Greetings all, I could use some input from those with relevant experience with a few alto horns I'm considering for a backup;
Antigua Pro One
Conn Selmer La Vie 240-250
Conn Selmer Premiere 380
I'd like to use practical terms and attributes with as little subjectivity as possible;
Is it free, or resistant blowing? With what mpc?
Ergonomics and spring tension, tight, springy, spread out? My JK EX90 III had platform key touches that made for a different feel that was fine for average large hands.
Build quality, if acquired new were there any problems with the finish and or mechanisms? I purchased a new bad Buffet 400 not long ago that had a poorly fitted neck tenon, loose rt palm key rod that couldn't be tightened needing heavy oil to keep quiet and a couple of bare areas on the neck. The horn looked wonderful and played well but couldn't be trusted.
Intonation and personal thoughts on sound quality limited to dark and bright.
My regular is a Cannonball Stone series Alto with its stock 5J mpc which so far has played the best for me in my several years of tinkering to now seriously playing the sax. I chose it over the Mauriat 67 and Yamaha 875 EX by play test comparison about a year ago. I also use Fibracell reeds exclusively. I prefer their level of consistency and ease of play to all the adjectives that are said to come from ~3 out of a box of 10 cane reeds.
You can stop here unless you like rhetoric.
I started learning when the internet was in its infancy. Although I was well aware of Kenney G at the time, it was Gerald Albright and David Sanborn (whom I've had the privilege of meeting) that inspired me to play. I joined a woodwind website about 2 years ago and have been messed up ever since. Prior to that I purchased horns and mpcs solely on appearance, reputation/affiliation and price, very easy. Now we have all these different levels of horns despite their having to subscribe to the same laws and required dimensions of physics in order to play properly.
With that said, I firmly believe the difference between a said good horn vs. a bad via a testimonial, often is the result of the mouthpiece for the most part. When I first played my Cannonball, I thought to myself, "At last, the impossible has been achieved". Free blowing as noted during the play test, but even more so with its own mpc. Firm in the hands, very comfortable and just the right vibration for me.
Then I put my existing favorite of all times Jazz ESM #6 mpc (high baffle) on it. That mpc came stock with my JK EX90 III and wowed me when I first played it 8 yrs ago. On the Cannonball it sounded like "quack". My ears immediately said "Don't ever do that again". It was at that moment that I realized an other wise well made well sounding mpc, did not automatically mean it would be the same on any other horn of good quality. That was an eye opening moment for me into just how dynamic the right horn and mpc combo can be and probably why so many of us have gone through so many mouthpieces and horns although I doubt I can get more joy than I already have with my CB.
I believe it is appropriate for manufacturers to disclose the exact mpc setup used to vet their horns because of this. If I had used my ESM mpc on the CB during the play test in the store, I'm not sure what my thoughts would have been. I may have missed obtaining what I now play and have been most fond of out of all the horns and mouthpieces that have passed through my hands.
I'd advise one take at least two different mpcs for a play test as your favorite might not be the best for the horn you're considering which may be a perfect fit for you. In all fairness, of the 3 horns I play tested before purchasing the CB, the Yamaha 875 was the only one I used the ESM Jazz piece on, perhaps that's why I was not impressed with it. All 3 tests were on different days.
Thanks
Antigua Pro One
Conn Selmer La Vie 240-250
Conn Selmer Premiere 380
I'd like to use practical terms and attributes with as little subjectivity as possible;
Is it free, or resistant blowing? With what mpc?
Ergonomics and spring tension, tight, springy, spread out? My JK EX90 III had platform key touches that made for a different feel that was fine for average large hands.
Build quality, if acquired new were there any problems with the finish and or mechanisms? I purchased a new bad Buffet 400 not long ago that had a poorly fitted neck tenon, loose rt palm key rod that couldn't be tightened needing heavy oil to keep quiet and a couple of bare areas on the neck. The horn looked wonderful and played well but couldn't be trusted.
Intonation and personal thoughts on sound quality limited to dark and bright.
My regular is a Cannonball Stone series Alto with its stock 5J mpc which so far has played the best for me in my several years of tinkering to now seriously playing the sax. I chose it over the Mauriat 67 and Yamaha 875 EX by play test comparison about a year ago. I also use Fibracell reeds exclusively. I prefer their level of consistency and ease of play to all the adjectives that are said to come from ~3 out of a box of 10 cane reeds.
You can stop here unless you like rhetoric.
I started learning when the internet was in its infancy. Although I was well aware of Kenney G at the time, it was Gerald Albright and David Sanborn (whom I've had the privilege of meeting) that inspired me to play. I joined a woodwind website about 2 years ago and have been messed up ever since. Prior to that I purchased horns and mpcs solely on appearance, reputation/affiliation and price, very easy. Now we have all these different levels of horns despite their having to subscribe to the same laws and required dimensions of physics in order to play properly.
With that said, I firmly believe the difference between a said good horn vs. a bad via a testimonial, often is the result of the mouthpiece for the most part. When I first played my Cannonball, I thought to myself, "At last, the impossible has been achieved". Free blowing as noted during the play test, but even more so with its own mpc. Firm in the hands, very comfortable and just the right vibration for me.
Then I put my existing favorite of all times Jazz ESM #6 mpc (high baffle) on it. That mpc came stock with my JK EX90 III and wowed me when I first played it 8 yrs ago. On the Cannonball it sounded like "quack". My ears immediately said "Don't ever do that again". It was at that moment that I realized an other wise well made well sounding mpc, did not automatically mean it would be the same on any other horn of good quality. That was an eye opening moment for me into just how dynamic the right horn and mpc combo can be and probably why so many of us have gone through so many mouthpieces and horns although I doubt I can get more joy than I already have with my CB.
I believe it is appropriate for manufacturers to disclose the exact mpc setup used to vet their horns because of this. If I had used my ESM mpc on the CB during the play test in the store, I'm not sure what my thoughts would have been. I may have missed obtaining what I now play and have been most fond of out of all the horns and mouthpieces that have passed through my hands.
I'd advise one take at least two different mpcs for a play test as your favorite might not be the best for the horn you're considering which may be a perfect fit for you. In all fairness, of the 3 horns I play tested before purchasing the CB, the Yamaha 875 was the only one I used the ESM Jazz piece on, perhaps that's why I was not impressed with it. All 3 tests were on different days.
Thanks
