I have a Grassi "Professional 2000" alto. It's one of dozens of alto horns in my collection, so doesn't get played much. It dates from the late 1980s and (visually at least) is a clone of the Selmer Mk VI alto. To be honest, I don't think it's quite the same "sonically" or in terms of build quality, but it's still a very decent sax in its own right - and for the price I paid I really couldn't say no. I'm saving it as a present for my daughter, when she's old enough to fully understand/appreciate what it represents, and treat the instrument with appropriate respect. Although the Grassi isn't my favourite alto (which is a matter of personal preference in any case) it's definitely a professional-grade instrument.
Here's a little present for you i.e. video footage of the now-defunct Grassi factory in Quarna Sotto, Northern Italy. Sadly, Signora Ida Maria Grassi (the owner) was getting too old to continue and none of her relatives wanted to pick up the ball and run with it. So, she shut everything down. The factory is now an empty shell. All a bit sad, really.
AFAIK the former Grassi atelier is going to be converted into a museum/community centre. I suppose that's something. The idea of good-quality saxophone factories shutting down really does fill my heart with melancholy, so don't get me started re. Eduard Beaugnier et Cie in Mantes la Jolie (RIP), never mind the Conn, Buescher & Martin factories in Elkhart, Indiana which are long gone.
Watch this, and consider what has been lost forever. Look at the broken windows. Look how small the factory is...
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