looking for soprano sax

[Steve]

I'm looking and trying to budget a nice soprano sax.

I'm primarily looking for:
Selmer SuperAction80 (from the 1980s), or Series I/II
Couf Superba I/II / heritage
Buffet DA/SDA/S1

of course budget is kind of limited, say $1,500 right now

 

[pete]

How's this?



You missed SML, Pierret and Dolnet on your list. Those should be in that price range. Interesting that you've got French, German, French.

 

[Steve]

How's this?



You missed SML, Pierret and Dolnet on your list. Those should be in that price range. Interesting that you've got French, German, French.

I thought of those, and the palm and LH table keys have a direct impact on the playability for me.

mk VI type table keys are fine with me.
Conn/Buescher table keys are not.

inline, mk VI type palm keys are not fine.

Pierret seems to have good table keys. But I haven't seen a Pierret sop in ages.

And another important factor is one's own goals. Anything else other than the above models then I would just keep searching and wasting more money until I got to those 3 brands.

 

[Steve]

I've thought about getting a Kessler or a Barone (on my short list) but it's just one of those things. I could just bid on ANY sop, in any color, on ebay. But there's a reason some people want to buy a certain brand or model of sop (or not buy one). I'm just that way.

Interesting that you've got French, German, French.

You also seem to forget. I already play Selmer and Couf alto & tenors, and Buffet clarinets. Do you see the brand correlation there ?

 

[pete]

Just the suggestion that if you play flute, it'd have to be a Selmer or something German -- or you'd have to go completely off the board and get a Japanese made one .

JunkDude.com's got a couple B&S/Weltklang sopranos under $900, if that floats your boat. Yes, not Keilwerth, but somewhat close.

Those Buffet sops will be a tad difficult to find. There's one on eBay, right now, but it's close to $1600.

 

[Steve]

My flute is actually a WT Armstrong ... to me, directly related to Couf

I've chatted with the owner of the eBay buffet ... it's on the radar

 

[Steve]

wow, 2 years later and still looking (again).
but the prices keep going up .. seems to be a trend

 

[Steve]

I've now bought a nice closet horn.

A mid 1982 SN# 333xxx Super Action 80 soprano in close to mint condition.
I'm waiting for it to arrive this Friday from a guy who actually used to live close to me, but retired down to Florida years ago.

 

[Gandalfe]

Hope it's a player for you. Nice that you actually knew the fellow who owned it up to now. Especially nice if that means it was a single owner instrument that was cared for by a musician.

 

[jbtsax]

Hope it was only played in church twice a year. It will be a real bargain.

 

[Steve]

Why can't we have Star Trek technology ... beam the instrument to me instead of waiting for shipping .... It's one state away now.

Maumee, OH, United States	02/20/2014	9:12 A.M.	Arrival Scan
Sharonville, OH, United States	02/20/2014	5:48 A.M.	Departure Scan
	02/20/2014	2:04 A.M.	Arrival Scan
Knoxville, TN, United States	02/19/2014	10:09 P.M.	Departure Scan
	02/19/2014	6:24 P.M.	Arrival Scan
Jacksonville, FL, United States	02/19/2014	8:43 A.M.	Departure Scan
	02/19/2014	4:23 A.M.	Arrival Scan
Orlando, FL, United States	02/19/2014	12:33 A.M.	Departure Scan
Orlando, FL, United States	02/18/2014	11:49 P.M.	Arrival Scan
Tampa, FL, United States	02/18/2014	9:59 P.M.	Departure Scan
	02/18/2014	9:54 P.M.	Arrival Scan
Bradenton, FL, United States	02/18/2014	9:01 P.M.	Departure Scan
	02/18/2014	8:54 P.M.	Arrival Scan
Sarasota, FL, United States	02/18/2014	8:26 P.M.	Departure Scan
	02/18/2014	7:23 P.M.	Origin Scan

 

[Carl H.]

Waiting for an instrument can be an unneeded frustration.