When considering pearl heights as well as the angle at which they come
in contact with the player's fingers, all saxophones basically feel best with
the same set up mentioned above and outlined below. However, there are
some differences between vintage in-line saxophones and modern style
saxophone that must also be addressed.
Vintage In-line Saxophone Left Hand Stack
Before considering doing any work to change the feel of any saxophone,
especially a vintage in-line saxophone, you must consider how the
instrument is played. In-line instruments, such as a Conn, are often held
differently and each size is held even a little differently still. Hook the
instrument to a neck strap and play it to feel the pearls. Always refer to
this prior to making adjustments.
The first pearl on many vintage in-line saxophones is the Front F pearl.
The Front F pearl did not get much attention nor was the concept highly
evolved in vintage in-line instruments. Often the pearl is too far from the
B Key. How the pearl would be approached by the player was never
considered by the manufacturer, and often they are just too hard to push.
Every pearl can be made to feel good as far as the pressure it takes to
push it is concerned. However, that discussion is the topic for a different
article. Most vintage Front F's have one or all of the following problems
as far as its location: they are too high and too far away from the B key;
they are angled awkwardly, being both difficult to rock to as well as
difficult for the player to lift their finger and press; and the shape of the
pearl, convex or concave, seems to be chosen based on aesthetics or
material available.
To set the location of the Front F Pearl, consider where you want your
finger to be when the key is activated. There will inherently be a slight
compromise due to the pearl's current location and the amount of
modification which can be done without cutting and soldering.
Before (Pearl in a bad location):
Most players prefer a Front F with which they can tilt or roll their index
finger upwards to activate rather than lifting their finger to press. Even
those players who tilt, however, will appreciate when Front F can
comfortably be pushed directly downward. In general, seek to put your
Front F in a place where the player can easily perform either activation
method.
In the down position, the Front F pearl should be level to the height of the
B pearl, if not slightly below. Take note of any sharp edges on the bottom
side of the metal pearl holder or the pearl itself. Now that you will be
The next pearl down the line is the B pearl. Vintage or modern, most
instruments are very similar from this point, with the desired feel of the B
pearl being largely the same. Of course, some vintage instruments will
require extra work. This is in part due to design and in part due to
variations in design. As you know, there is the modern system and then
there is trying else.
There are times on some instruments where the B pearl is disconnected
from the pad cup and on its own arm, usually on large instruments such
as bass and baritone. When the B Pearl is soldered directly to the pad cup,
there is no adjusting its feel or location without removing it. Removing
the B pearl holder is not something I would suggest as necessary.
However, as the B pearl is the only pearl on the stack which almost never
moves, its fixed location and angle will largely determine the location and
angle of the rest of the pearls in the stack.
The next pearl down the stack is the bis Bb pearl. The bis Bb pearl must be
level with the B pearl when both keys are in the downward pressed
position. Some people like to roll down from B to bis Bb. To help these
players, the addition of a convex pearl in the bis Bb key and the removal
of all sharp edges on the side of the bis Bb pearl and pearl holder closest
to the B Pearl is necessary.
Note that on many vintage instruments, the bis Bb pearl is far too small,
convex, and often there is a big gap between the bis Bb pearl and the B
pearl. Consider the amount of key travel, the bis Bb pearl's location in
relation to the B pearl, the diameter of the bis Bb pearl, and the way the
player approaches that pearl to determine if moving or changing the bis
Bb pearl is necessary. Should you decide to close the gap between the B
pearl and the bis Bb pearl, note that when the travel of the key is great,
and the player likes to roll to the bis Bb pearl from the B pearl, there must
be a sufficient gap between the bis Bb pearl and the B pearl. Simply
bringing the two very close together will not work.
The next pearl down the line is the A pearl that closes the bis Bb pad. On
most saxophones, the height of the A pearl is too high. The A pearl is left
high to allow space for a thick felt. On many modern style saxophones
there is a key arm behind the A pearl which hits the bis Bb pad cup. On
either vintage in-line saxophones or modern saxophones, the A pearl
should be level with the B pearl and the Front F when all these keys are
pressed. Because the A pearl floats above the bis Bb key, the angle that it
sits at can be adjusted. It can tilt at a 45 degree angle or it can sit parallel
to the B pearl in every way. I greatly prefer the A pearl to slope
downward toward the body, naturally following the curve of the player's
hand. This slope seems like a minor adjustment, but the final feeling to the
player can be one of great comfort. To achieve this angle it is sometimes
necessary to alter the key shape.
With vintage in-line saxophones, a greater slope improves the feel to the
player. On modern saxophones, however, the A pearl is best set to be
nearly parallel to the B pearl.
The G pearl is the last of the top stack. The G pearl can be adjusted exactly
as the A pearl was. Most G pearls have a sharp angle as they were
originally designed. The front of the pearl is the first thing to touch the
players finger. Bending the front of the pearl down toward the body as
you did with the A pearl greatly improves the feel of the entire left hand.
In summary, when all of the pearls in the left-hand top stack are even, it's
possible to roll up to the Front F from the B key or roll down to the bis Bb.
The A key pearl is the same height as the B key pearl, but it has a slight
downward tilt which makes it more comfortable. The G key pearl also has
a slight downward tilt. On in-line saxophones this tilt is more
pronounced.
Right Hand Stacks
There is very little that can be done with the pearls on the bottom stack of
most saxophones. Bottom stack pearls are usually soldered directly to
touches. However, there times when there are more factors involved such
as the placement of other keys actuated by that same hand. For example,
the side Bb and side C and the Low C and Eb must all be actuated by the
right hand, and in some cases, the pearl touchpieces will have to
compromise with these other keys unless major modifications are to be
done. The process of modifying this wide spread is a more detailed topic,
possibly a good subject for a later article. I mention it because it is
important to note that some instruments still will not feel great even
when the pearl angles and spring tensions are correct.
In fact, there are many aspects that play a role in creating a properly setup saxophone. Many players are playing on instruments where the pearls
are worn down, often through the pearl holders which creates sharp
edges. Spring tensions are not set well and key heights are also incorrect.
Setting the pearls of a saxophone is one step along the way to creating an
instrument that feels and plays its best. As a technician, you may not
have time to perfect the stacks and the angles of every pearl on every
instrument you work on. However, hopefully you have time to consider
the feel of the instrument's pearls and its primary interaction with the
player, as you run your fingers down the horn. Once you know what you
are looking for, many of the adjustments listed above take longer to
explain than implement.
Copyright 2000-2012
MusicMedic.com
All Rights Reserved