Honk if you love screws...

Al Stevens

Al Stevens

I had a terrible experience Wednesday night during community band rehearsal. I'm playing the 1st alto book. Because of heavy thunderstorms I was late, and the band was already well into the first selection when I arrived.

I hastily set up and did a visual tuning, putting the mouthpiece about where it ought to go. I found my place in the piece and began playing.

Horrors. Every other note was a honk. Some people were looking at me. Soon every other note was a honk followed by a monosyllabic epithet from me. Most people were frowning at me. I checked all the pads. They seemed to be sealing. I changed reeds. Nothing worked. I packed up the horn and spent the rest of the rehearsal just reading the charts as the band played them.

Yesterday I planned to take the horn to the tech. One thing led to another and it was too late to go. So I took the horn out to see if Wednesday had just been a bad chops day. This alto is my only one. It's a Barone from Taiwan that up to now had been a real player.

I tooted on it for a while and it seemed difficult to play, but all the notes sounded. Then I tried to subtone a low B at pp, and the sound came out like the Aflac duck with a sore throat. It got worser and worser.

Then I crossed my eye and looked directly at the octave key on the neck as I tried to play to see if it was opening and closing. It was, but it was wobbling all over the place. A closer examination revealed that the screw upon which it pivots had worked its way loose. I found one of those screwdrivers that you fix eyeglasses with and fixed it. All was well again.

Lesson learned. This could have happened on a gig. Or during a concert. If it had, I would have been skewered. Who carries those little screwdrivers around with them? Answer: I do from now on.

By the way, that screw is designed to come loose. I wonder why I haven't seen this before.
 
I carry around those little screw drivers. Electrical tape. Spring tool. Teflon tape. Gig Dust. My cleaning swabs. Key oil. A pencil. Nail polish.

Basically loaded for most situations. In the past year I've used them all except the spring tool. I had to send it over to a bassoon player about 18 months ago. So it remains in my bag.

What I really need is a swiss army knife in the bag so I can cut the electrical tape better. My swiss army knife was lost to the TSA.
 
I carry two sizes of screwdrivers and a tube of Micro Pad & Cork cement in my case all the time. Have used the screwdrivers and the cement to help out fellow band members quite a few times during the past few years.
 
Screwdrivers, sandpaper, Teflon tape and a butane lighter for me. After losing a pivot screw on my side Bb key during a gig (right in the middle of a big solo!), I've learned to go over the horn carefully every few weeks looking for potential problems. The TSA has also relieved me of a few lighters over the years.
 
As an added note:

Pivot rods unscrewing and coming loose can be a sign of friction in the key. Whenever this happens it is a good practice to remove and clean the rod and also the inside of the hinge tube with a soft pipe cleaner. Then add a few drops of key oil and reassemble.

I recommend the synthetic key oil sold by Curt Alterac at Music Medic.com. It is a very good product and comes in a needle oiler that is just the right size.

John
 
It was my first time to play bari with a local big band after several rehearsal sessions at second alto and I thought it was going well until the B key (LH-1) started feeling loose and the notes were getting stuffy.

Long story short, I found the post screw loose and it was in a hard to reach place without the star of this thread, a small screwdriver. I struggled with it until the break and fortunately my replacement at second alto had one of those handy multi-tip screwdriver kits that fit in the palm of your hand.

I won't take any of my horns out of the house without a small screwdriver now.

It was very embarrassing, and the band leader is so anal about such things I haven't been asked to return.
 
jbtsax said:
Pivot rods unscrewing and coming loose can be a sign of friction in the key. Whenever this happens it is a good practice to remove and clean the rod and also the inside of the hinge tube with a soft pipe cleaner. Then add a few drops of key oil and reassemble.

I recommend the synthetic key oil sold by Curt Alterac at Music Medic.com. It is a very good product and comes in a needle oiler that is just the right size.
Click to expand...
I agree about this key oil. I tried many types, some especially sold for woodwind instruments and some others. This type (Ultimax) is the one I prefer (in several viscosities). OTOH I really don't like the cork grease and pivot screw grease from the same company.

Re the screw: It's possible that friction will cause this. IME the most common reason for a screw coming loose is it not being screwed tight enough in the first place. Sometimes this is from a factory and sometimes from a repairer. Maybe it was a mistake, but more common is the key gets stuck if the rod screw is tightened all the way in like it should be. To save money or time, instead of dealing with the problem they (whoever they are) leave it screwed almost all the way in. So it looks tight but will work itself loose.
 
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Nail polish, not just for the ladies

Hi

Did you notice you key began to bind when you tightened up your pivot screw?

If it did not, then once it is tight apply a coat of clear nail polish to "varnish" the screw in place. It is not a permanent solution such as thread locker blue ( do not use )

If when you tighten your pivot screw and the key binds you have a different set of variables that need special consideration.

Do you have a technician you feel comfortable working with at present?

If not you can find one close to you by clicking HERE

If you have any furthr questions please ask by clicking HERE

Regards

Joe Piccolo
 
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