Saxophones Any Thomann bass saxophone owners on here?

[Ivan]

Have listened to most of the Rollini recordings but the audio makes it difficult to really hear the bass clearly. Scott Robinson is a real modern day master at that style:

View: https://youtu.be/Rkheqr82t1E

I was looking at the Thomann Bass Sax online today and ended up here

What a tremendous band... well played all

Great to hear you wield the Bass not only in its baseline capacity, but also to launch a great solo. Overall you really put the horn through its paces

If anything, this has diminished my enthusiasm for buying a bass sax because your playing demonstrates many of the core skills I don't have (though that may not stop me buying one in the long run)

 

[Ivan]

Price has increased. £2,690. 🙁

Now, 3yrs 3months later: £ 2645

The price has dropped and, with regard to inflation, so has the value

 

[lydian]

I was looking at the Thomann Bass Sax online today and ended up here

What a tremendous band... well played all

Great to hear you wield the Bass not only in its baseline capacity, but also to launch a great solo. Overall you really put the horn through its paces

If anything, this has diminished my enthusiasm for buying a bass sax because your playing demonstrates many of the core skills I don't have (though that may not stop me buying one in the long run)

No offense to Hank, but that's jazz legend Scott Robinson. No wonder he sounds amazing. Don't get discouraged comparing yourself to one of the best there ever was. Just be inspired, do your best and have fun. If you want a bass, go for it. Like you said, the price is actually down considering inflation.

3 years later, and I'm still having a blast playing it more than any other sax, about 20 gigs per year and as many rehearsals. I've got steady gigs with a 20s dance band and two Dixieland bands. It's paid for itself two times over at least. But the cost of reeds is still painful. I need to find some cheaper bari reeds I like as much as the bass ones.

I've been through several mouthpieces, finally settling on a Selmer C* bass and #3 Rico bass reeds. It's easy to play and has the perfect balance of bright and sonorous with good intonation.

The only repairs to speak of were a couple of broken thumb hooks and some fixes after a couple of tumbles. It maintains regulation really well.

Took a while, but I finally can play decent altissimo. I couldn't do it at all the first couple of years.

 

[Ivan]

No offense to Hank, but that's jazz

Aha

Thanks for that clarification

And for the encouragement

 

[Hankenstine]

No offense to Hank, but that's jazz legend Scott Robinson. No wonder he sounds amazing. Don't get discouraged comparing yourself to one of the best there ever was. Just be inspired, do your best and have fun.

Yes, unfortunately I'm not, nor have I ever claimed to be, Scott Robinson 😆 😕 😒 He is one of my favorites though and my initial inspiration on bass sax.

I got my bass back in summer 2020 and started playing it properly the following summer in 2021 when I got it repaded. Then started the long journey of trying to learn play the thing. It's been a long process but I feel my Dixieland style bass lines are finially getting up to reasonable standard and feeling natural - basically trying to learn to think like a real bass player - very different from a normal saxophone soloists role.

As an instrument it's a very difficult and unweilding beast to play and IMO unlike any of the other saxes. Pumping out 2 feel bass lines is one thing but as a solo 'legato' instrument it's very challenging. I can manage slow tempos and ballads reasonably well but at brighter tempos I presume my airstream isn't strong enough resulting in split notes and the overtones come out etc...

Not to mention the struggle to find a mouthpiece that works, reeds, usable stands, cases etc...

Here's a couple of clips of me (not Scott Robinson!!)

View: https://youtu.be/GHQwvARym2k?si=nPxwAX8eHbOHeln5

View: https://youtube.com/shorts/gKHcrKgjzdY?si=v4ZfZ2TgaCB5D8_D

 

[lydian]

@Hankenstine , great sound!