Pawn Shop Grassi

[rosewolf27]

Hello all.

I purchased a Grassi Alto Sax today as a gift for my husband from a pawn shop. I know next to nothing about Saxophones. I took it into our local music store and the woodwinds salesman was less than kind about the instrument. It's in good shape, no obvious damage and it keys well. The pads are green and he said it was probably moldy but it really doesn't look like mold to me. (I wouldn't have purchased an obviously moldy instrument.) The name on the side is Grassi and in my excitement I've already wrapped it up and put it under the tree.

I got nervous and went out on the web to find out more about a Grassi and Google brought me here. Is there anyone here who can give me some reassurance on my Christmas surprise? It came in an older hard case with purple lining, it has a separate neck and mouthpiece with a little cover and what appears to be some sort of sheet music attachment. It has some nice chase work and mother of pearl accents on the finger buttons. I didn't make note of a name or model number but I hope someone can tell me something. (I paid $180... it seemed like a good find.)

Thank you,
Kat

[rosewolf27]

My daughter says to mention the green jade rollers. I didn't know that was a potentially identifying item until we read more of the forum. Again any aid or info is appreciated.

Kat

[milandro]

congratulations, you are now the owner of a good Grassi jade rollers from the '60 , the jade rollers are indeed a sign of quality as far as Grassi go. They are good horns and can be fixed to play very well. You will need someone to look at it take it completely apart, re-pad the horn and perform a complete overhaul (the pads are not mouldy but they are in the original colour). You will find quite a bit of information on this forum about these horns.

[ThreeSixTwoFive]

Yep, to support milandro's statement -- you have a good horn. Most repair guys will not know anything about Grassi. But it is a good saxophone that compared well to classic and vintage horns. It seems to be similar in design to the Buffet saxophone. The pads are of good quality and made by Hermes. The leather was dyed green for Grassi. The color is not due to mold!

The Grassi horns have good sound. I think they are more classic sounding compared to modern student horns. I just got one in a trade with my local music store. I am pleasantly surprised to find that it plays well with a good soulful tone.

BTW, Grassi horns often lose the pearls on the keys. But Music Medic now has green replacement "pearls".

Search about for a good open-minded tech. No need to put up with insults!

[DavyRay]

I have a Grassi tenor, which I love.

You should not expect a music store salesman to praise your pawn shop saxophone, regardless of brand. The Ida Maria Grassi jade models are highly spoken of here.

[J.Max]

That's actually a very good find. It's a Grassi Jade with original pads and rollers. Good horn.

Most repair guys have never seen one of these so they probably assume that it's a crappy Chinese student horn.

[rosewolf27]

Thank you all for the information! I'm feeling even more excited about Christmas now. He's a jazz musician and had to sell his horns when our son was in the hospital. He's been without for several years and I can't express how much I wanted to get him a decent instrument on our budget. I've found someone to do the re-pad and cleaning after the new year. I feel more confidant about his reaction now.

Thank you all! I will point him to this forum after Christmas.

Kat

[bari_sax_diva]

Here's another bit of encouragement: if your hubby wants something different at some point (and the sax-player relationship is a very personal one, so don't take it badly if that happens), I suspect you'll be able to sell that Grassi and not lose anything on the deal. Maybe even after an overhaul--check this forum and eBay for an idea of its open-market value.