Saxophones Any Antigua owners on the forum?

[Chris Sax]

Looking at buying a second hand Antigua for my brother, found one but unsure of the model and only have limited info about it.

Serial - L00064219

Pic (Very unclear!) -

Anyone any ideas of the model? Or how the sax rates?

Tried finding out on SOTW forum....but no one got back to me.

Merry Christmas!

Chris!

 

[kevgermany]

Looking at buying a second hand Antigua for my brother, found one but unsure of the model and only have limited info about it.

Serial - L00064219

Pic (Very unclear!) -

Anyone any ideas of the model? Or how the sax rates?

Tried finding out on SOTW forum....but no one got back to me.

Merry Christmas!

Chris!

I know nothing - except I've seen them well recommended in the US, especially SOTW.

 

[AlanT]

I play an Antigua 550BC tenor most of the time and have a Power Bell alto also in black chrome -I love em'..can't quite tell what model that one is but if you contact Dave Kessler of Kessler Music he'll probably know by the serial number.

 

[griff136]

We sell Antigua saxes at Jonathan Myall Music aka Justflutes in Croydon - I have set up dozens of these horns and they're a typical Taiwanese horn that play well. There are very minor issues IMHO - from a repair/tech point of view and these include the screws that keep the keys in place Pivot/point/barrel screws - in Antigua's case they are similar to the Mauriat which is more or less a barrel screw with a feeble point at the end.

they do the job fine but over time - and we are talking years - the adjustment of slack keys caused by wear will be more difficult and therefore more expensive to rectify.

That aside - they play well and I'd prefer an Antigua over the majority of chinese horns.

FWIW the company that distributes Yanagisawas in the UK also distribute the Antigua brand - they wouldn't be doing this if the saxes were not decent.

they are more popular in the US - if you take a look at this forum
there are loads of writeups and questions about this brand.

http://forum.saxontheweb.net/forumdisplay.php?f=99&order=desc&page=2

I would also point out that as with any instrument purchase over the net, get the instument looked over by a repairer as it may have leaks some of which may have been caused in transit.

and for OG and others, I don't mean Ford Transit either!!

 

[Chris Sax]

Thanks for the reply guys.

Griff, l also see you sell the JP-045 series sax in the shop......how would you compair the them to the Antigua series?

 

[old git]

Whilst you are answering Chris's query on the JP Griff, (are you West Country types making a takeover?), having had Mauriats recently floating in front of my aged eyes and previously BW and my own Hanson, the key guards, pad holders and key-works all look similar. So are they from a common cheap / reasonable / excellent parts lists with just visual variances or are they really different? Only one thing I'm certain of and that is that a good set up is indispensable.

That should keep you busy for the next fortnight.

 

[griff136]

Chris,

The JP saxophones ( John Packer) are very good quality Chinese horns. They have been sourced by John Packer music in Taunton and have been involved in the manufacture and design along with improving quality control that meets their exacting standards.

I really like them and have purchased a couple of tenors that I rent out to a couple of mature students of mine.


Also If you buy a JP 045 from our shop it will get professionally set up by me, you get a years warranty, and before the end of the first year you can bring it back and get a free checkover worth £40-50!

OG

Most new saxes these days look very much alike and some are very similar. there are a few companies that make saxes and put whatever name you want on them both in China and Taiwan
but Mauriat is not one of them.

As regards to keys and keyguards- most modern saxes from the 70's onwards are generally loose or very close copies of the Mk 6 selmer as far a keyguard and left hand pinky tables are concerned. the more modern copies are copies of yanagisawas
(under/overslung crook octave key, and double armed keys on low C ( which is a King trait)


Regarding the West Country take over - damn, you have strumbled on our grand scheme which includes seeing off Grockles and Emmets, holiday makers in Devon and Cornwall respectively, and selling our wares in big high street chains like Tesco - the wares being, Langage Farm clotted cream from Devon, Ginsters pasties from Kernow (that's the not yet independendent state of Cornwall to the uneducated) and Sheppy's Cider from Zommerzet.

BTW I have been resident in Exmouth in Devon since 1981 and I am still not and never will be considered local. I do helpo fight the cause though.