Miscellaneous A GAS-Free Player?

[Veggie Dave]

With all the talk recently about buying, selling and wishing, I started to wonder how many of you bought gear that worked for you and you stuck with it?

I found out recently that I've been playing for 8 years now. In all that time I've bought two altos (the 1st one was a Selmer Modele 26 that had a lot of 'personality' that I found in a junk shop. When I realised I liked playing the alto, I got a better one that I've played ever since) and two tenors (the 1st was a Trevor James that really was a spur of the moment purchase from Sax when they were in Denmark Street. After a good few years I managed to find a Keilwerth MKX that I've loved ever since).

Two alto mouthpieces, three tenor 'pieces, three straps, one sax case and that's it.

I can't be the only person who found gear that works and stuck with it ... can I?

 

[lig]

My main alto has been with me for 25+ years. I have other horns and would love to add an Ishimori or R&C but certainly don't need them.

Have been using on my Ishimori tenor for 5ish years and zero desire for another tenor.

Cloudvocal Prime wireless mic for over 5 years and would only replace if / when they come out with a new one. It's been excellent.


Otherwise - I'm pretty gassy. 😀.

 

[lydian]

I stuck with my Mark VI and Berg nearly 50 years.

 

[SaxOfSteel]

I've had my alto since 1981. I've been told the new manager are "less clunky" but I see no need to change.

Tenor, which I started in earnest during the pandemic, had seen much more churn recently. I'm on my third, and last, horn now. I have a good setup for it, but an still curious about trying new things.

 

[PigSquealer]

I can't be the only person who found gear that works and stuck with it ... can I?

How many times have you tested other products ? Something different than a Harley ? If nothing else just for the experience.
I ask the testing question due to an experience this year.
A player had a sax looked after by a multitude of technicians. Including being returned to factory for review. Everyone could make it play just fine. Everyone but the owner. He lacks experience beyond two mouthpieces and two altos.


To answer the topic question. Yes, I’ve bought gear and struck with it….multiple times 🤣.

 

[Jeanette]

I started on a hired sop, bought a Trevor James replaced it with my YSS62 and stuck with that ever since. I bought a back up but it was a cheap BW.

Alto only had the one. YAS 25

I have messed about with mouthpieces but still not found the one. Which probably really means it's me and lack of practice 😃

Jx

 

[jazzdoh]

I am another convert for sticking with what works.
Had my soprano for close to 30 years, the same tenor for nearly 20 years.
Alto for 14 years.
If it works why change.

 

[Targa]

I bought a cheap alto to 'have a go on' in '09 then after a few months bought a Hanson tenor and sold the alto.
A few years later bought a Hanson Alto as well.
Besides the mps they came with I've bought two mps for each, last ones in '15.

 

[mizmar]

OooooKayyyyy but
If someone was a pro and could be called upon to produce various, idiomatic, sounds for different genres - classical, rock, jazz or whatever - wouldn't a certain variety of MPs (at least) be tools of the trade? Not to mention various mics for various tasks etc.

 

[Pete Thomas]

- classical, rock, jazz or whatever - wouldn't a certain variety of MPs (at least) be tools of the trade?

Not really. Maybe at most one for classical one for everything else (depending how versatile the "everything else" mouthpiece is. That's the way it has been for me as a pro called upon called upon to produce various, idiomatic, sounds for different genres. The most versatility that has been required of me has usually been on film sessions where soundtracks can often cover many different genres.


As far as microphones, it has never once been expected for me to supply a microphone.

In my experience, a pro would usually have enough of a developed embouchure (along with a thorough familiarity with their current setup) that they wouldn't usually need to rely on mouthpiece changing for different genres.

 

[Grumps]

I got into the whole online saxophone community thing back at the turn of the century. It did open me up to different horns, mouthpieces, etc. and I jumped right in. Didn't take me too long to find my preferred gear and other than picking up a vintage soprano about seven years or so ago for a specific ensemble, I haven't changed equipment for a couple decades now.

 

[Veggie Dave]

OooooKayyyyy but
If someone was a pro and could be called upon to produce various, idiomatic, sounds for different genres - classical, rock, jazz or whatever - wouldn't a certain variety of MPs (at least) be tools of the trade? Not to mention various mics for various tasks etc.

I'm not saying you shouldn't buy stuff, I only asked if I'm the only person who doesn't habitually buy stuff whether I need it or not.

How many times have you tested other products ?

When I decided it was time to buy a new mouthpiece and when I decided it was time to buy a new sax (both tenor and alto), I played every horn and mouthpiece I could find (well, everything under £4000 anyway). I went through Sax.co.uk's entire stock, the same for Howarth's of London (both new and 2nd hand).

It's getting to the point where I think I'll be doing this all again as I think there might now be a better alto out there for my needs.

 

[mizmar]

It's getting to the point where I think I'll be doing this all again

I kinda think, if one was in London when you do that; it'd be worth popping along, take some sandwiches, maybe sell tickets...

 

[MikeMorrell]

I'm pretty sure that I'm GAS-Free. Not only with sax stuff but with photography stuff, home electronics, etc.
In the sense that in 30 years of playing amateur sax I've 'upgraded':
- my (only) tenor sax' just once (new Vito -> vintage Buffet Crampon Super Dynaction)
- my mpc's a handful of times whenever I felt limited by the amount of 'air' I could get into my current mpc when playing FF or solos during my first 5-10 years of playing; the only exception was buying a PPT 9 years ago just for more tone flexibility

During the past year, I did need to replace my 30-year-old lig which kept falling apart. The year before I also needed to replace my 29-year old 'sax rucksack'.

I have no strong opinions on 'GAS-members' . If you have the money to spend, the interest, the potential benefits or just the 'enjoyment value', then just go for it. I have none of these.

I decided long ago that the tenor sax is 'my sax. Though I've had 'try-outs' on borrowed sop., alto and bari saxes over the years, I've never been tempted to buy/rent/play any of these 'for my own enjoyment'. And there have never been 'band opportunities' for which I needed to play anything other than tenor sax.

Mike

PS. My home 'stereo system' is now 45-years old (though the analogue radio no longer works). My home TV (which I got years ago from a friend whose aunt/uncle had died) is 14-years old. I had to replace my Laptop a few years back because the screen broke. So my adage is always 'if it still works and is still OK to use, then keep using it'. In the full knowledge that that there are always 'other' and usually 'much more advanced' options/products available.

 

[Pete Thomas]

Although I used to be a bit if a collector of Coll and rare items (hence the Clar-o-Sax, Saxie, Grafton etc.). I stopped all that when we decided to move house a few years back and realised it’s harder to move without vicious decluttering.

I still have a yearning for power tools though but I have disciplined myself to need a reason.

After moving I realised it would be cheaper (and more fun) to buy a hammer drill than have a (London prices) tradesperson.

 

[Ivan]

Alto monogamy, SA80, from 1983 until this year when I bought a YAS 80z which has opened up pastures new

Two long term tenors, but I ignore my SA80ii for the more recently purchased Sequoia

One sop

One excellent baritone... but I've developed a bari itch... which is 95% GAS

 

[cappers]

A beginner's perspective on GAS after a year of learning........ I get bouts of it but am trying to ignore it!

I wanted a tenor but when I saw a 'closet queen' YAS-25 cheap I bought it to start learning on. A few months later the same local vendor offered me a YTS-25 for much less than it was worth. Both needed COA but nothing major. I was more than happy with both but decided to stick with the tenor for now. One horn, one mpc, one type of reed until I'm more competent.

Then a few months later a friend offered me their almost mint Vito 7131 (YTS-23 stencil made by Yamaha) and I couldn't refuse. Thought to keep it as a back-up/spare. It sounds different to the '25, darker less vibrant but lovely.

All came with standard 4C mpc but I got a 5C for the tenor. Ignored all the threads about this or that mpc but succumbed to @Pete Thomas' Selmer Soloist Style Longshank size E which I now use. Took a while to get used to it after the 5C but I love it and have no desire to 'upgrade'.

Ligatures are standard metal two-screw Yamaha and Selmer (brass and silver respectively). To me they are just reed clamps and I cannot hear a difference in sound with the fancy ones in the videos I've seen.

Straps are a Cebulla and a Sax-Holder. I like the latter but not the way the abdominal brace moves around, the Cebulla is good but not for more than an hour or so.

Reeds.....Rico Royal, then Alexander DC, then Selmer Classic, all 2-2.5. I got a box of BSS Blue Box 2 for Xmas. Blew one today....very nice, dark, rich and easy to blow. They might be my go to's.

As an old amateur with a relatively limited time left to learn and play I have little desire to get a 'better' horn, mpc etc. These are good horns despite their 'beginner' epithet and enough for me.

After hearing a YTS-61 I might be tempted if I see one!

Happy New Year and Carry On Blowing

 

[mizmar]

I would like to give a hat tip to my Six - yes 6 - D, C, Bb, Eb, F and Low D tin whistles.
Also my D, C and low A reed flutes (Nay) (excluding my set of plastic ones)
A Tenor and an Alto Sax; and a Clarinet.
And an underused ePiano.

Pretty GASsy, I guess.

I thought I was done but, then I saw this

😘

Mind you - £15.90...

 

[Jules]

I'm pretty monogamous with my kit- Sig Custom tenor since about 2015 (and still serving me beautifully), Theo Wanne Amma for about the same length of time. Cheap 'n' cheerful alto and sop (both tick logo Sakkusus)- not really got much desire to change any of the above (unless someone wants to sell me a Rampone curved bronze sop for- well- whatever isn't going to cripple my bank balance, unlikely).
Can't help feel getting GASsy would be far too stressful for me

 

[dexdex]

I think of my setups as pretty stabilized.
Baritone, curved soprano and MkVII tenor since 1996. Alto since 2006. 3 and 2 decades. Not bad.
Additional (and main) tenor since 2023, straight soprano since 2025.
Some open iterations on soprano mouthpieces, but things seem pretty set.