Super Balanced Action Alto
salvey
Action alto? I don't often see much discussion of this model on these
boards. Mine has serial No. 44,XXX, dating back to 1950 and is in
fabulous condition (It should be -- it hadn't been played in almost 35
years and had been stored in an ideal environment). What did some of
the great altoists think of them? I do note that it plays much more
warmly and darker than my Yamaha 875, so I've been using the Selmer
for small groups and the Yamaha for Big Bands. Are the SBA's being
used frequently today?
Grumps
>What's the concensus on the desirability of the Selmer Super Balanced
>Action alto?
I've got a later model SBA alto and it's a fantastic instrument, but for an
inherent warble on low B (at soft volume). Took care of the warble with a
baffle placed on the bottom of the bow to reduce its diameter, and with the
right mouthpiece, problem solved. I believe Paul Desmond played one. Perhaps
he was avoiding low B himself, as he's usually at the top end of the horn's
range.
Barry Levine
grmpy...@aol.coma (Grumps) wrote:
I don't know if this is true on SBA's, but on a VI, when you press the low B
alone, you'll notice that the G# pad pops up. The G# pad is held down by an
extension off the next lower key cup that is activated when you key the low
F. I don't know what the mechanism looks like on an SBA; on the VI the cup
above the F key has hold-down extension has an adjustment screw. There's a
linkage on the other side of the horn, so that pressing the F key will
depress the key cup just above it, which in turn holds down the G# pad.
If this setup is not adjusted EXACTLY right, either you get a leak at your
G# pad (because it's not held down completely) or at the next pad or 2
beneath it (because they are propped slightly open).
IMHO, it's one of the more touchy adjustments on the horn, and tends to go
out. The low Bb doesn't pop up the G#; so if low B warbles, but low Bb
doesn't, probably the G# pad is not being held down completely.
For a long time I was thinking that low B was a problem with my tenor. It IS
a problem of sorts, but more a mechanical one than an acoustic one. Low B is
just fine when this adjustment is ok.
BL
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Barry Levine
<barry...@LuncheonMeat.Norwoodlight.com> wrote:
> The low Bb doesn't pop up the G#; so if low B warbles, but low Bb
> doesn't, probably the G# pad is not being held down completely.
Wrongo, my bad... the low Bb also pops up the G#... what was I thinking?
...probably that the low Bb can be good, while the low B is bad... why?
dunno.
But in any case, getting this adjustment right cures my low B warble.
BL
salvey
> I've got a later model SBA alto and it's a fantastic instrument, but for an
> inherent warble on low B (at soft volume). Took care of the warble with a
> baffle placed on the bottom of the bow to reduce its diameter, and with the
> right mouthpiece, problem solved. I believe Paul Desmond played one. Perhaps
> he was avoiding low B himself, as he's usually at the top end of the horn's
> range.
Interesting. I had the identical problem (but at ANY volume). The main
reason I hadn't played mine for so long was that I believed that it
had an inherent defect in the low B/Bb. However, I decided to give it
one final shot, had it overhauled by Roberto -- which ameliorated, but
didn't completely eliminate the problem. I then followed up with Bob
Ackerman, who came up with a new mouthpiece for me and now the lows
are completely effortless, requiring no adjustment in embrouchre, etc.
It's now my primary horn again. And to think I came "this close" to
selling it.
MrWitworth
The way to test to see if the articulated G# over-ride set screw (or cork) is
adjusted correctly on any horn so equipped, is to play low C and then, while
sustaining the low C, press the G# key., If the low C is disturbed by pressing
the G# key, then the adjustment is incorrect. If nothing bad happens, then the
adjustment is fine.
RC
AndyW
mine's a 39k '49er- I'd say it's really sweet, with that
characteristic early Selmer crystalline clarity - definitely a
section-lead / jazz / bebop horn, but nobody's first choice for a
blues / rock gig.
It's the only alto I've got just now -
I've sold Conns, a Martin, an aristocrat, passed on buying Mk 6s and
kept the SBA.
Tuning is sharp on the 4th line D, though: it needs a cork crescent in
the tonehole I think, since no amount of new and vintage mouthpiece
swapping and felt height adjusting will fix it.
No problems on the low B or Bb on the alto, although my SBA tenor
needs a bit of fettling at the bottom end.
-Andy-
Toby
Rheuben many years ago of the Sax Shoppe in LA and he told me stories of
guys dropping wax into the bow to correct the problem with the low notes.
Toby
"Grumps" <grmpy...@aol.coma> wrote in message
news:20040822103202...@mb-m20.aol.com...
Grumps
>This is apparently a common problem with some SBAs and BAs. I spoke to
>Rheuben many years ago of the Sax Shoppe in LA and he told me stories of
>guys dropping wax into the bow to correct the problem with the low notes.
It may depend on the bow design. My SBA has the relatively even bow height
when comparing the ends, with the bell end just a tad higher.