How do you deal with "Honey I have a new horn"

[Ed Svoboda]

So I'm sure all of have had to deal with the whole experience of bringing home a new horn. How do you break the news to your significant other?

I generally have an agreement that for every horn that comes into the house one must leave.

[pete]

When my wife -- an alto sax player -- and I got married, I mentioned that I wouldn't mind picking up bari sax again. She said to me, "I will NOT have something like that in my home."

I am in the process of buying a horn from Ed. It's a bari :D.

The main convincing thing was to say that I was going to use some cash from the sale of my website (i.e. it's not costing "us" anything). The second thing is that she's now "directing" a small group of studentia at her school and she could have a sax quartet if she uses the bari. And the horn isn't that shiny that I'd notice a scratch or two.

Plus, if it's evar damaged, I think I could convince the school to pay for an overhaul by worldwidesax or saxquest. Hey, it's a private school.

Finally, I could also have said, "Look, I got you your piano. We also had the kidlet you wanted. And I don't mind the second dog. So, what you gonna let ME have?" :P

Oh. I also haven't let her see pictures of the horn. Let's just say I won't be featuring it in my calendar.

[SuperAction80]

1)You could hide the new horns in the woodshed. :ugeek:

2) :idea: In the unlikely event that you bring home a Contrabass saxophone, claim that it's beneficial to have a Contrabass saxophone lying around. Hey, if "The Big One" hits, wouldn't you feel safer inside the bell or case of this horn? :roll:

3)Well...hmmm...uhhhh....hide a diamond bracelet inside the bell?

[Gandalfe]

I convinced my wife, the clarinet player, to pick up sax three years ago. I haven't had problems since then. But I do run my purchase questions past her and it usually goes something like this;

Me: Wow, there's an F Mezzo for sale on eBay.

She: Well, you've had that on your search list for a long time now.

Me: Yeah, I even have a mouthpiece for it.

She: What would you use it for?

Me: Not much really, but it might be cool in a couple of quartet/quintet pieces.

Then I decide that it's too much money for so little use and just watch the sale (http://gandalfe.spaces.live.com/blog/cns!51AA828BCB20646!2809.entry).

[pete]

Offtopic for Gandalfe:
Gandalfe, I'd hold out for a Conn-O-Sax, anyhow.

I thought Quinn's auctions on that were amusing. I initially saw it listed for $100K. Then it was listed for $75K. It's currently not listed.

The most expensive sax I've seen sold on eBay was a gold-plated Standard (a.k.a. "Naked Lady") Conn bass (http://www.saxpics.com/the_gallery/conn/artist/14m/gold/263xxx/) that sold for $30K a few years ago. I could say that a Conn-O-Sax is more rare, but worth two-and-1/2 times the Conn bass?

[saxphil]

For me , it is not just horns but any package that comes in the mail 'cause most of them are sax related. My wife says that I have OCD. She believes one sax and mpc. should be sufficient. She may be right and I know that I would have a hard time cutting back that far if I had to.

[Gandalfe]

I played Quinn's conn-o-sax; he'll get what he's asking. It was the sweetest play I've ever experienced for a vintage horn. But it's too much money for me. And methinks the wife would have serious doubts about me buying that horn vs. the amount of use it would get. Now the Eppie bass sax to low A (http://gandalfe.spaces.live.com/blog/cns!51AA828BCB20646!2221.entry), that's a useful instrument. :mrgreen:

[pete]

I wish him luck, because I think a couple folks I know that have them will then sell them and have more time to post here :).

[zagor]

in our house it always sounds like "it was S? cheap"...
sometimes even "someone gave me this"...

[SteveSklar]

don't tell anyone ...

[Gandalfe]

don't tell anyone ...Doesn't work in the Gandalfe household--SuzySax hears me playing something different. In march it'll be a Leblanc Paris contrabass clarinet, the paperclip style. :twisted:

[SteveSklar]

don't tell anyone ...Doesn't work in the Gandalfe household--SuzySax hears me playing something different. In march it'll be a Leblanc Paris contrabass clarinet, the paperclip style. :twisted:
Then just tell her that you are play testing it. and then promptly send it to me for safe keeping :mrgreen:

[saxhound]

Just had to review my options here. Got a YTS-62 arriving soon!

[Ed Svoboda]

Hey, didn't you just sell or was trying to sell a horn? :-D

[Dave Dolson]

My wife has been VERY supportive over the years, but she looks at me with THAT look whenever I tell her I'm thinking about another horn. I guess I have only myself to blame . . . one week I'm raving about my old Bueschers and the next week I'm raving about my Yanagisawas (substitute Selmer here).

How DOES one decide? I mean, over the last few weeks I've been loving my S992, but today I got out both TT sopranos and fell in love all over again.

She's telling me I don't need that new KennyG soprano advertised in the latest SAXOPHONE JOURNAL (and frankly, at the advertised price of $4K, I don't need it), but still . . . DAVE

[Groovekiller]

There is a very simple solution. Buy TWO saxophones. Then send one back.

Seriously, how much did the F-mezzo go for? I'm thinking about selling one.

[pete]

The most expensive F Mezzo I saw sold for about $6000 a year or two ago. Cybersax.com's beautiful reworked F Mezzo (http://www.saxpics.com/the_gallery/conn/new_wonder/2/f_mezzo/lacquer-brass/213xxx-reworked-cs/images/) sold for $4200 three years ago. I remember seeing a couple other horns selling at around that time for slightly more.

In other words, assume under $7K.

EDIT: I found one of Gandalfe's blog posts (http://gandalfe.spaces.live.com/blog/cns%2151AA828BCB20646%212809.entry). If it's the same horn you're talking about, Groove, it went for $4600.

EDIT 2: And one's for sale at http://vancouver.en.craigslist.ca/msg/735082558.html

[pete]

When my wife -- an alto sax player -- and I got married, I mentioned that I wouldn't mind picking up bari sax again. She said to me, "I will NOT have something like that in my home."

I am in the process of buying a horn from Ed. It's a bari :D.
And it's sold, thus proving that my strategy proved ineffective :P.

[saxhound]

Hey, didn't you just sell or was trying to sell a horn? :-D

I'm selling my Mark VII tenor. Even though it isn't technically sold yet, I felt confident enough to spring for the 62. Try explaining that!

[Ed Svoboda]

I'm selling my Mark VII tenor. Even though it isn't technically sold yet, I felt confident enough to spring for the 62. Try explaining that!

I've done that before when I've come across a really great horn for the right price.

[Ed Svoboda]

I will have to use some of the excuses (I mean justification) presented in this thread since I just bought a Low A Yani stencil to go with my other Low A Yani stencil.

Justification - I really like my Yani Low A in spite of it not being the most pretty horn ever. It plays really well and I can get the sound that is in my head with it. On Sunday I had to play my King Tempo Low B flat since the Yani is being attended to for some leaks. I'm playing a lot of stuff that has Low A's and as a result I'm not sure that the B flat is a viable performance backup for me. The JK is a fine horn but has a different vibe than what I'm after.

[saxhound]

So in other words, you need a back-up for your back-up?

[Helen]

EDIT 2: And one's for sale at http://vancouver.en.craigslist.ca/msg/735082558.html

Oh Pete, you're a bad, bad, man. You had to point that out to me...That's less than 20 minutes from my house...Oh you're so bad....:evil:

Must...resist...temptation...to...phone...

Luckily today is a holiday here in Canada, and since he only posts a work number, he won't be there, and by tomorrow I'll have talked myself out of call him....I hope. :shock:

[saxhound]

Here's some pics of my new toy. Should be here early next week.

http://efluent.net/sax/yts.htm

[Helen]

Here's some pics of my new toy. Should be here early next week.

http://efluent.net/sax/yts.htm

Looks very shiny. :-D

Congrats! Good luck with selling you VII. Do you have a buyer lined up already?

[saxhound]

Looks very shiny. :-D

Congrats! Good luck with selling you VII. Do you have a buyer lined up already?

Looks good. The buyer really wants it, but needs to scrape together the cash. I think it will happen.

[Ed Svoboda]

So in other words, you need a back-up for your back-up?

It will either be the main horn or the backup. The King Tempo will be sold provided I do like the Yani that arrives. I'm pretty sure I will like it. Like any bari I expect it will need some TLC before it's really tight.

[Heckelphone]

We discuss any potential purchases first. Sometimes for quite a while...

[Al Stevens]

Saxophones? That's nothing. Chump change. With me it was, "Honey, I'm buying another airplane."

The nicest reception I ever got from her was when I said, "Bad news, Honey. We're selling the Mooney. The medical examiner says I may not fly anymore."

[Ed Svoboda]

Saxophones? That's nothing. Chump change. With me it was, "Honey, I'm buying another airplane."

The nicest reception I ever got from her was when I said, "Bad news, Honey. We're selling the Mooney. The medical examiner says I may not fly anymore."

Great perspective Al. The next time I come home with a horn I'm going to tell my wife - "yeah it's another saxophone but at least I didn't buy an airplane". Should keep me in her good graces. :lol: