Saxophones The Big Guns, which one would you choose?

Choose your weapon

  • Selmer SBA

    Votes: 2 4.5%

  • Selmer MKVI

    Votes: 6 13.6%

  • King Super 20

    Votes: 3 6.8%

  • King Silver sonic

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Buescher Top Hat & Cane

    Votes: 1 2.3%

  • Conn 10M

    Votes: 6 13.6%

  • The Martin

    Votes: 6 13.6%

  • Actually I prefer a modern horn that is available

    Votes: 20 45.5%
  • Total voters
    44
Saxlicker

Saxlicker

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If they were available New today, which one of the most talked about horns (any era in manufacturing tweaks) would you go out and purchase?
I think these cover it (as I was specifically thinking tenor but post away if you would go buy alto, sop or bari)sorry if I missed your favourite .
 
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If I had the cash, I'd try the lot and then decide. And I'd include a few others, like SML, Keilwerth, Kohlert....
Funny how only Selmer really made the trip across the atlantic, but interest is really growing in some of the other european saxes from that era as well.
 
I'm not sure I would get any of them, modern horns seem to have risen the bar re: quality, sound and performance.

having said that, I still play a Conn 10M tenor and Buescher TH&C alto
 
question- who here can honestly say they've put all the above horns through their paces enough to really be able to answer this one? I've played a Conn extensively, MkVis and SBAs a bit and drooled over a Silversonic but I've really not had enough hours on most of the above to really feel I have a right to have an opinion here.... (love my Mauriat 66R but how would it shape up against, say, a martin- give me a martin for a few gigs and I'll tell you)
 
Jules said:
I've really not had enough hours on most of the above to really feel I have a right to have an opinion here....
Click to expand...

Yeah you do...
It wasn't really a question about doing too much thinking or trying before buying. It was aimed at more of a ....
There's a horn shop, heres the money, go pick one!
So i'm just interested to see which one immediately floats your boat as an amateur, pro or what ever.

So if you've drooled over the Silver sonic thats kind of what I'm talking about.


So far the results have quite surprised me, especially the modern horn count.
 
I’ve had enough hours on most of the saxes. But I’m not clever enough to give the right words to my experiences and I’m not that advanced as a player to review a sax. I like to blow few tones and hit hard! Rock ’n’ Roll Sax, you know. But some reflections …

… SBA; never played one
… Mk VI: Overall a very good sax. Maybe the best allround sax. I had to work the whole summer 1973 on a brickyard to get enough money to buy a used -67-68 Mk VI tenor. Cost me a lot. I got a nice King Super 20 and a Weltklang bari for the Mk VI money!
… Super 20; I have owned three. The best Super 20 for me was the one from -66-67. Otherwise the real Super 20 from the early 50’s was a spectactular sax. Big sound. But hard for me to handle. I got a feeling that you have to play your horn several hours every day to get along with the real Super 20. Big sound and hard to play ”pretty” on.
… Silver Sonic; never owned and play. But as far as I know the bore and taper is the same as the Super 20.
…Beuscher Top Hat & Cane; never owned one but I have played severals. I would love to have one. But they can be really beaten up. So far I’ve just seen saxes that need metal work. Can it be the thin wall construction that make them less sturdy? I think these horns are the real Rock ’ n’ Roll Saxes!
… Conn 10 M; a good allround sax. The 10Ms after mid 30’ and before - 45 are IMO the best horns.
… ”The Martin Tenor”: It was ”Bingo” for me when I came upon a Magna (same bore and taper as ”The Martin”) in -84. I really like the feeling and the sound. Sturdy saxes as well. Can it be the thick wall construction?

But if I should pick a sax without playing before like “There's a horn shop, heres the money, go pick one!” Then it would be a King Silver Sonic. A player and a looker!! But I would probably get rid of it the day I have found a Martin.

Thomas
 
Dunno ...

I listen to all kind of Saxophone music ...

Played on many different instruments ...

By different players - with very different setup's ...

There is no way any realistic comparison can be made by listening to others on-line in my opinion ...

So there is no real way to decide of those listed above which I prefer most ...

----
​

I have never tried any other sax [except for modern ones], nor do I feel the need to ...

My two girls are all I need ...

Alto - Yanagisawa A992 - Tenor Yanagisawa T9932J


But I may try another instrument at some time in the future - Possibly a trumpet ...
 
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Andrew Sanders said:
No
It's just that she has promised to remove something very precious to me if I bring yet another musical instrument into the house!
Although.....
Click to expand...
I see. It's the opposite with us: My husband has to hide everything from me, otherwise I will pinch it from him >:) hopefully we won't kill each other at woodwind exchange next week...
 
Hi Saxlicker,

I sort of feel you want the "boy in the sweetshop" reaction so will try and give my own slant to your thread. I was at woodwind exchange a few months ago trying some vintage horns none of which I could do justice to, when I was leaving I asked to see the vintage horns section and the lady was nice enough to show me a vintage Selmer.
Knowing how many great players played on these great horns, and made them sound so fantastic, I can only dream!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! so for me it has to be a Selmer super balanced action.

Cheers
 
I don’t know how best to answer this question but I’ll give it a bash!

King Silver Sonic

I’ve lusted after one of these horns ever since I saw Jim Horn playing one.

King Super 20

Wouldn’t mind playing this horn either!

Selmer SBA

Nope, doubt I’d every get one of these horns!

Selmer MK VI

Absolutely!

Buescher Top Hat & Cane

Nope!

Conn 10M

Would love to have one!

The Martin

Absolutely! Fantastic horn!

Actually I prefer a modern horn that is available

This is the one I voted for! Why? Well for me I like a horn that I can play and not worry too much about whether it gets banged up! Easy to repair or replace straight off the shelf! A vintage horn is much harder to replace! My Yani’s fit the bill very nicely!
 

Similar threads... or are they? Maybe not but they could be worth reading anyway 😀

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