**For Mods** I'm cross posting this from SOTW. I didn't see anywhere else to put a "VS - Opinions Wanted" thread, so I threw it here. Feel free to shuffle it around or do what you gotta do. Thanks! **/for Mods**
Current horn: 1945 Silver Plated (95-97% intact) Conn 6M-VIII. (Purchased Feb '97)
Thinking-about-it horns: Used (probably) Selmer Reference 54 alto or (New) Phil Barone Alto (+ PB Sop or Tenor).
Background: I've been playing music since age 7, saxophone since I was 11. I did the usual rented sax, then my mom suprised me with a student model (used Armstrong) horn around 7th or 8th grade. After seeing that I was going to stick with it a bit (and at the urging of both my private lesson teacher and band director) we started looking into a "new" horn for me. I had been active on AMS and RMMS from about the age of 14 and at the time was almost 16 years old. I wound up tracking down a good deal on an overhauled SP 6M-VIII from USA horn. I had the option of that or a brand new YAS-62 (with prototype Custom series keywork, I take it a prototype for the 62II), and I chose the Conn. I love the horn, the sound, and even the ergonomics fit me fairly well (big hands).
I proceeded to outgrow my then teacher, and wound up finding someone with a doctorate in saxophone (U of Miami for undergrad, U of Arizona for grad work) who was new(ish) to town and took me in as a student. She is an accomplished teacher and player who is deep rooted in classical saxophone. She also has some of the finest altos I've ever touched (a VI she bought new and has been playing most of her career, and a hand-selected Hummingbird CE she picked up this summer after playing most every alto @ WWBW). My horn was closeted for a few years since I've had kids and a life with responsibility. I started playing in a community band last April and my love for music has been rekindled, and I got back into playing on a serious level (for fun). She is trying to guide me down the path of picking up a more modern horn, as she sees limitations with the Conn keyboard (and is a huge proponent of the F#3 key for additional options for altissimo fingerings).
My horn had been out of regulation for quite sometime, so its been in the shop for the past 3.5 weeks with the local sax-specific tech for a complete teardown/rebuild (replacing pads/corks/felts as needed). I'm expecting to pick it up on Friday and we can re-evaluate the horn after its back up to as-new (or better) playing condition. It's been a killer horn, but after playing her Hummingbird, my interest is piqued. I've played an 82z, and am going to pick up a buddy's Black Nickel SX-90r to take for a spin on Thursday, but the Hummingbird has the gears in my head turning.
I don't want to part ways with my Conn - and about altissimo I've read hundreds of threads and thousands of posts here (not counting my newsgroup days) about additional keys and the pros/cons - but if the right opportunity came up and I found the Ref 54 that was perfect for me I may jump ship and start over with an "S" infront of my nose.
Another option, as I'm an intermediate level player and though musically inclined (much like 95+% of the frequenters of this forum), I don't believe I'll ever be a professional player, and realize that instead of having one killer vintage alto, I could sell it and get two modern horns from someone like Phil Barone. I know there are mixed feelings on these horns (and PMs, for that matter), but for the $$$ for someone who isn't going to be a gigging pro, would it not be reasonable to have a nice modern alto and tenor (or soprano) with a quality mouthpiece on each (I only have one alto mpc now, as I sold off the others to pay for the decent sized repair bill. I've never owned a tenor or soprano mouthpiece before, so it would be a bonus.)
I don't mind saving up some more scratch to throw on top of my horn to trade for a well set-up 54, but it would take me a little while. I'm just throwing this out to get some thoughts (other than my own back and forth waverings) on this choice that's laid out in front of me.
Cliff notes: Keep my 6M-VIII or save some pennies and sell it/trade it + cash for a nice Ref 54 or sell it outright and buy two PB horns
If you skipped to the Cliffs, you're wise beyond your years. If you read the whole thing, thanks for entertaining the ideas of a stressed out father of two who has but few passions left in his life, the chief among them being music.
**BRENT**
Current horn: 1945 Silver Plated (95-97% intact) Conn 6M-VIII. (Purchased Feb '97)
Thinking-about-it horns: Used (probably) Selmer Reference 54 alto or (New) Phil Barone Alto (+ PB Sop or Tenor).
Background: I've been playing music since age 7, saxophone since I was 11. I did the usual rented sax, then my mom suprised me with a student model (used Armstrong) horn around 7th or 8th grade. After seeing that I was going to stick with it a bit (and at the urging of both my private lesson teacher and band director) we started looking into a "new" horn for me. I had been active on AMS and RMMS from about the age of 14 and at the time was almost 16 years old. I wound up tracking down a good deal on an overhauled SP 6M-VIII from USA horn. I had the option of that or a brand new YAS-62 (with prototype Custom series keywork, I take it a prototype for the 62II), and I chose the Conn. I love the horn, the sound, and even the ergonomics fit me fairly well (big hands).
I proceeded to outgrow my then teacher, and wound up finding someone with a doctorate in saxophone (U of Miami for undergrad, U of Arizona for grad work) who was new(ish) to town and took me in as a student. She is an accomplished teacher and player who is deep rooted in classical saxophone. She also has some of the finest altos I've ever touched (a VI she bought new and has been playing most of her career, and a hand-selected Hummingbird CE she picked up this summer after playing most every alto @ WWBW). My horn was closeted for a few years since I've had kids and a life with responsibility. I started playing in a community band last April and my love for music has been rekindled, and I got back into playing on a serious level (for fun). She is trying to guide me down the path of picking up a more modern horn, as she sees limitations with the Conn keyboard (and is a huge proponent of the F#3 key for additional options for altissimo fingerings).
My horn had been out of regulation for quite sometime, so its been in the shop for the past 3.5 weeks with the local sax-specific tech for a complete teardown/rebuild (replacing pads/corks/felts as needed). I'm expecting to pick it up on Friday and we can re-evaluate the horn after its back up to as-new (or better) playing condition. It's been a killer horn, but after playing her Hummingbird, my interest is piqued. I've played an 82z, and am going to pick up a buddy's Black Nickel SX-90r to take for a spin on Thursday, but the Hummingbird has the gears in my head turning.
I don't want to part ways with my Conn - and about altissimo I've read hundreds of threads and thousands of posts here (not counting my newsgroup days) about additional keys and the pros/cons - but if the right opportunity came up and I found the Ref 54 that was perfect for me I may jump ship and start over with an "S" infront of my nose.
Another option, as I'm an intermediate level player and though musically inclined (much like 95+% of the frequenters of this forum), I don't believe I'll ever be a professional player, and realize that instead of having one killer vintage alto, I could sell it and get two modern horns from someone like Phil Barone. I know there are mixed feelings on these horns (and PMs, for that matter), but for the $$$ for someone who isn't going to be a gigging pro, would it not be reasonable to have a nice modern alto and tenor (or soprano) with a quality mouthpiece on each (I only have one alto mpc now, as I sold off the others to pay for the decent sized repair bill. I've never owned a tenor or soprano mouthpiece before, so it would be a bonus.)
I don't mind saving up some more scratch to throw on top of my horn to trade for a well set-up 54, but it would take me a little while. I'm just throwing this out to get some thoughts (other than my own back and forth waverings) on this choice that's laid out in front of me.
Cliff notes: Keep my 6M-VIII or save some pennies and sell it/trade it + cash for a nice Ref 54 or sell it outright and buy two PB horns
If you skipped to the Cliffs, you're wise beyond your years. If you read the whole thing, thanks for entertaining the ideas of a stressed out father of two who has but few passions left in his life, the chief among them being music.
**BRENT**
