Saxophones Saxes & Related Instruments: What a Collection !

rhysonsax · Jul 5, 2012

Here is an intersting video of Antillio Berni playing some of the unusual saxes and related instruments from his collection.

Here are the horns featured:

1 Original Adolphe Sax Tenor (in Bb)
2 Bottali baritone rothophone (in Eb)
3 Selmer Super Balanced Action sopranino (in Eb)
4 Orsi curved sopranino (in Eb)
5 Nixon straight baritone (in Eb)
6 Conn "O-Sax" (in F)
7 American Professional semicurved soprano (in Bb)
8 Grafton plastic Alto (in Eb)
9 Buescher straight Alto (in Eb)
10 Conn Chu Berry Artist-Virtuoso baritone (in Eb)
11 Conn Chu Berry Artist-Virtuoso tenor (in Bb)
12 Eppelsheim soprillo (in Bb)
13 Orsi contrabass (in Eb)
14 Bass Tarogato Gregus Pal (in Bb)
15 Conn C-Melody Chu Berry Artist-Viruoso (in C)
17 Swanee Slide Sax model D
18 Couesnon Saxie (in C)
19 Anonimous Jazzophone (a trumpet with in shaped sax form in Bb)
20 Buescher Tipped Bell soprano (in Bb)
21 Couesnophone-Goofus Sax (in C)
22 Mellosax (a particular slide sax in C)
23 Muheli tarogato soprano in (Bb)
24 Selmer Cigar Cutter bass (in Bb)
25 L.A. SAX straight Tenor (in Bb)
26 Yamaha 62R (fixed curved neck) soprano (in Bb)

Seems like I still have a long way to go in my collecting career.

He plays nicely too.

Rhys

breathless · Jul 6, 2012

Mesmerising, from start to finish. I had no idea half those instruments existed.

Thanks for posting.

Rgds Lee.

Kingsleyhk · Jul 6, 2012

Fantastic - the man has 500 vintage saxes! Can't possible be married!

Saxade · Jul 6, 2012

Fantastic... there is a lot of instruments in there that I never new existed...
I particularly love the sound of the Muheli tarogato soprano in (Bb)
Interesting.... thank you

gladsaxisme · Jul 9, 2012

I loved the way he fingered the Yamaha sop at the end with a sort of light stroking motion....John

Kingsleyhk · Jul 9, 2012

I noticed that too - it looked horribly efficient!

TonyM · Jul 9, 2012

Absolutely marvellous. I'll remember this tomorrow morning when I'm fussing over alto embouchure and clarinet embouchure.

A joy to watch (for a particular audience).

Kingsleyhk · Jul 9, 2012

Tony M:

I sometimes think we worry too much about the technicalities - and fuss too much. Not to get into a "good old days" line but, when I started in 1961:

1. The only decent sax was a Selmer Mk VI but nobody could afford one - GBP120!

2. I was awful but got a job in a dance band at 14 because I was the only person in the area who owned a sax - thanks Mum! I got paid a pound a night for a four hour dance.

3. I struggled for about two years with a mouthpiece that came with the sax - and then bought a Selmer C** and suddenly my octaves were no longer a semitone apart!

4. I bought a B & H (not B & W - pay attention at the back!) alto for three quid off a miner who had moved onto night shift and so couldn't play dances (not gigs - not part of the vocabulary then) any more. I fixed it up - it was a fantastic sax, with really weird articulations between the palm keys - and sold it for sixteen quid and have regretted it ever since!

5. I bought a Brilhart white mouthpiece for the tenor that was absolutely sensational - I think I paid about three quid for it. You've seen them sometimes in publicity photos from the 40s and 50s (even Bird) - they have a black bite plate that is sort of square. Mine was so old that the bite plate was round!

Gee we had it tough!

And if you told kids that today, they wouldn't believe you!

Sue · Jul 9, 2012

Love it - thanks for sharing. He even managed to make the soprillo sound good!!!

kevgermany · Jul 9, 2012

Kingsleyhk said:
5. I bought a Brilhart white mouthpiece for the tenor that was absolutely sensational - I think I paid about three quid for it. You've seen them sometimes in publicity photos from the 40s and 50s (even Bird) - they have a black bite plate that is sort of square. Mine was so old that the bite plate was round!

Sounds as if you had a Personaline - these had round bite plates, that were oringally brown looking like fake wood (on the white models) and white ont he black ones. Had one for my alto and loved the sound, but it was a little too closed for me.

Kingsleyhk · Jul 9, 2012

Kev - thanks for the identification. As far as I recall - and it was a long time ago - it had no markings other than the Brilhart name. Stupidly I gave it away in a fit of altruism! Would love to replace it - does anyone know if there is an equivalent Brilhart made these days?

kevgermany · Jul 9, 2012

Was it like this? Possibly without, or with a different band?

Proper name is a Brilhart Personaline W. They're like hens teeth. Not sure if anything's made like this now. Lovely sweet tone.

I was told by Otto Andreeson, who's a Brilhart nut/hstorian that the Streamline Tonalin 'Designed by Arnold Brilhart' has the same sweet tone.

I think he also buys sells mouthpieces and may have one for you. pm me if you want his email address.

I tried a couple of Selmer Soloists. One was a Pillinger replica and the other was a new one. Sweetish, but not as sweet as the Brilhart. I only let it go cos my teacher had one on his King Zephyr and wanted a backup. Tip was a touch narrow for me, and there was a crack in the shank which I fixed cos it was still leaking after the band was put on.

Apparantly the rubber Personalines are even better - and even rarer.

jbtsax · Jul 10, 2012

I had seen this video a while back. The moment I heard him play "The Nearness of You" on the soprano taragoto (about 8:50 in the video) I fell in love with that sound and knew instantly I had to have one of these instruments for myself.

Greg Strange · Jul 10, 2012

I enjoyed the video - good to see all these weird and wonderful horns getting played.

Regards,

Greg S.

Pete C · Jul 10, 2012

and you think you have mouthpiece and reed problems!!

Sue · Jul 10, 2012

jbtsax said:
I had seen this video a while back. The moment I heard him play "The Nearness of You" on the soprano taragoto (about 8:50 in the video) I fell in love with that sound and knew instantly I had to have one of these instruments for myself.

A friend of mine bought a taragoto a few years ago. She ordered it directly from Hungary and when it arrived the wood had a hairline crack. The person had made it to order and replace it no quibble with a perfect one. It is a thing of beauty and she plays is beautifully. I hope you enjoy yours too 🙂

kevgermany · Jul 10, 2012

Sue said:
A friend of mine bought a taragoto a few years ago. She ordered it directly from Hungary and when it arrived the wood had a hairline crack. The person had made it to order and replace it no quibble with a perfect one. It is a thing of beauty and she plays is beautifully. I hope you enjoy yours too 🙂