Saxophones Grassi Saxophones

MontyMac · Sep 29, 2014

MMM said:
Cheers MontyMac, thats what I want to see "Made in Italy" !!!!!!
I'll see how we can change that, I'll ask Pete.
Thanks again!

No worries. I just nicked it from the front of the 1975 catalog and resized it. But it Is a very important aspect of the entire timeline.
Helen, bassic-sax blog, saw a Grassi Bari in a local shop last week and couldn't identify it conclusively whether it was Italian or Taiwanese.

meven · Nov 4, 2014

Hi MMM,
I have had an Ida Maria Grassi soprano sax for several years and picked it up the other day to play for a bit. I am a comeback player after maybe 15 years of inactivity on my saxophones... Anyway, would you be able to help me identify which model it is?

Thanks!

DavidUK · Nov 4, 2014

Photos... of the whole sax and then of the bell engraving, letters/numbers by the thumb hook, and pinky tables.

MMM · Nov 4, 2014

meven said:
Hi MMM,
I have had an Ida Maria Grassi soprano sax for several years and picked it up the other day to play for a bit. I am a comeback player after maybe 15 years of inactivity on my saxophones... Anyway, would you be able to help me identify which model it is?

Thanks!

Hi Meven, it's very easy: if it has only a serial number, it's a plain Grassi, if it has a model name above the serial number (ie.: Professional, Wonderful model, model 2000, professional 2000, etc, etc) then that is the model.
Cheers,
M.

meven · Nov 5, 2014

Thanks MMM and DavidUK. No model name above the serial number so that's a plain Grassi. I will post photos for future reference when I have time.

meven · Nov 5, 2014

By the way, does any of you may know the pad thickness required on Grassi saxophones from the mid-70s?

old git · Nov 6, 2014

Is it true that you do not need to strip the lacquer, if you are that way inclined, just mow them?

ProfJames · Nov 6, 2014

Looks beautiful, well done

Jazz Is All · Jun 14, 2015

My tech has a Leader model for sale. The S/N is 63,36X. The body of the horn is in quite nice condition but some of the pads are really in need of being replaced. Nevertheless it plays up and down and sounds great. Full rich tone and a potent bottom end. It has good ergos and key action too.

I was mulling buying it in my mind but there are considerations that cooled my jets about that idea. For one thing I am low on extra bucks. The other is that I already own 3 tenors so it's not like I "need" it. Also the price would need to be right, but I doubt it can be since they have to make a profit and there is the issue of how much a partial or full repad/overhaul would cost. If they did the work first or after the purchase it would work out the same and that would send the price way up.

These horns don't seem to sell for much more than $800 max as far as I could find, and that means it would be putting in money that I could never get out of it should I have to sell it.

Does anyone here have a Leader with a similar serial (age) who can tell me what they paid or at least what they think this one might be worth? I can post photos next week if anyone wants to see them.

Thanks from JIA

Pete Thomas · Jun 14, 2015

Jazz Is All said:
Does anyone here have a Leader with a similar serial (age) who can tell me what they paid or at least what they think this one might be worth?

Well, the Leader is supposedly a student model, so value would be low. $800 might get you a great horn that is difficult to sell again except to somebody who realises how good it is.

DavidUK · Jun 14, 2015

I'd expect to get a very good 2000 Professional for $800. Give it a miss.

Jazz Is All · Jun 14, 2015

Thanks Pete and David for the info and advice. I admit I don't know much about the Grassi line of saxes to begin with and the lack of documentation makes it that much more confusing. The interesting thing about this Leader horn is that it really does sound great and the keywork is quite comfortable. The pearls seem to have been made to the specs of my fingertips because they feel like part of them.

The only thing I didn't like when I played it is the fact that when I played between Bb1, B1 and C#1 in any direction there is a sharp bottom corner edge to the C# and B keys that I really felt with my pinky. They aren't rounded as on many other horns and the rollers don't keep the pinky from rubbing across that corner. If it were filed it would actually cut skin.

For that reason alone I wouldn't want to own this because it is a negative that is hard not to notice compared to how comfortable the rest of the keywork is. Anyway, I will keep my eyes open for a 2000 professional tenor because if that model sounds and plays better than this one, it has got to be a fantastic sax. It's amazing that they continue to be sleepers and slip under the radar and thus sell for so little.

Ads · Jun 14, 2015

It`s not suprising - There are so many superb Vintage horns about that "sleepers" can be tripped over almost weekly, threads on this forum about discoveries of excellent horns which either few have heard of, or have but get little respect must number in the hundreds ................ it`d be easier to start threads on total DUDs as there would appear to be a lot less of them .

Jazz Is All · Jun 14, 2015

Ads said:
It`s not suprising - There are so many superb Vintage horns about that "sleepers" can be tripped over almost weekly, threads on this forum about discoveries of excellent horns which either few have heard of, or have but get little respect must number in the hundreds ................ it`d be easier to start threads on total DUDs as there would appear to be a lot less of them .

Maybe so, but if you started posting threads entitled "Saxes to Steer clear of cause they Suck" first you get a lot of hate mail, then threatening ones and then a group of owners of those saxes would take out a contract on you. >:)

Ads · Jun 15, 2015

Yeah I know - there are fans of even the worst horns out there (even Indian ones no doubt) ........ People sometimes go out of their way to love the crappiest things - there are owners clubs for the Austin Allegro, Morris Marina, Sinclair C5 etc ..

There are just too many Sleeper horns, half of which are decent or excellent horns stencilled with an unknown or tacky name . My review / thread on one model of Buffet-Evette pointed out that not only are there non-JK/Yani ones which are worthy but actually are intermediate / Pro Taiwanese saxes . even scratching the surface of the innumerous horns which that label has appeared on could take a decade and wouldn`t be worth it ......
like all Sleepers, they`ll get discovered and promptly forgotten again as they turn up. Elinias loves his Vito Beauginier "Dukes", David his Grassi 2000, Kev his Kohlerts, Saxgirl her Weltklang soloist -- someone after the postings about these Sleepers may glean a bargain superhorn but people will still stick to looking for well known Conns, Kings, Martins and SMLs or just buy an older Yamaha, Yani, Keilwerth or Selmer .

kevgermany · Jun 15, 2015

When it comes down to it there's been little innovation in sax design in the last hundred years. Main thing for me is the articulated LH table and better intonation. So it's not surprising there are so many good sleepers. Sax got it right!

But let's keep this thread for Grassi. Some excellent Italian saxes out there as well, though!

Ads · Jun 15, 2015

Agreed and they`re not all R&C or Borgani 😀 ..

DavidUK · Jun 15, 2015

Here's a Grassi jade roller tenor going soon: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/saxophone-Ida-Maria-Grassi-/251987778871?

If it goes for £400 that's equal to $400 USD by my reckoning. Value in GBP or USD is about the same.