Saxophones Low Bb vs low A baritones.

[turf3]

I've acquired a few more since then. 😉 I also have a neon sax clock. Very retro 60s in my MCM house.

BTW, I am in the process of transposing a number of our bari charts--mostly funk and the likes--for the bass. It will be nice to get bad boy out on shows semi-regularly again.

I was bound and determined to move the bari sax parts in one big band to bass. With something like 250 charts in the book, I wasn't going to transcribe them all, but I was working on getting the transposition under my fingers, when COVID hit, I had to move cross country, the big band folded, etc., etc., etc., and the bass sax has only been out of its case for trad jazz gigs (and REAL intermittently at that) since.

 

[Tonehole]

I wish I could get this much discussion about sopranino's! A lot of valuable insights being shared and stories told.
🤗

 

[Stocker]

I knew, of course, that Leblanc imported a number of Yanis stamped "Martin" - were any of those baritones? I've only ever heard of tenors and altos. (At that point the "Martin" brand was truly circling the drain; and Leblanc had the Vito and Noblet brands - so Vito or Noblet baritones could have been made by Yani, Beaugnier, or Yamaha (not sure if this last one ever happened, either)). I know I'm getting the timing of those different stencils all mixed up.

I have 1974, 1976, and 1977 Leblanc price lists, and in each one the only Martin saxophones listed are baritones, in both low B♭ and low A.

(This is not to be construed as an opinion on what artists in what genres were using what horns in what eras.)

 

[turf3]

I have 1974, 1976, and 1977 Leblanc price lists, and in each one the only Martin saxophones listed are baritones, in both low B♭ and low A.

(This is not to be construed as an opinion on what artists in what genres were using what horns in what eras.)

Were these real Martins or YaniMartins? Or maybe the low Bb was Martin and the low A was YaniMartin?

 

[thomsax]

Does anyone make a low A bass sax?

Not really, but a Bb bass that became a bass sax in low A. Listen to the bass sax and read the story who a Bb bass sax was converted to a bass sax in A. Jan Lundberg is a professor in acustic at LTH up in noth of Sweden.

View: https://youtu.be/_R43kY-VkEk?si=--gAbteM5HE4X89H

 

[Stocker]

Were these real Martins or YaniMartins? Or maybe the low Bb was Martin and the low A was YaniMartin?

I've never seen any evidence of real Martins being built that late, so I'd guess that both were Yanis. I can't imagine they would've had that much unsold baritone inventory left over from Elkhart.

 

[Tonehole]

"While Yanagisawa is famous for popularising the modern Low A baritone, they did manufacture a very small number of Low Bb baritone saxophones during their early modern era (the 1970s). When Leblanc contracted Yanagisawa to build "stencil" saxophones under the Martin nameplate in the 1970s, a few Low Bb models were produced alongside the more common Low A variations."

Brands and Horns | JazzBariSax.com

jazzbarisax.com

How to confirm if a 1970s Low Bb Martin is a Yanagisawa:

• The "Japan" Stamp: The horn will explicitly have "Japan" stamped near the serial number on the back of the tube.
• The Neck Brace: Yanagisawa stencil horns from this era usually feature the signature Yanagisawa emblem or "Y" shape on the neck brace.
• Modern Ergonomics: Unlike a vintage American Martin with its distinct left-hand pinky table and soldered bevelled tone holes, a 1970s Yanagisawa stencil will feature standard modern keywork reminiscent of a Selmer Paris design."
• Baritone Saxophone Archive

If the instrument says "Elkhart, IND" on the bell and has a serial number between 150,000 and 350,000, it is actually an original, leftover American-made Martin Committee body manufactured just before or right as the factory closed at the turn of the decade.

Martin History :: SaxPics.com

www.saxpics.com

 

[thomsax]

A Martin Baritone to low A by Yanagisawa. It's a 880 model/sax, probably from 1982.

View: https://youtu.be/xu4etQRH68w?si=tpZEG-fssJk3mfIv

 

[thomsax]

Here is an american low A comparison by Paul Cohen. Mk VI is the first one and the baritone that sat the standard for a low A baritone. I think "The Martin Magna Baritone" is the one with the "best/even scale" (intonation)?

View: https://youtu.be/29m5VlmTjs0?si=Bn5QFH25jUoEBM5t

 

[PigSquealer]

All this low A Bari talk is getting me motivated to work on my Van Marle low A. One of two made.

Saxophones - Van Marle Baritone, Who made this ?

I was gifted a very unusual baritone. I can’t figure out who the maker is. @Stephen Howard @helen @milandro noted some features but were unable to completely identify the maker. This does have some Pierret features. Cann’t find any record of Pierret making a baritone. “Made in France “. You...

cafesaxophone.com

This is the other and one SN# different.

View: https://youtu.be/x9N9PTTzmSs?is=K4zC2yWH4zFrl5R6

 

[Grumps]

Here is an american low A comparison by Paul Cohen. Mk VI is the first one and the baritone that sat the standard for a low A baritone. I think "The Martin Magna Baritone" is the one with the "best/even scale" (intonation)?

View: https://youtu.be/29m5VlmTjs0?si=Bn5QFH25jUoEBM5t

Paul is a regular at the Symposium, usually puts on a performance or two and is easily approached.

 

[thomsax]

Paul is a regular at the Symposium, usually puts on a performance or two and is easily approached.

I bought my "The Martin Baritone" from Paul Cohen. Many years ago.