By Curt Altarac
One of the main differences you’ll find when setting up a vintage left hand table is that all of the key arms that connect to the touchpieces on most vintage instruments come from the opposite side as modern instruments and they all come from the same side.
The key arms are generally parallel to each other, the fulcrums are parallel, and the key touches are parallel. As it comes from the factory, the vintage left hand table is far less adjustable albeit much more simple than its modern counterpart. For the creative technician, however, there is room for adjustability in order to achieve a good feel in addition to good tone and intonation.
You’ll want to read Understanding the Left-Hand Table: Part 1,Understanding the Left-Hand Table: Part 2, and Setting Key Heights with The Balanced Venting Method before continuing on with this article.
We have two basic systems in vintage LH tables: ones with factory tabbed G# keys, and ones that came from the factory without tabs. We’ll begin with the fully tabbed G#, which creates a tabbed connection between C# and G#, B and G#, and Bb to B and G#, such as with a Buescher Aristocrat or Conn 6M. Note that these keys are all connected by tabs and also pivot in the same direction, this is the basic limitation in adjustability of the vintage LH table.
Similar to the modern table, the motion of the Low B key sets the motion of the entire LH table. The Low B touchpiece is directly connected to the pad it closes by soldered parts. Therefore, if the pad has to move more to open more, the touchpiece has to move more to operate the pad. The motion of the Low Bb is regulated by the B key, via the B-to-Bb tab, and it will only be able to move as far as the Low B key will allow. Low B will also dictate how far the G# touchpiece should move. With B, Bb, and G# set, the C# will then be set to move the same amount as G# without lost motion.
One of the big challenges of the tabbed G# vintage LH table set-up is that the factory set-up means that the G# and C# pad heights are not adjustable, which can result in a compromise between tone and intonation.
On saxophones with untabbed G# touchpieces, the set-up is simpler, easier, and offers more adjustability. B will still dictate the motion of Bb. However, the lack of connection allows G# to move a different amount than the B and Bb. Additionally, the lack of connection allows C# to move a different amount as well. Within this set-up, the bottom stack keys and the bell keys are completely independent from one another, which simplifies the tuning and toning process. The drawback of this system is that most players rely on a tabbed G# to move quickly from Low B to G#.
After-Market Tabs
After-market tabbed G# touchpieces are something I come across fairly frequently on Conn Chu Berry’s, Conn 12M’s, Buescher True Tones, Buescher New Aristocrats and other vintage American saxophones. These tabs are nearly impossible to regulate correctly because of the limitations of the original design. I find that the only way to properly install an after-market tabbed G# is to completely rebuild the C# and G# keys in order to relocate posts and to change the geometry and orientation of the key touches. An example of this can be seen in the picture above where the entire G# and C# keys were rebuilt taking the new geometry into account. Some, more simple, aftermarket tabbed G# keys are only tabbed between the B and G# and I suspect it’s because the technician couldn’t get C# to feel light enough. There are some tricks, mostly involving ramped connections, that could be used to change the relationship of between two keys and give leverage where needed while also resulting in a desired motion. However, these are difficult to discuss as aftermarket tabs are each a uniquely crafted part.
Setting Up A Factory Tabbed G# LH Table (Buescher Aristocrat style)
Part 1: Function
1. Start by setting the Bb to close with the B, using the Balanced Venting Method as a guide to determine the proper key heights.
2. Now set the G#-B, or “The Crush”
The challenge in this step is determining how much lost motion to leave in the G# touchpiece and where to leave it. The goal is that the G# key’s motion will will be set to the B, and the G# will move an additional .3mm-.4mm when operated on its own than with the B. Without lost motion, when you press the B touchpiece, the G# touchpiece should immediately start moving as well. The point where the B key stops, dictated by the B pad, should leave the G# pad not quite fully open. Pressing the G# key on its own now should give you .3mm-.4mm of extra motion, and when the G# comes to a stop as the G#-lever foot touches the body, the G# pad should be fully open. Determining what fully open means is done with the Balanced Venting Method. The purposeful difference in motion between the G# and B Key, that I like to call “The Crush”, is necessary because it leaves space for the player to “crush” down on the Bb key and seal those pads. If the pads hit the body at precisely the same time as the G#-lever foot hits the body, those pads will not be crushed shut and the vibrating air column can blow those pads open. The result will play like a leak in the bell keys. There are a couple different ways for the difference in key motion between G# and B to express itself. The G# pad could move with the touch so it starts moving when the touch starts moving and the pad is fully open at the same time the G# key foot hits the body. This is the method I outlined above.
Frequently, however, the connection is set up so that the G# pad opens with the B key and is fully open when the B key motion ends. There would then be .3-.4mm lost motion in the G# key which would not open the pad anymore. This lost motion would be felt as a blip in the key to the player every time the G# is pressed because the G# spring is no longer assisting the player’s finger. Typically a player uses the tabbed G# to or from B in quick passages so the G# pad not being fully open will not have an audible difference in tone or intonation, which is why the previous method is a preferable set-up. G# will be used more frequently than B so its motion must feel smooth and solid on its own in addition to with other LH table keys.
3. Set B to Bb
With the G# key set to the B key motion, set the Bb up to the B so the key touches are in a location you like and the pads are both hitting their tone holes at exactly the same time. There should be no lost motion or difference in key travel between the B and Bb.
4. Set C# to G#
After the B, Bb and G# keys are set, set the C# to work with the G#. The C# key should begin to depress the G# key at the moment it starts moving. There need not be any lost motion or difference in key motion between these two keys.
With the motion of the keys set appropriately for tone, intonation, and mechanical function, the ergonomics of the table are addressed. Once comfortable with the workings of specific model it will make sense to do any ergonomic or gross bending, before the final setup outlined above.
Part 2: Ergonomics We already know how much motion each key needs to function, so now we’ll be addressing the relationship between the player’s finger and how it will move from key touch to key touch. For this example we’ll be using a Buescher Aristocrat table, which has an extended Bb touch piece that can be accessed horizontally from B or vertically from B or C#. I won’t cover the modification in this section, but a Low Bb extension is a great modification for instruments that don’t have this setup already.
Generally the player will roll over this table from C# to B and B to Bb. This rolling motion can be greatly improved on all vintage LH tables. Think of the LH table as being a plane that stretches across the Low Bb side extension, the B, and the C#, and when all of those keys are at rest, they are in line. In this plane, the C# is flat and has a roller, the B is flat and has two rollers, and the Bb is flat and has one roller (in the plane). Begin by rolling from C# to B. Chances are that when you push C# down, it comes to rest far below the B key. It may look neat and tidy to have B and C# touch pieces on a flat plane (pictured above) when they are at rest, but the design can make it very difficult for the player to move from C# to B in a rolling fashion. Naturally, the technician then must decide to either raise the resting height of the C# key, or lower the resting height of the B key. In most cases, it feels much better to the player to leave the C# where it is, and lower the B because of where the C# post is in relation to the C# touchpiece. Occasionally you may find that splitting the difference by bending the C# up a little then the B down is your most comfortable solution. In order to move the B touchpiece lower, the bending must happen between the hinge tube and key arm, and not between the key arm and the touchpiece.
On the bell keys, I prefer to use the bending levers to change the orientation of one key to the next. Later it will become necessary to grab the touch pieces with hands or pliers and bend the actual touch piece. Starting by bending at touch piece in relation to the other keys.
Now you should find that the C# touch piece starts higher than the B when at rest, and when pushed it drops below the height of the B but it is still possible to move between the two. The roller of C# is now slightly above the flat plane.
To further aid the transition from C# to B, the B touchpiece is turned into a ramp by angling the side closest to C# down and the side closest to Bb up, for this you will use pliers.
Now, note the transition between C# to B, it should even be even better. It may now be necessary to lower the Bb touch piece. Remember that rolling back from Bb to B has the B in the down position, it’s unlike B to C# where the the C# stays in the up position making a smooth roll from B to C# difficult to achieve. So, it’s possible to lower the resting position of the Bb touchpiece quite far. With the B and Bb reoriented, you will find that the Bb-B timing is not possible to set because the Bb was designed to work on a flat plane. Material must be removed from the top of the B touch piece or the bottom of the Bb touch piece where the two make contact. B and Bb are usually on the same fulcrum, but if they are on separate fulcrums on the instrument you’re working on, you’ll want to check their points of contact in both the up and down positions. Remove enough material so that the Bb roller sits just below the plane when at rest. Check the whole table to make sure there aren’t any bumps, blips or awkward key actions.
Comparing this to our original positioning one can see that the keys are not in line when resting. However, once pressed each key falls into position making it easier to roll to and from neighboring keys.
What You Can Adjust
In its factory set-up without any trickery, the vintage LH table is not very adjustable. Making adjustments requires a knowledge of ramps, fulcrums and leverage and each model of instrument is somewhat unique. Understanding these concepts will be far easier than trying to memorize each mechanisms idiosyncrasies. However, discussing fulcrums, leverage and the use of, what I call, ramps to adjust key movement is the topic for a different article. For now, let’s look at how keys sections are connected and what can be adjusted. You can view it as either the bottom stack pad heights are set by the bell keys, or the bell key pad heights are set by the bottom stack. The bell keys set the height of the bottom stack via the G# key, and the bottom stack sets the height of the top stack via the Bis Bb arm. So all key heights are connected and related from the Low Bb to the top of the top stack. The only truly adjustable keys in this setup are independent from those systems, such as side keys, palm keys, and Low C/Eb.
You may find once you use the Balanced Venting Method that you want the bell keys to be a different height than the bottom stack. In order to change the relationship between the bell keys and the bottom stack keys, you must change the relationship somewhere between the tab of the B key and the G# pad or the connection between the G# touch piece and the G# pad depending on your desired outcome. Based on feel and objectives, you will have to decide which to change. In some cases, you will want the LH table and G# lever to stay exactly the same but want the G# pad to open more or less. In that instance, you modify the contact between the G# lever and the G# key. If you move the point of contact closer to the touchpiece and further from the pad, the pad will open less but the touch piece remains the same. The .3mm-.4mm movement after the B key stops stays the same. After this modification you will need to adjust those springs.
If the G# pad needs to open more, change the point of contact further from the touch piece and closer to the pad. The lever remains the same, but the G# opens more. Again you will now need to adjust the springs.
Aside from changing the location of the contact between the two fulcrums, you can change the shape of the contact between these fulcrums. If you are thoughtful, you can methodically change relationships that are typically thought of as non-adjustable resulting in the pad opening and feel that is desired.
In the event that you want the motion of the G# touchpiece to change in relation to the bell keys, you may find some adjustability at the B to G# tab. The B and G# keys both pivot in the same direction and, as such, their motion is nearly parallel. However, the G# fulcrum is offset from the B Fulcrum giving the two keys some amount sliding action at the Tab location. The sliding can allow skillful reshaping of the tab contact to achieve a slightly different relationship between the B and G# keys.
Feel and function will ultimately force a compromise with intonation and tone, but thoughtful adjustments by modification can make a big difference for the player.