I finally got back from my tech an alto I purchased from one of our members (although when I purchased it this site hadn't been created yet - I got it from him on SOTW). The horn had been PLAYED. I knew this going in. The pearls were severely worn to the point where I quickly determined that I needed to have them replaced. Given time constraints and financial considerations I asked my tech to not replace the pearl holders and to instead simply epoxy them to the existing holders. It doesn't look the greatest (which was expected) but it allowed me to not have to have a full repad done on the horn since removing the pearl holders takes some serious heat to the pad cup. So now I have a horn that has still been played quite a bit but the pearls feel great.
My first impressions of the horn when I received it were quite good. I could tell that this was a special horn. The intonation was very good and the tone was bright but it had a lot of interest to it. It felt good in the hands as well. Like all good altos it possessed a lyrical quality that keeps me coming back to the horn. Again, there were some pads that were a little older that needed to be replaced at some point so I had them done. It also had a couple of minor setup issues that were probably due to shipment and the aforementioned pearls.
I've always been of the mind that the best used horns are generally the ones that have been seriously played. There's a lot of opinions about what impact playing and continued resonance has on the brass. I don't have a reason for any of this other than to say that my experience says that good and great horns tend to be played more than average horns. With that said I also think set up plays a huge role in how a horn plays.
I finally got to spend some serious time with the horn last night and all of my first impressions were confirmed. This is a very special horn. Great tone, intonation, and with the new pearls it feels great in my hands. I purchased it with the intention of giving it to my son at some point as well as using it as a backup to my 87k Mark VI. I could easily play this horn or the Mark VI and be very pleased. Now the only question remaining is which of my other altos needs to find a new home.
My first impressions of the horn when I received it were quite good. I could tell that this was a special horn. The intonation was very good and the tone was bright but it had a lot of interest to it. It felt good in the hands as well. Like all good altos it possessed a lyrical quality that keeps me coming back to the horn. Again, there were some pads that were a little older that needed to be replaced at some point so I had them done. It also had a couple of minor setup issues that were probably due to shipment and the aforementioned pearls.
I've always been of the mind that the best used horns are generally the ones that have been seriously played. There's a lot of opinions about what impact playing and continued resonance has on the brass. I don't have a reason for any of this other than to say that my experience says that good and great horns tend to be played more than average horns. With that said I also think set up plays a huge role in how a horn plays.
I finally got to spend some serious time with the horn last night and all of my first impressions were confirmed. This is a very special horn. Great tone, intonation, and with the new pearls it feels great in my hands. I purchased it with the intention of giving it to my son at some point as well as using it as a backup to my 87k Mark VI. I could easily play this horn or the Mark VI and be very pleased. Now the only question remaining is which of my other altos needs to find a new home.