Here is my final assessment of the SeleS Axos alto.
Thanks everyone for the comments on the
DeadAudiolink Removed. I realize Soundcloud does rather squish the tone of clips, so please bear that in mind.
My alto for the last 10 years has been a Reference 54 chosen in Paris in 2005.
I don’t intend to give you much description about the Axos, this is a personal take on the instrument, but there’s a very good resource online about the Axos here:
SeleS Axos Alto Saxophone Review ~ The Diligent Musician
SeleS Axos
Keywork:
The keywork feels good and completely solid; just like any other Selmer. I understand that Selmer outsource the keywork manufacture to other companies, fair enough, no big deal. Making keywork is not difficult in these days of CNC engineering. But Selmer do all the bodywork, strapping, pillars and assembly in house. Having only really played Selmers for years, the positioning and feel of the keys were immediately comfortable and I have no criticisms on that score. I would probably have a bit of work done on the spring tensions, but nothing major. It’s to be expected. I have had no issues with the neck tenon such as
@Alphorn described.
But having spent £50.00 getting it set up, it still was not covering perfectly. Grrr. I have never had a Selmer from new that did not need repeated visits to a good tech to get it working flawlessly; so, situation normal again. I am a bit perplexed by this attitude though, and frankly it does not surprise me that a lot of customers would rather buy Asian horns which are often much better set-up ‘out-of-the-box’.
Having said that, set-up is something I could deal with even if it cost me. However, I do wonder about the resilience of the mechanics over a period of years’ hard usage on the Axos, considering the price. Time alone will tell if the Axos remains road-worthy after heavy use.
Intonation:
I think the intonation of the Axos is second to none amongst modern Selmer altos. Yes, really. Although the bore is ostensibly that of the Series 2, the intonation is more linear and the octaves are better balanced than any S2 or S3 I have either owned or tried.
The intonation on the Axos is also better than on my Ref54. The Ref is a bit ‘squirrelly’ as they say: sharp in pitch on middle D & E as you would expect of any sax, but then progressively flatter up to top C to the point where I am consciously biting the upper B & C into tune in some circumstances. The top C# and upwards is very high in comparison and it needs huge concentration to play the palm keys in tune. The Axos is a breeze: open the throat a bit for middle D & E, retain a steady embouchure and the pitch up to the top is very linear indeed. Of course you still need to alter your vocal tract a little for each note as you do on any sax, and that top C# is a tad sharper than the C, but all in all once I had dialled it in the Axos was remarkably well in tune.
I have owned two S2s and a S3. I last played a Series 2 alto full-time in 2003 when I moved briefly to a S3 which I hated. The octaves were so wide on all those instruments and the notes immediately below the break so flat that at times it reduced me to tears, not to mention the instability of the upper G# which is a real deal breaker for me on the S2 & S3. This Axos is a fantastic correction of those tendencies. As spot on as any Selmer I have played.
Is the intonation of the Axos as good as a Yamaha or a Yanagisawa within the same price bracket? Possibly, although I’m not familiar enough with the cheaper Japanese horns to pass judgement. I played a Yamaha YAS62 in the 1980s which was very well in tune (but very light in tone) and an EX for a couple of years in the 2000s and that also had excellent intonation (and thicker tone), but the EX is £3500.00 +. I did audition a Yanagisawa AW10 (£2555.00) for a few days when it came out and thought it was OK, but I actually wasn’t over impressed because it seemed a bit stiff in the intonation department. The Axos is definitely more flexible than any of the Japanese horns.
Tone:
And finally the sound. Well, I’m pretty impressed by the tone quality of the Axos. It is absolutely, recognisably a Selmer horn tone-wise. I understand that the bell is now pressed out in halves and then joined together rather than hand-beaten, and that Selmer had to make some changes to the instrument to allow for the resultant difference in resonance. I think that the observation
@Chilli made is correct, that the tone is ‘brassier’ than my Ref54 which is a little sweeter. On the other hand my Ref54 is quite a tight sounding horn whereas the Axos has quite a lot of the Series 2’s openness.
I was pleased by the sound, which I believe is also in part due to the Axos’ magnificent intonation characteristics. I believe that intonation is inseparable from sound quality - record a ballad out-of-tune and try telling me it doesn’t immediately make an instrument sound ghastly! My Ref54 sounds a tad thinner on the top B at the height of ‘My Romance’ because I am having to lift the pitch a little with my vocal tract and my lip, but I don’t have to do that with the Axos, yea! The G major scale I play on the Axos at the very end, from altissimo G to low D was a breeze and would not have come out as well on the Ref54. In fact, I will stick my neck out and say that because of the resolutions to the tuning, I believe that - in some ways - I personally sound better on the Axos than any other Selmer alto I have owned.
The tone is malleable and quite big, and dynamics are very good. However, despite its big tone there is also, from the driving seat, a definable sheen to the sound of the Axos which was evident to me immediately I first played the instrument and which made me feel concerned in a peculiar way. I thought this might ameliorate after a few weeks of playing (I had the Axos for a month) but it didn’t. In fact, when I played it on two Nyman gigs recently I felt that there was a definite lack of tonal thickness available at high volumes which doesn’t necessarily show up on the recording. The Axos had good projection but not so much solidity to back it up, whereas all my other Selmers have had that ability to keep going almost indefinitely at high volume without losing tone quality.
So, in conclusion:
My opinion is (and it is only my opinion of this one example) that the Axos is a really good proposition for:
a) someone who wants a really good step up from a student horn, or
b) someone wants a more characterful alternative to an Asian horn without breaking the bank, or
c) someone who wants a cheaper touring horn that has the familiarity of the Selmer brand, (in the days of heavy touring I could see rock n’ rollers buying two of these for road use), or
d) someone who just wants a Selmer that plays well with minimum fuss (for a Selmer!).
The Seles Axos is very good in a lot of ways and I was very tempted to buy it, not least because of the price tag of £2135.00 (get one before the Pound sinks any further!!). But it’s not quite up to a fully professional instrument and I am a bit peeved that Selmer has not gone the whole hog and made this into a fully professional horn with all that that entails. The intonation alone is a huge step forward for them, better IMO than on any other Selmer I have played. But, I am reluctant to buy what is a half-way house for me now that I don’t tour very much. Whatever Selmer's publicity may say, it's neither a student horn, nor a truly pro one either but something in between at a tempting price. But maybe that’s great news for students and semi-pros?
Am I being hard on the Axos? No, again, I think it’s excellent for the price.
Also, (blushes) I have to admit to you all that I have a new lover. I have fallen for a beautiful Italian; the truth comes out! Ah the body, the sweetness…….….Oh come on now behave! NO! Not Aldevis! (excellent friend that he is, of course). But, he IS responsible for introducing us! More of my new affaire in another thread to come.
So, for now, less au revoir, more caio baby!