Solid silver tenor... anyone tried it?

[thehighend]

If this horn is as impressive as its price ($5200), then it's a great tenor. Anyone tried it?

[paulwl]

Very heavy and resistant.

Then again, you never have to worry about leaks. :D

Sorry. I couldn't resist.

[Sigmund451]

Look, the P.s have a good reputation as a big horn for a fair price. In really solid reviews there have been short commings. First P. has a limited name. Their ability to distribute adequately is in question. Second, 5 grand on an obscure brand is very likely throwing money away....you will never get it out ot a P. (unless your into gambling). And yes they are obscure...not here on SOTW but if you went around the country asking sax players about them who were never on SOTW you would get a lot of P. who????.

Appareantly B&S didnt make it or they would still be making horns. They have been around much longer. Its my opinion that P, no matter how nice they may seem will start to evaporate from the map the closer they get to the pricing of the big dogs. Perhaps for solid silver its not a bad price but its still a lot of cash. Should you worry about markets when you buy a horn...well no...and yes. It depends on how much cash you have to burn (depreciation that may be continuous) and if your one of those discontents that buys and sells freqently. I like a fledgling company as well as the next guy but I think they are getting the cart before the horse.

[newking70]

dont tell randall about it:shock:

[Sigmund451]

He can smell the stuff. Im sure he already has picked up the scent ;)

[Randall]

I would echo Siggys comments to a great degree. Silver is only 9 bucks an ounce now....so do the math on the cost vs weight. Silver horns ARE over priced when you think about the actual amount of metal used. Of course by the same argument, you can say that brass horns are incredibly overpriced.
Nevertheless, even if I wanted to get my silver jonz sated, I probably would not lay out the money for the PM sterling.
I had the opportunity to try the Trevor James sterling alto last summer and it left me more than unimpressed. Some of the notes were dodgy too.
While the TJ and PM are very different horns, no doubt, I also know that getting a sterling silver horn "right" requires a bit of trial and error on behalf of the maker. I think that both makers probably didn't put the time and effort into getting their research done.

I asked B&S to make me a solid silver Medusa bari and they flat out refused on the grounds that it would probably be the only one they would ever make (obviously I am insane on a uniquely high level!:D ) and that they couldn't justify the time and money and research (ie: trial and error) to get it right....and even if they could, it would be so incredibly expensive that I wouldn't be able to afford it.

[thehighend]

I was just curious about the silver PM. In general, I'm intrigued by silver horns and mouthpieces. Randall, you have a silver B&S Medusa tenor, right... or was it a 2001? I recently had a chance to get a 2001 tenor with a silver bell. I wonder if silver horns cost much more than brass because manufacturers aren't able to source silver in the appropriate "raw" form (like the nicely rolled brass sheet stock).

[thehighend]

Speaking of silver horns, check out this solid-silver Keilwerth SX-90R tenor that USA Horn sold:
http://usahorn.com/instView.usa?id=383&inst=Keilwerth+SX90R+Tenor+Sax+Sterling+Silver
Wow!

[Randall]

Mine is a Medusa,
and I think the cost issue is a what-the-market-will bear issue more than anything else. Could be wrong tho....

About that JK....I had a silver bell and neck SX 90R prototype tenor (1994 Musik Messe show) and I also currently have a solid silver, one-off Shadow alto.
Both horns had "sterling silver" engraved on the front of the bell very clearly; yet I do not see it on the horn you linked to. I wonder if it really was sterling?
Otherwise it does have similar very ornate engraving as do the sterling horns.

[rabbit]

Add to the many issues of cost already considered: Sterling silver is
almost certainly signifigantly more difficult to work than brass.

[thehighend]

USA Horn has a good reputation and knows saxes, so that SX-90R probably is a solid silver one. It is a very rare horn, so it would be interesting to learn what they sold it for (used). That 2001 I mentioned with the solid silver bell (and bow) also did not have "solid silver" or anything like that written on the horn, but the seller said it was nonetheless. Yanagisawa writes "solid silver" on their Silversonic horns.

[BigDaddyJ]

I'll be heading out to Sax Alley next week to try some necks on my P. Mauriat. I'll see if he has a solid silver tenor available to try.

later

Joel

[Morry]

I like the PM horns, but I think $5200 would be a bit much on what is a relatively untested horn.

[GAS_Wyo]

And yes they are obscure...not here on SOTW but if you went around the country asking sax players about them who were never on SOTW you would get a lot of P. who????.

From my limited experience - apart from SOTW - they are really starting to catch on with sax teachers! For serious students looking to step up to a pro model horn but not bankrupt mom & dad, these are the answer! Additionally, the horns are also starting to be seen more in local bands around the country. Maybe I'm all wet, but I think this is just the start for this company.

PM took off during the Chinese New Year, moved to a new factory, and didn't get started back up until about 3 weeks ago. My new PMXT-66R is in Tim's shop right now. I might get it sometime next week. Their distribution network will increase as they sell more horns.

[rispoli]

I'll be heading out to Sax Alley next week to try some necks on my P. Mauriat. I'll see if he has a solid silver tenor available to try.

later

Joel

Joel, how did you like those new necks?
The solid silver is the only affordable silver neck on the market right now at 255$...

[Randall]

Rispoli,
Who did you get that price from, and are they readily available?

[GAS_Wyo]

Randall,
I love your "No Holds Barred" attitude about the PM's.! :D

Maybe Roger Greenwood should hire you as one of his spokesmen! Maybe a Tour of the World starting out from Fukoda, JP??? ;)

[Randall]

Thanks for the info Rispoli....

The necks are not sterling silver, however.
They are nickle silver, which isn't silver at all (except in color);)

Still, for an aftermarket neck the prices are quite reasonable and a nickle neck will certainly make a big change in tone color and power.

I use one of Stephan Boeskens on my JK straight when I want to do an R&B or rock gig with it. Talk about yarbles!!!

[BigDaddyJ]

Hey rispoli,

sorry I have not been able to get out to Sax Alley. Tim is still recovering from heart surgery, so it may be a little while until his business is back on line.

thanks

Joel

[rispoli]

Hey rispoli,

sorry I have not been able to get out to Sax Alley. Tim is still recovering from heart surgery, so it may be a little while until his business is back on line.

thanks

Joel

Thanks Joel,
he mentioned me that too.