Untitled Document
     
Advertisement Click to advertise with us!
     

What is your alto setup?

Ed Svoboda said:
[quote="J.Max":3ndgq37j]Grassi Pro 2000 Alto
Morgan 3C
FF Tensing Ring Lig (that's new)
Hemke 3.5 reeds


Thinking about switching to a Buffet, but I'm not sure yet...

Which Buffet?[/quote:3ndgq37j]

Ideally, an S-1. I'm trying out a 400 also, but I'm not sure that it will be able to beat out my Grassi. (I haven't tried it yet) The Grassi left-hand spatula keys bug me a bit because the low Bb isn't tilting. I've tried to get used to it, and it's the same on all three of them that I own, but it just doesn't feel as quick as I'd like. It's not THAT big of a deal, as the rest of the keywork is excellent, but I have big hands and I'm used to using my pinky knuckle to hit that hey.
 
My working alto is a Selmer Ref54 purchased new in December 2003. I use the same Otto Link 7* HR piece that I've been using since 1980. It's worn very thin, so I'm thinking about trying to find a replacement. It plays beautifully, though. My reed is a Vandoren java #3 that I shave a bit. I use the ligature that came with the horn.

My back up altos:

Selmer mk6 58,xxx gold plated. I love it, but the ref has more grunt.

Selmer BA 23,xxx mint condition. Came with the original alligator case, original Selmer Table B HR mouthpiece, original neckstrap. Pretty much a time capsule.

I've sold 2 mk6's that I bought new back in the day. 210,xxx, (1973) and 226,xxx (1975). I loved the horn that I bought in '75, but I sold it in '03. I just couldn't see owning 4 altos.
 
early MKVII alto w/silver III neck & a NY Meyer Ltd. Edition 5 & Hemke 3's....for tamer venues

with the orig VII neck it's an early Meyer NY USA 7 & Rico 3's or a Fla. STM6*....depending on the music

backup.....Buescher 140 Aristocrat (snap ins & nortons) and an early Tone-Edge 6 tweaked by Theo Wayne
 
J.Max said:
Ed Svoboda said:
J.Max said:
Grassi Pro 2000 Alto
Morgan 3C
FF Tensing Ring Lig (that's new)
Hemke 3.5 reeds


Thinking about switching to a Buffet, but I'm not sure yet...

Which Buffet?

Ideally, an S-1. I'm trying out a 400 also, but I'm not sure that it will be able to beat out my Grassi. (I haven't tried it yet) The Grassi left-hand spatula keys bug me a bit because the low Bb isn't tilting. I've tried to get used to it, and it's the same on all three of them that I own, but it just doesn't feel as quick as I'd like. It's not THAT big of a deal, as the rest of the keywork is excellent, but I have big hands and I'm used to using my pinky knuckle to hit that hey.
BTB, remember that the S1 is pitched at A=442hz, unless the serial has an "A" in it. I've noted that a) this really isn't a big deal for intonation and b) I really think that the only difference between the A=442 and A=440 horns is the neck. But it's something to look out for.

I'd look for an SDA with transitional S1 keywork.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
One of the things I really like about the S1s is the keywork...the A=442 isn't really that big of a deal, especially if you change the neck. I've seen S1s with transitional keywork, but I've never seen one the other way around. I used to own an S1 that had "Super Dynaction" written on it, but I think that's fairly common on the early ones...
 
Selmer Mark VI - bought it brand new in '72 for $600
Mouthpiece - varies from day to day - currently a JJ HR6 I got from Ed
Rovner Light
Fibracell
 
J.Max said:
One of the things I really like about the S1s is the keywork...the A=442 isn't really that big of a deal, especially if you change the neck. I've seen S1s with transitional keywork, but I've never seen one the other way around. I used to own an S1 that had "Super Dynaction" written on it, but I think that's fairly common on the early ones...
Heeeere ya go: http://www.saxpics.com/buffet/SDA.htm

In my opinion, if it says, "SuperDynaction" it is -- unless the bell also says "S-1", in which case you'd probably start looking at other things to try to decide what it is.
 
I used to own that exact horn. I traded it for a Keilwerth tenor...that's actually the horn I'm really looking for (the Buffet, not the Keilwerth). Never realized that it wasn't an S1 though...I just figured that they marked all of their horns with "Super Dynaction" for a while. I don't think any of those have high F# keys either - now that I realize there's a difference, I realize that I've actually seen a few of those. In fact, there was just one on eBay that I missed by $50...
 
SDA? No, I'm not aware of one with an altissimo F#. Allow me to check my pic archive.

<A short wait.>

Nope. I'm wrong. I see a late soprano with an altissimo F# and an even later one with (but without transitional keywork). I also have at least one transitional alto with and one without. Couple tenors with, too. No examples of baris.

Looks like it was an option.
 
Considering that SDA sopranos were available with range only to F -- F# seems optional -- I doubt if they had an optional G.

I've also got a bunch of S1 sop pics without altissimo F#, so I'd say the same.

I think that the altissimo G was first available on the S1 Prestige (i.e. the copper horn). I have pics of a couple with them (such as this one).

However, the Prestige soprano I have linked above is very late -- 1985/6 -- but it is an S1: it still has the sculpted low Eb/C that the S3 doesn't have.
 
Yani A990u with a JK 7.5 copper neck. Top end sings. This copper neck is bright.
Buescher Big B, 304xxx

Meyers & clones with a Selmer two screw lig
Morgan 6M,6L,7E
Meyer 6M, EZ 6S
V16 A5S
Woodwind Sparkleaire & Geo. Bundy (opened by Merlin)
Brilhart Ebolin 3

Fibracell,Plasticover
VD ZZ's,LaVoz.RJS
 
Well Currently I have some sort of crappy student model ... it's aweful but I make it work. Top end really sings.

The good news is .... I'm buying an Jupiter 969GL Eb Alto ... probably with a Meyer 7 or a V16 7 ... with an optimum liggy (I currently own) ... or a francois louis (I play the louis on tenor so I want to try it on alto).

I've had this horn recommended to me by several of my profs and they all say it will make an excellent horn for a doubler such as me ;o)

YAY new instruments!!! :eek:)
 
The good news is .... I'm buying an Jupiter 969GL Eb Alto
My son had a nice Jupiter bari sax in high school that got stolen. (Also got a smashed read window too.)

So I splurged and bought him a Yani B990. It had better intonation but he never felt it was better than his Jupiter. I expected him to get used to and then prefer the Yani. But that never happened.
 
UPDATE:

I changed it up a little bit.

Still have the Silverplated 6M-VIII, but I was asked to sit in with a big band this past weekend. My b-day was 2 days before, sounded like a good excuse to finally pick up a new mpc. I went and tried a Meyer 5M and 6M. The reeds I had were too hard (using them on a Caravan... yeah... not gonna work), but the 6M blew well, and I checked the intonation, it was SOOOO much better than the Caravan intonation wise. I got it home and played with some reeds from the vault... found an old Rico Select Jazz 3S that had been sanded to near perfection back in the day. Slapped it on, and started to get a bit closer to the sound in my head.

I sight read 28 pieces during a 3.5 hour practice session with the new mpc, and loved it. I did the big band gig at noon:30, and then (without telling the conductor, a sax player when he's not flailing his arms), played our final concert of the year (a community band doing about a 70 minute program) on the new mpc. There were some exposed sax sections (I play lead 2nd part with 3 altos behind me. 70+ y/o woman on a 1937 6M-VIII with some original pads (and its a VERY worn horn, been in her family since new), a middle age'd guy with a LeBlanc Rationale with all the original lit still in the case, it was a fun catalogue to look through, and the fingering chart was crazy! There is also a person new to the sax with a pawn shop Bundy II with I believe a stock mpc. I MEANT to check her horn out before the summer, and I think I need to try to get her into at LEAST something like a Yamaha 4C mpc.

Wait... where was I going with this?

1945 Silverplated Conn 6M-VIII
R. Caravan or Meyer 6M
Rico Select Jazz 3M/Gonzales 3.5 (Caravan), Rico Select Jazz 3S (Meyer)
Rovner Light lig or Rovner Eddie Daniels (1st gen, yeah, I think I'm the only one that has one anymore).

**BRENT**
 
Early Selmer Mark VI (80,000 series), usually with a Meyer New York USA 8 small chamber medium length mouthpiece. If the band gets loud enough to piss me off, I use a Lakey 7*3.
 
Crrently:

1931 Conn Tranny
Meyer 6m modified by the late Jon Van Wie (opened to 0.82 and touched/dressed up)
Java #3 reeds

I also will pull out a LeBayle Jazz HR 8* at times with the same reeds.
 
Martin Busine aka elderly Grassi Professional
Hite Premi?re
Rovner Dark
Hemke 3.0
 
Back
Top Bottom