How do I know which neck is a good match to my saxophone?

To approach this question, first a few things about sound and response of a saxophone.

One of the areas of saxophone sound and response besides tonal color that is affected by both the saxophones neck and the body (i.e. the rest of the horn) can be called tonal width. This means, does it feel like a big, wide and broad sound or is it a narrow, tight and more focused sound and therefore with additional back pressure as well.

By using just one neck and moving it around on different makes and models of horns, you will quickly discover that there are differences between different saxophone bodies. Some typical examples of saxophone bodies with wider tone feel are vintage Conn and Buescher, Keilwerth and most of the Taiwan & China made horns (Cannonball, Tenor Madness, Eastman, P. Mauriat, etc). Examples of more narrow and focused horns are Selmer (especially post-Balanced Action), Yamaha and Yanagisawa.

Now, several elements in neck design will also to a great degree affect this parameter of tonal width. Exact dimensions, wall thickness and material (brass, copper, bronze, etc) and the weight of all the individual soldered-on parts will all determine this part of the response.

So, besides determining tonal color, by considering the neck, you can also change how your saxophone + neck responds in the direction of a wider and more open tonal feel or towards a more focused and tight projection, compared to the neck you used before.

If you, for example, love the feel of the keywork on your Selmer Mark VI but always wished it had a bit more of the tight and focused response and projection of a serial number 50,xxx Selmer Super Balanced Action, then you might want to try a different neck that will take you in that direction (among the KB Sax necks, we would suggest the Vanguard brass C-69 or M-61). Or if you are looking to make your Yamaha Custom Z sound, feel and respond more like a first year, serial number 56,xxx Selmer Mark VI, then among our KB Sax neck models, a Redwood hand hammered copper would be a great option.

We are always here to help with suggestions for which KB Sax neck to pair with your saxophone based on what you are looking for. And of course, if the first neck you try is not 100% right then we will always exchange.

Our goal has always been that you end up with a neck you are going to love playing in the long haul. Plus we offer tenon changing refitting service – so even if you change your saxophone, you can keep your KB Sax neck and play it with your next horn!