Saxophones Buffet SDA - My God!!!

[kevgermany]

Matt Stohrer, the USA tech, reckons this effect could have been unintentional. Fast forward to 18:58 here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-EvpQBeK0NQ

If you're interested in the SDA watch the whole thing for some useful info.

Thanks, really useful. I'm goign to be looking at the bell keys/lh table on my Santoni very soon, cos it's nearly identical and very tricky. .

 

[Plod]

David, Please please, no more photo's, I can't take it, just left the contents of my stomach in the toilet, its beautiful, The Sax that is, not the contents of my stomach.

Pxxxed off of Sanderstead

 

[DavidUK]

David, Please please, no more photo's, I can't take it, just left the contents of my stomach in the toilet, its beautiful, The Sax that is, not the contents of my stomach.

Pxxxed off of Sanderstead

I wouldn't dream of doing such a thing...

;}

 

[MMM]

Have you tried a 400? ;}

No but assumed that (like most Taiwan made horns) i would have a brighter/more modern sound. One of the reasons I thought of selling my SDAwas exactly that at times I'm looking for a more upfront/brash sound.

I wonder if the 400 could be adjusted to be as light

Within reason, one of the (many) reasons the action feels different is also down to the type of springs used, so short of replacing all the springs, it would be a case of tweaking the existing springs.

I'll have to try an SA80 II to compare.

You should, I think they are one of the best modern altos ever made.

There is so much choice today, that justifying several Ks for a MK6 is getting increasingly harder: I would be extremely happy (BTW, I have owned a 1957 MK6 alto, broke my heart when I sold it!) with either a Yamaha Custom Z, Selmer Ref54, Keilwerth SX90r, Couf Superba I... and there's so much more out there! But then, I'm getting older so I'm not as fussy as I used to be about horns!
Cheers,
M.

 

[DavidUK]

I'm taking the 400 and SDA to my tutor on Thursday to see what he makes of the springing. After that I'm seeing a sax tech about another sax but I may ask him to have a look and see if it's possible to set up the 400 to feel like the SDA. Somehow I doubt it. I guess it's all part of the "upgrade" path, that when you find a superior, professional, sax it should offer better features. To put it in perspective, the 400 is a very finger friendly model compared to many I've tried but the SDA is just sublime.

I've been reading today about the SDA copies from Santoni, Couesnon and the Evette Shaeffer Master model. KevGermany knows all about these hybrids I believe? Interesting researching deeper and deeper into the relationships these makers had with each other.

 

[Jane M L]

A bit off message and totally indiscreet but, David, how do you find such bargains?

 

[Throatnote]

David what did your tutor think about your SDA? Compared to all the other Altos he has played?
i haven't played a 70's SDA Alto.but I've got a 57 which I enjoy for its rich tone.

 

[DavidUK]

David what did your tutor think about your SDA? Compared to all the other Altos he has played?
i haven't played a 70's SDA Alto.but I've got a 57 which I enjoy for its rich tone.

He had a brief tootle and then tried my Buffet 400. He thought the l/h pinky table on the SDA was heavy, as they all are due to the fulcrum being on the outside rather than inside rods as with the 400. He's used to this on his vintage Conn.
Other than this he thought the keywork lighter than the 400.
He didn't really comment on which he preferred. Not love at first SDA play. He didn't swoon!
I took the SDA straight to sax tech Paul Carrington as already arranged and he will try and make the l/h table a little lighter, re-cork the crook as it's a little shrunken, and replace the one pad at the top which is a little hard.

 

[Throatnote]

But good for you David! after all your searching. Youve found an Alto that you seem to Love the tone of, for a song.

 

[DavidUK]

But good for you David! after all your searching. Youve found an Alto that you seem to Love the tone of, for a song.

It'll be difficult to decide to sell the Buffet 400, even if it isn't a true Buffet, being of Chinese manufacture and Buffet now being, I think, Keilwerth owned. Once the SDA is back from the tech next week I'll have to play them both some more. Really can't justify having two Altos.

I recall having two same calibre target rifles and each week I'd pick up one or the other for a comp, not a good idea. Eventually I did an extended side by side test and made a decision to keep the one that was very slightly better. Having said that, a while later I stumbled across the "MkVI" of the target rifle world at a bargain price and although I'd always disliked them for being metal (not wood) stocked, I had to admit it was the best rifle and have kept that one instead to this day. In time, I dare say a MkVI will come my way but whether it will eclipse what I already have, for me and my playing ability at that point, who knows!?

 

[ProfJames]

You can't own two altos!!! Pa ha ha ha!!!!!! I own nine!

 

[TomMapfumo]

Whatever the parentage, history etc the Buffet A400 is an awesome alto sax, no question!

 

[DavidUK]

You can't own two altos!!! Pa ha ha ha!!!!!! I own nine!

Well, I do have six altos at the moment but know four of them are going to go to new homes. The ultimate aim is to get down to "the" alto and "the" tenor but I guess with my penchant for collecting or buying to "try out" that'll never be achieveable.