Late SBA alto

[tenor71363]

Would a late SBA alto have any of the characteristics of a early Mark VI? For example, bore size, tenon size?

[AMASAX]

Not in my experience. I've owned seven or eight SBA altos, from very early to so late the serial overlapped the Mark VI.

These horns play very consistently through out the run, assuming they're fixed up properly.

Main things I remember that are different are the neck length changed over the run, and some minor keywork changes in the low Bb cluster.

Other than that, very similar.

I like 'em quite a bit, other than that the tuning is not as good as modern horns.

Best setup I like for that 'SBA/Desmond' sound is an SBA alto neck on a Series II alto. You get the sound, along with improved mechanism and tuning. I haven't yet tried an SBA neck on a Series III alto, so can't comment upon that.

If you want a Mark VI, get one. If you want an SBA, get of those.

Don't mix the two; they're just not the same kind of horns.

[Reet McVouty]

One characteristic that both the SBA and MARK VI share is that the main right hand & left hand key groups (stack keys) are offset to provide more natural hand position for better playability. They started this on the SBA and most likely carried it over because it was a great improvement. I believe most modern horns today have this feature.