Back-up Horns - Do you use them?

saxhound

saxhound

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I've always felt it was important to have a back-up for my most used horns - for me that's alto, tenor and clarinet (must avoid the temptation to have a back-up bari!). The crazy thing is that if something goes wrong with my primary horn right before a gig, I will somehow find a way to get it fixed rather than use my back-up. I had to go out of town for a gig two weeks ago, and my series 3 tenor was acting up (strange gurgle / buzzing noise), and rather than saying "Oh well, I'll take the Mark VII instead", I took the afternoon off of work before I left to get a quick repair done at my local shop. It seems like the only time I use the back-up is for outdoor gigs when the weather is lousy, or the occasional crowded "biker bar" type gig.

The dilemma - should a back-up be as close as possible to the main horn so that you really want to play it, or a cheap beater that only comes out under really adverse circumstances?
 
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I've had back up horns but I've found they rarely get used and just end up taking up space.

I'm now down to pretty much 1 horn each S,A,T and clarinet. I have picked up a Vito/YAS23 alto for my daughter when she decides to add it to her piano playing.

I've had both a backup alto and tenor in the past but rarely played the second horn. Four years ago I sold an alto and my backup tenor to get a Ref 54 alto. That's meant I've only had 1 tenor since then and tenor is my main horn. What I have found with only having 1 tenor is: I'm extra careful handling it and I tend to get any issues that develop taken care of in a timely fashion. I've got the luxury of a few friends that would lend me a tenor in a pinch too.

I've recently sold my Ref 54 because it spent too much time sitting in my closet and I felt it needed to be in the hands of someone playing more alto. I still have a Conn 1931 "tranny" alto, Yanagisawa T901 tenor w/bronze neck and a Yanagisawa SC901 curvey soprano for my needed fix.
 
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I have back-up horns, and I do use them quite regularly. My VI tenor needs a keyguard re-soldered, and I haven't had a chance to take it to the shop, so the Handcraft is currently in use.

My main axes are:
Soprano: Curly Pan Am (a true Conn minus only the rolled tone holes) keyed to high F

Alto: Late Model 6M (I generally only play alto in jazz currently)

Tenor: Mark VI

Bari: Low Bb Mark VI
​
My back ups are:
Soprano: Mark VI keyed to high F#

Alto: Mark VI

Tenor: Martin Handcraft

Bari: Low A B&S Medusa
​
I like the flexibility of having both low A and low Bb baris, since if in those rare instances where I absolutely, positively, cannot get away without having it, or cannot use my low A extension, then I'm covered.

I'm not playing as much currently as I did a few years ago, and I don't know if or when that will change. But I'm a bit of a pack rat, as well as stupidly sentimental. I get attached to my horns. I couldn't imagine parting with any of them. It's silly I know, but it's just the way I feel.
 
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If I gigged more than I do and wasn't just a weekend warrior, I'd feel more compelled to have backup horns. Gigging once or twice a month just doesn't justify the expense of having multiple horns.

I have hung on to my Conn tranny for sentimental reasons though (it is a very nice player to boot). Your not the only one in that boat Helen.
 
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saxhound said:
The dilemma - should a back-up be as close as possible to the main horn so that you really want to play it, or a cheap beater that only comes out under really adverse circumstances?
Click to expand...
I don't think that your backup instrument must be in the same league as your primary horn. First, there might simply no equal horn available - because it's no longer produced. Second, even if there were - would you invest loads of $$$ in something you rarely if ever use (now explain that to Dah Missus)? Third, if your main honker is run over by a lorry or otherwise finds itself in a suddenly unplayable condition, you might end up with something that your friendly and compassionate repair person is lending you. Better train your fingers to ever so slightly different positions now.
(And with sax that is easy, sloppy finger placement and all - try that with a clarinet).
Having said that - I use my backup(s) quite often. On marching I'd nevah evah use my main instrument. Same goes for other gigs that aren't secure in the stricter sense - outdoors, with chances of theft and all that. Now that's where a (cheap) backup comes in very handy.
 
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Alto is my main horn, so that's where the backups are. They really aren't backups, but great horns that I've aquired over the years. When I was a young guy, I would run across horns that played exceptionally well, and were great looking, but I never had the money to buy. Later on, my money was a little better, so I was able to buy a couple of horns that blew my mind.

My first backup is a goldplated MKVI alto, 58,xxx serial. This was my main horn from '96 until the end of '03. I put A LOT of miles on it during that period, so I do consider it to be slightly blown out. I was playing on it last week, and it was nice and sweet.

My second backup is a mint condition balanced action alto that my wife bought me for Christmas of '97. Serial 23,xxx. This horn came in it's original alligator case with the key in a tiny manila envelope, original mouthpiece, lig, and cap. The horn was held in the case by a leather strap around the bell. An old selmer sax chain neckstrap, old, old reeds with names on them that I never saw before. The reeds are in an old fashioned reed wallet with the original owners name, address, and four digit phone number! This baby is a time capsule. Original lacquer with super sharp engraving, lake scene with sailboat, cabin and a beautifully detailed tree. The horn plays with a wonderfully sweet, light tone. But it shows me that saxophone players had to work harder back in '37 than they do today.

My main horn is the reference alto that I bought new in Dec '03. This horn does not have the hand crafted beauty that the older horns has, but the sound and feel is better than the other two horns. And I had a 226,xxx MKVI alto that I bought new in '75 that got sold right after I bought the reference. The reference is a monster horn.
 
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I have backups for alto, tenor, and bari. Just one soprano which rarely gets played. At last count I had three baris (one low A and a couple of B flats - one of which is a project horn), five tenors (Mark VI, King Tempo, 1952 Aristocrat, 1958 400 TH&C, 1960's Kohlert), and six altos (Mark VI, Super Action 80, Armstrong Heritage, 1952 Aristocrat, Cousenon Monopole, Bundy II - my student horn).

So for Bari I have a backup. For everything else I have a backups for backups.

I need to sell some horns. :)
 
I know - I'll just use Ed's horns for back-up! Just kidding, Ed.

Upon further reflection (and a practice session to make sure it plays for tomorrow's parade), I think it is the ergos on the Mark VII that turns me off. I just can't get my small hands around that left pinky table, and the neck angle bothers me too - the mouthpiece just doesn't feel right in my mouth. My back-up alto is an LA Sax 750, and it does feel very similar to my Mark VI, although I just don't play that much alto, so I've only used it once or twice on a gig. I do have a couple out of town gigs on alto coming up, so I'll probably throw it in the car to be safe.

Anyone want to trade a Mark VII tenor for a modern Selmer?
 
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My back up horns are as close as possible to my main horns, but I don't think it's necessary to own 2 identical horns in every size.

I repair a lot of instruments for pros. They seem to exist in 2 extremes. There are those who meticulously maintain their instruments and own an excellent backup for everything. But more often they own one instrument, already played to death, that has needed an overhaul for over 20 years. Amazing, considering the latter example makes a living playing that tattered horn.

My suggestion to the people with one instrument is, next time you play a horn that makes you think "Wow, that plays great for a cheap instrument," BUY IT! At least it gives your repairman a chance to do a careful job next time your main axe needs repair. Also, when disaster strikes, you'll make the gig when the repair shop is closed.

Another approach is to buy a backup horn with a good resale value when you can get a good deal on one. Musical instruments, carefully chosen, hold their value better than money in the bank.
 
saxhound said:
I know - I'll just use Ed's horns for back-up! Just kidding, Ed.

Upon further reflection (and a practice session to make sure it plays for tomorrow's parade), I think it is the ergos on the Mark VII that turns me off. I just can't get my small hands around that left pinky table, and the neck angle bothers me too - the mouthpiece just doesn't feel right in my mouth. My back-up alto is an LA Sax 750, and it does feel very similar to my Mark VI, although I just don't play that much alto, so I've only used it once or twice on a gig. I do have a couple out of town gigs on alto coming up, so I'll probably throw it in the car to be safe.

Anyone want to trade a Mark VII tenor for a modern Selmer?
Click to expand...

You might want to call Randy at tenor madness about putting the serie III table keys on it. I talked to him a long time ago and he mentioned that he could modify a Mark VII to a more modern set of table keys.
 
the VII keywork is easily changeable. Even the Selmer USA TS100 keywork is fairly interchangeable. I've been meaning to do the work on my VIIs sometime too except i don't use much realestate on the keywork. my pinky stays near the rollers and don't move much

I actually prefer the SBA table keywork - non-tilting.
 
I've had backup horns before, but they weren't mine: if my bari, for instance, broke before a gig, I'd borrow my friend's. I had a couple altos that seemed to gravitate to me, so no problem there. I'd borrow my friend's tenor, if I had to, too.

To tell you the absolute truth, I never had much of a problem with my main horns that I needed a back-up.

When I auditioned for college, I did set aside the Mark VI I had been using -- it was capable, but it had been put through 30-odd years of high school use -- and borrowed my teacher's VI instead, as it was in better shape.

I bought a YAS-23 at one point as a practice horn because I was getting a tad tired of lugging around the YBS-52, but I found I enjoyed playing the YBS-52 more.
 
I play my Serie III in concertband. Also in the evenings at home, my e-Sax prefers right side bell keys.
R&B band is with my Crat, so I don't see any of them as a real backup horn. At the moment I have a Buffet SDA at my tech, a horn that had some rough times when I found it, but I thought this one should be worth restoring. Looking back at some SDA's I played in the shop this could be a great back up for both.
 
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OK, old thread, but I finally did it. My most recent backup tenor was a YTS-62. I've played it a bit over the past few years, and even took it to Italy for a gig a couple years ago because I didn't want to put my Selmer Series III silver plate through baggage. Even though the Yamaha is a nice horn, and in perfect condition, I just never liked the feel of it and I didn't feel the same vibe as my Selmer when it came to my tone.

My new backup arrives tomorrow from Quinn. It's a NOS Series III silver plate like this one: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Selmer-Supe...ne-Silver-Plate-BRAND-NEW-Quinn-/261602199540

He gave me a great deal including the trade in for my Yamaha.

Now my only problem is which one is the backup, and which one is my main horn! Can't wait for the Fedex truck to arrive.
 
Different strokes for different folks

I've mever had problems borrowing a saxophone when I neede to, so I've never maintained any backup horns for them.

(During cruise ship duty in the late 1960s, I wound have felt differently - it's hard to borrow a baritone when you're the only Bari player on the boat in the middle of the Windward. Lucky for me the repair show in San Juan was able to front me a rental. )

As for clarinets though, I have made damn'd that there are not one but two and one-half horns behind my Number One. Since I was in my twenties, I have made it a point to seek out full Boehm clarinet from the [] [/] model run, rebuild them to pristine condition, and the keep them ready to go. One you are fully lapped into the facility of the full Boehm network, it's very hard to shed the auxiliary zen or the articulated G#, try as you may.

With the bass, it's a different story. For one thing, they're so damn'd expensive. For another, it's almost impossible to purchase one in good shape, much less the model I prefer.

So, my bass backups are a pair of old Albert horns. Capable enough, as long as you don't mind the ancient horn smell emitting from them.

(At this point in my dysarthria hell, I only play the bass, and then only for diagnostic reasons. But that I could manage the others…)

Bassoon is similar to bass. I use it so seldom (and have a number of friends either suitable alternatives that couldn't see the point in owning another.
 
I think you have a good point there, Terry: if I was actively playing somewhere where it'd be very difficult or impossible to have a tech fix something ASAP, I'd probably want a backup horn.

I also think I'd rotate through my main and backup horns, if I owned any. Just so I could get familiar enough with them so if I had to switch horns I could.
 
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