Take the keys off
your horn, and carefully measure the thickness of the cork on both the
bottom of the key foot and on the point where the key foot contacts the
adjusting bar which operates the F# key.
Select cork that
is the same approximate thickness.
Remove the old
cork from the keys. If you're going to do one, you might as well do them
all, because if you don't, you'll never get the action to feel consistent.
Select the proper
thickness of cork and cut some pieces that are about the same sizes that
you'll need. Now, before you install them (THIS IS CRITICAL), compress the
corks themselves with a pair of pliers. If you don't, the cork will break in
as you play the horn and require more adjusting over time.
Glue the new
corks into place with the CA. Be careful not to glue your fingers together.
Trim the corks to a perfect fit with the razor blade. Neatness counts! Put
the keys back on the horn, and reattach the springs. Don't forget to wipe
off and re-lubricate the rods before you put them back in the keys. This is
the best chance you'll ever get to clean off the body tube, so do that with
a soft cloth. Put a drop of oil on each and every spring, and a dab of cork
grease on the point where the spring contacts the key. This really helps
quiet the action.
When the stack is
reassembled, take your leak light and see if the F, E, and D keys all close
the F# pad. They don't, do they? What a surprise! Cut the 320 paper into a
strip about as wide and as long as the index finger of your right hand. Now
take a good look at the sandpaper. It's smooth on one side and abrasive on
the other. Put the sandpaper strip. WITH THE ABRAISIVE SIDE TOWARD THE CORK,
between the adjusting rod and the top of the F key. Close the key and pull
the strip out with a slow, even movement. Check the F# pad for leaks.
Getting better? Do it again. Better still? Keep going until you have the F#
closing perfectly in conjunction with the F. Repeat this process on the E
and D keys.
Now that the
leaks are out, you'll notice that the keys may have a little excess play in
them. Did you sleep through high school geometry? I did. I remember they
said something about a straight line that was tangent to a circle or
something like that. Well, that's what you've got here. The cork must be
shaped to perfectly fit the body of the horn AND must be the proper height
so that all of the keys contact the F# adjusting bar evenly, with NO EXCESS
PLAY. You'll probably notice that one of the keys fits tightly against the
bar, while the other two move a little before contact is made. This is not a
good situation. That means that the foot of the key that touches is a little
taller than the other two. You must now, using the sandpaper WITH THE
ABRASIVE SIDE TOWARD THE CORK, NOT THE HORN BODY, adjust the corks until
they are all of a height that allows each key to be in contact with the
adjusting bar with absolutely no excess play. Make sure that all of your
corks contact the body evenly and are contoured to the shape of the tube.
All of this being
done, you will find your horn to be much quieter and have a more precise
feel. BTW, for the record, I don't use cork in my overhauls. I use another
material that is much more difficult to work with, and I don't suggest that
you try it at home, nor am I going to tell you what it is!
Good luck, and
email me with your questions! Practice long tones every day!
STEVE GOODSON
New Orleans
www.saxgourmet.com
(504) 895-6859 M-Th 10 - 3; Fr 10 - noon
Steve endorses and uses UNISON
saxophones;
RUNYON mouthpieces; MASTERPIECE
necks; HORN DOCTOR key clamps;
MUSICMEDIC repair kits; and ED MYERS
repair tools.
