6M intonation/lakey mpc

[Mike Cesati]

6M alto and a Lakey alto mp. This is my friends setup and when he stopped by the house we had a tuner out and his intonation was pretty off. He was bummed but I told him that certain mpcs don't work with conns from my tenor experiences.

I though I would ask you conn alto players if you thought that was a good match? When I tuned him to F# on alto/ A concert it was ok on the needle but some other notes were very sharp. I thought I would ask you guys what you thought.

Maybe a key regulation? Any input would be great.

[Mike Cesati]

BTW this horn has the micro tuner on the neck. Does that have to be adjusted to tune these horns?

[Dave dix]

Put the mpc all the way on then tune with the micro-tuner.These tuners were designed for the shorter shanked mpc
Dave

[Nefertiti]

In my experience Lakey's are known for haviong crazy intonation. I played on one way back for awhile and had all sorts of problems. Since then I've probably talked to 10 other people that have had the same problems.All said they blew incredibly sharp in the upper register. It's just my opinion but I think a Meyer type piece would be more suited for that 6M. Of course I'm sure there are some Lakey fans that would disagree with me out there. How you been Mike? Still playing the HR Link?

[MusicMedic]

In my experience Lakey's are known for haviong crazy intonation.... I think a Meyer type piece would be more suited for that 6M.

I play a 6M and I agree with that. A Meyer will work better. Now, there are players that can make anything work....

[Mike Cesati]

Thanks guys for the replies. I had similar thoughts.

Neff, doin' well. Playing a Brillhart Tonalin now but I kept my Link. I like this Brillhart better for my thing.

Peace, out

[OnyxSax]

Here's what worked for me when I had a Lakey:

1. Open a window in your house
2. Remove Lakey mouthpiece from saxophone case
3. Throw Lakey out through the open window

Seriously...Conns are always happy with the more conservative mouthpiece choices such as Links, Bergs & Meyers. You might be able to get away with something more radical, but you really have to expirament to find one that works for you.

I use a Meyer 5 on my 292,xxx 6M.

[super20dan]

lakeys on alto do indeed tend to tune sharp-but since the 6m has a micro tuner it should not be a problem

[blackfrancis]

Same problem with me, the 6M and the Lakey. Bad tone, bad intonation, and squirrely response. The fix: (aside from the window) Take a Dremel and remove the dinky chamber and lower the baffle. When you're finished it will look a lot like a Meyer inside. A lot of work, but it fixed the problems and still retains a jazzy tone with a bit of edge. Probably easier to just get a Meyer...

[JS]

Mike Cesati,
Have your friend get in touch with Doc Tenney and grab one of his BP 10E hard rubber Links for the 6M - for me, that's the BEST mouthpiece on my 6M (silver/Art Deco) - great tone, intonation and a blank canvas for me to work with.

[gary]

Here's what worked for me when I had a Lakey:

1. Open a window in your house
2. Remove Lakey mouthpiece from saxophone case
3. Throw Lakey out through the open window.

LOL. Wonderful!
I have a Lakey that stays in the drawer. I've tried pawning it off here several times but nobody seems to want to give it a new home. Personally..I hate it.

I play a Conn 6M and first used a Meyer 6M, which I replaced with a Runyon Custom, and then with a Jody Jazz ESP, with and without baffle. They all worked well, just with slightly different results, which are more a matter of taste than equipment.

[Saxland]

Does Doc Tenney have a website or contact info anyone knows about? I'd like to know more about the Link he offers for the 6m.

So far the best intonation wise for me is a meyer 6m. I have a 1935 Conn 6m with microtuner. But I'm into a new lamberson. I think a Lamberson raises the bar. But I'm playing slightly flat but need more time on the piece. Vandoren V5 series A35/45/55 are good mouthpieces that I have to lip up on a Conn. I was playing them for a few years then I discovered lambersons. No contest. But it looks like I will have to shorten the length of the mouthpiece to accomadate tuning.

[paulwl]

Here is what works with the 6M. I have been to two classical worksops with mine, so you're almost required by law to try these things.

1. Any mouthpiece whose name ends in "-scher." If you do not own a Rascher or Buescher, buy several dozen from a recognized dealer (defined as anybody who charges more than $75 a pop). A low-cost solution is to write "-scher" after the name of your current mouthpiece in indelible ink, eg: Linkscher, Dukoffscher, Sugal Super Gonzscher. Note: This will not make it play any better.
2. Conn Standard Steelay. (Avoid those marked "Bonacio." He played with Paul Whiteman, so he was obviously an ignorant jazzer.)
3. Throw the 6M out the window.
4. If your 6M is silver- or gold-plated and does not say "6M" on the back, it is a Transitional. Do not throw it out the window. If you already have, go downstairs and fetch it. Clean any dirt off it, hammer out any large dents with a rubber mallet or hydraulic expansion press, wrap it delicately in anti-tarnish cloth and recite John Edward Kelly's Aphorisms to it five times a day.

The 26M, although acoustically the same, is totally different, mainly because I don't care so much about 26Ms. This is a good thing, I think.

[Saxland]

Yep I have a tranny relac, or (just lac once over bare brass, I'm not sure). That I leant to a friend. He hasn't given back to me yet. Seems he can't put it down and I'm not selling. I will get it overhauled when I'm rich, and I have big dreams of silver plate. Its a NY neck that does not have the microtuner. I'm dying to try the lamberson on it. My gut says I'm sitting on the workings of a killer combination.

[gary]

So Paul. Just curious. At the classical sax workshops what was the general reaction to your, er, Connscher? Were you encouraged to trade it for a Selmer II if you were going to continue playing classical sax or was the Connscher accepted? (Tongue-in-cheek delivery, but I really would like to know).

I'm sorry. I guess that would be a connelmer with a Thrascher mpc.

[Saxland]

Paulwl's post: "The 26M, although acoustically the same, is totally different, mainly because I don't care so much about 26Ms. This is a good thing, I think."

What do you mean Paul? 26m acoustically the same, but different? as compared to a 6m or tranny or both? Just wondering what your experiments in the Conn Cave have produced.

[paulwl]

Well, let's see. Just last night I discovered the blueberry egg cream drink. Now I'm working with an orange-and-white cat who tastes like Creamsicles when you lick his head. I'm naming him Floyd, because in bright light he looks kind of pink.

The 26M also makes a damn fine terrarium. You can easily lower or raise the Permadjusts to allow for the growth of shoots and leaves.

If there is a Thrascher mouthpiece available, I want the distributorship. I'll be rich! RICH, I tell you! Especially when everyone learns to play like this.

[dshook]

Well, let's see. Just last night I discovered the blueberry egg cream drink. Now I'm working with an orange-and-white cat who tastes like Creamsicles when you lick his head. I'm naming him Floyd, because in bright light he looks kind of pink.

The 26M also makes a damn fine terrarium. You can easily lower or raise the Permadjusts to allow for the growth of shoots and leaves.

If there is a Thrascher mouthpiece available, I want the distributorship. I'll be rich! RICH, I tell you! Especially when everyone learns to play like this.

Hahaha! Priceless.

[retread]

Saxland, Doc Tenney does not have a web site. I suggest you contact the people at http://www.saxquest.com with questions about his mouthpieces. They sell a lot of them. If the alto pieces aren't listed it would be worth an email to Saxquest to ask about availability.

[The A Train]

A vintage Selmer scroll shank Soloist C*(on the table)does the trick with my 1936 Conn 6M, intonation is not perfect but MUCH better than even the Meyer 5 I tried.