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Forum » General Discussions » Looking to buy first sax by blue_ongo_6 (3 posts) 19 years ago Looking to buy first sax Hi, I recently rented an alto. That was a cool introduction to the sax, but I think my compositions would be better suited to the tenor. And now I am on a saxquest! Returning the alto was devastating. And now I have no saxophone!I'm a ghost! I'm looking at buying a tenor. Unfortunately my sax knowledge is pretty limited. My teacher reccomended buying a pro model second hand, so long as it was from a respected seller who would let me send it back in a few days if my teacher didn't think it played well enough. What the consensus on buying second hand, any advice? I know that for the rest of my life I will be playing sax, so I'm really gravitating towards buying a pro model. Basically tone and playability are most important to me, and I really want to pursue a sound that I personally haven't heard from any student models. Some players really have a sound that gets through to me; Bob Berg, Andy Sheppard, Bobby Wellins. Now I know that tone is a complex and unique thing on the sax, but I'm interested as to what brands of tenors these guys are using. Particularly Andy Sheppard. I saw some footage of a live performance he did at the Brittania Jazz weekend that just blew me away. Also, could someone tell me, if I'm on to something here... my teacher tells me that the finish of a saxophone really affects the tone, and I've noticed that two of the players I admire the most, Bobby Wellins and Andy sheppard seemed to have dull looking saxes that did not shine much, and yet I thought they sounded much better. Does anyone know the type of finish these players have. Apologies for the myriad questions here, I usually quiz my teacher but he's away at the moment. My teacher plays an old selmer mark VI, he swears by it but doesn't rate many of the modern selmers. Are there other saxes that compare to the old mark VI's? I hear good things about the yamaha z series, but I don't know much about other pro range brands, like cannonball or keilworth or any other brands. Any guidance would be appreciated. Thanks for your time. Geo Reply To Post [Report Abuse] Report Abuse Web Address * Your Name Your Email Address Comment
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by kneejerk52 (397 posts) 19 years ago Re: Looking to buy first sax man i can't belive the gang hasn't jumped on this one it sounds to me yu have been getting pretty good advice and your idea about the finish i correct. many new horns can sound great but not many of the new ones can LIKE the old ones. don't forget the horn is olny one part you are the other. you need to find one that works for you. Reply To Post by tenor562 (297 posts) 19 years ago Re: Looking to buy first sax If you're looking for a value, a used Yamaha 61 or 62 would do you well. They're definitely pro horns and are known to be better than modern Yamahas. I'm not sure of the equipment is of the players you mentioned. Most pros use Mark VI's, but many have their own preferences. If you're looking for a horn similar to a Mark VI, there was a SOTW discussion on it, and B & S Medusa horns were reccomended. You can find more information about them from Kessler Music. www.kesslermusic.com -tenor562 Reply To Post by connsaxman_jim (2336 posts) 19 years ago Re: Looking to buy first sax I know that Bob Berg and Andy Sheppard both play Selmer Mk VI tenors. The Mk VI has been the tenor of choice since it was introduced in 1954. A Mk VI in good condition will cost you plenty, but a worthwhile investment if you take your playing seriously like you obviously do. I would definately recommend a vintage horn. Some others that I would recommend would be the Conn 10M, King Zephyr or Super 20, Buescher 400 Top Hat and Cane, or the Selmer Super Action which preceded the Mk VI. The newer Selmer Reference series and Super Action 80 Series II horns are good horns. I also like the new Keilwerth SX 90's and the Yamaha Custom Z. I wouldn't recommend the Cannonballs. I wouldn't consider anything Cannonball made to be pro quality whatsoever, but more a cheesy quality student-intermediate model horn with a few pro features. I don't like them at all. Reply To Post Yahoo! by blue_ongo_6 (3 posts) 19 years ago Re: Looking to buy first sax hi sax aficionados. Thanks for the feedback. I've found a dealer in the UK who stocks the B & S Medusa 2001. He's also got a yamaha Z 82ZU. I'm thinking a dull finish would really help me get the sound I'm looking for, but I have no idea what to ask for. The Yamaha 82Z is available with an unlaquered finish which I figured could be duller than the gold laquer finish. Also the Medusa he's got in stock has a sandblast finish. Do u think that either of these horns could enable me to attempt that Sheppard/Berg style tone? Thanks again for your time. Geo Reply To Post by connsaxman_jim (2336 posts) 19 years ago Re: Looking to buy first sax The finish really has cery little to do with the tone Geo. It is true that the lacquer does deaden the resonation somewhat, but in my opinion, the benefits of the lacquer out-weigh the slightly better resonation you get from an unlacquered horn. Both the B & S Medusa and the Yamaha 82Z are great horns, and I think that with the proper mouthpiece set up, you could get a good sound from either horn. Both Berg and Sheppard played Mk VI's. The Yamaha Z is much brighter than a Mk VI. The Medusa is a darker horn more like the older Conns and Bueschers. If you want more of a Berg/Sheppard sound, I would seriously consider a Selmer Reference 54, which is based on the original Mk VI like they both played. good Luck, JIm Reply To Post Yahoo!