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Saxello thumb relocation

2K views 6 replies 4 participants last post by  Michael Ward 
#1 ·
I've had my King saxello a few years and despite it's eccentric scale and agricultural ergos I love it's mojo and sound.
Bennie Maupin has to be the best saxello player..his intonation is pretty flawless.

However despite my reluctance to change originality I think I'm going to get the right hand thumb hook moved up the horn.
At the moment I wedge my thumb above the hook and my fingers fall perfectly on the keys which feels so much better than the original position which really stresses my hand.

Tim Price told me he had a Yanagisawa thumb fitted to his. Any other King saxello players modified their thumb hook?
 
#2 ·
Hello Michael. Have enjoyed reading your posts when I have seen them. I've had my King Saxello only about a year and a half now, but I find it an ever so charming and challenging little beastie. Finally decided I could not go through life without availing myself at having a go at one of these. They really have a tone so recognizable and different than any other soprano out there, don't they? Probably not ideal for playing Bach etudes, haha....and, as you say, the scale is a bit on the patchy side, but can be brought into good pitch with a bit of lipping.....ah, but the sound that comes out has been inspiring for me. Loved your reference to the agricultural ergs. Funny.....am assuming you are meaning 'pre-industrial'. You must admit, though, the simplicity of the mechs no doubt contributes to its light weight, and along with the shape, the comfort in holding and playing.

Am a bit surprised the thumb hook doesn't work for you. Perhaps because I'm use to playing with my right hand fingers not so arched, more flat fingered really, I find the small thumb hook probably the most comfortable of any sax I have played. With the saxello's light weight and the hook being angled just right for me, I feel almost no pressure on my slightly arthritic thumb joint. I actually tried your technique of placing my thumb just above the hook, and although it could work for me it does raise the angle of my fingers to a degree I would have to get rather large extensions on the right hand palm keys even to play these. I already have the left hand palms significantly built up. But we're all built differently. I'll be curious to hear how it works out for you, should you make this change.

BTW, I really do like Benny Maupin on select recordings, for instance 'Butterfly', but find him in a bit too much of funk setting for me on many others. You're right, he has great command of intonation and a fluid sound. My own preference in saxello players, though, still has to be Elton Dean and Rahsaan Roland Kirk.

Was a real fan back in the day of early '70's 'Soft Machine' and recently have been exploring Dean's later recordings in a wide array of settings. I discovered just last week, on youtube, his wonderful piece with his group Ninesence, 'Seven for Lee' ........probably you are familiar with, but I include to bring attention to any others who might read this thread, this under recognized, yet, I think, seminal figure in the progressive jazz/rock and free jazz scene. A driving and quite melodic 4 minute improv. starting at around the 1:10 min mark. The whole piece is killer though, and I've been listening to it daily this past week, as inspiration for what can be accomplished on the admittedly rather primitive, but ever so charming instrument......ye old fish-horn.



Cheers,
'museman' (Janusz)
 
#3 ·
Hey Janusz great post. Yes I love Elton ..just listening to this Ninesense track and he sounds incredible with pretty great intonation.it's the best I've ever heard him..he's really tamed it but kept the wild primitive vibe I like in the old soprano styles ...early John Surman for example...so much more exciting than the anaemic perfect modern soprano sounds I hear everywhere...maybe they tamed the intonation but something got lost on the way. I actually met Elton once with his saxello at the BBC recording " Jazz Club"...Paul Dunmall has Elton's saxello now and says it's one of the most powerful horns he's played.
I just did a record with Julie Tippets ( is Keith Tippet on this track?)... I used the saxello with alto on one piece to get the Softs vibe... Yeh love this. Wouldn't be without the saxello and my Super 20 these days..so much character...and tone. cheers
 
#4 ·
if you don't want to alter your saxophone there is a possible solution.

You could try a codera addjust balacer


http://forum.saxontheweb.net/showth...nsensus-on-moving-the-neckstrap-ring-on-a-10M

(here a page dedicated to it but it is in Dutch)

http://www.selmer.nl/downloads/Saxbalancer.pdf

It allows to move the fulcrum of the system to another position. It used to be sold by Saxshop in Deventer (NL) but they might no longer have it in stock.

They do appear, from time to time on the secondhand market.
 
#7 ·
I hear you Bruce but I think I will keep the original thumb and move it up. I can't see me selling the saxello but I guess it could be resoldered back to the original position. I have smallish hands and it feels so much more comfortable when my forefinger is as close to opposite F as possible. I might play it without a thumb rest for a while to see how it feels. I have extended thumbs on all my V1 saxophones except nino. The V1 soprano is much better for me with the thumb higher.
 
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