Martin Handcraft

[jadoube]

Linky,

I'm a bit late offering this comment but you might try Potters in Aldershot, its not that far from you. Pete there is a good bloke and my teacher swears by him.

I took a 1925 couesnon alto in (eBay GAS gamble) and he was very good about offering a whole range of options to suit the pocket. Everything from a tweak and emergency pads only, through to the whole shebang. All seemed to be good value compared to prices I've seen bandied about online.

Caveat - only say "there's no rush" if you mean it.

I did when I took mine in early summer. There was "a rush of urgent jobs for the kids going back to school", followed by "a rush of kids needing repairs at half-term", and " a rush of kids needing xmas repairs" - although they swear its found its way to the bench now.

Not a problem for me, you may not want to miss that Martin for so long .

John [beginner]

 

[Linky Lee]

I've been missing it for at least 6 months. No cork on the crook! I'm definatly in a rush!

I could do this myself but to be frank I can't be bothered as I will most likely screw it up. I also would rather have any repairs done by a professional repairer.

I may give this guy in Aldershot a try out. Thanks.

As on keeping the Martin... well sound said it, it sounds like you've got the perfect instrument there. I would recommend a mouthpiece upgrade though. I've played with a C* on mine before and the change was fantastic when I put my Otto Link STM on.
If you don't want to go to a metal mouthpiece I can highly recommend the Otto Link Ebonite mouthpieces as well. As you can tell I've been swayed by Otto Link mouthpieces over any other company's. This is due to the fact I have loved every Otto Link I have played, which I can't say is true for any other makes, Though Jody Jazz Classics I find nice for your kind of sound (excluding the spoiler, unless you want some volume) and Lebayle and Meyer ones are nice on my Martin as well.

I tell you, I've been fishing recently... I get them lurkers out
😛

 

[phil_edwards]

Just been and tried out a few at sax.co.uk. First step was to sort mpc, ended up with Otto Link ebonite and a softer reed. Tried Jody Jazz (didn't feel much different to the Selmer I have), Berg larsen (didn't like at all) and a metal Otto Link (quite good but not double-the-price better 😱 )

Anyway, having found a mpc I liked I tried the following...

Remember I'm looking for a laid back, mellow tone, not a honking rock sound.

YAS62, didn't like feel of the keys much, didn't like tone.
TJJ Custom, better feel to keys, but tone not great. Nothing inspired me much on this one.
P Mauriat 63R - Wow, very nice. Superb full tone, low register was extremely nice.

If money didn't come into it I'd change, yes, but I didn't feel enough benefit to justify selling the Martin.

So, I came away clutching a new mpc and some palm-key risers to get my top F key out from it's hiding place (the only key that I do find a struggle, ergonomically).

At the price they are charging, if the Hanson SA8 is comparable to the Mauriat I would change, so I'll give them a call next week and probably order one on trial. It's worth risking the return-carriage fee to find out.

regards, Phil

 

[Pete Thomas]

Phil Edwards wrote:

At the price they are charging, if the Hanson SA8 is comparable to the Mauriat I would change, so I'll give them a call next week and probably order one on trial. It's worth risking the return-carriage fee to find out.

Yes it is, but even better to go to the factory and try out a couple if they have any left after Christmas.

 

[Linky Lee]

Yeah, factory visits are always really good, though depending on how far you are, the money may equate the same from fuel or delivery etc. It would still be nicer to go as you can see a face, ask questions there and then and possibly try out more than 1 model.

I don't want to put you off but I personally don't think you'll take to the Hanson tone-wise. Randomly we seem to have almost identical horn set-ups. The Hanson is far brighter and incredibly pure in comparison to the Martin. I think the opposite direction in what you want to go.

You could find them completely different though. After all the player makes the bulk of the tone! I'd still recommend you try some out even if you don't think you'll take to them. They do surprise in their quality and punch as hard as any other brand.

 

[Bobby G]

Phil Edwards, a man after my own heart 🙂 I love the Johnny Hodges sound with all the pitch-bends more than any other alto (even though my tastes run into some strange places). If you can get hold of it there's a 4-CD set of his small-band output from the late 30's to the early 50's, a total of 94 inspirational tunes. My favourite Hodges, indeed any, alto solo is off the Ellington live at Newport album, on Jeep's Blues.

Given all the nice features of the Martin as described by Linky, and the fact you've got an irrational attachment to it, I'd say definitely keep the Martin, even if you get a modern horn too. I feel the same about my beat-up late-60's Epiphone acoustic guitar, it's cheap'n'cheerful but the only guitar I'd neve part with.

I have a YAS-62 (from the 80's) which I get on with very well, I can even get a Hodges-type sound (not that I'm into slavish copying) with my ebonite Meyer mouthpiecedid you try one of those?

I'm thinking this year of going in the opposite direction to you, and rationalising my horns to include a vintage alto, and I do feel drawn towards a Mar in, Mainly from the praise they get in the Room.

Cheers, Bob

 

[phil_edwards]

Pete, Linky, Bobby, hey, I've found a nice bunch here who talk my language!

Would love to visit Hanson, but it's a long way from Sussex and although I travel a bit I can't find much excuse to be anywhere near there over the coming weeks. Will talk to them next week.

Bobby, I have the 4 CD set, discs 3 and 4 are my favourites.

regards, Phil

 

[Linky Lee]

I envy you living in such close proximity to a quality saxophone shop.

I generally have to travel to maidenhead around 40mins, for an expensive woodwind and brass shop, or go to London for a different shop that's still expensive.

I hate the lack of music shops that actually sell anything other than guitars.

All my local music shops have moved over to 90% guitar and 10% manuscript and music! it's mad! We even have a huge shop, double the size of sax.co.uk for everything, yet you can only get your vandorean classic or java reeds. That's it. And god knows if you wanted a mouthpiece, last time I looked, they had 10 for Bari all the same make model and size and a Selmer S80 C* for Alto. Nothing for Tenor.

I would love to be in Sussex! hence my preference to Sussex university over Exeter.

You could make a weekend out of going to the factory, as long as you send the family off on a long walk you could spend the day in the factory, then do something 'for the family' on the next day.