fitting mouthpiece on neck

[ralph lh]

This comment relates to my Buesher 400 bari but I think this is an issue for many baritones.

My mouthpieces have typically been set very close to the end of the neck in order to put the bari in tune. This, of course, means the fit tends to be loose. I have been using plumbers teflon tape to get the fit tighter and this certainly helps a bit but the mp still tends to be perched without much real grip on the cork.

So, I tried putting the teflon tape on the neck which has the effect of seating the neck a bit higher out of the body. Still gives a good tight fit once the neck screw is tightened. By doing this it effectively means that the mp can now be pushed much further on the cork, a more normal placing and with much better fit - no longer in danger of wobling while playing.

The tuning is much easier and the horn actually plays much better, top to bottom, with this 'adjustment'. While the tape works, I'm going to find a washer or something metalic that will do the same job but be more permanent.

Thought that I'd offer this suggestion to other bari players since I've seen lots of posts about new cork and things but have never seen this commented about in the past.

Any other comments? Anyone else done this? If so, what did you use instead of the plumbers tape?

[Mike Ruhl]

This is an old trick that I was taught as a kid learning on alto. I still do it sometimes with my soprano. Can't recall ever seeing anyone do it with a bari, but if it works, why not?

I wonder if having a good tech expand the neck tenon ever so slightly would be a good permanent fix?

[MonchMan]

That's the only way I ever got my The Martin to play in tune :?

[Kosma]

I did the same thing for another reason. I thought I had a leak around the neck receiver so I put teflon tape on it to seal it up. I noticed that it kept the neck from going all the way in but I didn't leave it on long enough to check the intonation.

I was also using it on the neck cork for the same reason you mentioned.
It kept compressing and I had to add more and more. Finally the other day I replaced my neck cork myself and carefully fitted it to my mpc.

I'm able to push my mpc. on a decent amount (around an inch) and get in tune without pulling the neck out. It's a 1951 Aristocrat btw.

[Ritchie]

Try to play with a looser embouchure. How is the tuning of low C and middle C relative to each other? Is the middle C sharp when you have the low C in tune? If it is tune and your mouthpiece is still almost falling off the neck, the sax has most probably been designed to be played with a bigger chamber mouthpiece than what you are using.

[super20dan]

get your neck extended. this will solve the problem .i have done this to every bari i have ever owned.

[ralph lh]

super20dan - how is this done? Which end gets the extra bit?

[Mike Ruhl]

He means the corked end, where the mpc goes. You might also try a Runyon mpc, and ask them to extend the mpc's shank by an inch. They do this mod pretty frequently.