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Saxophones Stephanhouser alto

Pics of the Stephanhouser - this one has solid Nickel touchpieces instead of bell brass for some reason - note the pic showing the screwless system .. as it happens the pivot for the bottom 4 keys on the body tube does use standard screws . the octave mech patented bit is on the neck , not on the horn, it`s a lovely cast brass design not the usual pressed type .

well there would be pics but the images which are only 600 pixels across are coming back as too large :(
 
I`ve started a thread about it in the support section , with threads like the Step one , pics actually in the thread are better than on my image space where they`ll get deleted if I need the space for something else
 
I have to be honest that I'm impressed with the Stephanhouser - it has that SA80 type sound (Core I guess is the buzzword) but more of it with impressive depth, dynamics and power, it smooches really well on the bell notes with ease and is sweet in the highs too (LAW Buzzer 6*) , it can have good edge when pushed and as everyone as said who`s played one, it`s as loud as Altos get when pushed without the Shouty nature some can induce. the Intonation wasn`t noticeably out as you step through the octaves just listening so all`s well there too...

Ergos are bog standard SA80 bar a couple of design differences and I just picked it up and played it with no maladies or misskeying whatsoever . the action is a bit high on the lower stack (can be lowered but loathe to in case it loses dynamnics or turns stuffy ) I`ve also lightened the action a bit to make it more nimble under the fingers , of course it`s not just a Taiwan thing, heavy, high action as standard is rife with Japanese horns too .. it`s still no Purple YAS62 or Yani 991 in the speed department but its not a mile off and more than fast enough, the heavyweight keys give nice balance /

The octave lever has to be the most comfortable I`ve used, it`s a semi-cigar-cutter looking design (Normal but sharpened near the thumbrest) which your thumb just slides onto beautifully - the Thumb Hook , the worst of the hard edged metal types I`ve encountered so I`ve swapped it with the £2 plastic Yamalike one I got off E-bay to try on the C-Melody and that`s now sorted. Build is damn good, above the Elkhart Deluxe / TJ SR level, heavyweight without feeling clumsy like some heavy Chiense horns can , it`s definitely noticably heavier than a Yamaha 62 or a Selmer but you have to have one in each hand to do it ..
 
I am so pleased that someone else has bought a Step 1500! I hung onto mine! I have had to sell some beautiful horns but these Step 1500s....well, I am constantly impressed.
 
Like the RAW-XS Alto , it`s obviously been designed for dynamics and power above all but like the much loved TJ , it does subtle and sweet too. I`d very much like to see a comparison between these two horns . The Step 1500 can be picked up for a 1/3 that of a used RAW and I`d expect it being better made / higher quality metal than the flagship TJ too , My guess is that they`ll sound very similar but feel very different in the hands (like Driving a top end Cadillac compared to a Jag XK8)
 
More history - it appears that there were the following models Alto - 500, 600, 1000, 1500 and 2000. Tenors - 500 and 700. Soprano - 700

Not sure of the baritones but they were highly regarded I believe. It would appear that they are becoming quite rare. Not many for sale now in either UK or USA.

Models 500, 600 and 1000 regarded as inter/pro horns. 1500 is a pro horn (as oulined in Jazz Times articles from NAMM) with the 2000 being a silver version of the 1500 - silver bell and neck.

Started business in 2000 launched their range in 2002/2003, three unique patents. Brass was shipped from Germany to Taiwan (P. Mauriat factory I believe) manufactured and then shipped for finjal assembly and engraving, regulating and QA to Texas. Stopped trading around 2009/2010
 
TJ stopped importing them around 2007 when sold the remaining stock to Woodwind Direct & another dealer ........ the 500 and 600 would appear to have been the student models given they were lower end designs made in a different factory complete (info from Mark at WW-Direct) WW-Direct still have a model 600 in stock
 
As promised....I just took a pic of one of the Steps as they are both the 1000 model
This is the well used one
 

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Thanks Kev , the 1000 was supposedly the "Intermediate" model but the difference as I`ve read it was similar to the diff between a Yani 901 and a 992- very little bar a different metal (in this case the Brass quality) for the main parts, maybe a tweak or two and some bling - both the 1000 and the 1500 had all three patents ..

Next time you`re there take a look at the bow - it`s humungous, out of proportion to the bell or that of other altos
 
Next time you`re there take a look at the bow - it`s humungous, out of proportion to the bell or that of other altos
I know what you mean Adam !
 

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After having one nearly a week I can see why they`ve stuck with them and kept them so long , I can`t fault the horn for build quality (Tough AND refined) or ergonomics (Think SA80-II with a couple of thoughtful improvements) , the action is fast and smooth enough and the sound offers something very worthy extra over the usual SA80 clones in depth and ability to go to 11 on the scale without shouting. I can see why the TJ RAW is so popular, I bet it`d meet more than its match up against a Steph though ..

The Steph maybe easy to play on first blow (as easy as any other Taiwanese Hotrod) but takes a bit of time to learn to make the most of that depth and the extra dynamics, the bottom end can either do real deep smooch Getz type stuff with an almost tenor like tone and then turn on a sixpence to out blast the queen mary .
 
Very nice, are you putting a pic in the competition?

Jx
 
A fine looking horn.

Where does one obtain one of these magnificent saxophonic apparatus?

Greg S.
 
Aaaaah, they are getting harder to find now. I have a tenor STS 700 coming next month. No longer manufactured (see previous posts). Some come up for sale in the USA occasionally. Stephanhouser went bust and the retailers they signed have taken a couple of years (at least) to sell off "new" old stock.
 
it`s taken Woodwind Direct 7 years to gradually sell the total of 35 mixed Stephs (25 Alto 1500s, couple of Baris, three or so sops, one 2000 Alto and the rest in Tenors) I can`t remember who Mark said got the other batch from TJ but TJ stopped doing Stephs when they began the Signature series at that time ..

These things must have been very expensive to make, they're not simple Generic parts-bin Taiwanese models hot-rodded or tweaked to spec TW made horns like Cannonballs , Antiguas , System-54s, Mauriats, TJs, Vikings etc seem to be . that one piece bow alone must have taken some making as would the special cast octave mech on the neck let alone the weird keywork and other bits .......

some may say that was it all worth the bother when you can get a simpler , far lighter TJ RAW with the same kinda sound - maybe if the RAW existed in the Steph's hayday (when it cost near what the RAW does now) , I`d say NO but this is NOW and you try getting a used RAW XS at all , let alone for under £600 !! . there`s also the question of how long the TJ RAW`s keywork will hold up in 10 years or so - Trimmy's report that two Stephs have been holding up in the Maghull Wind Orchestra just fine for 11 years !! .
 
it`s taken Woodwind Direct 7 years to gradually sell the total of 35 mixed Stephs (25 Alto 1500s, couple of Baris, three or so sops, one 2000 Alto and the rest in Tenors) I can`t remember who Mark said got the other batch from TJ but TJ stopped doing Stephs when they began the Signature series at that time ..

These things must have been very expensive to make, they're not simple Generic parts-bin Taiwanese models hot-rodded or tweaked to spec TW made horns like Cannonballs , Antiguas , System-54s, Mauriats, TJs, Vikings etc seem to be . that one piece bow alone must have taken some making as would the special cast octave mech on the neck let alone the weird keywork and other bits .......

some may say that was it all worth the bother when you can get a simpler , far lighter TJ RAW with the same kinda sound - maybe if the RAW existed in the Steph's hayday (when it cost near what the RAW does now) , I`d say NO but this is NOW and you try getting a used RAW XS at all , let alone for under £600 !! . there`s also the question of how long the TJ RAW`s keywork will hold up in 10 years or so - Trimmy's report that two Stephs have been holding up in the Maghull Wind Orchestra just fine for 11 years !! .

Ads thats a nice horn you have,how does it play,what would you compare the sound to?
I don't think there will be an issue with TJ RAW keywork,they are built very solidly,don't think Stephen Howard would have bought one for himself if the keywork had been suspect.
 
I`d say the sound was on the SA80 / series III side of things overall but capable of a depth , thickness , power and edge beyond that, the dynamics are probably the most impressive part, the horn doesn`t stuffy-up when played very quiet (as one may think it may) or shout when played at full tilt, the clarity and refinement remain across the whole dynamic range. I`ve never played a RAW XS Alto but it`s how I imagine it would sound from all the reports I`ve read from owners and reviews (sound clips tell nothing unless done in a proper studio and the horns are played side to side on the same clip) , totally different from a Yamaha 62 Purp so just what I need .

What surprised me is that the middle D isn`t stuffy and you get away even playing the Bow C on the octave if desperate. there are no warbles regardless as to where the mouthpiece is placed (an issue with some TW Horns , though admittedly earlier ones and Jupiters) and it`s not prone to octaving on the G .

I`m still trying to get a handle on how responsive it is, not easy as mouthpiece matching comes into play here - it`s definately no worse than an SA80 or the best TW made straight untweaked clones like the Elkhart-Deluxe or TJ Rev-II etc , not ultra quick like the 89 vintage YAS62 Purp or a YAS61 using my LAW pieces. Whatever it`s not something I`ve noticed holding it back .

I have to say that I have a feeling that the only reason I may want an SA80-II after owning a Steph 1500 would be to merely have Henri Selmer Paris on the Bell and would miss the Stephs death or glory power if I sold it or not play the Selmer if I kept it ..
 
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