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Your Baritone Setup

So Selmer was busy keeping up with alto and tenor demand, and could afford to build baritones when they got around to it.

This seems remarkably similar to what's currently going on with the Series III baris.

I don't know if the problem is with their production, distribution, promotion, or all of the above.

Here something funny though...My semi-comedic post on my blog about the Series III bari is the #1 Google site for the horn, since the post went up. Maybe I should email Selmer a link to my post & suggest that they Google their own horn. Perhaps then they will finally get the horn out to market...Or at least mention it on their website.

Although at $14,000 retail, $9,000 sale price, I suspect they won't be flying off the store shelves.
 
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That's some interesting commentary on your blog, Helen. I feel for you for sure, dealing with a horn that you don't even know exists.:) My quest was a little easier, I believe. At least I knew that the doggone thing was for real!

On one of my early NYC store visits, I remember one of the old time salespersons telling me that baris were scarce because Selmer built them all at the same time, in only one or two months of the year. I don't know if this is true or not, but that's how pops ran it down to me back then. And I seem to remember hearing that the factory closes down for vacation at some point during the year.

Go figure.
 
In France, formerly the home of very strong unions and binding work rules, almost all manufacturing closes down for the month of June (I think), including factories that are not (here, at least) amiable to performing such shutdowns (like steel mills and glass factories). Not practical, but (to a Frenchman) the vacation is sacred.

Looking at it from an empirical standpoint, baritones are produced at perhaps a 1:10 ratio to both altos and tenors, and probably at a 1:5 ratio to sopranos. As Selmer is not exactly a huge industrial concern, it makes very good sense to shift production of the limited floor space as required. The same machinery would work for all items, with only the tooling being changed as needed.
 
I know about the European holiday schedules, but when Selmer announced it's timeline for shipping, one would presume that they would have taken this into account. Obviously some other unforseen (?) circumstances have delayed their release of the horn.

Given the amount of traffic that this post on my blog is getting from Google, and other search engines, as people are looking for information on the horn, Selmer is doing themselves a disservice by not having information available through its dealer network. As I mentioned, my post is the #1 site on Google for the instrument. SOTW is # 2 & 3.

It seems to me that music stores who are authorized Selmer dealers, would have somthing...Especially European ones. As of 3 weeks ago, I couldn't find a single one. Strange...

I guess it is just another of the great mysteries of Selmer...

They have a lot on their plate at the moment with all the Series II and III horns they already produce, & all the reference horns, and their special editions (flamingos this year is it?). Adding another horn with a much lower sales ratio compared to their altos and tenors can't be as high a priority one would presume.
 
YBS 62

Yamaha 5C
HR berg 110/0
RPC 110B (this is what I use)

I also have a Runyon delrin piece in a 9, which is for sale.
 
Vito VSP (Yani B901)
Currently using a Vandoren BL4 with Gonzalez reeds, but often return to a Tenney HR Link 7, with Lavoz MH. The Vandoren is less work, but the Link sounds fantastic. The Vandoren is not too far off, though.
 
I just purchased a new Berg-Larsen stainless steel "shotgun" style baritone mouthpiece myself. If I understood what relevance putting up an equipment listing had, I might list its facing here.

Someone, please, enlighten me on this.
 
I always find it interesting what combination of equipment works for people.
 
YBS 52
Ponzol M1 .120
Brancher Leggiero
Fibracell 2.5

I mostly play bari in rock or zydeco bands, so I'm looking for lots of power and harmonics. In a big band setting, I use the same set-up, but need to remember to relax and blend.
 
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YBS-62 in Silver with gold plated keys and Noyeks top to bottom
SR Tech Pro
Yamaha 5c
Selmer S80 C**

Backup horns
YBS-52
Selmer SA80II
Newport Artist Series *Pete LaPlaca's new company
 
My favorite sax

Selmer SA80IIAF
Otto Link metal 5*
or RIA 7* (if the bass 'bone is too loud...)
 
It's currently my favorite sax too (boy, a spit valve and a floor peg!!)

Yanagisawa B992P
Selmer S80 C*
Otto Link ("Super Tone Master") 5
Vandoren blue box #3
Vandoren ZZ #2.5
 
Still playing a low A Yanagisawa but I sold the B flat JK Stencil after picking up a second Yanagisawa low A. I loved the JK but everything I have been playing on bari has low A's in the charts. It helps that I really love the sound I get out my old Yani's (one from 1972 and one from 1969). Lately I have been playing on a lowly Rico Graftonite for big band stuff. I have yet to find a good berg or anything else that gives me a decent level of projection while keeping the tonal concept that I want.
 
After years with a roaring low Bb 1938 IbiCo (Martin), I had to migrate to a low A for obvious big band reasons and was very anxious to find a more or less equivalent sounding beast but with the additional note.
Miracle sometimes happen and I'm now the very, very happy owner of a splendid late Conn 11M, fully restored by a great connoisseur in vintage saxes this side of the Pound, Bruno Waltersbacher (Lahr, Germany).

It's actually an Armstrong stencil; before that I didn't know Conn was issuing stencils of this rather rare specie, the 11M. Anyway, it brilliantly delivers, even in Rock-oriented charts where one would imagine finding younger representants of the bari family.

Mpc is an offset HR Berg, with the right balance between brightness and full, warm, core.

J
 
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