat, up again on beat four:  Wah-ooo-wah-ooo; (next note) wah-ooo-wah-ooo; (next note) etc.  Up and down the scale.  The jaw should move from the normal position, down about one-quarter inch, then back up.  At this speed the student is playing two pulsation per whole note.  Repeat this for about 10 minutes a day for a few days.

Now have the student play a simple scale, such as concert Bb.  With a quarter note for each step of the scale, there should be four pulsation of the jaw for each quarter note.  Tempo should be about 60 beats/min, qt note = one beat.  Jaw movement should be as much as possible, about one-quarter inch.  “Wah-wah-wah-wah; (next pitch) wah-wah-wah-wah; (next pitch) wah-wah-wah-wah;” etc., up and down the scale.  Use a metronome!  Tap the foot!  Ignore the raucous tone!  Play out with a good forte volume.  Grate on Mom’s nerves.  If people are not making nasty comments, it is not being done correctly.

Repeat the above exercise 15 minutes daily for two weeks.  No faster, but the student may practice other scales.

After two weeks, speed up the metronome to 66 beats/min.  At this faster speed the student will have to reduce the jaw movement a little.  Repeat the exercise on various scales for another week.

Speed up the metronome to 72 beats/min.  Reduce jaw motion to be able to play at this faster speed.  Yes, another two weeks.

Speed up the metronome to 76 beats/min, reducing jaw motion as required.  Another boring two weeks.

Now up to 82 beats/min.  Jaw motion should be about 1/32” by this time.  It should be sounding like vibrato.

Page 2—Vibrato

The “going rate” for vibrato pulsation, according to the Larry Teal “The Art of Saxophone Playing” is from 4 pulses/beat at 78 b/m up to 4 pulses/beat at 96 b/m.

Practice the scales with vibrato for two notes, no vibrato for two notes, etc.  Being able to turn vibrato on and off is an important skill.

At no time should the student be led to believe that all music should be played with a certain number of pulsations per beat.  This is not so.  The exercises above are only for the development of the control of vibrato.  Have the student play 4 pulses/beat at 90 b/m.  Repeat the same scale exercises, but now use a tempo of 60 b/m, but use 6 pulses/beat.  Repeat the scale again, but at 120 b/m.  This time use 3 pulses/beat.

When playing a lyrical part, keep the vibrato flowing, but at a pulsation rate independent of the tempo.  A slow ballad may require a slower vibrato.  An intense piece may require a faster vibrato.

In general, high instruments, such as soprano and alto saxes, will use a slightly faster solo vibrato than low instruments, such as baritone sax.  In soli passages, the lower members of the section should try to match the speed and depth of vibrato of the lead player.

When playing soli with instruments that do not use vibrato, such as clarinets, French horns, etc., the sax section should usually play “sans vibrato”.  When playing with oboes, flutes, strings, etc., the saxes should use vibrato.  If in doubt the player should consult the section leader or band director and mark his music accordingly.

Fast, technical passages should usually be played with no vibrato.

In jazz band (a.k.a. “big band”, or “stage band”) or theater pit band, when playing older pieces the sax section will usually play with a big, juicy vibrato.  More modern jazz band pieces may require a “straight tone”.  In typical jazz style, a soloist may hit a long note with a straight tone, and add just a little vibrato when tapering off at the end.  (I had been guilty of this in my classical playing in college, too much jazz playing!)  The saxophonist must learn when and how to apply vibrato to his tone.

Without changing the basic tone quality (or mouthpiece/reed setup) a saxophonist may sound classical or jazzy by simply changing the style of his vibrato.  The vibrato is so basic to the saxophone tone that this simple change will alter the listener’s perception of the tone quality to a great degree.

In the final result, the vibrato should blend in with the tone of the saxophonist so as to be in intricate, inseparable part of the player’s sound.

I suggest listening to recordings by the many fine jazz players from all eras, as well as fine classical players such as Jamal Rossi and Paul Brodie.  It will help the student to emulate fine artists, copying their tone and style.  Then soon, the student will be able to develop his own individual tone.

The characteristic tone quality, or timbre, of a musical instrument is determined by the variety and amount of overtones added to the fundamental pitch being produced.  These overtones, or multiples of the fundamental pitch, give the tone an individual characteristic sound that the ear can differentiate from other tones.  The variety and amount of overtones is what makes the flute, clarinet, trumpet, saxophone, etc., sound different from one another.

The saxophone tone is, in turn, affected by the instrument, mouthpiece, reed, the player, and even the room acoustics.  The instrument can affect the tone through variations in bore size and taper, tone hole size, and the type (or lack) of pad resonator.  The mouthpiece and reed have a greater influence on tone, and are the easiest factors for the player to change.

The presence of overtones is heard by the ear and brain as a brilliance, or intensity, of tone.  Try this experiment.  Play a tape or CD of your favorite saxophonist on your stereo, and turn the treble control up and down.  Listen to how it affects the tone quality.  If you have an equalizer, play with the various sliders and listen to how increasing or decreasing the intensity at various frequencies affects the tone quality.

A bright tone is sometimes described as having edge.  This edge, or brilliance of tone, helps the tone project.  A classical player usually wants a dark tone, or tone with a lesser amount of overtones.  This helps in blending in a quartet or concert band, but works against the player when it comes time to solo.  On the other hand, a player who wants to project his tone needs edge in his tone.  Players in theater, jazz, and rock bands usually chose mouthpieces that give them enough edge to project well in these more commercial settings.

There is nothing wrong with edge in the tone.  In colleges today saxophonists are driven to produce an edgeless tone.  This is not necessarily correct.  Fine classical saxophonists such as Fred Hemke, Paul Brodie, and Jamal Rossi have a degree of edge that yields good solo projection and a lively, exciting tone.  I urge you to listen to these three great artists.

When listening to fine theater and orchestra players up close the tone is sometimes frighteningly edgy and coarse sounding.  But with distance the coarse edge is lost and a beautiful, lively, projecting tone is heard by the audience.

I had an interesting discussion recently with saxophonist Santy Runyon.  Santy is well known as a manufacturer of fine woodwind mouthpieces and accessories, but in past years he played with big bands, did a ten year stint as first woodwind in the Chicago Theater Orchestra, played many radio shows in the forties, club work, etc.  This is a saxophonist that can be heard all the way up in the balcony!

When he plays his tone is very edgy up close.  Everything in the area is vibrating to its maximum intensity.  At a music trade show I was on the opposite side of a convention hall from his booth, and Harlem Nocturn soared over the top of the hall.  Everyone in my immediate area stopped to listen, and remarked on the beautiful tone.  It was Santy, of course.

I told him about this, and we discussed the desirability of edge in tone, projection, and so forth.  He related a story from his days in the Chicago Theater.  A cello player behind him was sawing away, making all kinds of racket.  Santy asked the cellist if he realized how edgy the tone was, the cello sounded like a buzz saw.  The man replied, “I have to play this way, otherwise, they can’t hear me past the third row.  It doesn’t sound the same out there.”  And he was 100% correct!

Don’t get paranoid about the degree of edge in your tone.  You may play in a band where the director does not want to hear the saxophones (we used to hear, “Saxes, I want you to sound like french horns.”).  You may have to use a very dark mouthpiece and reed combination to satisfy this director.  So be a pro, and produce what is asked for.  But more often, composers for modern symphonic band are recognising the saxophone section as another distinct and useful voice.  They are no longer hiding the saxophones in the low brass, but are utilizing the unique saxophone tone to great advantage.  Solos and sax section soli passages are much more common.  Composers can now rely on, and demand, a high level of performance from saxophonists.  A more projecting tone, having a degree of edge, is required for these passages.

For this modern literature you may wish to try the same type of mouthpiece and reed setup as would be used for theater pit band or big band playing.  These brighter mouthpieces will also usually produce the altissimo notes more easily than very dark sounding mouthpieces.  The player should be aware that due to conduction of the tone from the mouthpiece, through the teeth, and into the bones of the head, his tone will seem reedier that what is actually heard by listeners.  It is suggested that a player record himself (both up close and at a distance) in a concert hall in order to get a better picture of his actual tone.  The player should not judge his tone on what he hears of himself in a practice cubicle.

The attack and release, or beginning and ending of a note, will affect how the listener perceives the tone of a player.  I had a friend, a trumpet player, who was given consistent low marks on tone in her college juries.  Her teacher advised that her tone was fine, but her tonguing and releases were sloppy.  After a semester of concentrating on tonguing excercises, and working on release, she got A’s from all the jurists for tone.  Several jurists remarked, “Tone much improved!”

And on a final note, be a theater player, not a parlor player.  If the guy in the last row of the balcony can’t hear you, you aren’t doing your job.  (Thanks, Santy)

Which is the best Saxophone?  There is no definitive answer.  All of the major manufacturers, and even the smaller manufacturers, know how to shape the bore, where to place the tone holes, and other factors in making a Saxophone play well.  Just as in choosing an automobile, choosing a Saxophone depends on looking at the various features, and finding those that are meaningful to you.

This article is not going to tell you which is the “best Saxophone”, as that is not possible.  In the following paragraphs, I will go over the features that make each of the major brands stand apart from its rivals.

Selmer is, by far, the Saxophone to which all others are compared.  Years ago, Selmer set a very high standard with their famous Mk. VI–a quantum leap ahead of all the other manufacturers.

The current lineup from Selmer is comprised of the Super Action 80 Series II and Series III instruments.  Both series are being marketed simultaneously.  The Series III alto has an additional tone hole that opens for middle C#, bringing this usually flat note up to pitch.  This feature is not included in the tenor or soprano, though the Selmer sopranos, and most other brands, already have a double pad assembly that accomplishes the same purpose.  Several new models have been announced.

The Series II soprano has a range to high F# , and a straight, one-piece body.  The Series III soprano has a range to high G, and two removable necks, one straight, one curved.

Selmer USA has two professional models, the AS-110 alto, and TS-100 tenor.  These have many of the same features as the Series II Paris models, but at a lower price.  The key hinges are of conventional design.

Selmer continues to manufacture their Eb Sopranino and Bb Bass Saxophones.

Yamaha is Selmer’s biggest rival in the Saxophone market.  There are two professional models in the Yamaha lineup, the 62 series, and the Custom series.  There are adjustments for each key in the upper and lower stack in the 62 series instruments.  This makes setup of the instrument, and fine tuning by the repairman much easier.  I am very surprised other Saxophone manufacturers have not copied this feature.  The Custom models strangely lack this feature.  The Custom also has Selmer Mk VI style ball joints on the side C and side Bb keys.  Experience with the Mk. VI has shown that with years of wear, the ball joints get rather noisy.  Fortunately, the Oleg side key silencers can correct this poor feature.  Otherwise, the Custom is a very fine saxophone.

Though the 62 series is nice, the Custom series keywork really feels good to me.  While nearly all manufacturers have gone from the round pearl front F to a spatula design, the shape and placement of the Custom’s front F spatula is the best I have seen.  There is a subtle tone difference between the 62 and Custom, the Custom being slightly brighter to some listeners.

Yanagisawa, from G. Leblanc Corp. in the U. S., has some outstanding mechanical features.  With the 990 and 991 series, Yanagisawa has incorporated many of the custom modifications offered by the top Saxophone repairmen.  These include double arms on low C and B natural pad cups, and F# helper linkage to insure proper closing of this pad.  The Yanagisawa Saxes have an excellent, tight “core” to the tone.  This is subjective, but is my observation.  This company is now offering solid silver body parts in its lineup.

Yanagisawa was the first major manufacturer in recent years to bring back the curved soprano.  They have continued to refine this instrument by adding a front F spatula and improved, independent, palm keys.

Yanagisawa offers straight and curved sopranos, and a sopranino.  The S991 soprano offers a high G key, and two necks.

Keilwerth Saxophones are designed by Mr. Herb Couf.  In designing these Saxophones, Mr. Couf appears to have started with a clean drawing board, and not copied or modified Selmer’s Saxophones.  They incorporate some features not found in the other top brands.  One feature immediately noticeable is the larger radius of the bow, and bigger flare of the bell.  This is Mr. Couf’s solution to the difficult low end.  One drawback, these Saxes do not fit into just any case, but Keilwerth offers excellent, roadworthy cases as standard equipment.  Rolled tone holes on their top models give increased pad life and better sealing.  The palm keys are adjustable for height and angle.  There is also an F# helper mechanism, bridging from the F pad, to positively close the F# pad.  The most outstanding feature is their positive opening mechanism for the G# pad.  No more wrong notes from a stuck G# on these Saxes!

Keilwerth has an excellent straight alto.  The neck is of conventional design, but the main body tube is straight all the way to the end of the bell, which tips forward, Saxello style.  The tone bounces off the floor, and has a milder, warm tone.  This alto may appeal to classical players, for solo or quartet work.  I would think it could be used to good effect in a pit orchestra.

Keilwerth also manufactures a bass Saxophone.

Of course, all of these manufacturers offer special finishes and options, such as black or white lacquer, black nickel, silver and gold plating, solid silver necks, and more.

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Sidebar:  When a young player is in the market for his first professional Saxophone, I feel he should buy a recent model from one of the top manufacturers.  I am somewhat concerned with young players being advised to purchase “vintage” instruments.  Sometimes the student is led to believe a particular vintage Saxophone is the only one with which he can excel.  The top vintage Saxophones are certainly nice instruments, and fun to play and own, but have many drawbacks for a young player.  These instruments are no longer to be found at low prices, in sufficient quantity, and in top playing shape.  They are delicate from years of hard use.  Parts are scarce or must be hand made.  A young player’s needs are better filled with a more modern instrument, with good parts support and dealer service.

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The best Saxophone?  For me, it would have features from all of the instruments described above.  It would have the front F spatula of the Yamaha Custom, and stack adjustments from the Yamaha 62 series.  The keywork would have the double arms and F# helper from the Yanagisawa.  It would have Keilwerth’s positive G# lifting mechanism, and bow and bell design.  To keep the keywork tight, it would have Selmer’s spring-loaded hinges.

For classical playing, I would want the bore and tone hole design of the older Bueschers and Conns.  For contemporary playing, however, the modern bore suits me just fine.

Unfortunately, all of these features are not found on one instrument.  Who knows what the future will bring us?  I am certain that Adolf Sax would be amazed, and pleased, with the advances in his instrument.

2. Check operation of the octave key.  Finger G and operate the octave key.  The pad on the neck vent should remain closed, the pad on the body vent should open and close.  Finger A and operate the octave key.  The pad on the neck vent should open and close, the pad on the body vent should remain closed.  Lubricate if needed.  If it still does not work correctly, consult a repairman.

3. Finger middle finger C.  Check that the little pad just above the first finger of the left hand closes.  On Yamaha saxes adjust the left stack screw.  On other makes a repairman must shim with cork or felt.

4. Finger 1-4 and 1-5 Bb.  Check for proper adjustment by depressing the Bis Key.  Adjust at the setscrew just above the F pad.

5. Finger D and work the G# key.  The G# pad should remain closed and the tone should not change.  If the G# pad opens even slightly it will prevent low C#, B, and Bb from speaking and prevent proper use of articulated G# fingerings.  Adjust the G# setscrew.

6. For advanced players:  Check intonation of low Eb, D, C#, C, and B.  Adjust the felt bumpers.  Use a good tuner for this!

7. If all else is O.K., doping the pads helps even on new pads!  Old stiff pads are sometimes softened with pad dopes.  Use the Lavoz “Pad Saver” swab.  These two steps will greatly extend pad life, more than paying for the cost of the pad dope and swab.

8. Lube the neck cork with cork grease, Chap Stick, or Vaseline.  I use Singer Sewing Machine Oil on keys.  Oiling the keys twice a year is adequate.

9. Wipe the sax several times a week with a damp cloth and buff dry.  Wax with Pledge several times a year, or spray with Runyon Lacquer Life.  Silver colored keys on student line saxes are nickel plated and need no special care, just wipe clean.

10. Never leave the reed and ligature on the mouthpiece when the instrument is stored.  Wash the mouthpiece daily with lukewarm (never hot) water.  At the very least, wipe dry with a tissue or cloth after playing.  Use a brush if necessary–a Gerber baby bottle nipple brush works well.  Soaking the mouthpiece overnight in vinegar will remove saliva stains.  Keep a minimum of 4–8 reeds at all times.  Keep reeds in a good reed holder such as Vito or Lavoz Reedguard VI.  Never store your reeds in the plastic “Novapack” containers that reeds come packaged in.  Never play the same reed two days in a row.  Play reeds on a rotation schedule and they will last much longer.  Wrap the mouthpiece and neck in soft cloths (old gym socks work well) or commercial neck and mouthpiece bags.  Do not allow them to rattle around loose in the accessory compartment of the case.  Mouthpieces are often damaged beyond repair this way.

11. When transporting your instrument on the bus (or shipping) place bubble wrap in the case around the sax and accessories.  Do not use a “Gig Bag” unless you are willing to hand carry your instrument at all times and hold it in your lap for trips.  Compact “Flight Cases” are available that have minimum size and the strength necessary to protect your instrument.  I can recommend the SKB Contoured Pro Sax Cases (my personal choice), the Winter Flight Cases, Pro Pac Contoured Cases by Pro Tec, and the Selmer Walt Johnson Gig Cases (used by the Air Force’s Airmen of Note).  These are all truly “roadworthy”.