I use two methods for checking if a sax neck has a pull down.
First, I hold the neck with one hand on the tenon, and the other hand’s thumb and index finger lightly holding the area of the neck tube right under the octave key saddle. I then slowly rotate the neck with the hand holding the tenon while feeling with the other hand to find out if the neck is perfectly round or if the sides of the neck are wider than closer to the top and bottom of the same spot of the neck tube.
You can easily test this 2 inch area under the octave key saddle most prone to show evidence of a neck pull down in this manner. Take your time and just use a light touch.
The other method is to stand the neck tenon on a flat surface and measure the height from that surface and up to the bottom of the beginning of the neck (where the mouthpiece goes on). For reference, a typical Mark VI neck will have a height of around 55mm/2.16” from the surface and up to the bottom outside edge of the tip of the neck (where the mouthpiece goes on).
Since neck height/angle varies a bit between different brands and vintages, it is better to first use the ”feeling for roundness” method described above.
Most pull downs can be repaired by a skilled repair person.
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