problem with kessler curved soprano

[doctorsax]

I bought a kessler curved soprano about 1.5 or 2 years ago. Since I have had it, it has had this problem. The lowest notes, Bb, B, C#, C will only play will a very rough slow vibrato sound. When I bought it it had this and I called Kessler and he said that there was nothing wrong with the sax and that he had tested it and that it did not do that with him. The problem has persisted and I really cannot play any of these notes. I have tried 4 mouthpieces on it. I have played for 25 years so it is not inexperience. I have not had a tech look at it. What could be the problem?
thanks

[Merlin]

Setup?

Try taking more mouthpiece in...experienced or not.

[whaler]

Brand? You get what you pay for. Everybody wants a "silk purse from a sow's ear". Sometimes you just have to bite the bullet and spend some money on a good horn. There is a reason that the better made saxes cost more (but I still can't understand this;
http://www.saxalley.com/p_mauriat_saxs.html ).

[Carl H.]

I doubt it is the brand, they have a decent reputation, and intonation is the usual bugger on cheap horns. I'd wager a mouthpiece issue is contributing, whether it is interaction of the MPC and horn, or MPC and player remains to be seen.

[gary]

May I tactfully ask the obvious? :)

You are an experienced player, your horn has had this problem for 1.5 - 2 years and you have not taken it to a tech? Why not?

[doctorsax]

Okay, I guess I am lazy for not taking it in to the tech, also I have a straight soprano that I mainly use that plays great so I only use the curved for fun. Also the really good repair shop is an hour away and a 2 month wait that is why I have never taken it in. I guess I should. I will take your suggestions. I agree, You get what you pay for. I should have bought the yani curved and I knew it at the time. Kessler is great at self promotion, and I agree, the antigua straight plays great, but the curved is really out of tune and it has the problems with the low notes

[zxcvbnm]

A two month wait! Ridiculous.
This should be a problem that can be fixed by a tech in a couple minutes, if it is what I think it is. Don't be so quick to blame the horn and Mr. Kessler. He is a straight shooter and his horns have a great reputation. Just take it in for an adjustment.

[Carl H.]

2 months is pretty average. Just call them up and get in line so you can drop off the horn when they are ready to do it.

[bubblegirlsax]

I doubt it would be the horn. My sax is an even cheaper model than that and I haven't experienced this problem. Get a tech to look at it. Maybe something happened in shipping?

You've all heard the joke: They call it UPS because that's the sound they make when they drop your package! :D

[DaveKessler]

I bought a kessler curved soprano about 1.5 or 2 years ago. Since I have had it, it has had this problem. The lowest notes, Bb, B, C#, C will only play will a very rough slow vibrato sound. When I bought it it had this and I called Kessler and he said that there was nothing wrong with the sax and that he had tested it and that it did not do that with him. The problem has persisted and I really cannot play any of these notes. I have tried 4 mouthpieces on it. I have played for 25 years so it is not inexperience. I have not had a tech look at it. What could be the problem?
thanks

Doctorsax,

e-mail me your current address and I will send a UPS "Call Tag" to pick the horn up at my expense so that we can see it.

Typically, when we get customers calling us with the problem you note, it is 99% of the time because they are either not pushing the mouthpiece on far enough or that they are simply not giving proper breath support.

Soprano is VERY fininky in this regard.

However, there could be something out of adjustment, or perhaps a weak spring (C# possibly) that when you are playing, you actually slightly blow the closed key open which could also cause the issue.

As I said, email me (music@kesslermusic.com) your address information and I will issue the call tag today. You will still need to box up the horn properly. Also make sure that the horn has no shift room in the case. Use something to secure it in the case if needed (paper towels, bubble wrap, something).

Dave Kessler
Kessler & Sons Music

[harmonizerNJ]

Doctorsax,

e-mail me your current address and I will send a UPS "Call Tag" to pick the horn up at my expense so that we can see it.
.........


Wow!!

[ratracer]

^^ Whoa!! What he said!!! ^^ :shock: :shock: :shock:

[soybean]

Now that's customer support!

[backer]

It sounds like the problem will be taken care of, but I'm just curious: did you check the horn with a leak light (home-brew, low voltage DC lamp will do) and check that the neck tenon fits snugly (won't move when screw is lightly tightened and doesn't rock back-and-forth)?

[gary]

Now that's customer support!

Sure is. There was a mini-discussion earlier on the forum about American customer service and how it bends over backwards. If that were here, after two years, it wouldn't be going back, an' that's a fak, Jack!

[bubblegirlsax]

Same here. I complained about a Recorder I bought a few weeks before and they wouldn't even help me. And that's on a cheap item they'd pay pocket change for. Never bought there again!

In fact, the guy started questioning me if I even knew what I was doing -- like I was an idiot. When I explained I've played since I was seven he found a brush-off excuse. The Recorder had to be soaked and I complained as soon as I got a chance to test it. The tenor had a faulty headjoint, causing the second octave A to not reach pitch.

His fault I didn't buy my saxes or accessories from that store. $1500 in someone elses pocket because he couldn't fulfil obligation on a simple plastic instrument.

[doctorsax]

wow, I must say that Mr. Kessler gives great service if he is willing to check up on my soprano after this amount of time. That says something. I will put in a plug for the Antigua soprano that he sold me. I bought it at least 2.5 years ago and it really still works awesome and is much easier to play than my friends yamaha. It blows a lot easier.
It also sounds IMO more mellow and rich. I am using the stock cheap mpc on it. it was also much cheaper
thanks

[ratracer]

<yaaaaaaawwwwn> So what's the big deal?? That's just Dave being Dave, eh?? :) :thumbrig:

[gary]

wow, I must say that Mr. Kessler gives great service if he is willing to check up on my soprano after this amount of time. That says something.

I think it also says something that he is willing to take a look at it even though in all this time you never had a tech look at it, but rather you called attention to his allegedly sending you a bad soprano by starting a thread on which you dissed it and in one post you even called it "crap".

[Pete Thomas]

I agree, You get what you pay for.

I hear this so often. It is the mantra of all salespeople of overpriced products, and many gullible customers who aren't prepared to do a bit of research or pre sales testing.

There are many bargains out there these days if you can be bothered to look!

[bubblegirlsax]

wow, I must say that Mr. Kessler gives great service if he is willing to check up on my soprano after this amount of time. That says something. I will put in a plug for the Antigua soprano that he sold me. I bought it at least 2.5 years ago and it really still works awesome and is much easier to play than my friends yamaha. It blows a lot easier.
It also sounds IMO more mellow and rich. I am using the stock cheap mpc on it. it was also much cheaper
thanks

Well, I would recommend Kessler's any day. Dave helped me the other week on mouthpieces. There's a few Kessler Custom plastic mouthpieces to be soaked with my name on them! I sent money order and within 2 weeks I had a package arrive :)

They were to test on my pink saxophones -- until that unfortunate accident :|

This thoughtful act with your Soprano just shows more than Kesslers care about their customers. That's even more valuable than good products. Any store can sell a good product, but only special people can back them up with great service.

[SHEPPMUSIC]

I hear this so often. It is the mantra of all salespeople of overpriced products, and many gullible customers who aren't prepared to do a bit of research or pre sales testing.

There are many bargains out there these days if you can be bothered to look!

So true...i own a kessler custom alto and soprano, the alto for a few years now and the soprano maybe 5 months old. dave is proffessional and prompt. the entire staff are frinedly and courteous even with some of us "pesky" customers....

[Kandyman]

Well, I would recommend Kessler's any day. Dave helped me the other week on mouthpieces. There's a few Kessler Custom plastic mouthpieces to be soaked with my name on them! I sent money order and within 2 weeks I had a package arrive :)

They were to test on my pink saxophones -- until that unfortunate accident :|

This thoughtful act with your Soprano just shows more than Kesslers care about their customers. That's even more valuable than good products. Any store can sell a good product, but only special people can back them up with great service.

I must say I'm thoroughly impressed by that... Customer care is not all that common now days. People just don't tend to care about the quality of service or product they're providing! Although I have a varluable horn *cough* Yani s991 I'd buy one because they're going to be hard to get later.


For whatever its worth Dave you've made me a believer.

[Swingtone]

self-edited