Saxophones Dark tone on Martins?

[thomsax]

Is the tone/sound on a Martin sax dark? I often hear that they are dark sounding. I don't find them dark. I would say that they are the opposite! Are Martin baris darker than other baris? Martin soproninos darker than Conn sopranino? Or C melody .... ?

 

[ProfJames]

Nonsense! They can be as bright or as classic as you like. Dark?

 

[thomsax]

Yes, I also think so. Here is two samples with a King Super 20 (Steve Douglas, rocksax specialist, playing on a BL metal w baffle) and Martin Committee mid -50's (John Fogerty, multi instrumentalist, probably playing a HR mpc?). If we are talking in "dark" terms, I think Douglas is darker on a brighter setup. The song is called "Rock & Roll Girls w John Fogerty.

Live performance. Douglas played with Fogerty on the Centerfield tour:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oyDT828gmFc

LP/recording version. John Fogerty is playing sax, he is playing all instruments on that LP/recording:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3I5_zOrji9I

Which sax do you think is the darkest?

 

[ProfJames]

Great track and Steve Douglas - superb. Fabulous Martin sound!

 

[Morgan Fry]

On tenor, smoother sound than a Conn or a King, more spread than a Selmer. Big, colorful sounding horns, I wouldn't say dark, though, but not bright like a e.g. Yamaha. Tons of room to push, though, and a great for texas tenor. On alto a more open sound than Conn or Selmer, crisper and less refined than Selmer, usually. Bari -- big crisp sound. Awesome horns if you can live without the F# trill key.

Also the scale on the The Martins is probably the best of all vintage horns IMO.

 

[ProfJames]

Wow! What a great description of Martin horns! Could not agree more!!!

 

[Ads]

Sounds like a good compromise all round, bit of something for everyone - I`d still take a Conn every time though .