Beginner Saxes Arbiter pro sound... Taiwan.

[Stephen Howard]

Yeah, he said he bought it from ebay from the states just over 20 yrs ago and was serviced 4 months ago. No paperwork. Serial number says 1981 series I. Alot of lacquer missing but still looks nice. I don't know a better horn player unfortunately 🙄 to take with me. Thinking of going tomorrow 🤔🤷

OK, sounds kosher.
Don't worry too much about the lacquer...it tends to fall off Selmers almost as soon as you look at them. Best to get it over and done with 🙂

Ask about any body damage. Any major knocks or repairs? Any evidence of solderwork? If so, is it neat and tidy?

Paperwork means very little when it comes to horns. Names do. Dawkes have a competent reputation.
Take your Arbiter with you - compare how the two horns play side by side.
Don't go mad or get busy. Play maybe one scale, or even just a three or four note riff, then switch horns. No talking inbetween...keep the sound in your head - and make sure you suss out the mouthpiece positions first. You want both horns to be in tune with each other.

And then trust to your feelings. Does it FEEL good. Does it respond. Does it feel like two grands' worth.
And most importantly...note what the Selmer has over the Arbiter...but focus too on what it doesn't have.

And have a great day out...even if you come back empty-handed. A good seller will always want you to be happy.

 

[teen37]

OK, sounds kosher.
Don't worry too much about the lacquer...it tends to fall off Selmers almost as soon as you look at them. Best to get it over and done with 🙂

Ask about any body damage. Any major knocks or repairs? Any evidence of solderwork? If so, is it neat and tidy?

Paperwork means very little when it comes to horns. Names do. Dawkes have a competent reputation.
Take your Arbiter with you - compare how the two horns play side by side.
Don't go mad or get busy. Play maybe one scale, or even just a three or four note riff, then switch horns. No talking inbetween...keep the sound in your head - and make sure you suss out the mouthpiece positions first. You want both horns to be in tune with each other.

And then trust to your feelings. Does it FEEL good. Does it respond. Does it feel like two grands' worth.
And most importantly...note what the Selmer has over the Arbiter...but focus too on what it doesn't have.

And have a great day out...even if you come back empty-handed. A good seller will always want you to be happy.

Thanks so much for all that great advice Stephen, I definitely wouldn't have thought of all that. I'll let y'all know how it goes 😉

 

[Stephen Howard]

Are you kidding me? Or just deliberately wasting my time?

There's a whole world of difference between a Selmer, a Yani and a Yamaha. Three entirely different tonal philosophies. It's fine if those nuances are beyond you (though I find that many a 'newbie' is able to discern the differences) but pretty much everyone else considers them to be really rather important. And so they should - because they are.

I want to clarify this post because it occurs to me that I have been unduly harsh.

Yes, I agree that that the difference between the vintage beauties (or bangers...depending on your perspective) is greater than those of contemporary horns - but that's largely - if not totally - due to striving for more precise tuning on an instrument that is massively compromised by its inherent design. Such thing are important to working pros.

But I very much stand by my comments about the nuances that exist between contemporary horns - and their (subjective) magnitude. If players didn't want/desire these features then they wouldn't exist...because no-one would buy them.

So I apologise for my harshness - I realise I could have phrased it more kindly. But make no mistake, the message would still have been the same 🙂

 

[skeller047]

I’ve been rereading the Harry Potter books lately. (Yes I know, I’m verging on octogenarian territory and I love these “kid’s books”…. OK, I’m still a kid!)

In volume 6, Harry Potter and The Half-Blood Prince, Harry makes the comment, twice, that he is “Dumbledore’s man through and through.” That captures exactly how I feel about Selmer saxophones from the 1950’s and 1960’s (SBA and Mark VI). They are like no other, and for me, are the best ever made. I have played many other saxophones over the years, and even own a few (!), but my Mark VI tenor and SBA alto remain the standards by which I judge other horns. All of which fall short in some way or another.

@Stephen Howard - I appreciate straightforward talk, and have little patience with people that find it offensive. I understand your apology, and yet at the same time, decry the need for it. You insulted no one, and your point was clear. I am glad you stick by it.

 

[Stephen Howard]

@Stephen Howard - I appreciate straightforward talk, and have little patience with people that find it offensive. I understand your apology, and yet at the same time, decry the need for it. You insulted no one, and your point was clear. I am glad you stick by it.

I appreciate the comments. It's less about what what other people think (past caring at my age) and more about what I think. 🙂

 

[turf3]

I want to clarify this post because it occurs to me that I have been unduly harsh.

Yes, I agree that that the difference between the vintage beauties (or bangers...depending on your perspective) is greater than those of contemporary horns - but that's largely - if not totally - due to striving for more precise tuning on an instrument that is massively compromised by its inherent design. Such thing are important to working pros.

But I very much stand by my comments about the nuances that exist between contemporary horns - and their (subjective) magnitude. If players didn't want/desire these features then they wouldn't exist...because no-one would buy them.

So I apologise for my harshness - I realise I could have phrased it more kindly. But make no mistake, the message would still have been the same 🙂

I'm OK. I've done manual labor, engineering, musical performance, with people from all walks of life and backgrounds. I can tolerate a bit of frank talk. (Go disturb a machinery mechanic who's got the entire transfer machine disassembled and spread out on the plant floor, and two hours to get it back up and running, and you'll get used to "frank talk".) We're good.