Vintage Saxophones

[Taz]

Can anyone tell me when a sax becomes a vintage instrument, just how old do they have to be. I have just had a reply from the Amati factory in Checkoslovakia, to inform me that my sax is not 25, like I thought, but 48, she was made in 1960 (for those of you what don't do maffs) I could not believe the response as the condition of my baby is superb. I guess I'll have to start being a bit more responsible, and start swabbing her out and making sure she lasts another 48 years. 😉

 

[rhysonsax]

The word "vintage" is written almost instead of "used" on eBay nowadays. There are certainly no hard and fast rules that it has to be 50 or 40 or 30 years old.

To me "vintage" sounds older than "classic", but then you have other terms such as "antique" and "veteran".

Rhys

(I'm just slightly younger than your Amati, but don't want to be thought of as vintage)

 

[daveysaxboy]

I better not tell my wife she look's well for a vintage bird!!!!!! :x

 

[Linky Lee]

well my Martin alto was made in 25, so again for those that don't do maths it's 83 years old and in sublime condition. Though I think it was barely used for a very extended period of time in my old school's cupboard where I stumbled across it. Beautiful instrument now that it plays, albeit very rarely.
Saxes can easily out live their owners if you get a good one and look after it.

 

[Djangette]

'Antique' is a specific term and should only be used for items over 100 years old - I've ground my teeth and shot off the odd email to some ebayers misdescribing their items in this way, some of them less than 20 years old! (the items not the ebayers - though they probably were too!)

'Vintage' is a vague term and can mean anything. Personally I use it when I'm not 100% sure of exact age, but reckon it's knocking on to be 'antique', i.e. 20s/30s/40s. So Linky's Martin would be Vintage 🙂

I used to do a fair amount of ceramics, etc, and used to describe 60s/70s/80s stuff as 'Retro' - Christies/Sothebys/Phillips etc are holding sales for this era nowadays and describe them as ''Modern Collectibles''. Not so long ago they wouldn't touch that era with a bargepole, but there is shortage of good antiques.

'Classic' cars are pre-1973, Vintage (1919-1930ish) and Veteran (pre-1919) - though there's arguments regarding these dates.

Anyway I wouldn't describe any lady born in the 60s as a ''vintage bird'' - you could try 'groovy retro chick', but you still might get your dinner in the dog!
:laugh: