Great Vintage Saxophones Part One

If you've been following my blog, you know how much I love vintage saxophones, especially vintage American saxophones.  However I'm not limited to just those.  As I've had the opportunity to try out hundreds of saxophones, I've also played horns from not only Conn, Buescher, King, Martin, Selmer and Buffet, but some saxes from obscure or little known factories in the US and Europe.

This post features saxophones I've had the opportunity to play at some time or other, and if money was no object, which unfortunately it is, these saxophones would make up my dream collection.  Every one of the saxophones I feature were made by superior craftsmen and has its own special quality.  Some of these saxophones are famous and are highly sought after, and others are not very well known yet represent a unique voice or an excellent value if you want a vintage horn that doesn't cost an arm and a leg.  Savor and enjoy!

                                       Adolphe Sax                                  

I guess the best place to start is at the beginning.  The Saxophone was invented around 1840 by Adolphe Sax, a Belgian wind and brass maker residing in Paris.   His idea was to make an instrument that combined the warmth and voice-like qualities of a woodwind instrument with the power of a brass instrument.  He based his design on the Ophicleide, an obsolete orchestral instrument which had keys like on a saxophone but used a cup mouthpiece like a brass instrument, and looked like a large Euphonium.

                                                                               Ophicleide

The original saxophones do not have the range of modern saxophones and the keys are not easy to manipulate.  The concept of sound was also different than those of modern horns.  Early Adolphe Sax horns have a very light and airy sound, no doubt as his original intention was to play classical music.  Although composers like Ravel and Goudonov were to write pieces for the saxophone, it never received a wide range acceptance in the symphony.  The saxophone was first employed by the French military, but it wasn't until it was used in jazz that it gained a wide following.

 Adolphe Sax Alto Saxophone

20 years after its invention, Buffet would be the first company after Adolphe Sax to produce saxophones, followed by Conn, Buescher, King(H.N. White), Martin and Selmer.  Throughout the years, the range of the saxophone was extended, the key work improved.  The saxophone is perhaps the most versatile of wind instruments, being used in every style of music in the world. 

For me, the vintage saxophones from the mid-twenties through the mid-sixties represent the apex of craftsmanship and sound.  Of course, modern saxophones have much improved key work, but there is something about a vintage horn that I think many modern horns cannot match.  This is not to say that there aren't any good modern horns.  Actually, at this point in time, the quality of saxophones made by the top manufacturer's of today are top-notch and are better than older saxophones in terms of overall build quality and just as good in tone quality.  They are certainly better in terms of ergonomics, intonation and playing comfort.  Even low cost student horns built today are far better than low end horns of the past, and in many cases are capable of handling a pro gig.  Nevertheless, I think that just by virtue of having been played by the musicians of the past, a vintage horn takes on a resonance accumulated through years of playing.  Also, these horns were made at a time when we lived in a less "disposable" world.  I may be romanticizing a little bit here, but every time I pick up a classic vintage horn and play, it just sings like a diva who has experienced all that life has had to offer and wants to tell us about it. 

Sometimes I pick up an old horn and wonder what stories it would tell if it could speak on its own.  Who were the men or women behind it that lent their voices to it to tell its unique story.  The people they've known, the places they've been, the happiness and heartbreak.  When I play a great vintage horn, I can hear its history and feel that in a way I'm continuing the story.  I know that when I first played the Conn 6M that my father gave me, the voice of the instrument was already the voice of experience and that I was now lending my voice and experience to it. 

Dad serenading unidentified woman circa 1949 Germany with the Conn 6M he later gave me. Actually, my mother identified her as that "whore".

CONN

The first saxophones I'll discuss were made by C.G. Conn, I guess because a Conn was also the first saxophone I ever played and owned.  I favor the models produced from the mid-twenties until the late forties, when I feel that Conn made simply the best sounding horns in the world.  I'm not being too objective here I guess.  They featured rolled tone holes, which means the lip of the tone hole is rounded and therefore gives a better seal and doesn't cut into the pad thereby extending its life.  Of course, tone and taste are subjective, but there is just something about the sound of these horns that makes me want to play them every time I see them.    

The New Wonder a.k.a. Chu Berry

The Conn New Wonder saxophones were made from around the mid-twenties until around 1929 to 30 when the transition to what would become the M series began.  They were unofficially dubbed the Chu Berry, after the tenor saxophonist Leon "Chu" Berry who played with Benny Carter, among others of the time.  Actually, Chu Berry played the "Transitional" tenor, which was when Conn began slowly moving from the New Wonder to the M series.  It had some of the newer features of the M series, but still some of the keywork of the New Wonder.  He was known for a big sound, and the New Wonder definitely had that, but it could also play smooth and mellow, as Lester Young demonstrated.  Pres continued playing his New Wonder Transitional model until his death in 1959.  Personally, I think the New Wonder is one of the best sounding horns in the world.  Like the M series that would follow, it has an incredible spread of tone.  It can be played in any setting, whether it be old jazz or modern rock.  There are those that will dispute this, but I know a few players who use it for playing rock and electric blues and love it.  My friend Chuck Hancock, who plays lots of these types of gigs plays a New Wonder alto exclusively.    

My friend Chuck Hancock with his New Wonder

 Conn New Wonder Tenor with Gold Plate

Transitional Models

Starting around 1929 and continuing until around 1932 or 33, Conn was slowly evolving its saxophone line from the New Wonder to what would become the M series.  The was no clear demarcation line from the New Wonder to the M series because Conn was constantly reconfiguring its design until the M series was finalized.  Early Transitional models looked like the New Wonder, with split bell keys and the famous nail file G# key.  Gradually the bell keys were shifted to one side, the left, while retaining some of the same design characteristics of the old horn.   

Conn Transitional Tenor Saxophone with some design characteristics of a New Wonder

Conn Transitional Alto with the new design characteristics of the M but with the G# to Bb cluster of the New Wonder.  Note the underslung octave key which was a feature of the M series.

The M Series

The Conn M series was at the time a leap forward in saxophone design.  The key work was fast and slick for its day, and as far as I'm concerned it still is, though it would be harder for a player used to modern saxes to become adjusted to. Then of course there is that big Conn sound.  As far as my experience goes, it is the most versatile horn.  It sings like a woman begging for your love and then can scream like a banshee when you put the whip to its backside, and do everything else in-between.  The 6M alto, 10M tenor and 12M baritone saxes are among the best vintage horns in the world.  They are famously known as "The Naked Lady" horns because of the engraving of a semi-nude woman on the bell. 

Conn 6M Alto

 Conn 10M Tenor with silver plate and gold bell

Conn 12M Baritone

 Me playing the Conn 6M at the Blue Note circa 1990

These would be followed by the 26M alto and 30M tenor saxophones, which featured more elaborate engraving, improved ergonomics by shifting the G# to Bb cluster to the right front for a more natural hand position and the Permajust system, which allowed keeping the saxophone keys regulated without the use of felt or cork which would compact or wear out with use and throw the keys out of regulation.  This was the most ergonomic sax available until Selmer released the Balanced Action a year later. 

 

Conn 26M Alto Saxophone with New York neck

Conn 30M Tenor Saxophone

 The famous Conn Naked Lady

In part two, I'll discuss saxophones made by Buescher, King, Martin and of course Selmer.  Stay tuned!

                         

What Ever Happened To Melody?

I've been listening to a lot of music lately, old and new.  I listen to all kinds of music, and I have a very eclectic collection of musical styles and genres in my music library.  However, the majority of music in that library is jazz, which I guess is understandable considering that I play saxophone, and the majority of music for the saxophone is in jazz.  However, what makes any music great, at least in my opinion is the presence of a very beautiful and recognizable melody, or at least a melody in general.

In the last 20 years at least, the music I've been hearing, whether jazz or pop seems to lack a melody that is recognizable.  In jazz, many players just play chords and scales in rapid succession, and pop music has so many songs with a very bland "melody", a song that has a generic quality to it, but no real original melody that would stick with you subconsciously.  It's just a song played over a typical major chord without much deviance.  Pop ballads all seem to sound the same, and the rest of popular music just repeats the same tired old formula that has been overused. 

In jazz, there are so many players these days who have developed amazing chops.  They can play every variation of every scale and chord that exists.  They can fire off at rapid speed those scales and chords at a pace that players didn't do years ago.  They know every Dizzy, Bird or Coltrane solo backwards and forwards.  So what's the problem?

The problem is that they forgot how to play a simple tune.  Actually, a simple tune in reality is not so simple to play.  I have not heard too many modern players who can take a melody, a song, and play it with soul and feeling.  The focus seems to be on harmonizing and re-harmonizing, but the song gets lost, or else the focus of the player seems to be on how good his/her chops are, but not really about the tune.  My opinion is this, if you're playing a tune then the way you play should be about the tune.  Any embellishments are about enhancing the tune, not about showing the world what amazing chops you have.

My favorite players have always played the tunes with soul and feeling.  They could also demonstrate amazing chops when they played those tunes or improvised on an extended jam.  However they all chose to play in a way that demonstrated beauty and artistry.  Benny Carter, Johnny Hodges, Ben Webster, Coleman Hawkins, Paul Desmond, Cannonball Adderley, Dexter Gordon, James Moody, Charlie Parker and the list goes on.  These were players who were masters of their craft.  They could do anything, but they chose to play melodically, because it's always about the song.  Even when they embellished the tune with new and interesting harmonies, they did it with the song in mind. 

When I first began learning the saxophone, my first teacher was my father.  He laid the basis for everything I was to learn later.  His first lesson to me was in developing a tone, a sound.  He told me that my sound was the most important aspect to develop.  Next was learning the tunes.  I must know the tunes.  Later on, when I studied with Lee Konitz, he reiterated that point.  Know the tunes.  If you don't really know the song, then any re-harmonizing of that song that you do will have no real meaning.  It just becomes a mathematical exercise. In math, numbers always add up the same way, no matter how many ways you divide or multiply it.  In music, nothing is different as far as rhythm goes.  All rhythms are mathematical equations.  They all obey the same laws.  If you stick to the laws of math, you'll get math.  That is fine, but in music, there is one more equation which changes music from mere mathematics to the expression of human emotions.  That equation is melody.

A melody is an expression of our emotions.  A melody is words, sung or unsung, and words convey meaning and expression.  One of the reasons we admire so many singers is because they express with their voices the range of human emotions in song.  The best instrumentalist do the same on their instruments.  Music is a language, but a language that is understood by people that cross cultures and nationalities.  Music comes from within, or it least it's supposed to, as all art should. 

In jazz, I've been hearing too many players who have complete technical mastery of their instruments.  They know every chord and scale and their variations, and when they play they throw it all out there, yet they still cannot simply play the song.  It really isn't easy playing a simple melody with feeling and fullness of tone.  In fact, in my opinion, it's the hardest thing to do, because you can't hide behind the technical flash. Every note has to count, and that doesn't necessarily mean a million notes played in rapid succession.   

The best example I can give to what I'm talking about is to listen to Johnny Hodges play "Prelude To A Kiss" from the Ellington Indigos album.  In this recording, Johnny Hodges plays, IMHO, one of the lushest, most beautiful melodies ever played on a saxophone.  He explores every nuance of the tune, plays with amazing technical facility, yet never ever loses sight of the song.  He displays total command of his instrument.  Everything he does just adds beauty to the tune.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S4EnjP2NGcE
So many modern players should learn from this.  I have, and one day I hope to be able to do something with this much beauty and ability.I'm working on it.  I hope you will too!

The Great American Saxophones

I admit that I am a lover of the classic American made saxophones.  In their heyday, saxophones made by Conn, Buescher, Martin and King were some of the best examples of the art and craft of saxophone building, made by some of the best craftsmen ever to hammer a bell or turn a screw.  On top of that, they had a SOUND!  It was these horns more than any others, that truly defined the sound of American music for years to come.  Until jazz and American popular music made extensive use of the saxophone, the instrument was used only by French military bands, and a few composers like Ravel, Goudonov and Prokofiev writing some pieces for it.  However it was American jazz that made the saxophone the most widely played wind instrument.  The saxophone has a very vocal quality to it.  After all, it comes in ranges from sopranino to contrabass like a human voice.  Of course, the most played are alto, tenor and to lesser degrees, soprano and baritone.

I have had the opportunity to play hundreds of saxophones over a 30 year period, from the newest models by Selmer, Yamaha, Keilwerth, Buffet and P. Mauriat, as well saxophones made by lesser known manufacturers like Holton, Kohlert, SML and Cuesnon.   Of course, all of these brands make or made quality and very interesting saxophones.  Just the same, there is something about the classic American saxophones that defined American music better than any of the other brands.  Take a look at most of the great early jazz musicians, and they are more than likely playing a saxophone made by one of the great American saxophones of the past.  Some examples:

 Charlie Parker with a Conn 6M alto.

 Johnny Hodges with a Buescher 400 Top Hat & Cane alto.

Lester "Pres" Young with the Conn "New Wonder" tenor which is more familiarly known as the "Chu Berry".

Leon "Chu" Berry, with what was to be his namesake saxophone. 

Julian "Cannonball" Adderley with a King Super 20 alto.

James Moody with a King Super 20 tenor.

Art Pepper with a "The Martin" Committee III alto.

Louis Jordan (center) with a "The Martin" Committee III tenor.

My inspiration Benny Carter with a Conn 26M "Connqueror" alto.

 Sonny Rollins with a Buescher Aristocrat tenor.

Dexter Gordon with a Conn 10M tenor.

Many of the classic recordings these greats made were made with the saxophones pictured with them.  Dexter Gordon kept playing his Conn until it was stolen in Paris.  Lester Young also continued playing his Chu Berry tenor until his death.  Johnny Hodges sweet and smooth sound was played on a Beuscher Aristocrat and later a Buescher 400.  Sonny Rollins recorded "The Bridge" with his Buescher Aristocrat tenor.  He also employed a Conn 10M from time to time.  Cannonball Adderley made his best recordings and performed extensively with his King Super 20, as did James Moody and Yusef Lateef.  Art Pepper's best recordings before he went to prison on drug charges were played on his Martin.  Benny Carter played Conn exclusively until he went to Paris and Selmer gave him a saxophone, and continued to give him one when a new model was introduced. Louis Jordan recorded many of his best known tunes and "soundies" (short musical films) playing a "The Martin" Committee III tenor and alto. Charlie Parker played lots of horns, some borrowed, some owned until he hocked them for drugs, but the two horns he managed to keep the longest were a Conn 6M and a King Super 20.  Some of the greatest players made some of the greatest music playing these great American horns.

At one time, America stood for rugged individualism, and these artists were definitely rugged individualists, playing saxophones that were full of character and rich with sound.  Sadly, there are no longer anymore saxophones being produced in the USA.  The great names that built these classic horns have either disappeared or merged with other names and corporations.  It's sad really. There are a lot of reasons for it. One was that after WW II, the designs were becoming antiquated, and with Selmer producing the Balanced Action, Super Balanced Action and Mark VI, and American manufacturers not offering up any new designs, save for the Santy Runion designed Conn 28M Constellation, which never took off with production ending only two years later.  Eventually, American saxophones were reduced to student level horns, and not very good ones at that, and producing them was getting more expensive, while imported horns, including Selmer were cheaper to buy.  Eventually production of saxophones in the US ceased altogether. 

A Simple Way To Determine If A Saxophone Is Right For You

This will be a short post based on my experience in dealing with students and players who are choosing a new saxophone.

Most of the time, whenever a musician asks me to try a saxophone, once he goes into the tryout room, I can predict more than 99% of the time exactly what he's going to do once he gets in there.  He/she begins playing scales at rapid speed.  Up and down, down and up, mixing them up, but always playing them fast.  Now while I know that sound and tone is subjective, so many so-called players will hand me back a perfectly good or great horn and say, "it's no good".  Frankly, they don't know most of the time what they are looking for.

However, most of the time, there is one thing they do not do in order to properly evaluate a saxophone, or any other brass and woodwind instrument for that matter.  While playing fast scales may give you a good idea how well the keys respond to your playing, that's not the whole thing.  I've said it before, I'll say it again.  It's the SOUND!  If you really want to know the core sound of your horn, which I consider the most important thing, then play a slow blues or a ballad, and really dig into it with each note.  Stretch the notes out, make them sing!

The other thing players do when playing fast scales is also to play at the same volume, usually loud.  That doesn't really tell you anything about the horn either.  Use dynamics in your playing.  Go from soft to loud, loud to soft, and so on.  Go slowly from the lowest to highest notes, then back down, and really listen to the response from your horn.  See if the horn has a balanced sound from top to bottom, or if something changes as you make the transitions.  Sometimes the problem may not be the horn, just a simple thing like a change in reed or mouthpiece, although don't go overboard with it.  Don't start going crazy endlessly trying mouthpieces and reeds or else you'll lose sight of the actual playing.

If the horns sounds good or great, it is!  The keys can be tweaked by a competent or expert technician, and a mouthpiece or reed will also help improve the sound, but the horn, and the player themselves will have this quality, or not!

I Have A Complaint About Some Saxophone Teachers

In the last few years, I've noticed that many saxophone teachers, as well as teachers of other instruments have been trying to dictate and control what their students learn, and even which brand of instruments they played.  It has reached ridiculous proportions according to my experience. 

A case in point.  A 12 year old kid comes into the shop with his teacher.  The kid has been playing maybe only about a month, yet his teacher had him trying a load of different mouthpieces.  The kid himself only having just begun learning was in no way in a position to understand the differences between one mouthpiece and another.  Of course, as a teacher, I would have suggested a different mouthpiece than the crap stock one that came with his school rental, but for God's sake, don't confuse the kid so early.  Suggest the mouthpiece that is consistently the best for students, which is usually a Meyer 5M.  Maybe the teacher has a different one in mind, but keep it simple. Why create chaos and confusion in the student when they're starting out?  For the sake of the student, keep it simple at the beginning.

Too many of today's teachers, especially younger ones seem to be on some kind of power trip.  Dump your stupid ego and just teach your student to play.  I have been fortunate enough to have had some of the best players ever as my teachers, and never have they ever tried to tell me anything that overrode my own judgment.  In fact, they guided me in becoming my own player.  Lee Konitz said to me "Kid, you've got a sound of your own, let's work on that!".   Benny Carter told me, when I first introduced myself and said that "I'm just a student", he said "so am I", which not only told me how humble he was, but that even though he was an absolute master of his craft, he was still learning.

Your teacher should be someone who understands your needs as a student.  He should never allow his ego to get in the way of your own development and judgment.  He helps to develop your individuality as a player.  If he/she tries to tell you that things are just so, or that you should only buy X brand saxophone, I suggest that you find someone else.  Unless he's buying it for you, try everything and get the best you can afford, regardless of brand. 

If your teacher tries to stifle your own innate sense of creativity, get rid of them.  They're not helping you.  Your teacher should be there not just to show you a way, but also to find YOUR way.  The best teacher is also a good student.  A good teacher knows that they don't have all the answers, but can help you discover your own.  A good teacher directs you positively.  This means that they answer your questions honestly, and try to discover what it is YOU like and want, without imposing their own tastes upon the student.  Again, they can make suggestions, but they never dictate.

Tell your teacher what YOU want from your studies.  If they do not comply, find someone else!  Above everything else, your teacher should make the learning process fun.  If it becomes drudgery, it loses its allure.  Have fun.  This is why it is called playing music, not working music, though it takes work to achieve a high level. However, the work is easier when you have fun with it.

Saxophone Review: Buffet 400 Tenor in Matte Finish and Gold Plate

 It's been a while since I last wrote an article or review, but last week I had the opportunity to spend considerable time trying out the newest editions of the Buffet 400 tenor saxophones.  The horns I played were the new gold plated and matte finish saxes.  If you've read my previous review of the 400 alto, you already know that I'm very enthusiastic about this line, as it not only represents a great value in a musical instrument, but it's also a great saxophone, up there with the big boys.  The only reservation I had was with the tenor. The only time I played a 400 tenor previous to this was a model with the old neck, and I found it quite resistant.  I had to blow harder and the sound was a little too muffled for me.  The neck has been changed, and now the 400 tenor is a much improved horn, finally on a par with the alto and baritone.  What this means is that now you can play and own a great tenor and still have money left over to get a box of reeds and a good mouthpiece. 

Last week I had a customer come into the shop looking for a new tenor.  He wanted a good quality horn, but couldn't afford a Selmer, Yamaha, Keilwerth or Yanigasawa.  On the other hand, he didn't want a cheap student or intermediate saxophone, which really left him with few options.  He tried what we had in the store that fit his budget, including a Yamaha 475 and a Selmer LaVoix, as well as a couple of used horns.  He wasn't quite pleased with any of the horns he tried.  I didn't have any Buffets in stock, so I took him to the NYC Buffet showroom and introduced him to Laurie Orr, the showroom manager. He made an appointment to come back the next day and try the tenors they had in the showroom.  The next day, Laurie called me over, because my customer was there, and he not only wanted to try the horns, but he wanted me to play them for him so he could hear it from the other side of the horn.  The two tenors he was interested in were the matte finish 400 and the most recent addition being their gold-plated 400.  I ended up spending several hours, both playing and listening, and I came away with very favorable impressions on the latest edition of the 400 tenor.

First, my customer asked me to play both horns for him.  I'll call him Joe for easier reference. For my tenor set-up I used a Jody Jazz Red 6 with the baffle removed, and a LaVoz medium reed, which is the reed I also use for alto.  First, I played the matte finish horn.  The sax was well finished, with all the keys set tight and snapping into place.  The response was excellent, and everything fit nicely into my hands, as I would have expected from having played the alto and baritone.  The horn is heavy, and with the finish gives the horn a deeper, beefier sound.   Joe described it as being aggressive.  I played a ballad and got something of a Coleman Hawkins/Ben Webster kind of sound.  When I picked it up a notch, the horn just roared.  When I slowed down and softened it up, it sang like a blues singer after downing a shot of bourbon.  To put it mildly, this horn had balls.  I could almost see it grabbing its package and saying "take that sucker!".

Next came the gold plated model.  The plating is very well done, no pitting or uneven spots.  It, like the other 400's has engraving from the bell to the neck.  The only difference here is that on the gold plated model, they omitted the engraving on the key cups, but so what.  A very classy looking horn.  The mechanics had the same good fit and feeling as the other 400's I've played.  I put my lips to the mouthpiece and began to blow, and the tone that came out of it surprised and delighted me.  What a sound.  When the NYC Buffet showroom had their saxophone day last month, I tried the gold plated alto, and though it was a great horn, I found the sound a bit too bright for my taste, though not thin or shrill.  However, on the tenor, this slightly brighter tone gave the sax a sonorous tone, a very vocal quality.  When I played "The Nearness Of You", I held the last note for a long time.  I just loved hearing that note float through the air.  Joe commented that even when I hung on that one note, he could still hear the melody.  This horn sings.  I changed mouthpieces to a Jody Jazz DV NY 6, and then this horn became anything I wanted it to be, but with a full, clear as a bell tone that really spoke.  When playing soft and low, it sounded like a sexy woman whispering in your ear and saying things that were sure to arouse you.  When playing swing or bebop it was as if Ella or Billie were alive in the horn.  Yes, it looks and sounds like a sexy horn.  Then I played a classical piece, which originally was written for alto, which was The Old Castle from Pictures At An Exhibition.  It worked.  This horn could sound as light and ethereal as the alto is supposed to on this piece. 

Now it was Joe's turn to play.  He started with the matte finish horn, and played some Latin tunes, which is his main style.  Once again, I could hear that this was a darker, beefier horn.  This is a great horn for classic swing and bebop, as well as blues and r&b.  The sound is really full and rich and filled the room.  If you played this in a club without a mic, you'd still be able to hear this baby.  He then played the gold plated horn, and played the same licks.  His face lit up and he started to just go with it.  He chose the gold plated tenor.

Both tenors were outstanding in every way.  They both have very distinctive voices.  BTW, the gold lacquer model falls somewhere between the matte and gold plated models in terms of tone.  Not as dark as the matte and not as bright as the gold plated 400.  However, bright in the case of this tenor does not mean thin.  On both horns, the scale and tone from top to bottom was even.  Intonation excellent, response excellent, and man do they have their sounds.  They project well, and only a deaf person wouldn't be able to hear you. 

Once again, I give two thumbs up to Buffet, and to the new and improved 400 tenors.  The matte finish tenor can be had for about $2200.00, and the gold plated model, at the moment is about $2895.00, which is unheard of for a gold plated tenor saxophone that is also a killer horn in every respect.  Run, don't walk to the nearest Buffet dealer and try these out.

Update February 15, 2016

The gold-plated model was only available for a very limited time the year of this review.  They are no longer available in gold plate except for some that may be floating around that have been unsold, though I can't imagine that they wouldn't have sold out given the few that were available and their price point. I am glad to say that the current batch of tenors is better than the ones I played back then.  The issue with the original run of tenors was the neck, and they fixed that eventually.  Everything I liked about the horn back then still holds true.  However, the competition is getting stiffer.  They are now at a price point similar to the Yamaha 62III, and to Cannonball and P. Mauriat saxophones which are also great horns and worthy of your consideration when looking for a top grade saxophone on a budget.  I do feel that the Buffet has keywork as solid as the Yamaha, which is generally acknowledged as the best in the business. My issue with Mauriats is still with the keywork.  I find too many feeling spongy and rattling after only a short time.  I do wish they would also use real abalone instead of plastic for their pearls, and it's not just for cosmetic reasons, because if it was, then I wouldn't have anything to say about it. It's not about looks, it's about the fact that real pearls transmit more resonance to the fingers.  You don't have to believe me, but they do.  Other than that, it is still a saxophone worthy of your consideration.

Buffet NYC Showroom Saxophone Day

Today the Buffet NYC showroom had its saxophone day, where their full line of 400 saxophones were on display for any and all to try.  They also unveiled the new 400 gold plated tenor and alto saxes.  In attendance was Victor Goines, a member of the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra and director of jazz studies at Northwestern University.  Lauren Sevian, 2009 DownBeat critics poll nominee for Baritone Risong Star, Kenneth Radnofsky, Professor of Saxophone at New England Conservatory and Boston Conservatory, Matt Vance who oversees the 400 line when they come to the Buffet headquarters in Jacksonville, Chris Copinger, regional sales manager, and some other great players like Tim Price and Russell Kirk.  On top of that, lots of players, pro, amateur and student came in and tried the horns.

There were periods when there were so many players trying out horns at once that it sounded like a huge traffic jam.  Nevertheless, I met lots of great people and maybe some new business contacts, and had great discussions about music and saxophones with everyone.  Of course I played the 400 altos, and what I wrote in my review still stands.   They are great horns at a price point that can't be beat.    

I will try and post a few pictures of the event as I can get them.  A few are up on the Buffet Showroom's Facebook page, but I'm missing in those shots.  I know I was there.