The most important factor in tone production is you, the player. Next, the mouthpiece set-up swiftly followed by the crook...........................................


For many years sax players have been enhancing their set ups with custom crooks.  Many different styles are available: solid silver, silver plated, gold plated, bronze, copper & even wood! It's not just the material that's different as often they have a slightly different design.

Yanagisawa Solid Silver - "This solid silver crook reduces resistance when you blow and really opens the sound up. Its as if the air flows more smoothly over the silver. I tried it on my Guardala and the improvement was instantaneous and dramatic. For the same amount of effort so much more sound comes out of the sax. The delicate hand engraving is an optional extra." Phill.

This is the latest from Yanagisawa, Pink Gold! It's a bronze crook, plated in a mixture of 80% gold and 20% silver.

Yanagisawa brass gold plated. Gold plating gives a little extra zest, better clarity, extra projection and looks beautiful!

Yanagisawa Bronze. If there's one criticism that's occasionally made about the Yani A901 it's that the tone is a little lightweight. Well, here's the solution - put a bronze crook on it. I've just finished my tests and I'm pleasantly surprised by the results.  By putting the crook from the bronze bodied 902 alto on to the brass bodied 901, the tone warms-up considerably.  It sounds like a more breathy and vintage sound, and I would describe it as being about half way to two thirds of the way to playing on an entirely bronze bodied Yanagisawa saxophone.  I moved back and forward several times between the two and the difference was instant every time.  Back on the 901 it felt a little lighter and clearer in tone - still very pleasant - but definitely darker and more vintage-like in quality when moving to the 902 crook.  I also tried the underslung bronze crook from the A991 and I found this to have exactly the same effect as the 902 crook.  The fitting was absolutely fine, and the intonation on all combinations seemed very accurate.

Yanagisawa brass & bronze soprano crooks now available.

Keilwerth Copper. "This Crook only fits Keilwerth saxes SX90/SX90R due to the unusually large bore. The copper crook instantly gave a big, loud,  direct and focused sound, but didn't lose any richness. It makes the tone more resonant and creates better clarity and projection. Also, it adds increased tonal and dynamic control. One of the most notable combo's is with the black nickel plate and the solid nickel silver saxes". -  Tritsan at sax.co.uk.

Keilwerth Diamond Copper. "If you already have an SX90R tenor and you are looking for even more power and drive in the sound, then this crook could be the answer for you! Critics of the SX90R may say that it can sound a little muddy and ‘boomy’, particularly around the lower octave. By using this crook you can counteract this feeling by adding a certain resonance which brings out these notes a little more clearly. Also adds clarity and brilliance to the altissimo range. Note that this crook will only fit the Keilwerth SX90R range as the bore size is larger than that of the other major brands." Jim@sax.co.uk

Selmer (Paris) Reference 36. This gold lacquered brass crook is a significant factor in making the Reference 36 sound like an old Selmer Balanced Action. Fits straight onto Yamaha 62, Yamaha Custom and Guardala. Sounds great on Selmer Series 2 & 3 but you will need to shorten the octave rod very slightly.

Selmer (Paris) Reference 54. This crook sits a little lower and is a significant factor in making the Reference 54 sound like an old Mark 6. Fits straight onto Yamaha 62, Yamaha Custom and Guardala. Sounds great on Selmer Series 2 & 3 but you will need to shorten the octave rod very slightly. If you have a Reference 36 this is a great add on to get those Mark 6 tones.
 

< Selmer solid silver. Fits all current Selmers. Tested by Tristan here at saxophones.co.uk "Instantly less resistant so more free blowing giving greater projection & response. Also gives a slightly brighter edge to the tone that cuts through nicely. Worked especially well with the Reference 54."

< Selmer copper crooks
for alto & tenor.

Selmer Necks (Crooks) Solid silver & Booster.  By Hook Or Buy Crook? (by Will Hood, sax.co.uk)

We now have solid silver Selmer crooks (both the ref: 36’ and 54’) for sale as a modifier to your existing set up.  But can a different crook really make a significance difference to your playing experience?  I road tested both these models on their respective tenor saxes, as well as a booster crook (made of brass) to see what changes to the character of your sound they can offer.

Ref 36’ Tenor

The ref 36’, as many will know is an attempt by Selmer to re create their highly revered super balanced action series from the thirties.  Whether they have achieved this task or not, there can be little doubt that this is a truly impressive tenor saxophone; hard to beat for tone, intonation and flexibility, played with its existing brass neck it is a pleasure to blow through and you could be forgiven for thinking that things couldn’t get too much better.                     

(i)         +Solid silver 36’ crook

The first thing you notice is a subtle change in the harmonic content of your tone; particularly noticeable in the extremes of register, the difference is similar in texture to the timbre produced by a silver plated (or even solid silver) bodied saxophone.  I did not expect this result from the changing of a crook.  The definition of tongued notes seemed greatly improved as well as the overall dynamic range of the instrument.  Surprised as I am to admit it this is a remarkable improvement to both tone and projection of an already quite remarkable instrument.

(ii)        +Solid silver 54’ crook

Once again, slightly dubious that there would be a difference between the two crooks, to my surprise the 54’ has a distinctly different character, which does indeed change your playing experience albeit quite subtly.  Whereas the 36’ had a very smooth attack (making for a slinky sounding articulation) the 54’ attacks much faster, lending itself to a punchier more percussive projection.  Although not necessary louder in its own right, this increase in dynamic seems to lead the player towards a bigger and more aggressive sound.  Would be ideal for anyone that wants to ‘beef up’ their tenor playing or command a little more attention from the audience at the back of the room.

 (iii)       +The booster crook  (brass with lacquer)

The booster crook, inconspicuous in appearance seems to do exactly what it says on the tin.  It boosts your sound!  Lacking in the distinguished character of the silver, it leaves you with the sensation that you’ve had your volume notched up a couple of decibels without any extra effort required from the player.  There is a sense that you are being given an improved dynamic and breadth of tone, but in comparison to the silver it feels a little like cheating.  Will certainly do the job if you’re having trouble standing out from the crowd i.e. big band soloing, but definitely lacking the personality of the 54’ or 36’ silver crooks.  The significance of this (it should be pointed out) is to the credit of the silver not necessarily the detriment of the booster. 

(iv) +The booster crook  (brass, gold plated & hand engraving)

Now you're talking - all the power of the regular booster neck with the charisma of the
solid silver and more! The gold plating creates additional resonance making the sound
come alive with extra clarity & zing.

Ref 54’ Tenor

The ref 54’, has been modelled on what many consider to be the holy grail of saxophones – the MK 6 and is very much a heavy weight of tenor saxes.  To make modifications to the best of what Selmer are able to offer, once again I examined the differences a crook can make.

(i)         +Solid silver 36’ crook

For those of you that haven’t yet had the pleasure, the ref 54’ has a massive bottom end and an almost frighteningly powerful voice when blown properly.  On first impression this crook seems to pleasantly tame the beast that is the 54’ and flatters its’ massive sound making it more manageable.  Still retaining much of it’s strength it gives the instrument the warmer/friendlier characteristic of a vintage instrument and although still capable of being very loud, takes a little of the aggression out of the final note.  In short using this crook seems to borrow a little of the ref 36’s spirit and compliments this instrument beautifully.

(ii)        +Solid silver 54’ crook

Click here for prices & ordering Custom Crooks

From: paulboehmke [mailto:paul.ryanassoc@snet.net]
Sent: 22 September 2003 16:20
Subject: RE: BRONZE ALTO NECK- YANI A 901
I DID ALL THOSE GIGS I TOLD YOU ABOUT OVER THE WEEKEND, AND EVERYONE LOVED THE SOUND USING THE BRONZE A 902 NECK ON THE A 901 ALTO. THE FIT AND INTONATION WERE BOTH PERFECT, AND THE FEEL WAS CERTAINLY MUCH CLOSER TO THE OLDER SOUND PRODUCED BY VINTAGE AMERICAN AND FRENCH INSTRUMENTS THAN THAT WHICH COMES FROM THE BRASS STANDARD NECK. I WOULD RECOMMEND THIS AS A CHOICE FOR ANYONE WHO WANTS TO GO IN THIS DIRECTION.  AN EXTREMELY HIGH QUALITY PRODUCT FOR A VERY GOOD PRICE- THE ESSENCE OF GOOD VALUE.

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