The Most MASSIVE Sax Sound Ever | Do Heavy Mass Screws Work?

[@overthetarget9401]

I've tied my sax to a cruise ship anchor, now it sounds like a fog horn. Mission accomplished.

[@nigelinniss7219]

🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣

[@RdzArielRodriguez]

@@nigelinniss7219 jajajjajaaj!! I've tied my sax to a vise, but it is not enough!

[@dashhassan6992]

you prolly dont give a shit but does someone know of a way to log back into an instagram account..? I somehow forgot the login password. I would appreciate any tips you can offer me!

[@donaldtomas7535]

@Dash Hassan instablaster :)

[@mambojazz1]

I don't get it

[@ADCar]

If you use heavy mass screws on your saxophone, run it through tube amplifier, record it to vinyl and play it back using gold plated wires on your speakers you'll sound like a god.

[@bettersax]

haha

[@sat1241]

@@bettersax I'm seeing many comments saying 1) A 2) B Before I read those I also thought A sounded better, Sounds brighter, louder and more open. B sounded like a muted version of A) I would says a significant difference. The second test is much closer to me. I say B but tentatively is louder and brightener on the low end. There is also some bias that can happen while looking at your facial expressions on each. There is also a psychological factor that could affect you possibly without being conscious of it. I think if that screw is on A) it is a noticeable improvement on tone and should become a standard addition and so it's worth doing However it would need an improved test. You would have 2 sax players. Each player is blindfolded so they can't tell if the screw is on there. Somebody else is taking the sax into another room where the player can't even hear the sounds of the screw being changed. Then the other person returns after a minute and gives them the sax. So they play pattern A) 3 separate times and pattern B) 3 separate times. Each player does this. Then that all goes into a video. So we hear in the video each playing pattern A) 3 times and each player playing pattern B) 3 times . In the video the player would not be shown just the audio. Then you look at the comments. If you don't say much about the test just the minimum the comments of viewers will probably mostly be picking A or B in each test. They would also be instructed to explain why they picked one over the other. Then if you look at the comments and you can see a fair number of people contently identifying the right screw that would be a significant argument for the screw making an identifiable difference. Of course playing ability is 99% more important. However we are talking about a low cost device that potentially improves the tone of the instrument and that is important. Their reasons for picking one over the other could also be taken into consideration. For instance two people might properly identify one sound sounding more muted than the other but which one they like better, it could be the more muted one sounded nicer , more mellow but the other person likes the brighter sound. That doesn't mean the whole thing is subjective people may have a consistent description of the tone regardless of which tone they think is better. That is what is needed to find out, if the screw changes the tone in a noticeable way. So far I think in example 1) A sound not a little better but much better. Several other people have agreed on this.

[@derekakien7379]

What if I already do?

[@paulstrickland8409]

Al Carnali o you gotta use solid gold wires as well. Now u got it.!🎷🎶🎼🎷🇺🇸👽

[@derekakien7379]

@@paulstrickland8409 I needed Y-shaped scart socket for the TV acessories. Got one from Poundland 🇨🇳 for £1. Works fine! No need for gold. LoL 🇬🇧

[@manuelsosa6483]

Practice, practice, practice and learning music is the key in my opinion. I have seen friends who play with a non-brand sax and they make it sound awesome.

[@MclMauser]

That's the way...

[@derekakien7379]

Even on a plastic alto!

[@glendenig9962]

Right on!

[@DDD11239]

Mouthpiece matters more than the sax (as long as the sax actually works, and can provide free-blowing range on each note).

[@masapell]

I’m here in Texas, so I moved the steel cow-testicles from my truck’s trailer hitch receiver to the bow of my alto and it sings like an overweight opera singer....

[@Rabittsfoot1]

Lol nice one

[@derekakien7379]

We all know everything is bigger 'n' better in Texas. So yeh 🇺🇲 (Sorry about the flag). PS: I do have friends in Texas! LoL 🇬🇧

[@SoFkwHat80]

🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@itsabadreed]

I worked with a trumpet player in a band who was always adding gadgets and nagging us about if it made any difference to his sound. Weights around the mouthpiece, weights at the bottom of the piston shafts, etc. Us sax players went and got a blue broccoli elastic and gave it to him saying we got it at the music store. It’s the latest technology for trumpet sound production. Put it on the rim of your bell and it focuses the vibration and helps produce a more focused tone. Well, he was convinced and had that on his horn for weeks before we let him off the hook. Point is, as you said, the legends didn’t use these gadgets, they picked their horns up and played them unendingly. They developed solid tones through countless hours of practice.

[@jamescaster114]

Everybody knows that sax sounds more sultry when you play while naked.

[@tovawolf852]

!!!!HA, HA

[@rico._5067]

*Takes off jacket*

[@kaoticsquirrel_0983]

Of course bro who doesnt know this

[@ohshitnotanotherknob]

I'm skinny and find playing naked makes my sound thin and airy, especially in public.

[@AndrewBeals]

This fat man could probably make bank by starting off naked and putting an article of clothing on every time he gets tipped.

[@Joelhorn]

Wow, that made an incredible difference. I ran out and purchased almost the exact set up for my tenor and all of a sudden I could play all of the minor scales perfectly. You truly are a wizard.

[@HQHQHQHQHQHQHQHQHQHQHQHQHQHQHQ]

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣👍👍

[@charlesbenoit5252]

Definitely A or B. The best part of the video is when you remind us all that it's practice that will make the most difference. I'd also say taking on of Jay's courses.

[@bettersax]

Thanks Charles

[@derekakien7379]

Defo the best option.

[@DrRocketTurner]

You sound better because you practice Jay, and motivate me to practice! Always truth! Good luck in breaking 100k! 🚀

[@nobodyofconsequence9930]

I have no idea if those attachments work , but, they gave me a good idea ? To add mass why not screw on a cup holder or a hook to hang your cap on ? At least they would have an obvious use. Also on the blind test I think # 3 was definitive.

[@sweetpeabrown3548]

Thank you so much. I haven’t played a sax for 25 years, you have inspired me to get a sax again and start playing for myself and the individual I care for. Music definitely speaks to your soul and I knew I had been missing something in my life. I played for 15 years, just life got in my way. Hopefully I can get back to it. I enjoy your videos greatly and have learned so much more than I ever knew when I was playing. Thank you thank you.

[@spiketaterman5181]

so 2 years in, how's it going sweetpea? I am in a similar boat. Love your handle!

[@hazlitt1]

@@spiketaterman5181 Hi Spike, Sweetpea, I also lost my partner 27 years ago and have never played since. Still have three beautiful pro saxes in my closet. Am now thinking of starting anew, and getting the Supreme, and getting back to blowing her favourite tunes again. It’ll be tough and there will be tears, but I’m sure she will smile looking down at my pathetic efforts after 27 years of no practice. Good luck to both of you.

[@mprenn1547]

@@hazlitt1 Do it! The world is WAY different today, learning and resource-wise, than 25 years ago! I started back up last November, and there are so many resources it's crazy! You will get deep satisfaction from it--just don't fall into the "comparison" trap. play for yourself first, seek contentment. And guys like Jay and others are a great resource.

[@hazlitt1]

@@mprenn1547 Thank you for taking the time to motivate me. It says a lot about you. I’m going down to the saxophone mega store next week with a lot of cash. I wish you luck in your life also. Take care.

[@zvonimirtosic6171]

Even the most balanced and sealed horn creates harmonics at the neck joint. The neck joint is the weakest part in the saxophone's 'sound pipeline', a place where two * metal * tubes meet. (Wooden instruments like clarinet do not have this issue) At neck joint, metal does not vibrate as one piece of metal, but creates harmonics in the other tube which is of a * different diameter *. That means at that point we have two sounds, of a two slightly different pitches. Harmonics created so early in the pipeline slightly defocus the sound that travels along the horn. The goal is to extinguish or minimise the harmonics from spreading at that point, and to do that, A) the neck joint must be seamless, B) metal mass around the neck must increase to extinguish the unnecessary harmonics as soon as possible from spreading further or C) neck joint material must change so that it supresses harmonics completely (use of non-metals that inhibit sound). Since (C) is hardly possible (it would make a saxphone more fragile instrument, and the saxophone would sound as a totally different instrument), and perfect (A) is also impossible without producing one-piece tenor sax, what remains is to control the (B) somehow. (B) is damage control: the neck screw, with a suddenly increased mass and thickness at its head, helps stop/absorb lots of unnecessary vibrations (harmonics) at that weakest point.

[@noahtruth6554]

I put two on my sax. I love them. Why? Because they look cool to me. I now call my sax Frankenstein. It’s kinda like putting earrings on your horn - they don’t improve your hearing but… Okay folks, I gotta get back to the Better Sax Studio; which really does make your sax sound better. Thanks Jay.

[@classified9668]

This is one of those vids where Jay is just so dang enthusiastic about a product

[@kmvenezia4337]

J, I played neck & ligature screws back in the late 80's. I spent hours with Bill Singer and he had gold, silver, screws of all types. I found it does change the sound on my Mark VI. It also changes the the weight distribution from the neck strap point of the horn

[@petercheney8316]

I recently discovered the best way to INSTANTLY improve my tone, is to go play in the bathroom.

[@nickbarrow2805]

A lot of people notice that things sound better in the bathroom, I read a thread about how it reinforces the fundamentals and takes emphasis away from the harmonics, like singing in a choir sounds good with mediocre individual singers. I may not remember correctly, it was a while ago, but it was interesting to me.

[@l.j.2917]

🤣🤣 it's the garage for me!

[@garyzimmer8061]

As a w.w. tech @ a large retail store chain for many years, and playin' pro for 50 yrs. , w/dbl on flute, picc, Bassoon and bass, I'd like to weigh in. First, if you're an accomplished player, you can make ANY horn sound good. Second, if I'm not mistaken, it was the Selmer co.'s idea to use mass on the Bach Strad trumpet for what was conceived to be darker and more responsive sound They did this with heavy mass bottom caps and the "Mega-tone" mpc. I know that the SELMER SA 80's and cannonball series utilize a "patch" just above the neck tenon to improve the way the nodes break in the low register. Scott Hamilton has that on his MK VI. When I studied with Morgan at Selmer I found that the structural design on the bow has to be extracted at 6x's what the bore should be in order to build the horn. As a result, that's why it requires so much control to make the timbre balance from the low register throughout the horn. I play on a '73 King Super 20 Tenor with a Meyer #9^ and #3 VD Red Java. "73 was the last year they annealed the body tube, so it plays great . I did have an alto same brand, "75 vintage, without the annealed tube, It played like it had a rag stuffed in it, so I have a :"26 Conn, and it's great. I put the " patch" on my T.S. and Conn AS necks and they seem to help. I've never found the heavy Mass screw concept to improve nodal performance on sax, but if you think it helps, go for it.

[@eli.1149]

Damn you deserve way more subs. I just love your content Keep it up man🔥👌🏻

[@votaveri]

Honestly... the quantum harmonics deep throughout your tone has definitely improved with the mass screw

[@spiketaterman5181]

I had a clangboggan when I was a kid. Years of taunting and many braces later, today I am quite normal. :)

[@sanfordcisco1]

Hey Jay. I love your videos. I use a custom Sandro Massullo weighted screw on my 1953 Selmer and it lets me lean in on my sound more without the reed crapping out on me. It adds resistance and gives me more to push up against. I don’t enjoy using the same weight on my new Trevor James Signature Custom, as that horn is already resistant enough for me. I think it’s way more about how the horn feels to the player than how it sounds to the listener. I loved how you kept emphasizing that this is the icing on the cake and that there are aspects to practice that make a MUCH bigger difference, like playing a sealing horn, being in shape, having a good reed. Anyhoo, thanks for the great videos. Cheers.

[@wilfig]

I use them on both my alto and tenor. I don't believe a listener can tell the difference between a stock and a mass screw. I just know that it tightened up the sound of my horn, by dampening and balancing the vibration of the horn. That's my best description for what the mass screw does for me.

[@jorgerobles3715]

Hey Jay! I've been following your channel for the past few months and really love all your content - I'm a clarinet music education major who's true passion is saxophone and I've been practicing daily for a senior recital I'm doing for fun next month. I looked at your bio and saw that you got your MA at the same school I'm currently attending and finishing up my degree as an undergraduate. Small world, I always secretly wished I was a Jazz student at Copland studying under Antonio Hart, but for now I'm taking David Berkman's jazz harmony class. Keep up the great videos, they've helped me so much as a budding saxophonist!

[@bettersax]

Jorge thanks for the message. David Berkman’s class is great. So much good stuff to learn there. Have a great recital.

[@rzdesignz9732]

In Test 1, A Sounded warmer In Test 2, B Sounded warmer

[@preetdhillon2972]

I love your alter ego character Jay. The opening sequence was hilarious!

[@hackerzwazhere3444]

Wanna know how to her s better sound out of your saxophone? Practice

[@zvonimirtosic6171]

Real practice starts from using the bains first. There is physics behind this issue. That physics works every time you practice, and it works against the player most of the time. It is a real pain in some music styles. But in some it is not, say in swing, jazz and rock, because the defocused sound created at neck joint can be used to promote 'dirty' or 'husky' saxophone sound. Lester Young does not need this neck screw because he developed his sound not knowing that other types were achievable. But a classical player? To achieve more tight/uniform sound, and a very precise sound stage, no amount of "practice" will help: totally different instrument setup is required, including neck vibration inhibitors. Onl then you can start practicing.

[@zvonimirtosic6171]

​@dylan foley Every instrument composed from several separate parts suffers in some aspect. The weakest spots are the joints. The clarinet, though, is impervious to this effect because of the thickness of the wood, and the uniformity of the clarinet bore. But a thin brass instrument, with increasingly larger hollow in the body, is another story altogether. The saxophone has always had this issue, which was utilised to achieve a certain and unique tone quality. I'm not saying the effect is bad. But it can definitely be controlled, for those who want to control it. Some examples: If I was playing classic jazz, I would not bother; only if I had an older, inefficient horn like well used Mark VI. For smooth jazz? Yes. For rock? No. For pop? Yes. For classical? Yes. Then I would consider the horn used: would I use it on my 62 tenor and also on 875EX tenor? Perhaps not on 875EX, but the 62 would benefit a little, because it is not as stabile or smooth in intonation as the 875EX is. Etc.

[@ericperry1861]

About 20 years ago I played with a guy who swore that removing the screw changed his sound and response. This is the first Ive heard of adding mass.

[@inibrius5380]

I always heard that you should put a piece of electrical tape to cover the little gap where the screw goes.

[@christopherdamore1993]

@bettersax I agree that the only way to grow as a player is to practice everyday and work on the things that you need work on. I went through a phase of buying all these extra things to add onto my setup to “improve” the sound. After I matured as a person and player, I realized that I wasted my money on a bunch of these items. Some of which did show SOME improvement. Basically showing that the horn played a little easier. But never enough to make me say “hey, this item is amazing and makes me a better player.” All that being said, great video. Love the content you bring to the viewers. Extremely informational. I know we had our disagreements on the Selmer Mark VI video you made awhile ago. But I still come to your channel to view your content. Thank you for helping us be better Sax players!

[@mrtyreus0]

Under your recommendation I bought a Jean Paul silver alto. Great purchase highly recommended. Good luck to the contestants

[@T.H.W.O.T.H]

Personally I find half a pound of ball bearings down the bell makes me sound like Chu Berry on steroids! 🎷

[@sknuts6429]

T.H. Woth that made me laugh out loud in my university library

[@T.H.W.O.T.H]

@@sknuts6429 Shhhhh! People are trying to study. 😏

[@jacquesdeghorain3162]

why not !!! hahahaha !!!

[@derekakien7379]

And a couple of whiskies down the throat. LoL

[@DannyB-cs9vx]

What would it sound like if a drunk mistook it for a urinal?

[@pixamite1]

I'm brand new to learning about and how to play the saxophone. If there's one thing I've learned from living for quiet a few years now is that practice, practice, practice works for whatever one is in the process of learning. I always enjoy your videos Jay and have been watching them daily for several weeks now. Keep up the great work.

[@miguelcardenas4609]

Thank you for the information, also I'm waiting tenor Sax Jean Paul

[@anrianka]

Miguel Cardenas up !

[@bettersax]

It's coming soon.

[@tmieczkowski]

I noticed that if I use a massive heavy 2 lb. toothbrush and a lead-infused toothpaste just before playing that I get a headache and a desire to lay down and go to sleep. My wife claims that this is an improvement over my normal sound.....

[@erickruse4679]

Sounded like stronger meatier tone on the high C and D with the heavy mass screw. Basically I thought the configurations sounded notably different in the upper range.

[@HonestSaxSound-unEdited-]

I agree with you Jay. But, i think that color or timbre of sound (klang) can be changed a little bit with this device, because some players are sure that his sound turns deeper or warmer when put one or two cork pieces in the botton of the bell. Thanks for your great video!

[@harrisinstruments]

I cant tell a difference in the sound, but the player might as the player not only hears the sound of the horn, but also the way the horn vibrates through the jaw, skull, inner ear, as well as how it feels and vibrates under the hands. So if you feel something like this makes "YOU" sound better to yourself then by all means it's worth it. However to the listener it will have very little to any effect. IMHO...

[@jackmellow2050]

I would say A is wearing the weights... Jay thanks for answer my emails and for your honest videos! Cheers Mate!

[@sindbad4816]

I bought a Tone Tablet just as a gimmick. It makes the saxophone mine. Can’t hear any difference. Happy 100 000 👍

[@eugenemann8433]

Reminds me of Phil Woods encounter with Bird. All doubts of horn, mouthpiece, reed, preheated and strap laid to rest. Just practice and play!!

[@MattVashMusic]

Eugene Mann funny thing is yamaha gave phil a heavy mass screw and he used it for years and when I asked him about it he said, “I dont know what it is, but its better with it!”

[@Lucia-kk4kn]

@@MattVashMusic funny. Thing is phil claim to switch from selmer to yamaha because his "old" lungs.....btw YOU sound absolutely Amazing on your old selmer.

[@MattVashMusic]

Ariel Rodriguez he switched because he had emphysema and the yamaha was easier for him to play. The screw I’m talking about he used on his yamaha.

[@budblevens6965]

I use heavy mass screws and they do exactly what I expected. They look great and are easy to turn. Nice brass with pearl insets.

[@AcevedoDMA]

Made a lot of excellent points jay. The biggest one is that such devices are not for beginners to use to suddenly sound better. They are more for refined artists to use to make a 1-2% change in sound.

[@matswessling6600]

no, they are made for easy fooled people of all levels..

[@AcevedoDMA]

@@matswessling6600. :-D

[@mrjp1819]

You have a wonderful sense of humor .. And we stand the message ... And if it really has a better sound, then saxophone manufacturers have probably made the metal thicker right there..to get a better sound.

[@bradsasher7196]

nope they are selling the mass screws? yanagisawa?

[@johnfilardi]

Intermediate player, I caved in and bought a KGU brass screw, I don’t hear enough of a difference to keep it on. Going back to work on tone ,practice, practice practice

[@CrisTc86]

I like T1 A and T2 B. Something sounded off i T1B and T2A. And was already a subscriber before 100k. Keep the videos coming

[@mccplayzmc7113]

That intro was extremely smooth.

[@wythetrumpet6419]

Hey man, I'm just a trumpet player and everyone knows a trumpet player owns at least 50 mouthpieces, so what's a few screws amongst friends! Seriously that was a great video as we trumpet players mess around with mass all over the horn! In the end it doesn't matter if you sit in the front row or stand in the back row; practice is everything! Cheers!

[@bettersax]

Thanks for the perspective..

[@waltari51]

When I read about all the great things that are going to improve the sound flowing from my saxophone, then I put on a video with Lester Young or Ben Webster then I find that it's not gadgets you hang on the instrument that determine how the saxophone sounds, usually it is the exercise that is the answer. Staffan

[@derekakien7379]

Even in those days with not so good recording gear they sounded great. Would love to hear Billy Holiday recording today.

[@tosinkingdavid7908]

Test 1 :A Test 2 : B

[@HealingWord_Psalm107-20]

I admire how you have made a name for yourself out of your many years of sax geekery.

[@bettersax]

Yeah, never thought that would pay off...

[@improvsax]

I didn’t hear any difference at all. Now when you did the reed comparison- there I heard a very noticable difference. Best thing I did to get a ‘bigger’ sound? Listened to recordings of myself and to players I thought had a great (and big) sound. Then tried things to get closer. Thank Yusef Lateef, Dexter Gordon

[@jamiekarlstevensmusic3361]

Love the no BS approach you take to gear videos. One thing from an 'experimental design' perspective, if there's any way that you could blind yourself to which gear is on your horn before you record (thus making it double blind), that would be the ideal setup. Obviously that could be too much of a pain in the arse to organise that, but it would be that extra step in trying to make sure your example recordings are as close to 'unbiased' as you can make them.

[@bettersax]

I just don't think these things could ever make enough of a difference to overcome all the other factors going on which would make any test pointless.

[@jmwoods190]

I've already suscribed to this channel long before 100K! It's because you're a great sax player and you advice is useful! Regarding how much difference the heavy mass screws make, I certainly can hear a difference, but like you said it is so minimal that it doesn't really matter. Yes good gear(along with lots of practice of course) can facilitate better playing, but certainly not the gadgets in this video.

[@sameochannel7637]

Yup...no Klangbogen for me :D ...BUT a reed geek ordered :D Tnx again for the best sax-channel ever!

[@Leo_TextoLib]

Perfect! *Those who study Sax technique don't have to spend a lot of money!*

[@elliotwoo6127]

JAY WITHOUT A HAT!!!

[@alexjones-anaya5097]

I bought a klangbogen, tried it on my Mk 6 and 1937 balanced action. Subtle differences... some better pitch stability and less spreadness to tone. If you have a pitch - squirrelly sax I’d get one. I like the spreadness of tone so I rarely use the device

[@alexjones-anaya5097]

Now the Reed Geek reed tool- that’s essential. I was an oboe player and am used to scraping reeds (adjusting sax reeds is a cakewalk compared to double reeds)- it will make you play better and save tons of money

[@londonduszynski3518]

Very late comment but I bought a Klangbogen about a month ago. I was very skeptical until I played it, then I bought it on the spot. I play a Sax Dakota alto and I tried it on my friends bronze Yanigasawa and it made a huge difference.

[@GarbageKnight]

the mouthpiece of my sax was flawed so now i am getting a replacement sent to me.the table was not flat, the rails had pits and chips in it. the reed would not seal to it. and after 20 hours of swonking away, i was like WTF why cant i get a note to sound stable, then i saw your mouthpiece video, looked at mine..and was like HOLY FREAK...so new mouthpiece on the way.

[@Humbardi]

What “ mouthpiece video” are you talking about ?

[@flyinggirl3121]

Yes, i could tell a very slight difference. Enjoying your channel! Thanks!

[@DmitriiSergheev]

I use Meridian Winds Ergonomic Heavy Mass Saxophone Neck Screws for Selmer ,and it is real make sound more focused and realy improve response in altissimo range!

[@liamf1463]

As usual excellent advice. Thanks

[@derekakien7379]

One of our top players had a Cannonball tenor. Came with a brass and a silver crook. He said the silver one had a quicker response so maybe weight is a factor.

[@masonthomassax]

I honestly find it makes a difference in the response; not the sound so much

[@coilhead]

Great video. I have a Meridian Winds ergonomic big @$$ screw on my 10M and Balanced Action. They look pretty (looks matter!) and I like the way they turn when I put my horn together. They do not influence my sound. I went through a real 'see for myself phase' years ago. Did things like had the neck on a horn silver plated 5x for extra mass and myself plus my tech could swear we got more focus, more power yadda yadda. But after a week I'd be struggling with the same thing I was before. I tried screws and strap hooks, de-lacquering my ugly horn, and whatever other things people suggested. I so wanted this stuff to work. I don't dismiss trying and seeing for yourself, I learned a lot then. I say go for it and have fun. So yeah, have a concept, practice practice and practice more. If you don't dig what you are getting start with a good teacher and try a different reed. The solution is often the work (which is not as exciting as spending money) or the little things like your brand / strength in reed, again not as fun as buying gadgets.

[@rityougetone2537]

I don't know how it happened, but with the super massive screw (in this instance) the tone was brighter and more consistent, but it kind of lacked... Oomf? Body? And then without, you got some of those kahonas in the sound, but going into that upper register it quieted up and got a little less consitant, tone wise. Is there a reason for that?

[@mrp1217]

Hey Jay! I dig your videos! I also completely agree with you that money should be better spent on lessons and time spent on practice. I studied some saxophone acoustics for my dissertation, and I'll share a bit for your readers. The vibrating column of air inside the horn creates the tone. The walls of the horn do interact with the column air in two primary ways: thermal transfer, and friction. In other words, the smoothness of the surface and the temperature of the material contacting the column of air affect the sound waves. The sax is not vibrating like a bell. It's not a percussion instrument. Furthermore, you can make a saxophone out of many other materials besides brass and get a very similar timbre. The SHAPE of the mouthpiece, neck, and horn make the greatest difference to actual sound quality. Any perceived difference in how a material perfroms is due to the player adding more or less energy into the system to counteract friction or heat loss. A good analogy is a ski. Any material will get you down the mountain. But different materials will FEEL very different to the user. Same result. However, if hanging fuzzy dice from the neck inspires a student to practice, then by all means do it!

[@hazlitt1]

You are wrong. Using different materials in your ski construction will give you a completely different result in your performance. It’s obvious you’re not a skier or a ski technician/manufacturer.

[@saxfish]

< Added mass "Darkens" my sound but....somehow, it smoothes the fingering mechanics and help embouchure gymnastics> Maybe I´m wrong but in all the tests I feel #1 had the added mass.

[@pokespencer23]

I love his honesty.

[@christiangonzalez5906]

That flinch before he plays the intro though 😂😂

[@stevel6895]

Your statement at 9:38 says it all. "It's not like the difference between a good reed and a so, so reed." So, no matter what gadget you apply to your instrument if the fundamental properties aren't up to snuff then your gadgets are irrelevant. Anyway, something tells me that soon saxophone manufacturers will be outfitting their horns with the heavy mass screws or at least giving the option. And then players will be debating whether or not replacing them with a standard screw make a difference in their sound ...

[@bettersax]

haha that is funny and very likely true.

[@peterrawlings3896]

Reminds me of the arguments over cryogenically freezing your saxophone; or whether a gold-plated neck sounds fuller than a silver-plated neck...

[@gipstetz6720]

Very interesting video. Thanks Jay. Have one. Thought it made a slight difference.

[@NathanRenson]

Great video, awesome information!

[@ethanzhang4475]

Fav channel not even kidding

[@caroh67]

Thank you for that great video.Jay. I agree with your thoughts about that staff. I have a student playing for 3 weeks and He really thought about buying something like that. But I could convince him that it is better and cheaper to spend time in practice 🎶🎷🎶 😉

[@Q.Lawrence]

The Vari Screw made a difference for me when I tried them. I was actually surprised, because I was skeptical.

[@CarlLewisonSax]

Martin Saxophones are made of heavier sleeker material. But most people don't like the ergonomics, but if you can play on a horn like that, the weight of the horn may make a fuller tone.

[@trobson9952]

I took a heavy lug bolt off of one of my truck wheels tapped it to fit my sax neck. Only adds about a pound of weight. Wow what a sound. My head only just a bit.

[@markwhite-what-da-jazz]

Another thing to look at making your sound warmer are the different sounds you get with different reeds. I like using different reeds for bright or warm sounds. Some reeds will respond much better for your high notes depending on your mouthpiece. On my brightest mouthpiece, I will use a more full-bodied sounding reed (like Francois Louis Excellence reeds or D'Addario Reserve reeds) or a warmer sounding reed (like Boston Sax reeds). I will not use a reed like the Rigotti Gold or Java Green on my bright sounding mouthpiece because the high notes are way too bright with those reeds. On my warmest sounding mouthpiece, I like to use a bright sounding reed, like the Rigotti Gold. The different ways the different reeds are shaped, have a huge effect on the sound of your sax. If you plan on purchasing a professional sax in the near future and you want a warm sound, maybe look at the top-of-line Cannonball saxes. They are a little too warm for me, but some saxophonists love them. I tried the Klangbogen and the heavy mass screws on all of my saxes and I didn't like the dampening of the overtones. The Klangbogen is very obvious about dampening the overtones. The Heavy mass screw seemed to affect only the higher notes on my sax. I like a good mix of the fundamental note and the overtones, so I didn't like these gadgets myself. Maybe if I had only Rigotti Gold reeds and I wanted to use my bright sounding mouthpiece, then I might like using one of these gadgets. I didn't think of trying that combination because I usually use the reed that I know sounds better with each mouthpiece.

[@bobbywhitney6262]

Well, Jay, you are 1000% correct that GOOD practice on your sax will develop a MASSIVE sound on the horn. But I thought this is a device to keep the neck of the saxophone from moving... I and other sax players may experience that the neck screw doesn't get tight enough so that the sax neck doesn't move while playing.

[@bettersax]

a different screw won't change that. If your neck isn't tight enough a good repair tech can fix that for you.

[@svetlanaanisimova4721]

Hello! It was interesting thing to check out. Anyway we like A configuration in both parts. Thank you for your thorough review!

[@fredssaxes]

I wonder if maybe the possible improvement of the heavy mass screw isn't due to the mass itself, but that the stronger screw tightens the neck into the socket better, giving a better seal. If you have a leaky neck joint I can see that a stronger tightening method could really help.

[@dakopis]

Or maybe the tighter fit achieved by using this screw allows for better transition of resonance from the neck into the body of the horn.

[@overthetarget9401]

This test confirms my own experience with the Klangbogen in the lyre holder, the "heavier" configuration either boosts the mids somewhat or, more likely, the overtones on top get somewhat muted resulting in a more centered but, to my ears, slightly less complex sound. Fatter, but more generic to my ears. Never tried heavy mass screws so can't comment on those. I suppose you could dial in your sound if you experimented with screws of different weight and get a happy medium of a tiny bit more meat without losing the finer details or you could just practice till you can make the cheapest china sax sound outstanding like the greats can. ;-)

[@WayneSwanson]

Aside from the dubious physics, it is interesting to think that there is any connection between physical mass and a sound that we metaphorically describe as "massive." By this logic wouldn't the sound be even more massive if we could hang a brick from the bell? Oh wait, that would inhibit the vibration of the brass. How about a string of lead weights hanging from the screw? (Ducking and running)

[@jacquesdeghorain3162]

well , well , well........

[@derekakien7379]

I imagine brick or lead would deaden the sound. Whereas a large gold ingot would liven up the sound. If you would like to send me one I will happily review it for you.

[@TheBoogie1127]

Because bricks dont vibrate like metal. Simple "dubious" physics

[@danielaluna500]

Best ever intros!!!

[@ngtamphuong]

For both tests, I prefer B. I hear a more vibrant sound, especially in low notes, it's like the horn breathe easier. Turns out B is the plain brass screw. I guess it's like singing with a weight tight around your neck vs without haha.

[@DynamixWarePro]

Love the into, funny! You didn't say which was which on the blind tests though. I voted for A on first blind test and then B on second. I haven't tried any of these so cannot comment, I did change my neck screw on my alto from a gold lacquered brass on to a silver plated brass one and didn't notice any difference, the biggest positive difference in my playing came when I changed reeds and ligatures which gave me the sound and resistance I needed to produce a good tone.

[@bettersax]

Answers are in the description below video.

[@BlowhardyMcBee]

It's just psycho-acoustics... part of it is the actual sound in the players head (more specifically, in their mouth) and nobody in front of the horn can tell the difference. The other is a placebo effect. You have this thing that makes you "sound better," but it could just be the added confidence in the gimmick that helps you perform better.

[@BlowhardyMcBee]

And I've noticed that I can play much better after I've seen a black cat cross the street.

[@lynnjanken7561]

B

[@kevinstrange9647]

Absolutely perfect. I prefer the one where Jay plays...and then gets after me for not practicing enough...yeah that’s the sound I like.

[@quinnadajar8140]

I have tried several mass accessories. Different Meridian Winds screws, Sax Gadgets Vari-screw, bell brace weights, and Lefreque's of different sizes. I find that most affect the response of the instrument. Does it affect how you sound? Maybe, if you consider how the resistance of certain areas of the horn affect sound production (primarily through how resistance impacts articulation). In my experience, the added mass usually solidifies or "deadens" response of certain areas of the horn. This resistance can be good or bad depending on what you want from your saxophone. The particular instrument you play on will affect how the mass accessories feel to you compared to others. A bell brace mass that gives a healthy amount of resistance to a different sax than you play may deaden the response for you. I noticed this particularly when A/B'ing my professors AWO10 against my AWO30. All said and done, I don't own any mass products personally, though I might consider purchasing if I had a longer time to assess the different products. One thing to note is that the pedagogy I study allows for the saxophone to resonate more than other schools of thought. Some pedagogies may change how some respond to the same mass products (I would think). The only way to tell if mass accessories make a difference is to try them (I wouldn't dream of buying something like this without a trial first). (On a bit of a side note, you classically trained folks should try out the Peak Performance bell rings if you want something that's actually worth the money. They are actually quite interesting in how they affect response, especially in the low end of the horn)

[@KrisVComm]

I added a Klanbogen and was able to hook up much better with less wheel spin. It shaved off an extra .3 seconds in the 1/4 mile. So...there is that! Oh yeah, cool Yanagisawa Tenor! Also, if you mount the Klangbogen mittengrabbenfingerpokken the other way around (with the parabola open to the listener) you can send shock waves through the brain and alter neuron synapses at a distance of up to (and sometimes exceeding) 60 paces...more if there is a charging black rhino. Personally, I am waiting for my Legere synthetic KlangbogenKlingenSchnauzer

[@bettersax]

haha

[@alexwillats]

Thanks Jay! The comment about those Great Sax Recordings being made without a 'heavy-mass-screw-thing' really brought the point home. Practice practice practice and beware of G.A.S.!

[@PierreVeniot]

Neck tighten screw broke on my tenor, have to get to repair and take out the part left inside the thread! Good time to ''upgrade'' even if it does not do much to improve the tone. I like the idea of a sturdy heavy screw though.

[@MattVashMusic]

I think the biggest issue with these is that most people don’t understand the point of the product and when it doesn’t deliver on their extreme expectations it is deemed BS. It is much more about feel and tweaking on a subtle level to “dial things in.” It is not (at least in the case of the Vari-Screw, I can only speak for that) marketed to drastically transform your sound into the best sounding most massive awesome professional musician playing the hippest notes and licks that ever existed in music. I have tried to be careful in saying it is primarily for response. It is actually designed for the people who HAVE spent hours upon hours practicing, who have a solid understanding, intimate connection and familiarity with their instrument who have spent years dialing in a horn, mouthpiece, ligature, and reed cut and who are looking for slight adjustability in response based on reed life, acoustic environment, weather, demands of the music (low note articulation or excessive altissimo, etc) perceived projection in a particular setting, reaction to what the horn is feeding back to you, and the list goes on. Those things are real, but one must be aware of them, care about them, and spend time developing a feel for them to notice changes in them. It is through developing these skills your sound gets better! The screw helps enhance this experience. You will always have people who agree or disagree with these points, and thats fine, these products aren’t for them, but on the other hand, nobody is forcing anyone to use them.

[@ojaiallen8004]

Thanks for the review Jay. As a functional alto sax beginner, I just want to know if those devices can help to stop my crook/neck from spinning freely in the tenon. If yes, please to let me know which one can. Thanks.

[@BlowhardyMcBee]

You need to have your neck tennon fit by a professional repair tech. I charge $40 to do that.

[@bettersax]

no they won't tighten it up any more than the screw you already have.

[@ojaiallen8004]

@@bettersax Thanks

[@stevenswartz5516]

Great video, Jay, as usual. Emilio Lyons, Lexington, MA, AKA "The Sax Doctor" added a baffle to my Vandoren A35 alto mouthpiece. Much easier to get a nice, full sound, so I'm practicing more and enjoying it more! You're correct -- practice, man, practice. Works wonders, rather than "screwing round" (ouch) with gizmos and gadgets. Steve Swartz, "The JOY of SAX!"

[@TheM8Y87]

I got one of these at a discount and decided to buy it. I used it on my bari and never really noticed much of a difference, i would say the onlything i noticed was a bit less vibartion in the feedback of the instruments but really it still sounds the same. Definitely would recommend getting a new mouthpiece or ligature or something else as a upgrade instead of a silly little screw. Plus the player always makes more of a difference than the equipments your using, thats why i gotta get back to practicing.

[@gustavobertoni1381]

PLEASE MAKE YOUR GIVEAWAYS WORLDWIDE!!!

[@michaltanay2315]

I would like to buy same botch like you have on your Tenor Saxophone But on them website which one option I can add to buy ?

[@patrickkelcey2435]

My system 76 2nd is very free blowing, great intonation, great action but no resistance. With my Morgan Excalibur I'm used to really warming it up. I'm thinking about going to a Florida.. Is that wrong?..... Am I selling out or is there still something exciting to learn...!!