Steve Goodson Alto's?

[Saxaholic]

Has anyone tried the Steve Goodson alto's, and how are they holding up? How's the intonation, especially in the upper register D, E, F etc? Tone quality? Just a basic overview would be great...I haven't seen one yet....

[Brice B.]

I'm hoping (actually praying) that mine will come in next week. I'll write a review a few days after receiving it.

[Brian]

there are alot of us that are balancing between cursing and praying, Brice.

[Brice B.]

No cursing on my end. This has definitely tried my patience, but I will still be a Goodson supporter at the end of this.

[FunkySax]

IMHO you should never buy a horn that you haven't played. At least you should have played the model you are getting if not the specific horn. I'm amazed that so many people put down money for a horn that will come when it comes. I also noticed that Steve Goodson was a lot more available for comments when the hype was building around his horn. Now he seems absent when people are bitching wheres my horn. I also so a post where some guy was saying Steve Goodson had horns of his, and he couldn't reach him to see whats up. Steve has a great reputation and I'm sure he's a good guy, but it looks like his horns have shown in only small numbers. I for one will wait until I can play one.

[Jack Metcalf]

I agree with that assessment. The hype on this horn is second only to the Reference 54 which at least is being discussed more completely in other venues than here. How many of you would buy a car without test driving it? Or buy a new home sight unseen? How many of you would marry someone without dating them first?

I mean, we're talking about a saxophone here. This is serious.

[Brian]

I, for myself, see absolutely no difference in whether I buy a horn and play it at my leisure ... get to know it ...take to many venues and styles ... see how it supports me as a player, and than decide what I want to do with it. A play test, IMHO is valuable only to a ceertain limited degree. For instance, you can tell if it plays in tune, if its built well, if you like the engraving (lol). But growing into and with a hornn is a process and a transformation. There are setups to play with and adjust ... embrochure adjustments ... resistance to get accustomed to.

I would think that it equally as spontaneous to play test a horn and buy one from that. Funky sax, and Jack, we agree in that this is serious. I have a burning lust to get the best tenor for me that I can find available ... so thats why Im going this route. If I live with it, and decide to divorce it ... well than... at least Im satisfied that I gave it the best and full try. Expensive ? yes! Thorough? yes!

As to the absense of Master Goodson, and the absense of the horns ... well... you are right. There is a lot of dissapointment in the air. Hopefully it will resolve favorably and soon.

[Gandalfe]

Brian, although I recommend people on a budget try the horn first, those of us with our favorites already mapped out CAN buy a new horn without trying it first. I really liked my Couf Superba when I bought a YAS 82Z. The 82Z has become my favorite now and the Couf is my backup horn. I did get a phenominal price on the Z ($2200 with shipping and insurance) so I knew I could find a buyer if I was unhappy with the horn, so that made the decision easier. If the Steve Goodson Unison doesn't work out for you, there will be another buyer. I suspect the horn might be a keeper, but who knows.

[Steve J.]

"I would think that it equally as spontaneous to play test a horn and buy one from that."

Horse excrement Brian, you can't be serious. A seasoned player can tell from a play test if the horn is a potential keeper. I agree you can determine to stay married or divorce on the longer more tried realationship but certain things have to click in the flirtation or its a waste.
I understand a short cut is cool - but only if it gets you to the correct destination.

I understand there is a certain thrill in a leap of faith panning out. Personally, I derive more satisfaction out of more careful calculated conservative use of money and musical pursuit. A play test has been had by some in this forum - All quite positive reviews. I appreciate their pointing of the way. They pointed the way to me play testing some day - not investing based on sales hype, facts, innovations and other's opinions.
The previous statement and the rest of this post have no derogatory undertones. (I tread lightly on this path again only because I am very familiar with Brian and I know discussion will remain civil).

I choose to look before I leap. Other's are comfortable with looking after they leap. If some "are balancing between cursing and praying" over their gamble not panning out the way it was expected it is a life lesson to be filed away for future reference. I feel for the anxiety of the gamblers.

The quoted statement at top of post I totally disagree with. We all want to justify our decisions when we start questioning them ourselves and I wonder if anyone actually believes that buying after a play test is equally spontaneous as buying after internet research. .... I guess should be a new topic....... this one has strayed.

[FunkySax]

My comments were more directed at ordering a pro sax, when you can't even play test a model at the store. That and you can't be told when you will get it. Yamaha's have great consistency and I did buy a custom tenor sight unseen because it was only 2000. That was 4 yrs ago when they were a bit more costly. But Unison? Paying that for a tiawan horn sight unseen, with no models to test play or even look at in the stores is a trip to me. When I bought my 62 alto in the 80's I played 5 and picked the one I like most. When I bought my King Super 20 silver plated tenor I chose it because I played it and fell in love. True you can always sell something you don't like, but you could have bought a selmerIII or a yamaha 62II , or 82z, or custom, then sold it and bought a steve goodson when they are around. I just would hate to have 2500.00 gone and no horn to show for it.

[FunkySax]

Yeah, and I also feel I can tell if a horn is one I would gig on in about 30 seconds. After about 5 minutes I could tell whether I loved it or not. As long as the sax is sealed up and working good it shouldn't take long.

[Steve J.]

Cool --- I agree - a simultaneous post with similiar content

[Brian]

Thats cool. I completely disagree though. Not to be condescending at all, funky, but I dont think you can honestly tell a horns 'gigability' in a 30 second... or a five minute ... play test. If you can, than I would suggest that you are much less finicky, or less experienced at testing different horns. Now before you jump all over me for saying that ... I mean nothing condescending, as I said before ... its all cool if you are really convinced of that position.

You cant tell me that you have sat and played a set up in your practice roon, and been totally enamored with it .... than taken it to a gig, or different acoustic environment and found the week link, been dissapointed, and sent it back. It also happens Visa Versa, though not as much.

I stand by my statement, Steve J. We'll argue that one out soon, in private, won't we? :wink:

[Steve J.]

Bri - Are you sure you didn't hit your head in that bicycle fall? :lol:
We'll talk soon. I'll start a new thread i think - too easy to be misinterpreted in this category.

[Brice B.]

Brian is right in my opinion. It took me at least 6 months to decide that my Series III alto didn't fit my gigging needs. Great horn, but it wasn't my voice. So spending 5 minutes to and hour in a shop testing a horn might tell me immediately if a horn is good or not, but it isn't going to tell me if it's my match.

[Steve J.]

Brice I agree..... but Brian didn't say what you said.

[Joe]

Brian, after you've bought a few mouthpieces or horns that didn't work out in different settings, you should eventually develop a sense of exactly what you are looking for and can tell if you've found it in just a matter of a few minutes. Most experienced players learn to tune out a room's acoustics and can hear exactly what they're getting out of a piece of equipment long before they get to a gig. Maybe you're not blowing the same in the practice out room as you are at a gig? Perhaps others are just more finicky when testing horns or more experienced at critical appraisal and listening.

Sorry if it sounds like I'm putting you down. I just don't know of a seasoned pro that can't tell when they've found a great set up, regardless of where they are when they're playtesting it.

[Steve J.]

I am disagreeing only on the point that a purchase is as spontaneous a decision with a play test as it is without. I think an initial play test can easily tell you if the horn is worth pursuing or not. The information gathered in the test would make a purchase less spontaneous in my opinion. I believe Brian feels an initial trial is superfluous.

[Anonymous]

Soooooo, has anyone with firsthand experience and no sax or repair industry affiliations anything to say in this thread about the SG altos?

[Brice B.]

Sorry, to get back on the subject...

I truley hope to have my alto here this week. I've asked Steve, who said my horn came in last week, to have my horn to me by Friday because I have some very important shows this weekend and I have no alto! So i hope to put a review up in a week or so.

[Brice B.]

just got an email from Steve and my horn's on the way. I'll have by Wednesday or Thursday.

[Brian]

Not superfluous, Steve J. ... but not any more telling either. I agree that a 5 minute blow will tell you if you have a hornworth pursuing or not. But than again ... that for me is not in question with this horn. Take for instance, purely as an example, your own mind bending quest to find the frankenstein set up you are playing with your ref 54. You find the end of the rainbow, but it took how many months. You felt and heard the potential in the horn through a play test ... you bought it and took it through the trials and may or may not have fine tuned it to be what you now have. I know of at least one other well respected forum member that did the exact same thing with the same horn, and than sold it because he didnt reach nirvana. The only difference with me is that Im not questioning the starting value by play test. Is the whole thing a hoax?... maybe ... and than I will be wearing egg, for sure .... but I don't think so.

Want to bet a Golf game on it?... :)

[FunkySax]

I just said, IMHO I wouldn't buy a sax without playing at least that model first, and preferebly you would like to play the exact horn you are getting before shelling out big bones. It's a sensible comment. And I stick by my 30 second, 5 minute comment. How long does it take to run through the horn top to bottom. Test it loud, test it soft, test alltissimo. Sure it may take longer to learn all the things the horn can and can't do, but I can certainly tell wether it's worth buying after 5 minutes of playing. That is as long as I have my mouthpiece. If it takes you longer to know if it's playing in tune, good tone etc.. or if you really can't tell, then I would suggest taking another player with you and have him listen to you.

[FunkySax]

Cool brice that your horn is coming. I never meant to dog anyones decision, I just was giving my opinion. I heard guys playing Steves horns at the namm show here in So Cal and it got good reviews along with the 82z unlaquered, the LA SAX Chicago series. All I played was an unlaquered 82z for about 3-5 minutes. After 10 seconds I knew I would like to have one, lol, and I bet if I played a Goodson Model I would like that as well. I do think eventually they will be easier to go to the store and try, and then I might.

[Brian]

I hear what you are saying, Funky sax. I dont really disagree at all .... just differnt levels of risk tolerance, I think.
Bri

[Steve J.]

"I would think that it equally as spontaneous to play test a horn and buy one from that."

Brian - are you saying you didn't mean what I quoted from you? This I would understand. If I hear what you are now saying you admit there is a difference in risk. This is different than "equally as spontaneous". That is basically what my first post alluded to so we are on the same page......... with vastly different risk tolerance. Reread my post.

I started a new thread in Misc. .. I am not comfortable talking about this here -- its not about SG alto's .. I do find the different philosophy's thought provoking however and would enjoy further input from you and others...... in the other thread. Thanks

[Brice B.]

I got my SG alto in last night. I haven't had much chance to play it yet, but my impressions are very good. It's an amazingly beautiful horn. I will post a full review when I get a chance to really shed on it in a few days. Those of you who haven't read Steve's post in the other thread should read it. Steve's one of the sweetest people I've dealt with, and he deserves all of our prayers right now. I'll post more later.

[L1]

I've had a new Steve Goodson alto for over two months now. Unfortunately, I herniated a disc in my neck and I have not been able to play it (only played it 3 times before the herniation got extremely severe). I like it very much, but I really can't report on it until after I have spine surgery and can play it again. (I can't even blow a clarinet at the present time because of the chest pressure.) :(

[Fun Bun]

Bruce B, what are the results?

[Brice B.]

Sorry to keep you all waiting. The alto did arrive, but it suffered quite a bit during shipping. I basically can't play much on it because of some of the major leak problems. The horn also received a dent to the bell, so I know quite a bit of problems resulted from shipping. Steve and I are in the process of figuring out how to resolve the problem. I'll post once I can fully play the horn.

I can tell you that these are very special horns, and anyone who thinks they are mass produced obviously have not seen the amount of hand finishing and fitting go into this horn.

[SaxyAcoustician]

That sucks. I hope it was insured and that it will be covered by the shipper. What about the case it came in? Is it not protective enough?

[Brice B.]

They are coming in Protec cases, so that's not the problem. I really don't know what happened, but we're getting to the bottom of it.

[singlereed]

Brice, you poor soul! You must be the most patient person I have ever come across what with the bent VI and all. I find it astonishing the horn was not well packed enough to avoid damage, I think we have seen one or two posts from them in the past about how to pack a horn for transit. Surely they should give you a new one, which after all is what you paid for.

[Brice B.]

Steve and I worked out the details for repair. There are two things I want to stress here. #1, Steve is top notch in customer service post purchase. He DEMANDS that you be fully satisfied with you're purchase. #2, the damage to the horn isn't major, but just enough that it won't play and had a little bit of cosmetic damage. But the horn was packed well, keyclamps and all. So I really don't know what went wrong. I'm sending the horn back to Steve to be repaired, insured, so that if it looks like shipping flaws, then we can take action that way I guess. Steve offered to pay for a repairman here to fix it, but I really want Steve's expert repair to go into the horn. I'll take a risk in shipping I know, but we'll see what happens.

[Fun Bun]

Sorry, dude :cry: Those shipping guys don't give a fly flip about frigile equipment. I picked up my tenor in person. Then again I am only 5 hours away.

[AG]

The carrier/shipper should have to pay for the damage. Isn't a new horn insured when it ships?

[Brice B.]

The horn is back in Steve's hands and should be back to me this week I hope. It's hard to do anything with shipping companies in terms of damage like this. The best solution was to let Steve fix it and send it back. He was perfectly happy to, and again I stress that Steve truley cares about his customers and will go to any length to satisfy them.

[Morry]

After waiting as long as you have, you're going to have a damage-repaired SG horn? You've got to be joking. Either the outer box was damaged, and the shipping company owes you a brand new horn, or it was insufficiently packed, in which case Unison and/or SG owe you a new horn. Man, don't let yourself get reamed.

[Brian]

Brice, Have you been in contact with Steve this last week. I have sent numerous emails and made phone calls. I also sent a horn back, but cannot get in touch with Steve since 10 days ago.
Brian

[Fun Bun]

Morry, I've seen the way Goodson ships a horn. He really does get the job done. He packs it so that the mechanism cannot move. He really goes overkill. I think it was the shippping company. Also I believe Goodson is having trouble with his heart. Doctors orders to rest or something like that.

I am really intersted to see how your alto plays Brice B. I just unloaded my Yani 992.

[Morry]

FunBun, I'm not saying whose fault it was, but if the outside box is damaged, you should make UPS or Fedex or whoever wait there while you inspect the horn, and refuse it if damaged. If, on the other hand, the box looks ok, but the horn inside is damaged, it's the packing, plain and simple.

[singlereed]

Unless it was damaged before being packed.

[Brice B.]

I just got off the phone with Steve, and both of us are puzzled at what happened to the horn. The good thing is that it isn't too serious, and Steve will be able to fix it without any problems. I can't wait to get it back. Hopefully I'll be able to give the review everyone's been waiting for.

[M Exner]

Brice B.

It has been at three weeks now since your last post. What's the latest on your new SG alto? Any news? Mike

[Howlin]

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