bkiser
11-18-2004, 10:25 PM
NECKSTRAP! I mean, its truly awful. Plastic hook...strap feels like cheap sandpaper on the back of the neck...I would go on and on if the horn were not so INCREDIBLE! :D
I received my R1 Jazz gold alto this afternoon. Got great service from Mathew at Saxforte and saved myself several hundred dollars over buying it from the UK or Germany. And, got it in 1 day! Horn was packaged fantastically.
First impressions- the feel of the horn is somewhere between Selmer and Yamaha. Not quite as 'soft' feeling as a Selmer, but not as 'mechanical' feeling as the Yamaha. Coming from a Selmer alto, I immediately felt comfortable. The left hand pinky cluster is a little awkward going from B to C#, but I suspect my fingers will learn the new movements quicky.
Playing- VERY responsive with just a slight amount of resistance. I was originally concerned that the horn would play like a Keilwerth (I have a JK soprano which I love, but dont like the alto and tenor as much), but the larger bore requires no extra effort to play. To me, the larger bore is only evident in the tone. Tone is more spread and the Ref 54 I played recently and sounds nothing like a Selmer. More like a really good old Conn, but with WAY more punch. I was concerned that the R1 Jazz model might be too dark, but that is definitely not the case. Overall, the few mpcs I have tried so far sound brighter on the R&C than on my SA80(1). For classical work, I generally played a tweaked Hite artist model on the S80. It was flexible enough for quartet work and some solo bop stuff, but didnt really cut enough for lead alto work in a jazz ensemble. Well, on the R&C, it just plain rips and cutting through a section would not be a problem.
All in all, this is WAY more horn than I am player, but it makes me want to be a better player!
Brian
Macon, GA 8-)
I received my R1 Jazz gold alto this afternoon. Got great service from Mathew at Saxforte and saved myself several hundred dollars over buying it from the UK or Germany. And, got it in 1 day! Horn was packaged fantastically.
First impressions- the feel of the horn is somewhere between Selmer and Yamaha. Not quite as 'soft' feeling as a Selmer, but not as 'mechanical' feeling as the Yamaha. Coming from a Selmer alto, I immediately felt comfortable. The left hand pinky cluster is a little awkward going from B to C#, but I suspect my fingers will learn the new movements quicky.
Playing- VERY responsive with just a slight amount of resistance. I was originally concerned that the horn would play like a Keilwerth (I have a JK soprano which I love, but dont like the alto and tenor as much), but the larger bore requires no extra effort to play. To me, the larger bore is only evident in the tone. Tone is more spread and the Ref 54 I played recently and sounds nothing like a Selmer. More like a really good old Conn, but with WAY more punch. I was concerned that the R1 Jazz model might be too dark, but that is definitely not the case. Overall, the few mpcs I have tried so far sound brighter on the R&C than on my SA80(1). For classical work, I generally played a tweaked Hite artist model on the S80. It was flexible enough for quartet work and some solo bop stuff, but didnt really cut enough for lead alto work in a jazz ensemble. Well, on the R&C, it just plain rips and cutting through a section would not be a problem.
All in all, this is WAY more horn than I am player, but it makes me want to be a better player!
Brian
Macon, GA 8-)