Show and Tell (and brag) Series 2 Bass

[Graysax]

Every once in a while I get a call from the West Point Concert Band to sub or be a 5th saxophone in the section for something like a Grainger Piece - but this time I thought enough to take a pic of the sax they give me to use for the gig .



A Selmer Series II Bass Saxophone...........


Hey they're the West Point Band - did you expect them to have anything less???

This weekend I was hired to be the 6th Saxophone in the section playin Bass on Grainger's Lincolnshire Posy during a conductor's symposium - OMG was it awesome!!!!

Ok - I'm done Braggin

Charlie

[NissanVintageSax]

Lucky bastard! I've always wanted to play the Bass sax part, but never had a Bass sax available :( .

[qwerty]

Our tax dollars at work. Well I guess it's better than a 4000 dollar toilet seat, or a bridge to nowhere. ;)

[Graysax]

Our tax dollars at work. Well I guess it's better than a 4000 dollar toilet seat, or a bridge to nowhere. ;)

Eh - your just jealous that Wayne didn't call you to play it :-)

Steve - below is in no way directed at you - but to all the people who may want to take your comment to the next level.

Ya - I agree that it's a huge investment that our government made a few years back - before this economy sucked so bad - however I look at it as the group that Percy Grainger wrote most of his music for can continue for many many years to come to play it in it's original form. (as one example) At least the government makes provisions towards the attempts to preserve Live Instrumental Music.

(to everybody else) Steve (Qwerty) is one of my closest friends, and I know that the point he makes is mostly to bust my chops. However I do honestly believe there is reason for concern when our tax payers money is paying for a $35K Bass Saxophone.

But as the person who is lucky enough to have played it in one of the better concert bands in our country, for a few projects such as the All Grainger CD that the West Point Band released last year, it gives all of us more musical examples to aspire to. This ensures the future of Instrumental music education. Take whatever historical land mark you see being preserved - find out what it costs to have it done - and then ask if $35K is too much for the West Point Band to spend on preserving the musical integrity of compositions such as Percy Grainger's.


Seeing everything as I do on this forum - I can see in a heart beat a HUGE tangent being started of should the government buy such things or not. Steve and I could easily be on opposing sides.

But for the record.....

The way our Government is using equipment such as this, is not at all being waisted. I understand that this is MY opinion and other may have different ones.

Also, Steve is my friend. My best friend in fact. His comments and opinions are invaluable to me (even if we don't agree - we both learn more from exploring the differences).

Ok - I am just babbling now - and I need sleep.

Goodnight,
Charlie

[martysax]

Also, Steve is my friend. My best friend in fact. His comments and opinions are invaluable to me (even if we don't agree - we both learn more from exploring the differences).


I'd like to see you two mud-wrestle.

Sorry Steve.

[Randall]

Did ya find the G# key was really awkward and too far away?

[crazydaisydoo]

You could use a specially trained rabbit as a pull through. Awesome

[rabbit]

You could use a specially trained rabbit as a pull through. Awesome

Foul!

[Dave C]

Charlie,

Thanks for your post. That must have been a great experience.

They're not my taxes; mine go to the UK government but I think the principle holds good across nations. My view is that if governments didn't invest in the Arts then to a certain extent who would? In that regard I don't have a problem with this kind of purchase.

Of course the degree to which governments do invest varies greatly from country to country........

Regards,

Dave

[qwerty]

Yo Charlie....

It's all cool. It was an observation, and actually, I think it's a fine way for our government to spend money. My comment was to tweak a few of our members who might read the thread and do so while flying just under the no politics radar.

Jealous that Wayne didn't call me? Well, duh.

[qwerty]

You could use a specially trained rabbit as a pull through. Awesome

Foul!

No, not Fowl, a rabbit!

[Graysax]

Did ya find the G# key was really awkward and too far away?

Actually no - But the Low C# mechanics bound at first at the table pivot until I tightened back up the screw that holds on the Low Bb Key onto it's arm.

I luv all ya guys - well marty too until that mud wrestling thing - kinda creeped me out that he wants to see us do THAT. :D (j/k luv ya too Marty)

[Graysax]

You could use a specially trained rabbit as a pull through. Awesome

It would have to be a 4 week old Netherland Dwarf Rabbit (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Netherlanddwarf-loki.jpg)

Anything else would get stuck around the top crook

(did I ever tell you guys I grew up on a rabbit farm - like hundreds at a time)

Someday I'll share my favorite rabbit recipes.

[Al Carter]

Did ya find the G# key was really awkward and too far away?

Randall,

Interesting question, as I have one of these Series 2 basses, and I really do find the G# key "too far away", unlike Charlie's answer. I don't play the bass that often, so when I do, I find that it takes me a while to consistently get my pinky over to that key.

Other than that, it is a great horn!

Charlie, what kind of mpc are you using on yours?

[Graysax]

Did ya find the G# key was really awkward and too far away?

Randall,

Interesting question, as I have one of these Series 2 basses, and I really do find the G# key "too far away", unlike Charlie's answer. I don't play the bass that often, so when I do, I find that it takes me a while to consistently get my pinky over to that key.

Other than that, it is a great horn!

Charlie, what kind of mpc are you using on yours?
the C* that they provided

[Randall]

Al, I used one of the Series II basses for about a year (borrowed) and I have fairly wide hands and I thought the G# was incredibly hard to reach (especially, given that it is a Selmer).

I later got a JK bass that, ergonomically, was no different from an alto sax. The differences ergonomically and tonally was ASTOUNDING.

I'd recommend you give one a try if you can.

[Randall]

I used an old Woodwind pickle barrel mp for a long time until I got a Paul Coats-modified Runyon bari piece.

[rabbit]

you could use a specially trained rabbit as a pull through. Awesome

foul!

no, not fowl, a rabbit!


:shock: ;)

[Al Carter]

Al, I used one of the Series II basses for about a year (borrowed) and I have fairly wide hands and I thought the G# was incredibly hard to reach (especially, given that it is a Selmer).

I later got a JK bass that, ergonomically, was no different from an alto sax. The differences ergonomically and tonally was ASTOUNDING.

I'd recommend you give one a try if you can.

Hi, Randall,

Well, yeah, it would be cool to try a JK bass, but those are far and few between. I think I saw one at USA Horn or someplace like that, but that's the only one I know of.

Outside of the G# issue, the Series 2 bass plays great and I enjoy it. It plays a lot easier than the old 20's era horns (I had a Buescher in the past). But the Series 2 doesn't have the, um, "oomph" that the old ones have. Sort of sounds to me like a bari on steroids or something. Easy playing, for sure. I'm using an old pickle barrel Woodwind Co. mouthpiece that local mouthpiece guru Bob Carpenter opened up and it responds really well. Contrabass clarinet reeds, too.

Al

[Randall]

Al, that is why I recommend the JK bass so highly...it honestly beats the Selmer by miles and miles tonally and ergonomically.

Also, this is the opinion of all those who I know who have tried both basses.

I cannot understand why the Selmer bass is so, for a lack of a better word, substandard.:?
It is without a doubt the worst of the Series II horns.
Also the neck metal is very thin and dents easily.

[Grumps]

Hey Charlie, what's the keyed range for that horn? Would love to have one, that's for sure.

[Graysax]

Hey Charlie, what's the keyed range for that horn? Would love to have one, that's for sure.

It's Bb to High F# - ya know for all those High F#'s you want to play on bass saxophone

[Rubes]

I am soo Jealous

[Gandalfe]

I used an old Woodwind pickle barrel mp for a long time until I got a Paul Coats-modified Runyon bari piece.Having both, whoa those are two completely different pieces. There's a wide difference in the response and sound to me. But I'm on the pickle barrel (Conn Eagle) and maybe that because I don't play the vintage Buescher bass sax very much. Now the Eppie... 8-)

[saxagenarian]

Having paid taxes for well over 50 years now I can truthfully say that I would much prefer having them spent on bass saxes rather than (other?) weapons of mass destruction ... or senatorial salaries for that matter. I might even consider paying a little more in taxes if the government spent it by preserving musical traditions.

"Brass for saxes, not for bullets!":Rant: