Conn(s) too sharp - what to do please

[jonnyc]

Hi- I have a conn 10m tenor and 12m Baritone. Both have been superbly serviced recently.
I have tried the following mpcs, and they All play sharp. The mpc is really almost falling off the crook.
JodyJazz esp, runyon custom, yamaha custom, berg larsen

Is this because all these mpcs have too small a chamber? I'm wondering now if I need to look at getting even more mpcs, or different necks , or just a more modern sax and be done with it? (I would hate to do this but...)

Thanks for any advice

[FWB]

I have a 10M that plays perfectly in tune with a jumbo java T95. High baffle pieces will play in tune on the 10M if your keys aren't set too high. There are, at least for me, high baffle mouthpieces that simply don't sound good on the 10M, but intonation is not a problem. I have played a Dukoff D7, Sugal SG 2 and the jumbo java and they all play in tune on my 10M as it is currently set up.

[retread]

The standard answer: get a large chamber mouthpiece (Link, Broadus, etc.). That's what was in use when they were designed.

[Mike Cesati]

I agree with retread

[jonnyc]

Thanks for your advice on this lads- do I need to search ebay etc for anything particular? eg- Link is a large chamber mpc, does it have to be a link from the 50s as per the conn?
I guess its the same for most people- its very hard here to find places where you can try a variety of mouthpieces

Cheers!

[retread]

Saxquest.com sells tenor modern Links blueprinted by Doc Tenney. They play great, and are well suited to the 10M. As I recall, the HR comes in a 7 tip and costs about $200. The metal is a 7* and runs about $325. If you want to spend less you can try several Links from wwbw.com and select the one you like best. In my opinion, it's actually cheaper to buy the Tenney Links because you won't be constantly searching for a better mouthpiece. I don't know if Doc offers bari mpcs.

BTW, the chamber is not the only thing that's large on the Link. The bore is, too. You may need to recork the neck or use teflon tape.

[shmuelyosef]

It's possibly the horn, too. I just had a guy bring me a 10M that was an obvious closet horn...didn't look like it had been played much since the 40's. The original Conn mouthpiece played about 60 cents sharp. With a Morgan L Jazz (the largest, flattest playing mouthpiece that I have run across, definitely more than a vintage Link) it was still about 30-40 cents sharp up and down the horn. I flared the last inch or so of the neck, and put a tiny spacer band on the neck tenon to limit the amount the neck could be pressed in by about 2 mm (after some trial and error) and it played perfectly. I have a feeling that it was put in a closet because it didn't play in tune.

[shmuelyosef]

Also, WW&BW lets you take up to 4 mouthpieces on 'trial'. You get to play them for a week and then return for a nominal fee...you can try a Morgan, a Link STM, a Berg with a '3' chamber, a Dukoff Hollywood and anything else that takes your fancy

[jonnyc]

this starts to make sense!- my 10m is a closet horn, with original mpc that plays waaaaaaaaaaaaaaay sharp
My only dilemma is in whether to have the original neck altered or get a new neck altogether
I like the idea of keeping it original- the horn still has the original instructions, cork grease etc that it came new with

Cheers all

[shmuelyosef]

Necks worth having are expensive, unless you get lucky and find a used one. There are lots of aftermarket necks, I know that Gloger (http://madneddieduran.com/ is the U.S. distributor) has made them and they work; don't know about others. You might look into the <necks> forum...lots of info there.

[Ol' Mpc Doc]

I'd check a couple of things first before considering any modifications to the horns. It would be extremely unlikely that you'd get two Conns (a tenor and bari) that both play "sharp".

Do both horns still play "sharp" when tested by another experienced player using his own mpc/reed set-up?

Have you checked your own "introductory pitch" on mpc/reed alone. I think it's likely you're playing 'way too high on this. This is the most common player-introduced tuning error I see (or hear). On tenor you should be getting a concert G (above the staff) and on bari, a concert D.

If you're not familiar with this concept, Paul Coats has an excellent article about it on the SOTW site.

[shmuelyosef]

Excellent advice...I often overlook the player inputs. Another approach is to just try a friend's horn (or test-drive at a music store) a known good horn...Yamaha's are pretty consisten in intonation.