Klarinet Archive - Posting 000198.txt from 1998/05

From: "Carl Schexnayder" <carlsche@-----.com>
Subj: Re: [kl] Hey - All youse Sax Professors out dere...
Date: Tue, 5 May 1998 21:55:14 -0400

-----Original Message-----
From: Shouryu Nohe <jnohe@-----.edu>
Date: Tuesday, May 05, 1998 2:29 PM
Subject: [kl] Hey - All youse Sax Professors out dere...

Keilworth and Yamaha, etc.

I don't agree that Keilworths are bright. Actually, most people would tell
you that they are about the darkest sounding saxophone around. The darkest
of the Keilworths, strangely enough, is the Black Gold SX model. Yamahas
can be brighter sounding, but the Custom (model 875) is a pretty dark
sounding instrument. It also sounds darker with a black finish, but theirs
is Black Lacquer. So much depends on the mouthpiece/reed/ligature/neck
combination influence on the sound. At the high school where I teach, we
use Yamaha 62's with vintage Buescher replica necks, a Rascher or Caravan
mouthpiece, Rovner Mark III ligatures and Glotin Classical #4.5 or #5 reeds.
I submit that a much darker combination than that would be hard to find.
Obviously, if we used a darker sounding saxophone to begin with and the same
combination of accessories, the sound would be still darker. As a matter of
fact, we have had a student who had his own Yamaha Custom 875, which he
played with the same combination, and it was a beautiful, (and also darker),
sound.

My students love the action of the Yamahas. I have never liked the key
placement of the Selmers, (or the sound either, for that matter), although I
fully realize that MANY people would disagree. We haven't had the
opportunity to try any Yanagisawas, but I've been told that the curved
soprano is the darkest sounding NEW soprano on the market.

I recently bought, (for my school), a vintage Conn nickle plated curved
soprano. This instrument gets a beautiful dark sound. We are using it with
the original mouthpiece, which is similar in design to the original Adolf
Sax mouthpiece, (so is the instrument, by the way).

Some of the most beautiful classical saxophone sounds, (in my opinion), can
be heard on a Classical CD by Lawrence Gwozdz entitled "TRIBUTE TO SIGURD
RASCHER", (I think ). I don't have the CD right in front of me at the
moment. Dr. Gwozdz plays on a vintage gold plated Buescher. For more
information on vintage Bueschers, you could contact Dr. Gwozdz at
(601)266-5547. He teaches at the University of Southern Mississippi in
Hattiesburg. Another person who can fill you in on these instruments,
He's also the person from whom I obtained the vintage Buescher replica
necks), is Mark Aransen. His telephone number is (319)452-3082. He can
also help you with Rascher mouthpieces and is a likable person who is very
enthusiastic and knowledgeble in regard to the saxophone.

The reason I bring up the vintage Buescher is that one can usually pick up
agood one for around $800.00 to $900.00. The reason I haven't gone totally
in that direction is that I don't like the action on the old Bueschers.

As for other brands, I think the Vito, (which is a student model), plays
very well and sells for about $700.00, the Grassi at around $1000.00, the
Borgani at around $1700.00 are all good dark sounding instruments. The Couf
was, I'm pretty sure, made by Keilworth, and is also a nice dark sounding
instrument if you can find a good used one.

Most of the darker sounding saxophones are also generally very sturdily made
as well. As for a bright sound, any saxophone can be made to sound bright
by using a mouthiece with a high baffle and if that doesn't sound bright
enough, you can always aquire a plastic reed.

Hope this helps,

Carl Schexnayder

>I know that we have several sax majors around, and so I'm going to bother
>the list about sex...I mean, sax.
>
>These days in clarinetting, there are a lot of fine brands out there that
>produce top quality horns, like Patricola, Rossi, and the like. Although
>these smaller name sticks are close to or just as good as Buffet and
>Leblanc, and often cheaper, we often stick to the big two, because they
>have a strong reputation for reliability.
>
>I have been told by quite a few people that if you do both classical and
>jazz playing, the big two where saxophones come in are Selmer Paris and
>Yanigasawa - primarily because the Paris has well rounded, focused tone
>that is flexible, and the Yani primarily for classical, since it has a
>naturally dark tone (metal mpcs make it jazzworthy, I've been told). If
>you do strictly jazz, then there's Guardala, Yamaha, and Keilworth (as in,
>'The play frickin bright!'). But there are small name companies that
>claim to produce 'professional' level saxes that are SIGNIFICANTLY cheaper
>than any of the prior brands I've mentioned. I've seen in the WWBW
>catalogues brands such as Amati, LA Sax, and Vespro all claim to be pro
>line horns, but the prices don't reflect it.
>
>Any of you sax majors try the Amati, LAS, or Vespros? If so, tell me if
>what they say is true, and whether the horn is more jazz oriented or
>classical.
>
>Ag, I'll probably end up going with a Yani anyway...
>
>Shouryu Nohe
>Professor of SCSM102, New Mexico State Univ.
>http://web.nmsu.edu/~jnohe; ICQ 6771552
>Coffee Drinker, Musician, Otaku, Jesus Freak, Admirer of Women
>(Not necessarily in that order)
>--------------------------------------------------------------
>"Shinji, how do you feel in Unit 00's entry plug?" - Dr. Akagi Ritsuko
>"Uh, it feels kinda...weird."
>"Like...incompatiblity?" - Ibuki Maya
>"Not like that...this thing smells like Rei."
>
>
>
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