Saxlicker
Well-Known Member
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- 1,528
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- Breakfast room since '06 UK
I like to keep half an eye on the vintage horn market. There is nothing quite as good as a vintage horn for me.
But before I move on I’d like to clarify......yes I do understand that sound comes mostly from the player, then the mouthpiece/reed set up then the neck and then the horn and its individual set up and condition. Something like that anyway!
Throw in styles of music, personal taste and suddenly the whole thing has become very subjective.
But what is going on with the market right now?
Very recently a couple of really pretty King super 20’s sold for incredible money.
One alto, one tenor, different sellers (can’t remember if one was a silver sonic or not and that hardly effects my question). The alto went for U.S. $28k and the tenor something like £10k.
As for the rest of the vintage horns out there, it seems to be a tough time. despite struggling for almost a couple of years now many hopeful sellers are still listing your average MKVI tenor for £5k and upwards, in fact way upwards in some cases but they sure are hanging around.
Established shops aside, who keep a stiff upper lip with their pricing and put up with expensive stock,
eventually it seems these horns are either substantially reduced to sell or get put back in the cupboard.
Granted, the financial situation for the masses is bleak but I don’t get the feeling this is the whole story.
Years ago (pre internet) it could take months just to find a MKVI tenor now of course there are plenty on show. Was it all about the catch?
However I think this mass availability actually pushed the prices up for a while as the one you had your eye on would get snapped up by someone thousands of miles from you and you wouldn’t let that happen again for the sake of £100.
For sure many new highly praised horns have arrived in recent years and again thanks to the internet, discovery of them and competitive prices come quickly.
How much influence is this having? I think endorsers of many of the newer horns are truly impressed by their new machine but how many of them really move on and never look back ? I suspect the reality is that many either keep experimenting or pull out that vintage horn again at some point.
Is it perhaps a little like the housing market where first time vintage buyers can’t get or justify a first foot on the ladder?
Will it last? Is it a blip?
Is there a downward shift in the market regarding vintage nostalgia and wanting to own something precious to an era?
It’s all a bit mixed up and I actually prefer prices to be low.
I don’t buy a sax as an investment even if that does turn out to be a nice side effect. I buy because I love the damn evil things, so the lower the price the better as far as i’m concerned.
My long term guess is that the average vintage horn that maintains an army of followers will level out somewhere around the price of brand new professional instruments from Selmer.
I’d also like to find a horn that makes me say “yep....this is better than any MKVI or King Super 20 that I’ve ever played”
However........22 years on I still haven’t been able to say that.
Is the best horn you’ve ever played one that just gets out of the way and lets your hard work shine through?
Now, what do you think?
(I know, I know you just want to blow it and thats fine......)
But before I move on I’d like to clarify......yes I do understand that sound comes mostly from the player, then the mouthpiece/reed set up then the neck and then the horn and its individual set up and condition. Something like that anyway!
Throw in styles of music, personal taste and suddenly the whole thing has become very subjective.
But what is going on with the market right now?
Very recently a couple of really pretty King super 20’s sold for incredible money.
One alto, one tenor, different sellers (can’t remember if one was a silver sonic or not and that hardly effects my question). The alto went for U.S. $28k and the tenor something like £10k.
As for the rest of the vintage horns out there, it seems to be a tough time. despite struggling for almost a couple of years now many hopeful sellers are still listing your average MKVI tenor for £5k and upwards, in fact way upwards in some cases but they sure are hanging around.
Established shops aside, who keep a stiff upper lip with their pricing and put up with expensive stock,
eventually it seems these horns are either substantially reduced to sell or get put back in the cupboard.
Granted, the financial situation for the masses is bleak but I don’t get the feeling this is the whole story.
Years ago (pre internet) it could take months just to find a MKVI tenor now of course there are plenty on show. Was it all about the catch?
However I think this mass availability actually pushed the prices up for a while as the one you had your eye on would get snapped up by someone thousands of miles from you and you wouldn’t let that happen again for the sake of £100.
For sure many new highly praised horns have arrived in recent years and again thanks to the internet, discovery of them and competitive prices come quickly.
How much influence is this having? I think endorsers of many of the newer horns are truly impressed by their new machine but how many of them really move on and never look back ? I suspect the reality is that many either keep experimenting or pull out that vintage horn again at some point.
Is it perhaps a little like the housing market where first time vintage buyers can’t get or justify a first foot on the ladder?
Will it last? Is it a blip?
Is there a downward shift in the market regarding vintage nostalgia and wanting to own something precious to an era?
It’s all a bit mixed up and I actually prefer prices to be low.
I don’t buy a sax as an investment even if that does turn out to be a nice side effect. I buy because I love the damn evil things, so the lower the price the better as far as i’m concerned.
My long term guess is that the average vintage horn that maintains an army of followers will level out somewhere around the price of brand new professional instruments from Selmer.
I’d also like to find a horn that makes me say “yep....this is better than any MKVI or King Super 20 that I’ve ever played”
However........22 years on I still haven’t been able to say that.
Is the best horn you’ve ever played one that just gets out of the way and lets your hard work shine through?
Now, what do you think?
(I know, I know you just want to blow it and thats fine......)