Hi - I`m new to the forum and to saxophones as well. My 11-year old son played a rented alto sax for the past school year and he was excited to try out the brand new one we bought last week. But he`s now frustrated because he`s having difficulty playing it. He says it`s harder to blow, and it seems to "squeak" quite frequently. He did pretty well as a beginner, but definitely is having trouble with the new sax. It`s brand new - a King brand made by UNited Musical INstruments. Does anyone have an opinion as to why he may be having issues? Is this a common occurrence? Sorry I`m a little new at this. I played the trumpet as a youth, so I can`t really help him.

THanks!

There is a process of elimination here:

It sounds like the horn has some leaks. But before we go down that road, I need to make sure he is using the same mouthpiece setup on this new horn that he was using on the rented one. If not, you need to start there. All too often, young players switch mouthpieces and the level of resistance changes significantly and causes problems. If he is using the same mouthpiece setup as he did on the rental, then the horn is definitely the problem. Have a GOOD REPAIRMAN check it for leaks. Find out which notes are hard for him to blow and which ones squeak and I may be able to help, but a trip to a reputable repair shop is always your best bet.

Good Luck

Yeah, usually beginners just use the standard mp that came with their sax, and don`t think of the mouthpiece as an important part of the sound production.

Thanks - I`ll start out with having him try the rental mouthpiece on the new instrument and see what the results are. The new sax is right out of the box, straight from the factory, so I hope it`s not defective already.

umm, don`t forget it might be the reed. If the reed is chipped or cracked get a new one. I get them by the box of 10 and alternate so they last longer. And the thickness should be about 2.5 for now i guess. move up later. depends on the player though, some like really thin reeds.

Rergarding "Out-of-the-box" Saxophones. Let`s be honest....they`re all that way when they`re new from the factory. Here`s what seperates the "men from the boys" so to speak when it comes to brands. Every company will tell you that their horns are "play tested" at the factory. This has to be true, but to what extent? Let`s take Yamaha for example. The step by step process that takes place is truly amazing. They have a link on their website if you ever want to see a saxophone built from scratch on video. They take you through the factory and show you EVERY stage. Saxophonist George Shelby is your tour guide. Ok...back on topic. Yamaha would be foolish to complete the contruction of the horn, wrap it in plastic, and ship it, without playing it first. Someone at the "end of the road" shoves a mouthpiece on the horn and plays a few licks, a couple of scales all over the horn, and then gives it their stamp of approval.

The better quality horns will hold their adjustment longer than the poorly constructed ones. Having said this, you do have to realize even the good horns will come out of adjustment. Sometimes it can even happen during the trip from the factory. That`s what I`m getting at here.

The very first thing you should do if you buy a saxophone by non-conventional methods, (somewhere that doesn`t guarantee immediate playability) is take it to a good repairman.

I consider this a must do anyway, rather than a: "I shouldn`t have to because it`s a new horn". Good repairmen aren`t just "fix-it" people. I`ve seen them take a horn that is already in good playing condition and make it better just from a few adjusments here and there.

I`m way off topic, but you catch my drift. You need to make a good repairman tell you that your horn is in good shape. Unfortunately, a beginning student`s ability is not mature enough to put a horn through the test. I`m not saying that a beginning student is not mature, just that their embouchure and air support still need development.

Start with the mouthpiece. If the old one solves the problem, then there you have it. The new mouthpiece is not a good fit. If it squeaks and squawks and is very resistent using the old mouthpiece, then it`s the horn that needs attention. It`s that simple.

I`m assuming that reed selection has remained a constant throughout all of this.

The culprit can only be a few things and as I have already stated, a simple process of elimination will reveal it. In either case, the resolution is clearly obvious.

Best O` Luck

Yamaha is the only way to go man...

No, it`s not. You`re wrong.

For you, maybe, but for other people it is Selmer, Keilwerth, King, Cannonball, Yanisagawa, and others. You can feel good about your choice, but so can other people.

(that was directed to "sax master," if there was any confusion)

i`d be nice to assume good reeds are a constant.

(not an insult)

oh, and speaking of repairmen, the good/specialized ones can make all of your reeds better to. it was part of my sax lessons, i`d buy a box of 10 and we`de go through them, test them, and he had all of these tools, and would fix em` up.

sorry thomas... i kinda wuzn`t thinkin` of other people`s tastes... ur right though...