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Saxophones Keilwerth SX90R vs. Selmer Super Action II

M

McSax

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I have been playing sax for about 7 years and I want to upgrade my current sax (A Yamaha YAS-25). I recently went to a local saxophone dealer who has hundreds of used saxes and after about 3 hours, I had finally narrowed the choice within my budget to either a Keilwerth SX90R (made in about 1992) or a Selmer Super Action II (only a year old ie. 2009). I have found that the Selmer gives a much fuller tone, but the Keilwerth's tone is more distinctive, but a little more 'tinny'. I play mainly Big Band and Quartet (Sax, Keys, Bass, Drums) Jazz and I really like both of these saxes and cannot choose between them. I'd really appreciate anyone's opinion on these two saxes, thanks.
 
Ho ho. I can't be doin' with these Frenchie saxes. Keilwerth every time (unless you're getting a sop when it's got to be a Yanag - who also do excellent baris). Buy the one you like best - they're both good.

PS. Don't ask Stephen Howard.;}
 
I have to agree with the above, I tried a whole heap of saxes the other day, Mauriat Yamaha Antigua wind and a Yani. The Yani won mostly due to the ergonomics and slightly the tone. Very nice saxes.
 
Selmer is my vote. But don't forget the Yamaha 62. A very good allroundsax. A good sax for less money compared to Selmer or Keilwerth.

Thomas
 
At the last Frankfurt messe I tried the alto in the same finish as the new Liebman soprano model and it was ,by far, the best alto that I have ever tried while the two most uneventful saxophones that I have owned were a Super action 80 II and a Yanagisawa 990u both with nice ergonomics but with a sound that was doing nothing at all to me. In the case of the Keilwerth (these looks like the vintage model but has a deep chocolaty colour with nickel silver keywork ) it also felt like the most comfortable horn that I've ever played. I cannot justify with my amateur playing buying one of these........ so I won't , but.........you never know if one comes across for the right price.........
 
Thanks, that's beautiful.... For some daft reason I've been a fan of Keilwerth since I first heard of them. And it doesn't do any harm that my sax teacher's got an older one - that sounds better than his Mk VI on the same mouthpiece - richer, fuller, more character.... But he doesn't like me saying that, so I just say I prefer the sound of the Keilwerth :D

Must post some shots of the Santoni for you, I haven't forgotten, just didn't get around to it, but it's nothing special, just an Evette posing as an SDA/DA... :rolleyes:
 
the Santoni saxophones are a puzzle to me. This was obviously a small shop in Parè (Como) , being so geographically close to Quarna sotto where Alfonso Rampone (notoriously copying Conn and Malerne) , Rampone & Cazzani and to Milan with Orsi it seems unlikely that they went to buy their saxophones in France but .....there you go. They surface regularly although I only seem to see altos and sopranos , they are not listed on the Italian wind instrument makers though. Mysterious.
 
My advice is go for the Selmer - you won't really know the sort of sound you will get until you've played the horn for a while but it sounds like your initial assessment is in favour of the Selmer. Selmer SAII are good horns and will hold their value better. Pete
 
At the moment if I want to buy a secondhand Selmer SA 80 II alto it can cost me as little as 1250€ and I couldn't find a Keilwerth for that kind of money the only thing is that selling a Selmer is easy , but buying a Kelwerth second hand ain't
 
milandro said:
At the moment if I want to buy a secondhand Selmer SA 80 II alto it can cost me as little as 1250€ and I couldn't find a Keilwerth for that kind of money the only thing is that selling a Selmer is easy , but buying a Kelwerth second hand ain't
Click to expand...

Hmm... Could it be that people buy Selmers for the name - discover they're not all they're cracked up to be and go and get a proper sax.;}
 
I am very happy with my 1964 MkVI tenor (as I was in'64-'65) and 1937 BA alto. They didn't get to be one of the most saught after saxes because of the name, the name bacame famous because of the performance of the saxes.
 
I'm with you on this Nick. I was in the very fortunate position to be able to buy a tenor on a 'money no object' basis a few years ago. I was expecting to be lown away by the Selmers, having previously aspired to ownership but being unable to afford one. But when I went to my favourite sax emporium with a few grand burning a hole in my pocket, I was distinctly underwhelmed by Henri's finest. I was also expecting great things of a YTS62 having been astonished by one in my youth, but that left me cold too. Keilwerth? Felt like it hadn't been finished off properly. Mauriat? Blew well, but the detail finishing was rubbish. Yani 901? Pretty good. Trevor James Sig Custom? Pretty fine. Yani T992? Best sax I've ever played, better than I'll ever justify.

All these saxes were, in truth, great, it's just a question of preference, but when spending several thousand pounds on a 'for life' sax I expect to be inspired. The Selmer just didn't. The T992 did, so that's what I bought.
 
honestly, they diatribe Selmer Vs. whatever leaves me entirely cold. I have played a couple of VI and didn't feel the magic which I do feel coming from my super 20 or a 10M , so you can have my share of Selmers for all I care! :)
 
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My Hanson ST6 sounds pretty good as does my Yamaha, They all sound different. The audience at the clubs I play at (as I do) prefer the MkVI.
If Nick sends me his address, I'll send him a black beret, tee hee.
 
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