Klarinet Archive - Posting 000577.txt from 1998/08

From: "Kevin Fay (LCA)" <kevinfay@-----.com>
Subj: RE: [kl] Re: Articulated G#
Date: Wed, 19 Aug 1998 12:39:24 -0400

This is interesting, Ed. A friend/acquaintance of mine, Cheryl Shields, is
the principal alto saxophonist of the Tacoma Concert Band south of Seattle.
(It's one of the best gigs a "concert" saxophonist can get here in the NW).
She plays on--you guessed it--a low A Selmer Mark VI.

I've tried it, and it a really fine horn. I don't notice much of a
difference from the low A other than the extra weight and a rather odd
balance (which she says you get used to).

I wonder if a good technician could have made the silver monster play
better?

kjf

-----Original Message-----
From: Edwin V. Lacy [mailto:el2@-----.edu]
Subject: Re: [kl] Re: Articulated G#

On Fri, 14 Aug 1998 kbowman@-----.com wrote:

> I'd like to see the tenor extended to low A (as most Bari's are now).

Selmer has always been willing to build a low A tenor, and even a low A
alto. I once had a student whose father was a physician. One summer,
while I was out of town, the father decided to buy his son a new
saxophone. So he went to a local music store, told them what he wanted to
do, and asked, "What is the most expensive alto saxophone I can buy?"
Note that we are heading for trouble. He didn't inquire about the best
saxophone, just the most expensive. I would imagine that at that point
the clerk in the music store began to salivate profusely, exhibit sweaty
palms, etc. Anyway, he suggested that the Selmer Paris, at that time the
Mark VI, was the most expensive saxophone available. The father pressed
the point a little, and the salesman opined that it would be even more
expensive if he ordered it with both a high F# (not yet standard then) AND
a low A. Also, ordering silver plating rather than brass lacquer would
add considerably to the cost. That was what he wanted to hear, and that
is what was ordered and received.

In addition to having a grotesque appearance, I would say this was one of
the worst saxophones I ever played or ever heard of. It felt like having
a miniature baritone saxophone around your neck, and it played as though
the bore were stuffed with oatmeal. I never was able to find a neckpiece,
mouthpiece or reed that would improve it. But, what can you say to a
student whose father is convinced he has just bought something wonderful
for his son. Fortunately for the musical world, the student soon decided
to give up music. As far as I know, he himself became a physician, and as
such, he is probably in a much better position to be a help to the musical
world than he would have been as a saxophone player.

Sometimes we have to be careful what we wish for - we might get it! ;-)

Ed Lacy
*****************************************************************
Dr. Edwin Lacy University of Evansville
Professor of Music 1800 Lincoln Avenue
Evansville, IN 47722
el2@-----.edu (812)479-2754
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