Saxophones Saxophones, rarely discussed

[Grumps]

Perhaps it's show and tell time with some photos along with a few of its fine points regarding yours? 😉

Here's an old one that shows the bell as well as a glimpse of the telltale tonehole:

It was given to me by a business associate (along with a vintage STM) almost thirty years ago and sent me online to find out more about it. I had it overhauled for my son to give tenor a go when he was still playing and it's still here in the house as my backup tenor. Even though I had given it to my son back then, I quickly realized it was more fun to play than my VII tenor and it sent me down that rabbit hole where I got off the Selmer boat. My go-to tenor, a Silversonic from 1969, is the most modern horn out of all that I now play.

@lig , you'll like this. It was a silverplated Zephyr Tenor, restored by L&L Music in Gaithersburg, that gave me the itch for that Silversonic I mentioned above when I got to try it at a past Symposium. And @skeller047 and @PigSquealer will like this... they'll likely get to see (and try) that silverplated Zephry at the Symposium in January. It's the shop where I send anything I can't do myself; like when I had them reposition the fixed neck of my Conn curvy. They do very good work.

 

[PigSquealer]

Maybe this reflects a rarely discussed sax? It is in the Café sales section:

Saxophone FS - **Rare 1956 Ida Maria Grassi “Jade Roller” Vintage Tenor Saxophone**

**Rare 1956 Ida Maria Grassi “Jade Roller” Vintage Tenor Saxophone** For sale is a **1956 Ida Maria Grassi Jade Roller tenor saxophone**, a fantastic example of a vintage Italian-made saxophone with plenty of character and history. I am selling as I have been keeping it as my back up horn for...

cafesaxophone.com

(Inserted using Café BB Code):

Really not discussed at all. Maybe just a little here though.

Saxophones - Grassi Saxophones

Foreword This guide was compiled mostly out of personal curiosity on these saxes and hopefully it will also serve to all those trying to identify the different models produced by this famous Italian manufacturer. It is somewhat peculiar that although Grassi was one of the largest producers of...

cafesaxophone.com

 

[Woodpad]

I've got only curved soprano Pierret, i didn't know Pierret made this horn

Pierret has a French patent on the construction of the underslung neck. There is also an American version of this patent. Somehow the sellers of the American vibrator reeds are also involved with it.

 

[JayeNM]

OK, I was generalizing, point taken about the Kings, though they did follow Conn down that mucky path to the bottom eventually. And became one, legally at least…

However, I stand by my point about the only professional model. Regardless of whether this is ACTUALLY true, it was certainly the attitude in the ‘60s and ‘70s.

Yes, it was the prevailing attitude....no doubt. But that is a bit different a statement.

But yeah, it had established itself as that -and quite honestly, the thing that puzzles me was....why did it take 20-30 years for other companies - besides King which came up with an ergonomically better keywork design starting with the series II S20 in 1949....to catch on that the Selmers were displacing their top shelfers in the eyes of pros ???

The SBA came out in '47. Besides the S20, the first arguably modern keywork american horn didn't appear until 1980.
Not an impressive learning curve....

I mean, besides the S20...the only non-asian models which switched over to modernish key mechanisms in the late 70s were Rampone and Grassi....with some very 6-esque looking models.....at about the same time the Japanese brands hit the western market.
Then JK soon after.

 

[JayeNM]

Go figure that a thread titled "Saxophones, rarely discussed" ended up about the Mark VI...

Old Legends......die hard.....

(or hardly die ?)

 

[jcn664]

I have one "Boosey and Hawks" horn, i don't know what is the values, is it good, or bad, i don't know. I know it's c soprano High pitch, and english horn,

Clearly not good value to resell but never mind, it was my collection and i paid 150€ for this

I don't know what values have boosey and hawks horn ?

It's for me the only english brand made horn that i "know" if we can say like that

 

[Woodpad]

I have one "Boosey and Hawks" horn, i don't know what is the values, is it good, or bad, i don't know. I know it's c soprano High pitch, and english horn,

Clearly not good value to resell but never mind, it was my collection and i paid 150€ for this

I don't know what values have boosey and hawks horn ?

It's for me the only english brand made horn that i "know" if we can say like that

One aspect of rarely discussed horns is the absence of reviews. Except for the Hawkes and son XX century tenor review from Stephen no others come to mind for this brand. A friend played a Boosey and Hawks soprano, but it was build different.

 

[PigSquealer]

Boosey & Hawks C made after 1933

 

[Stephen Howard]

One aspect of rarely discussed horns is the absence of reviews. Except for the Hawkes and son XX century tenor review from Stephen no others come to mind for this brand. A friend played a Boosey and Hawks soprano, but it was build different.

I've also reviewed the XX Century alto - plus there's a related review of a Boosey & Co. soprano.

 

[Woodpad]

I've also reviewed the XX Century alto - plus there's a related review of a Boosey & Co. soprano.

Thanks for making these reviews.

 

[jcn664]

But we don't talke about the new modern sax
This alto is very Nice 🤣🤣🤣🤣😂😂😂

Okay sorry it was joke, it's not sax, but rothophone alto lol xd

 

[turf3]

But we don't talke about the new modern sax
This alto is very Nice 🤣🤣🤣🤣😂😂😂
View attachment 37674

Okay sorry it was joke, it's not sax, but rothophone alto lol xd

Do you own this? How does it play and sound? Is it kind of like a English Horn?

 

[jcn664]

Do you own this? How does it play and sound? Is it kind of like a English Horn?

Not me, i loan at collector, and i will learn, and play on, i would like to have my mine but 9000$

 

[Colin the Bear]

Two unknown brands, to me, cropped up this week. A REMY and a Jager. (Umlaut over the a).

 

[jcn664]

Two unknown brands, to me, cropped up this week. A REMY and a Jager. (Umlaut over the a).

I don't what is it,

Rampone and cazzani are rare, and very good horn,

My next horn oh my god, my Dell piane system full restorate (with extra keys) for 2500€ mama miaaa

 

[Woodpad]

But we don't talke about the new modern sax
This alto is very Nice 🤣🤣🤣🤣😂😂😂
View attachment 37674

Okay sorry it was joke, it's not sax, but rothophone alto lol xd

Nice instrument. Lowest note is fingered as B?

 

[PigSquealer]

I've also reviewed the XX Century alto - plus there's a related review of a Boosey & Co. soprano.

Thanks for posting your reviews, but I have to ask if you were suffering from cabin fever first ? Maybe a knock on your head ?
Shop fumes? Bad ventilation ?
IIRC a Hawks was your first horn and you hated it. So why the reviews ?

 

[Stephen Howard]

Thanks for posting your reviews, but I have to ask if you were suffering from cabin fever first ? Maybe a knock on your head ?
Shop fumes? Bad ventilation ?
IIRC a Hawks was your first horn and you hated it. So why the reviews ?

Probably a lack of whisky!

The Hawkes wasn't my first horn - but it was the one that kicked off this career.
It was a Hawkes Excelsior tenor - a high-pitched one. My dad and I bought it because neither of us knew anything about high/low pitch back then. Also, we never knew that (as the seller told us) putting it in the bath before playing to give the pads 'a good soak' was not a good thing to do (though thankfully we suspected as much).

We had some repairs done to it, and when we got it back I took one look at the crappy solderwork and said "Even I could do better than that!" - and that's when the bulb above my head lit up.

When I first encountered a XX Century I was expecting very bad things - so was completely delighted when it turned out to be really rather nice.
Here's one of my clients, the very talented Richard White (in unusually laid-back mode) on his XX Century alto...

View: https://youtu.be/00kpPFnr9lk?list=RD00kpPFnr9lk&t=27

 

[JayeNM]

I think things get really muddied when you start throwing in 'brands' which either NEVER had their own factory (iow were always stenciled) or perhaps started out as an independent brand with its own facility but got bought out and although the name survived, from then on were subcontracted stencils (York, as one example).

To even call those 'brands not much discussed'....is stretching it....so yeah, they get ignored....but not without reason....

 

[Grumps]

It was a Hawkes Excelsior tenor - a high-pitched one.

I got to play a high pitched horn for the very first time at @LostCircuits ' place. An alto, and he can tell you a lot more about the particular make than I can. All I can say is that it didn't feel right. As in... now I know what a bad liver transplant might feel like. That kinda vibe. Couldn't get on with it whatsoever, but I much appreciated being given the opportunity.