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.

Saxophone Review: Selmer Reference 54 Alto Saxophone

The Selmer Mark VI is probably the most popular and also most costly vintage saxophone on the market.  It was produced from 1954 through 1974, a twenty year run.  It was replaced by the Mark VII, which did not receive a warm reception from Selmer devotees and the saxophone market in general and consequently, after only a couple of years, was replaced by the Super Action 80, followed by the Series II and more recently the Series III.

Still, there were enough players and collectors bemoaning the fact that there was no longer any Selmer saxophone that could compare to their beloved Mark VI's.  Of course it was forgotten that when the Mark VI replaced the Super-Balanced Action, many players of the time were saying the same thing.  Time heals all wounds I guess. What was interesting about the Mark VI was that Marcel Mule, the eminent classical saxophonist had a hand in its design, yet classical players didn't take to it, but jazz players did in droves and soon it seemed almost no one played anything else.  With this saxophone, prominent American brands like Conn, Buescher, Martin and King would soon cease all saxophone production or be reduced to making only student level horns, or go out of business altogether.

Selmer realized that the increased demand for Mark VI's on the vintage market represented an opportunity for them to reclaim some of their prominence.  For one thing, companies like Keilwerth,  Yamaha and Yanigasawa were building quality saxophones, giving Selmer their first real competition in years.  Selmer was no longer the dominant maker of saxophones.  What they did was to take a 1954 Mark VI alto which they found in New York which epitomized the best aspects of the model in terms of sound, study its specifications and then reproduce it exactly, with only the keywork updated.  The only nod to the original as far as the keywork goes is a pearl for high F instead of the teardrop key more in use today, and a round instead of elliptical pearl for the side F# like you would find on a Mark VI.

The first time you look at one, you really have to admire its looks.  It really is one of the most beautiful saxophones I've ever seen.  The only saxophone I've seen that rivals it in the looks department is a 1926 Conn Virtuoso Deluxe alto that was gold plated and had engraving everywhere there was metal, and pearl on every single key touch.  Selmer used a deep honey gold lacquer which really gives it a vintage look.  The engraving is deep and really stands out and looks like the old Mark VI engraving, due to the fact that it was done after the application of the lacquer.  This also means that in time moisture will get into the grooves and then get under the lacquer and that will be the first area where the lacquer will flake off.  Of course it seems that Selmer did this on purpose so that in a few years down the road, the horn will look like a vintage Mark VI. 

When you pick up the horn, you can feel a horn of substance.  Plenty of weight behind it.  It feels good in the hands, and all the keys fit right under the fingers as you would expect from a Selmer.  Everything snaps into place, except the octave key.  So far on all the References I tried, I noticed that the octave key comes down with a pronounced thump or more accurately a heavy clunk because there seems to be a split-second lag-time from when you press the key to when it closes.  This also causes a split-second lag time in the response of the note.  You can also feel it in your mouth as you play as if someone tapped the neck with a stick.  This has been true on every Reference 54 I've tried.  This means that a tech will have to make the adjustment to this key when it comes out of the box.  Of course, all horns should get a good set-up, but at the price of the Selmer, this shouldn't be an issue on every horn. The other thing was the front high F key.  It was set slightly higher than the other keys, so that when I rolled my finger to press it down, it got caught in the space between the keys, again causing a slight delay in the response of the note.  Once again I found this true on all of the References I've tried.  How many have I tried?  So far I've played a dozen of them, and found exactly the same issues with the octave and front high F key.  Again, at the Selmer's price point, this should not be an issue as far as I'm concerned.

Now for what I consider the most important thing about any saxophone, and that is the sound.  Just by its looks and feel, not to mention the price, I expected it to have a sound worthy of its name.  The first time I held it in my hands I was eager with anticipation.  As always I used my usual set-up which is a Meyer 6M mouthpiece with a Rovner ligature and a LaVoz medium reed.  I put the mouthpiece to my lips and then I blew into it.  It was here that I couldn't figure something out.  Let me clarify.

The sound is rich and deep for sure.  It has the characteristic darker mellower tone that is normally associated with Selmer.  No doubt about it, it is a fine horn indeed.  The other thing is that the tone was consistent on all of the References I've tried, much more so than on the many Mark VI's I've played.  There is a plus side and a minus side to such consistency.  This really means that you'll end up with more or less a generic horn.  That's good for ensemble playing or studio work, but not so great when developing your own individual sound.  There really wasn't a lot of spread in the tone.  I don't know, I had no trouble finding the horn's center, but had difficulty going around the periphery of it.  I don't know if this description translates well, but this is my feeling about it.

The other thing was that I wasn't "wowed" by its sound.  Before I ever played one, I read a number of reviews which called it the greatest saxophone ever made, that Selmer has finally done the Mark VI one better, or at least got back its groove.  Then of course, just looking at it caused me to expect great things from it.  It has a very good tone.  It just didn't make me go "wow!".  At over 5 grand, I wanted the horn to make me go "wow!"  My Conn 6M makes me go "wow", as it does to every player that hears it.  The Buescher 400 tenor I recently tried made me go "wow!", as did that Conn Virtuoso Deluxe that I described earlier.  The P. Mauriat 66R and 67R saxophones have made me go "wow!".  Even the Buffet 400 I reviewed made me do that because the sound and feel was far above average for a medium priced horn that was made in China.  Rather than surprise me, Selmer gave me a horn that certainly fulfilled its expectations, but didn't do more.  At a price of around $5229.00, I would really expect more, and sorry, I didn't get it.

I will say that the Reference is a solidly built horn and is no doubt a good investment that will hold its value over the years.  The one thing I think Selmer has to watch out for is that it can no longer rely on just its name to get by and survive.  The competition right now is stiffer than ever, and there are saxophones cutting into the market and being played by noted pros that 20 or 30 years ago wouldn't have posed a threat to a brand like Selmer.  Times change, and now you can get a saxophone that plays every bit as good as a Selmer and often better without having to hock the farm. Of course Selmer has mid-priced and student horns on the market, but what the players want is a Selmer Paris, and you have to pay a premium to own one.  Yes, for snob appeal, I guess owning a Selmer is a good thing.  However, if you're a practical musician, and these days you really have to be, it may make more sense to try something else out, unless money isn't an issue.  If it isn't, I really do envy you.

Update(2014) Since writing this article, I've played a couple of dozen more Reference 54 altos, and I am happy to say that I didn't have any issues with the octave key, or any of the keys for that matter, and this time, the horns definitely made me go "WOW"!  Why the change? When I last spoke with Jerome Selmer, he told me that with computer modeling, they can more accurately place the tone holes, and in fact slightly raised the level of the tone holes, position keys and key rods more accurately, as well as make the brass more consistent by accurately measuring the ratio of zinc to copper. Another thing he told me was that now there is a lot more machining than hand work, particularly in hammering the bell, since so many workers were getting serious wrist, arm and shoulder injuries over repeated striking of the bell. So maybe it's a myth that hand hammering, the long and tedious process of shaping the bell makes a saxophone better.  In any case, the more recent References I've played are fantastic looking and sounding horns. They are far more consistent in tone than Mark VI's, but that doesn't mean a cookie cutter sound.  You can shape the sound any way you like, since they are free blowing horns. I really fell in love with the ones I've played, and if I find any problem with them it's that they're going for a street price of nearly 7 grand.  The bottom line here, is that I have still played other saxophones that make me go "WOW" but are not nearly as costly.  Sure, there may be a certain "prestige" to owning a Selmer, and certainly it will have a better resale value if you find yourself in dire straits and have to sell it, but if you're a working musician, not a "star", there are now plenty of less costly options that will take you to the same place. As much as I was wowed by the current crop of Reference saxophones, I can still be wowed by other saxophones that won't cost me nearly as much.  I don't care about names, just sound and quality.

Buffet 400 Alto: Follow-Up Commentary

I've received a few emails in regards to my review of the Buffet 400 Alto Saxophone.  Most of them were good, but some of them were not, and some even hostile.  The good ones were from players that already owned one or who had given them a good tryout, and others from students and professionals looking for a horn that can play without breaking their budget and asking me questions in regards to its quality and sound.  The bad ones were mainly from people who simply could not believe that a great horn can be made in China.  The hostile emails accused me of everything from working for Buffet, or being paid by them to write the review, and all the way to I don't know what I'm talking about, I never played a Mark VI, I am not a saxophone player at all, etc.

I want to clarify a few things right here.  I do work in a pro woodwind and brass shop.  I sell many brands of instruments, and I don't sell anything I consider total crap.  If I feel it is, I let the customer know, even though that violates store policy which is that I should be impartial, just give the customer what they want and what they can afford.   All of our horns are given a going over by the repair shop before I put them on the wall or in a display case.  I test play them constantly so that I can evaluate the horns in order to make recommendations to customers, but also to make sure they stay in regulation.  If they need regulation, I send them back up to the shop so every horn I test is already set-up for optimum playability.  With the horn properly set-up, I can concentrate on its true strengths and weaknesses. 

No, I do not work for Buffet.  True, I have easy access to the Buffet NYC showroom, and I know the showroom manager, the regional sales rep, and the man who oversees the line of 400 saxes when they enter the country.  However, this gives me the opportunity to try as many of their horns as I can, and this does give me a good idea of its consistency.  Buffet does not pay me to write these reviews, nor have they given me any saxophones.  If they did, I would gladly accept it as I can use a new horn right now and my finances are not what I would like, but I would still gladly pay to own one of these saxes, because at its price point, it's simply one of the best deals out there.  Even so, if there was anything I did not like about the horn, I would say so.  For example, I still have reservations about the 400 tenor, but I also haven't played it as thoroughly yet as I have the alto. It plays well, but I haven't fully run it through its paces.  That will be at a later time, and when I do, I'll write a review and say exactly what I think, positive or negative.

I have played every brand and model of saxophone out there from vintage to modern including literally hundreds of Mark VI's.  I do have my own preferences for what a horn should sound and feel like, but then we all do.  I often disagree with the mass consensus that says that a particular famous model horn is the best ever made.  Often these comments are from those who never actually played one, or someone who knows a good player that does have one, and feels the saxophone equivalent of penis envy, or from one who does own one and probably shelled out so much money for it that they have to convince themselves that it's as good as all that.  Then of course some of them are as good as all that.  However, so are many other brands and models.  Where I beg to differ with people is that this famous horn does not stand alone anymore.  It's a new world, a different time, and things change.

There are probably more people playing music now than ever.  Not everyone is trying to be a professional.  Many people are taking up music because quite simply it makes one feel good, makes you smarter and healthier by putting your brain to work and giving you measurable goals and results, and because it's fun.  Most will never be professional players.  Does this mean then that they should be playing on an inferior piece of junk?   Does this mean they need to put up the house as collateral in order to play on a good instrument?  The answer to both questions is NO!

Instrument manufacturers have had to address this problem and create instruments that are well made, sound good and yet provide the kind of value that the average working person can afford.  Even professional players, especially studio players and session players that need to have more than one horn in order to get the gigs which are getting harder to come by, and to spend a premium on every one of those instruments would break them.  In order to provide such an instrument, they have to be made where the labor is cheaper, otherwise how can the average person afford it?


China has a bad reputation due mainly to the fact that most horns produced there are massed produced and thrown into the market, sold through dealers not so reputable, or on EBay where many people who know nothing about instruments, including the average cost of a good horn, look to find that special bargain.  In most cases, regardless of how cheap the horn was, it was no bargain.  You paid for its inferior craftsmanship with keys that bend easily, screws and pearls falling off, lousy shrill tone and bad intonation, etc.  More of an expensive toy than a real instrument, something that is more suitable for hanging on your wall than playing.   You paid for buying an instrument that dashed your dreams because you thought you were the one that couldn't play it, even though the horn was complete junk, but you didn't know that.  After all, when you bought that "Selmen"  you had heard that "Selmer" was the best horn made, and that's what you thought you were buying. However, while these factories still turn out crap, things are changing.

Taking advantage of the cheap labor and low cost of production that China offers, many major manufacturers have decided to take advantage of that, as well as the modern new factories that produce them.  They send their technicians and reps there to train the workers in the way to craft their particular instruments.  They keep a close watch on quality control.  Rather than a company that is randomly dumping its product on the market where it offers no warranty or guarantee of any kind, they are now backed by reputable companies that put their name and reputation on it.  They have to be better or risk losing business and their reputation.  They can also be aware of customer complaints or criticisms that help them improve their product.

For example, Buffet had a lot of criticisms about the 400 tenor.  The issue it seems was with the design of the neck, so they listened and made improvements on it.  Some players may still have criticisms, but at least what they have to say does not fall on deaf ears.  I know that the Yamaha 23 and 475 models are now produced in China with no loss of quality because Yamaha keeps strict tabs on it.  Matt Vance is product manager for the Buffet-Crampon USA headquarters and oversees the 400 line when it enters the US.  I know that he cares about his product, And he puts his money where his mouthpiece is by playing it on his own professional gigs.  I also know that Buffet wants to make bigger inroads into the saxophone market.  After all, they were making saxophones long before every other manufacturer did.  Only Adolphe Sax himself preceded  Buffet in making saxophones.      

One of the biggest things hurled at me about my review was to say that the Buffet 400 alto was as good as anything out there.  That couldn't be, it's made in China, I tried it and didn't think it was that good, it was only okay, it sucked, you're not a player, you don't know what you're talking about, they're paying you, they're giving you free saxophones, you're full of shit, etc.

I've been playing the saxophone for nearly 30 years.  I've studied with some good teachers, including a couple of very well-known players whose names you would instantly recognize if I were to post them.  However, I don't have permission to throw out their names randomly, and I don't want to act as if I'm a hot shot because I did study with them.  Living in NYC has given me the access to the music, the stores, the musicians and the teachers, so I am very lucky in this respect.  My father was also a musician, and I grew up with lots of music in the house, so in that way I feel I know what I'm talking about, and when I play an instrument, I'll judge it on its own merits and not by brand or reputation.  Mostly, I judge it by its sound.  

Well, I've had the opportunity to spend lots of time playing the 400 alto.  As I've mentioned, I haven't fully played the tenor, so I will not write a review until I've completely evaluated the horn.  As for the alto, I played it every day and spent as much time as one could with it without actually owning it.  I played it against other horns.  You have to keep in mind that I also judge a horn on many factors, price being one of them.  I will compare a horn like this to a Yamaha, Keilwerth, Yanigasawa or Selmer, and the newer brands like P. Mauriat to have an overview and see how sound and feel measure up. 

Keep in mind that regardless of brand or cost, every horn has its own qualities and will be different.  In some cases it is no longer a matter of something being better but more about what the individual player likes best about the horn they have chosen.  So in comparing the 400 to the other major brands, while I could nit-pick some things that were not as good as a horn that cost two to three times as much, I decided to judge it by its overall sound and quality, and in this respect, the 400 held up very well to the more expensive brands.  If I wanted to, I could nit-pick and tell you what is not perfect about the other brands too, but that would be missing the point. They are all fine instruments, and ultimately you'll choose an instrument that fits your criteria for sound and quality, fits your needs and your budget. 

So once again, the Buffet 400 is an excellent choice.  It is a horn that can do the job.  That's all.