Saxophones How many saxes does one really need?

[mrblackbat]

I have a tenor alto and soprano. It’s more than enough.

 

[PigSquealer]

But @Tonehole is spot on. I mean sweet spot on.

Edit, not sure what's inappropriate about a chocolate sax but I am all ears

View attachment 33580

Just play the licks and sweet sound.
Hopefully it’s a C tenor ? I’ve been informed that nothing else matters 🤔

 

[Colin the Bear]

Do pin badges count?

 

[Tonehole]

Do pin badges count?

No badges don't count! But I have a huge hoard of sax cases with no instruments in them.

 

[LostCircuits]

Just play the licks and sweet sound.
Hopefully it’s a C tenor ? I’ve been informed that nothing else matters 🤔

I don't "play" those licks, and I'll bite on the MPC.

 

[DesertRoads]

One definitely needs at least 2 of each.
🙂

Me:
1 sopranino (I don't need another)
3 soprano's (one curved, two straight)
8 Alto's
4 C Melody's
4 Tenor's

Selling 4 altos, 1 C Melody, and one of my Tenor's. Needing the funds to pay some bills. Unfortunately. Blah

 

[progger]

For whatever it's worth... I'm a couple decades into a career as a musician, even a somewhat "decorated" one, you might say, and I only ever have one tenor, one alto, and one soprano at any given time. Same tenor for 18 years, same alto for 15-16, soprano for just four or five (and I was without a soprano, sadly, for a solid decade or more). One great clarinet, one great flute, one great alto flute (given to me by a friend for free, only used for occasional recording work).

 

[Zasterz]

I have a tenor alto and soprano. It’s more than enough.

For whatever it's worth... I'm a couple decades into a career as a musician, even a somewhat "decorated" one, you might say, and I only ever have one tenor, one alto, and one soprano at any given time. Same tenor for 18 years, same alto for 15-16, soprano for just four or five (and I was without a soprano, sadly, for a solid decade or more). One great clarinet, one great flute, one great alto flute (given to me by a friend for free, only used for occasional recording work).

So what do you do if your horn breaks day of gig? Rent? Borrow? Have the skills to fix it yourself? Play a different voice? It would be helpful if some of the “no backup” folks would share their strategy for dealing with this issue. (Unless it’s just “be lucky that it never happens.”)

 

[LostCircuits]

Philip Marlowe once said: Horns don't break, love does!

 

[Pete Thomas]

Philip Marlowe once said: Horns don't break, love does!

Then best not to fall in love with your horn.

 

[mark_addy]

So what do you do if your horn breaks day of gig?

I can speak to this; a pillar (which I had previously superglued back on...and forgot about) on my baritone fell off, 5 minutes before a gig last weekend. Luckily the cheap shop next to the church where we were playing was open, and sold some cyano-acrylate packaged as 'nail glue' in very fetching packaging, so...I superglued it back on again. Promise I'll get the blow lamp out before the next gig 🙂

 

[Zasterz]

I can speak to this; a pillar (which I had previously superglued back on...and forgot about) on my baritone fell off, 5 minutes before a gig last weekend. Luckily the cheap shop next to the church where we were playing was open, and sold some cyano-acrylate packaged as 'nail glue' in very fetching packaging, so...I superglued it back on again. Promise I'll get the blow lamp out before the next gig 🙂

Sounds like you’re in the “have some sax repair skills” camp! (I suspect most of the no-backup-neededs will be too.)

 

[Dr G]

So what do you do if your horn breaks day of gig? Rent? Borrow? Have the skills to fix it yourself? Play a different voice? It would be helpful if some of the “no backup” folks would share their strategy for dealing with this issue. (Unless it’s just “be lucky that it never happens.”)

The only time I’ve ever needed a backup was when my tenor was away for a couple months for a rebuild, so I borrowed a tenor from a friend with a lot more horns than me. In the rest of several decades, I’ve never needed a backup. I keep my horn maintained in a high state of regulation rather than waiting for it to fail.

The only time I’ve witnessed a true fail was when our lead alto player tripped coming back up the stairs to the bandstand after a break and landed right on his Selmer. The body bent and the horn was unplayable. The second alto covered the lead book for the second set (he had played the book before). Even if the lead had a spare horn at home, it was ~50 miles away in Albuquerque. It was a tossup between borrowing someone else’s horn or subbing out the book. Choices.

For those that have a backup: Do you regularly take your backup to each gig? Do you leave in the car or carry your spare to the bandstand?

 

[LostCircuits]

Real "catastrophic failure rarely happen, unless you let other folks near your horn, of course. If I break down my own experiences, the three worst incidences involved:
- a drummer: I hadn't even taken my MK VI out of the case, it was standing with all the other instruments/cases next to the stage and that retard grabbed the case and used it as step to get on stage. I couldn't even react fast enough
- a drummer: During a jam one of the backup drummers jumps on stage to sing along, gets carried away and flails his arms right into the top of my alto. The horn was ok but I had a few loose teeth for a few weeks (thank god no permanent damage)
- a drummer: Birthday jam and during a break the drummer comes up to me to toast with his bottle against the bell of my 156.

Yes, I had a spring disengage, a pad fall out (thanks for somebody chewing gum for an emergency repair) and a rod come lose once, the end of which then started binding with the next key further up. And I had a few situations where I was able to get fellow players back up and running with, a piece of coaster, a toothpick and whatever was available and in most of these cases it was just poor maintenance to begin with.

I'd be lying if I claim I check my instrument every time I go out but I have a good feeling for things being spot on or potential problems - they usually don't come out of the blue - except for my PMauriat losing the neck cradle for the octave key.. pop goes the weasel..

 

[progger]

So what do you do if your horn breaks day of gig? Rent? Borrow? Have the skills to fix it yourself? Play a different voice? It would be helpful if some of the “no backup” folks would share their strategy for dealing with this issue. (Unless it’s just “be lucky that it never happens.”)

I have fortunately never had a horn break on me earlier on the day of a gig, but I have had something happen to one on a gig a couple times. In which case the only choice is to jimmy-rig a temporary solution, which is what I did.

If for some reason a horn were courteous enough to give me a few hours' notice when it malfunctioned, renting/borrowing would be no problem anywhere I've lived. If anything happens on tour, solutions are sorted out.

 

[mark_addy]

Sounds like you’re in the “have some sax repair skills” camp!

What's putting me off the blow lamp, is the probability that rather than soldering the post back on, I'll just get the two nearest things to it hot enough to fall off as well. Oh well, I've now got plenty of superglue 🙂

 

[Targa]

- a drummer: During a jam one of the backup drummers jumps on stage to sing along, gets carried away and flails his arms right into the top of my alto.

Talking of saxophonists having a backup horn but the drummer has a backup drummer.
Though going by their reputation and such as Spinal Tap that is probably a good idea.

 

[LostCircuits]

Talking of saxophonists having a backup horn but the drummer has a backup drummer.
Though going by their reputation and such as Spinal Tap that is probably a good idea.

And the sax player doesn't have backup teeth...

 

[Tonehole]

There are certian horns I will never part with but I had a soprano and a tenor both knocked over on stage in the last year. Two different events. They both were my Jupiters and they were down for a couple of months with dent, bent work and service. These are my beater horns though cherished so I was upset but it was not like it was my Series III.

Certian gigs, certian horns.
I never take a back up, I can if needed play a bent / leaking horn, shredded pads. Had a spring break during a set and an elastic band saw me through the gig for the 2nd set. Broke a lig and an elastic band subbed in.
I now carry elastic bands and pull ties in my kit. 🤫

 

[Jonesy]

Just ONE more, I promise!