FAQ
- How do you hear the difference between the different KB Sax necks when watching the videos?
- Does the different finishes affect the sound?
- How do I choose which KB Sax neck to try?
- How do I know which KB Sax neck will match my specific horn?
- Are your sax necks soft? Will there be a risk of a pull down?
- Tuning: Finding the right spot on the neck
- How do I measure my saxophone so the new neck will fit?
How do you hear the difference between the different KB Sax necks when watching the videos?
While your Double-Alloy neck can come in different metal combinations, we are currently offering the M61 hand hammered brass + hand hammered copper combination as our “standard” double-alloy neck and we add your desired finish to it.
If you wish to have a truly custom handcrafted neck, please contact us directly and discuss what options are available. Every metal has its own specific sound and response characteristics, this is a chance to design a neck that is truly unique in both sound and appearance.
Sometimes it can be hard to tell the difference between the various KB Sax necks or even between a KB Sax neck and for instance a Selmer neck when listening to demonstrations online.
First, I would suggest that you set the video setting to the highest quality level possible (like HD 1080). Also try to see if you can listen on a good pair of headphones or speakers. This will give you a lot more definition and sound “information” compared to listening on for instance an iPhone.
We record our audio with very high quality equipment – a matched pair of Sennheiser KM 184 microphones and wherever it is possible, please download the uncompressed audio file to get the best sound.
Sometimes the differences we hear can be subtle, whereas the differences we feel when playing the neck are much more immediate. The deeper resonance, sense of projection, the stability and ease of the altissimo range and how the difference in back pressure affects your ease of articulation are all aspects that you will only experience once you actually play test a KB Sax neck.
Does the different finishes affect the sound?
Yes, the finish does have a small but significant effect on the sound and response.
The raw brushed metal will sound the most spread and feel the most open (less back pressure/resistance).
The lacquered neck is slightly more focused and often perceived brighter because of this focus.
A plated neck is decidedly more focused, with added projection and also more back pressure. In front of the bell, a silver plate will sound brighter than a raw neck – a result of more of the sound focused forward (less spread).
A gold plate is always an interesting option since it adds focus but also a certain warmth compared to the silver plate.
Hence, there are a number of finish options when choosing a KB Sax neck – raw brushed, lacquered and different plating (silver and gold).
How do I choose which KB Sax neck to try?
We often have players asking which KB Sax neck may be the right one to try. I always try to find out where the player is coming from – i.e. what is “home base” in terms of current equipment, what the player likes and/or dislikes about this setup and what the player is looking to change in sound and response of the overall setup.
Often players are looking for improved evenness of sound timbre, better resonance, better intonation and easier altissimo playing. These are all areas where a KB Sax neck has proven to help. The finer details of focused versus spread, back pressure versus free-blowing, bright, dark and exact timbrel balance of the frequencies, this is where we look at which model (Vanguard or Redwood) and which metal (brass alloys, hand hammered copper and hand hammered bronze) to try.
It would certainly be so much easier for us if we were just making one neck model in one material! However, your sound and the feeling of producing that sound on your horn is such a personal experience and preference that having a number of neck options available to choose from is a big advantage. Many players spend a lot of time (and money) on trying different mouthpieces to find the one that has just the right balance of all elements. It is similar with the neck – being able to fine tune all the parameters that the neck affects, will get you a neck that you will love to play!
We are always happy to exchange a neck for a different model or material option. Once in a while it happens that a player receives a neck that meets expectations by only 90%. Perhaps it is just a little bit too bright or too dark – we will then of course exchange the neck for a different option to try and get the choice 100% dialed in!
How do I know which KB Sax neck will match my specific horn?
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 & 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, TenorMadness, 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 feel 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 numer 50,xxx Selmer Super Balanced Action, then you might want to try a Vanguard C-69 or M-61 brass neck. Or if your looking to make your Yamaha Custom Z sound, feel and respond more like a first year, serial number 56,xxx Selmer Mark VI, then a Redwood hand hammered copper would be a great option.
We are always here to help with suggestions for which neck to pair with your horn 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 custom tenon changing refitting service – so even if you change your saxophone, we can fit a new tenon on your KB Sax neck and you can play it with your next horn.
Are your sax necks soft? Will there be a risk of a pull down?
No, the KB Sax necks are not soft at all – they are actually quite strong and very pull down resistant. It is of course always possible to do damage to any neck if enough downward force is applied.
We decided that the pull down threshold of an original and undamaged Mark VI neck would be a good benchmark. And yes, we actually did pull down a Mark VI neck to find out! 🙂 We measured how many pound of downward pressure it took to achieve the pull down on the Mark VI neck and all the KB Sax necks exceed this benchmark.
Tuning: Finding the right spot on the neck
Never go by how much cork is showing on your own neck as a reference for mouthpiece placement. Neck cork length vary greatly.
Try the method in this article.
How do I measure my saxophone so the new neck will fit?
If you are in the US, we always prefer to send you our measuring gauge system to get an accurate measurement of your saxophones tenon receiver so we can get you a neck that fits well.
Read more about our measuring gauge system
We are working on a system where we can ship the gauges internationally (light weight, compact gauges) but at this point we only ship to the US.
We have many customers that live outside the US and at this point we can only ship our measuring gauges to our US customers. While we do have extensive notes on tenon receiver sizes for most saxophones and vintages, there are a couple of things that you, as an international customers can do to help give us the best chances for a good neck-fit. Read more info.
Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions. We are here to help with suggestions for which KB Sax neck to pair with your horn based on what you are looking for.