Thank you so much for this video! I live in the US and just purchased an alto sax. The mouthpiece is so tight. I asked my instructor what could be done and he said just push it harder. So glad I watched your video before doing that.
I've purchased a few saxes (used) and each one had a different cork thickness. I learned the plumbers tape remedy some time ago and still use it today. I usually take my horns to my repair guy shortly after purchase and one needed to have the neck cork replaced, so I took it in to my tech. I watched him repair the cork and afterwards practiced his process on an older horn. Now I can replace my own neck corks. Good video on a topic that we all will encounter at some point. Now, if I could only duplicate the playing styles of the many great artist I hear as easily as I did the repair tech's I'd be on to something. Looks like practice and time are still the key. Again, thanks for another excellent video.
Glad you liked the video, and interesting to hear about your horns. I've changed a few neck corks myself and once you get a bit of practice it's not too tricky, but mostly I get Steve (in the video) to do it - he is much neater than me, and I don't need to worry about scratching my lacquer! Cheers.
Very useful tip, I have the exact same problem, just got my 1st sax this week (a 2nd hand John Packer 45G) picked up a new Yamaha 4C Mouth Piece but it's an extremely tight fit, I'll definitely try sanding the cork down a little. Thanks 🙂
I have a question. Why aren't there standard mouthpiece bores for Tenor; Alto; Bari; etc. saxophones? I have several mouthpieces --- all of them have quite difference bores. Yes, I can refine for one ... but it gets frustrating when you want to shuffle mouthpieces.
Interesting! I recently started using a rental sax that came with its own worthless mouthpiece, and when I mounted my own mouthpiece on it, I noticed it was pretty snug but I greased the cork liberally and was able to get it on ok. After a couple months of use, though, I tried putting the stock mouthpiece on just to compare (I wanted to see how awful it was, haha), and the fit was noticeably loose. The boiling water trick, that'll be useful at the point when I return this instrument.
Great thanks both of you. My cork seems to have shrunk so the mouthpiece has to go too far in. It's usually been left attached to the cork when on the stand. Steve's point about letting the cork breathe is great. My sax is having a service at the moment and so I'll make a point of leaving the mp off the new cork sometimes.
Fab, thanks. I have a new Yamaha YAS280 and the mouthpiece is so tight that I bent the arm of the octave key when fittiing it. Had to bend it back into shape. Now I know how to fix it - I'm off to buy some sandpaper!
Thanks guys, I have a HR Otto link that is too tight and I haven’t wanted to try to open it up at all so I might try sandin* the cork a little. I HAVE 2 necks with my vi so I’ll try on my least favourite first! On also have the almost opposite problem on my 82zii with a new 10mfan Black widow. I have to have it so far out on the cork to get it in tune that it ends up loose and a problem with intonation over the range. My main mpc is fine on this neck/horn so I don’t want to change anything. I might have to just persist and work on brininging it back in tune with embouchre etc over time
Question: Say that you're an idiot (referring to myself here) and decided to push the mouthpiece on a really tight cork to get it on and made a slight tear in the cork and you want to replace it. Do you recommend buying cork sheets and using contact cement to apply the cork or would cork sheets with their own adhesive work just as well?
I had a synthetic cork on my sax when I was working in the US - pretty easy, it was self adhesive. I didn't find it quite as nice to use as a real cork but definitely convenient.
MegaLike. All my Vandoren AL3, A20, A35 are super-tight on new Yamaha-YAS62. Probably have to sand it using #120, because all notes are flat ~ -20...-25.
This video came to me as life changer.. Cos I was struggling with my new mouth piece cos it was pretty lose.. And I had payed a fortune for it... Just I want to know that putting in hot water for 2sec just once .. Will that then stay tight for few usages.. ??
I purchased an alto saxophone about a year ago and Im having very much difficulty sliding my metal mouthpiece on the neck even with cork grease applied . I would like to try this sanding trick out but i'm afraid of over sanding the cork too much and then making it too loose for the mouthpiece. Should I go ahead and attempt this sanding trick or take it to a repair shop and let them do it?
That’s a tricky situation if you are changing often between them. If your neck cork is older then you might find a brand new neck cork is more flexible and works for both. Check with your repairer. Hope that helps.
Though I don’t play a saxophone, my new bass clarinet mouthpiece does not fit properly on the neck. I am not sure whether it the size of the mouthpiece or the cork, but I believe it is the cork.
Hi guys great help there. I have a small problem that even thought I T Tighten the screw right up my neck still moves. Help please or is it down to white PTF tape ?
I wonder if there are thin cylindrical shims that you can put on the neck or inside the mouth piece? I have a metal mouth piece with a narrow bore and an ebonite mp with a wide bore. I like them both, but the metal one is a little too tight and the ebonite mp a little too loose.
Good idea though I’ve not seen anything like that. Generally once you settle on your main mouthpiece you can get your cork adjusted for that piece (if needed).
I had too tight cork. I took too much off of it. For professional grid 120 is OK but for the rest of us 180 is safer. It is really easy to sand paper too much. I just wonder how much mouth pieces differ from each other. Will the next mouth piece be way too loose now that have sand papered my cork.
hi Great video I just got a new vintage selmer tenor and Im trying to use my old berg larsen mouth piece but to get the horn to play in tune the mouth piece is to far at the end of the cork so the mouth piece is to loose on the neck when its in tune ,but when I move the mouth piece to the middle of the cork I get the full sound of the saxophone but it plays to sharp should I get a new cork? or do you have any suggestions to fix this problem thanks for your help and advice big fan Dennis
Purchased a sax online. The mouthpiece seems to be too tight. Are all alto sax the same size in diameter? Wonder should I buy a different mouthpiece or try to sand the one i have down? 😥
Hi. Great to hear you are getting started with sax. It’s really common to have this issue with your mouthpiece not fitting properly. The neck cork is the problem. Here are some ways to fix it: saxschoolonline.com/articles/need-help-neck-cork/
I just bought a new yamaha custom 82Z Z Series....nd ummm i actually want to make the neck cork a little bit more "stiff" so that when I put my mouthpiece, it doesn't cause the cork to tear....so can you please tell me a solution to this.......is it a good idea to grease the cork and leave it on the table overnignt and repeat it for a few days?????
Does the Ptfe tape damage the cork? My classical mouthpiece fits fine. My jazz mouthpiece is too loose as I have to pull it right out for to be in tune. So can I put on and take off the tape every time I swap the mouthpieces?
Holding over the steam of a boiling kettle also works and saves dunking in water. What would you suggest though for a perfect condition cork but where the neck is narrower (i.e. Selmer) and many mouthpieces are too loose?
Hi Tim. I agree, the steam trick works really well. For a cork that is too loose, even if it’s in perfect condition you really only have 2 options - Ptfe / plumbers tape (temporary fix) or replacing the cork entirely and shaping it to fit your mouthpiece. If you know what you’re doing this isn’t a big job. A good repairer should be able to do this for you quickly and cheaply too. Hope that helps you.
@@McGillMusicSaxSchool Yes it certainly does help, thanks for such a speedy response! I got a TW Gaia for my Yani sop, it fits perfectly and the combo is fantastic. Sadly the store didn't have alto Gaia's in stock to demo so I made a very risky decision and ordered off the web for my Ref 54. I'm taping it at the mo (and it's great) so will go for the new cork. Thanks!
What can I do if I want to use two different mouthpieces for different purposes, and the cork is too loose for one of them? Can I apply and remove plumber's or electrician's tape without damaging the cork?
Hi Joel. That’s a difficult one. You could use tape but that isn’t a great solution if you are changing frequently. Better to find two mouthpieces that have a similar fit. Or get an extra neck. Hope you find a solution.
OK I tried again for the free month lesson and when I get to my account, I don’t have a account, so I though you want me to make one. Then it tells me I can’t change anything. So I guess Iam not suppose to get the free mode lesson Oh W.ell. help
Hi Thomas, that sounds strange. I can’t find you in our members list - email me if you need help with the registration process: saxschool@mcgillmusic.com
Another old quick bodge is to use cigaretter paper to wrap the neck cork instead of ordinary paper - its easier to handle and gummed. PTFE would be better, but works OK if you have fag papaers with you. These are great tips and a great clear straightforward video.
I had a hard rubber mouthpiece on my alto back in high school that fit so tight it eventually developed a crack at the base. Couldn't figure out where the leak was coming from. But I was just a stupid kid.
I'm a alto player with a similar problem. I just have one neck, but 7 different mouthpieces, with slightly different inner diameters, varying from 16,00 to 16,50 mm. Since I'd like to use all of them, could I enlarge the smaller mouthpieces to a 16,50 mm diameter, so to have all at the same size? How could this be made without damage?
Don't use cork grease. It needs to be refreshed too often because it is gradually absorbed by the cork to where it doesn't do any good and the built-up cork grease within the pores causes the cork to lose resilience, shortening its life. Better to use a wrap of plumber's teflon tape or rub some teflon powder into the surface of the cork. Teflon powder is also handy for lowering the friction of cork-faced sliding linkages.
Just tried the boiling water trick; worked like a charm! Thanks guys
Awesome! Glad it helped you.
Thank you so much for this video! I live in the US and just purchased an alto sax. The mouthpiece is so tight. I asked my instructor what could be done and he said just push it harder. So glad I watched your video before doing that.
Glad it was helpful!
Thanks guys. In less time than it took to watch this whole video, I fixed my loose mouthpiece with the boiled water. Brilliant!
Brilliant. Glad it helped you.
Thanks guys. I Did the boiling water dip and worked perfectly. I appreciate your advice. I really do. Will call into store next time I am in UK
I've purchased a few saxes (used) and each one had a different cork thickness. I learned the plumbers tape remedy some time ago and still use it today. I usually take my horns to my repair guy shortly after purchase and one needed to have the neck cork replaced, so I took it in to my tech. I watched him repair the cork and afterwards practiced his process on an older horn. Now I can replace my own neck corks. Good video on a topic that we all will encounter at some point. Now, if I could only duplicate the playing styles of the many great artist I hear as easily as I did the repair tech's I'd be on to something. Looks like practice and time are still the key. Again, thanks for another excellent video.
Glad you liked the video, and interesting to hear about your horns. I've changed a few neck corks myself and once you get a bit of practice it's not too tricky, but mostly I get Steve (in the video) to do it - he is much neater than me, and I don't need to worry about scratching my lacquer! Cheers.
G000gleman Conference
Very useful tip, I have the exact same problem, just got my 1st sax this week (a 2nd hand John Packer 45G) picked up a new Yamaha 4C Mouth Piece but it's an extremely tight fit, I'll definitely try sanding the cork down a little. Thanks 🙂
Thank you Nigel and Steve. Very useful info, and used it to fix my problem.
Glad it was helpful Nathalie!
I loved this advice. I haven't needed to use it so far, but it's nice info. to keep in my back pocket. Thanks Nigel. This is a good idea.
Cheers Bennie!
Just got a new sax - cork too thick for the Yamaha 4C - brilliant tips and teaching points. Thank you!
Thank you! I used it to fix my loose fitting brand new mouthpiece!
Fantastic video, I had the too loose situation and did the hot water 2second dip, it worked! Thanks!!
Very interesting. Learn something every day.
Cheers.
Excellent tips ...thx... renting so no probs so far but good to know as hope to buy in the future.
Adapts pretty well to clarinet.
4 seconds and it was Perfect . Thank You
Thank you for this video! I have fixed a tight mouthpiece (which I’ve had an issue with since I started playing 5 months ago)!
I have a question. Why aren't there standard mouthpiece bores for Tenor; Alto; Bari; etc. saxophones? I have several mouthpieces --- all of them have quite difference bores. Yes, I can refine for one ... but it gets frustrating when you want to shuffle mouthpieces.
Great question Dean. It would make life a lot easier!
Interesting! I recently started using a rental sax that came with its own worthless mouthpiece, and when I mounted my own mouthpiece on it, I noticed it was pretty snug but I greased the cork liberally and was able to get it on ok. After a couple months of use, though, I tried putting the stock mouthpiece on just to compare (I wanted to see how awful it was, haha), and the fit was noticeably loose. The boiling water trick, that'll be useful at the point when I return this instrument.
Yes but be careful with that boiling water trick - only dip your cork in really quickly so you don’t damage it.
Great advice
Thanks Harry, hope it was helpful.
Great thanks both of you. My cork seems to have shrunk so the mouthpiece has to go too far in. It's usually been left attached to the cork when on the stand. Steve's point about letting the cork breathe is great. My sax is having a service at the moment and so I'll make a point of leaving the mp off the new cork sometimes.
Good idea Richard. Also I liked Steve’s hot water trick. Works great.
Fab, thanks. I have a new Yamaha YAS280 and the mouthpiece is so tight that I bent the arm of the octave key when fittiing it. Had to bend it back into shape. Now I know how to fix it - I'm off to buy some sandpaper!
Glad it helped you Nigel! Happy sanding!
GOOD TIPS
Thanks for this useful video!
Thanks! Super helpful!
Thanks guys, I have a HR Otto link that is too tight and I haven’t wanted to try to open it up at all so I might try sandin* the cork a little. I HAVE 2 necks with my vi so I’ll try on my least favourite first! On also have the almost opposite problem on my 82zii with a new 10mfan Black widow. I have to have it so far out on the cork to get it in tune that it ends up loose and a problem with intonation over the range. My main mpc is fine on this neck/horn so I don’t want to change anything. I might have to just persist and work on brininging it back in tune with embouchre etc over time
Question: Say that you're an idiot (referring to myself here) and decided to push the mouthpiece on a really tight cork to get it on and made a slight tear in the cork and you want to replace it. Do you recommend buying cork sheets and using contact cement to apply the cork or would cork sheets with their own adhesive work just as well?
Yes. Look at the video like this for example
ruclips.net/video/Iw-nFRl3v4Q/видео.html
Really interesting & useful info.....thanks Nigel & Steve
Cheers Steve, hope it was helpful.
Thanks for the info. Fixed it right away.
Brilliant! Glad it helped you Dan.
I find the synthetic cork is great and can be fitted quite easily. Not easy to obtain in the UK though
I had a synthetic cork on my sax when I was working in the US - pretty easy, it was self adhesive. I didn't find it quite as nice to use as a real cork but definitely convenient.
I m unable to tune my sax. Stays half note low no matter how deep i put the mouthpiece
MegaLike. All my Vandoren AL3, A20, A35 are super-tight on new Yamaha-YAS62.
Probably have to sand it using #120, because all notes are flat ~ -20...-25.
It's really fantastic information
Thank you so much
Glad you liked it!
Brilliant!
Thanks
Thanks Mate! I was just able to save myself $100
I split the shank on my Selmer LT back in the early 90's from this cork issue.
Wow - top 10 things you DON’T want to happen to your sax! I once bent my neck years ago from having a neck cork too tight.
This video came to me as life changer.. Cos I was struggling with my new mouth piece cos it was pretty lose.. And I had payed a fortune for it...
Just I want to know that putting in hot water for 2sec just once .. Will that then stay tight for few usages.. ??
I purchased an alto saxophone about a year ago and Im having very much difficulty sliding my metal mouthpiece on the neck even with cork grease applied . I would like to try this sanding trick out but i'm afraid of over sanding the cork too much and then making it too loose for the mouthpiece. Should I go ahead and attempt this sanding trick or take it to a repair shop and let them do it?
Hello. Very useful.
Do you guys know how to fix a splitter neck cork? Cuz mine suddenly I have no clue how but it split in half
My cork is too big so I’ll try sandpaper for the first time today. Wish me luck!
I have a jazz mouth piece and a classical one - one is way too loose while the other is too tight - what do I do then?
That’s a tricky situation if you are changing often between them. If your neck cork is older then you might find a brand new neck cork is more flexible and works for both. Check with your repairer. Hope that helps.
Yep! Boiling water! Thanks!
Glad the tip helped!
My friend used to use a hairdryer on her clarinet mouthpiece cork when it got too loose. Seemed to expand it a lot. Not sure how reliable that is.
That heat will also expand the wood.
Very useful thank you
Thanks for watching Jo.
Though I don’t play a saxophone, my new bass clarinet mouthpiece does not fit properly on the neck. I am not sure whether it the size of the mouthpiece or the cork, but I believe it is the cork.
Why did the saxophone mouthpiece is diameters is different I hope you will answer that question
Hi guys great help there. I have a small problem that even thought I T Tighten the screw right up my neck still moves. Help please or is it down to white PTF tape ?
I wonder if there are thin cylindrical shims that you can put on the neck or inside the mouth piece? I have a metal mouth piece with a narrow bore and an ebonite mp with a wide bore. I like them both, but the metal one is a little too tight and the ebonite mp a little too loose.
Good idea though I’ve not seen anything like that. Generally once you settle on your main mouthpiece you can get your cork adjusted for that piece (if needed).
@@McGillMusicSaxSchool Thank you. I'm still in that figuring out phase. Thanks again
I had too tight cork. I took too much off of it. For professional grid 120 is OK but for the rest of us 180 is safer. It is really easy to sand paper too much. I just wonder how much mouth pieces differ from each other. Will the next mouth piece be way too loose now that have sand papered my cork.
Sir hiw to fix the low C sound leak.
Thanks guys.
Hope it was helpful Dazza
It was very helpful, wish I knew it before.
hi Great video I just got a new vintage selmer tenor and Im trying to use my old berg larsen mouth piece but to get the horn to play in tune the mouth piece is to far at the end of the cork so the mouth piece is to loose on the neck when its in tune ,but when I move the mouth piece to the middle of the cork I get the full sound of the saxophone but it plays to sharp should I get a new cork? or do you have any suggestions to fix this problem thanks for your help and advice big fan Dennis
Hey Mike. A new cork should help. You could also try some plumbers PTFE tape on the cork first just to get the mouthpiece to fit better.
Purchased a sax online. The mouthpiece seems to be too tight. Are all alto sax the same size in diameter? Wonder should I buy a different mouthpiece or try to sand the one i have down? 😥
Hi. Great to hear you are getting started with sax. It’s really common to have this issue with your mouthpiece not fitting properly. The neck cork is the problem. Here are some ways to fix it: saxschoolonline.com/articles/need-help-neck-cork/
Great content
Thanks Felix!
I just bought a new yamaha custom 82Z Z Series....nd ummm i actually want to make the neck cork a little bit more "stiff" so that when I put my mouthpiece, it doesn't cause the cork to tear....so can you please tell me a solution to this.......is it a good idea to grease the cork and leave it on the table overnignt and repeat it for a few days?????
Does the Ptfe tape damage the cork? My classical mouthpiece fits fine. My jazz mouthpiece is too loose as I have to pull it right out for to be in tune. So can I put on and take off the tape every time I swap the mouthpieces?
I have exactly the same situation and have been wondering about the best way to deal with it
Holding over the steam of a boiling kettle also works and saves dunking in water. What would you suggest though for a perfect condition cork but where the neck is narrower (i.e. Selmer) and many mouthpieces are too loose?
Hi Tim. I agree, the steam trick works really well. For a cork that is too loose, even if it’s in perfect condition you really only have 2 options - Ptfe / plumbers tape (temporary fix) or replacing the cork entirely and shaping it to fit your mouthpiece. If you know what you’re doing this isn’t a big job. A good repairer should be able to do this for you quickly and cheaply too. Hope that helps you.
@@McGillMusicSaxSchool Yes it certainly does help, thanks for such a speedy response! I got a TW Gaia for my Yani sop, it fits perfectly and the combo is fantastic. Sadly the store didn't have alto Gaia's in stock to demo so I made a very risky decision and ordered off the web for my Ref 54. I'm taping it at the mo (and it's great) so will go for the new cork. Thanks!
What can I do if I want to use two different mouthpieces for different purposes, and the cork is too loose for one of them? Can I apply and remove plumber's or electrician's tape without damaging the cork?
Hi Joel. That’s a difficult one. You could use tape but that isn’t a great solution if you are changing frequently. Better to find two mouthpieces that have a similar fit. Or get an extra neck. Hope you find a solution.
well, me being me, i started using my saxophone after months, and uh, yeah, you can figure out the rest.
Mine's too tight it's brand new. Oh. 04:20
Thank you 😊
I find that i have to use cork grease everyday when i put the mouthpiece on
OK I tried again for the free month lesson and when I get to my account, I don’t have a account, so I though you want me to make one.
Then it tells me I can’t change anything. So I guess Iam not suppose to get the free mode lesson Oh W.ell. help
Hi Thomas, that sounds strange. I can’t find you in our members list - email me if you need help with the registration process: saxschool@mcgillmusic.com
nice i dont even know this is a problem..
And neck putting in in the body of the sax i think also has a leak
Another old quick bodge is to use cigaretter paper to wrap the neck cork instead of ordinary paper - its easier to handle and gummed. PTFE would be better, but works OK if you have fag papaers with you. These are great tips and a great clear straightforward video.
I had a hard rubber mouthpiece on my alto back in high school that fit so tight it eventually developed a crack at the base. Couldn't figure out where the leak was coming from. But I was just a stupid kid.
Wow, I have never seen that Paul. Just goes to show that it can happen. Thanks for sharing.
I'm a alto player with a similar problem. I just have one neck, but 7 different mouthpieces, with slightly different inner diameters, varying from 16,00 to 16,50 mm. Since I'd like to use all of them, could I enlarge the smaller mouthpieces to a 16,50 mm diameter, so to have all at the same size? How could this be made without damage?
Wow, great question. I don’t know the answer to that one. Perhaps get in touch with a mouthpiece maker for advice.
Hi Rubem
Your smaller mouthpiece can be adjusted if its an ebonite one.
My cork still won't get smaller after I file it
Hey Lynn. If you’re struggling with this then it might be safer to visit your repairer.
Hey Lynn. If you’re struggling with this then it might be safer to visit your repairer.
Getting a thicker cork in sax schools.
Don't use cork grease. It needs to be refreshed too often because it is gradually absorbed by the cork to where it doesn't do any good and the built-up cork grease within the pores causes the cork to lose resilience, shortening its life. Better to use a wrap of plumber's teflon tape or rub some teflon powder into the surface of the cork. Teflon powder is also handy for lowering the friction of cork-faced sliding linkages.