New Keyless Saxophone from Unison

[rfenno]

Unison Saxophones announces a new Keyless Saxophone. Inspired by Sigurd Rascher, this instrument is a teaching tool for harmonics and altissimo. The Unison Keyless is an inexpensive and effective addition to any teaching studio.

This month we will be exhibiting the Keyless Saxophone at the World Saxophone Congress and at the Texas Bandmasters Convention.

More information about the Keyless Saxophone can be found at:

http://unisonsaxophone.com/keyless.html


Thanks!

[woodwindmaster06]

What is the point in this saxophone keyless, and what tone pitch would this produce, it would be like those horns that have no valves or slides that you need a lot of them to play a song.

[Fun Bun]

A keyless saxophone is a great didactic tool. It plays a low Bb. It's great for teach student about the overtone series, voicing, altissimo, etc. Rascher had a great idea with this thing. I was taught by fingering a low Bb. But after 5 minutes my fingers get really sore. A horn like this would have made thing a lot easier.

[woodwindmaster06]

sounds good to me

[Mike Ruhl]

What neck, finish, and engraving options will be available? I'd love to have one with a sterling silver neck, satin-silver on the body and gold-wash bell! Or maybe a gold-plated bronze body with a gold-plated silver neck. And full floral-engraving all over the body.

:roll: Just kidding, of course.

[Harri Rautiainen]

A keyless saxophone is a great didactic tool. It plays a low Bb. It's great for teach student about the overtone series, voicing, altissimo, etc. Rascher had a great idea with this thing. I was taught by fingering a low Bb. But after 5 minutes my fingers get really sore. A horn like this would have made thing a lot easier.

If you study overtones only 5 minutes at the time, you do not need this novelty item.
Am I missing something?

[Mike Ruhl]

Harri!!! Sigurd Rascher had one. What other reason do we need? :wink:

But seriously, I'm no teacher, but I can see it's merit as a teaching tool.

[Paul Cohen]

Some years ago, the Selmer company was very gracious in making a keyless saxophone (what I call my "overtone horn") for my use in demonstrations and teaching. I remember how vivid an impression it made on me when Rascher demonstrated it at his clinics, and I wanted to provide my students with the same experience.
In dealing with such a subtle and elusive subject such as overtones - and especially for younger students - the impact of the keyless horn is a great aid in stimulating and keeping fresh these new and challenging ideas. It is for the teacher more than the player or student, and works best for the teacher who incorporates mastery of the overtone series into the core of their teaching for both young and old.
I am grateful for the Selmer company for making this horn for me, and the Unison seems to have all the same attributes.
Paul Cohen
PaulC135@aol.com

[DD]

Can't wait for the posts regarding which mouthpiece works "best" on the keyless tube! But really, can't you do the same thing on a length of garden hose?

[Paul Cohen]

Can't wait for the posts regarding which mouthpiece works "best" on the keyless tube! But really, can't you do the same thing on a length of garden hose?

It is hard to find a conical bore garden hose. Also, there is a philosophical lesson to be gleaned by looking at the slender tube (hole and mechanism-free) and realizing that that is the acoustical essence of all of our alto saxophone music making. Also, having the instrument with saxophone sound as well as response adds considerably to the effectiveness of the demonstration and discussion.
Paul Cohen

[Fun Bun]

When I first started studying overtones, my teacher gave me specific instructions not to practice the overtone/voicing studies for more than 5 minutes at a time. Everytime I would go over that my throat got very sore. I was using muscles I never thought I had and as time went on I was able to extend that time. Even today If I go much over 5 or 6 minutes I have to take a break to let everything reset then go at it again. I have logged thousands of hours practicing voicing, overtones, altissimo, multiphonics. It's all the same mechanism.

[MonchMan]

DD -- I guess you have not done much overtone work. After 30+ years I still devote 20 to 30 minutes a week of practice time to them. An Alto is much easier than Bari :wink:

[DD]

Bad guess, Monsieur Monch - while I have played for only 46 years now, with Masters degrees in both Saxophone and Music Ed, many years of quartet experience in Pittsburgh in the company of Dr. Bob (altissimo) Luckey, attendance or performance at World Sax Congress dating back to #1 & 2 in Chicago, #3 in Toronto, to playing with Bennie Wallace (1964), many times with Bruce Johnstone since 1996 and sitting in with Pete Christlieb (2001), I long ago lost track of the expended hours (days,weeks, months) of examination of various alt passages and the techniques necessary to the musical expression thereof. While 24 years of law practice has somewhat limited my full participation in things musical (having played only 8 gigs in the last two weeks across NW PA, with 3 more scheduled this weekend) perhaps I deserved to be properly chastised for my comment, but certainly not for my (in)experience. Credentials notwithstanding, however, no offense is taken. Humbly, I remain yours truly, etc, etc. :wink:

[srcsax]

I remember seeing Mr. Rascher at a clinc when i was in high school with the keyless horn. It realy made an impact on me as far as overtone studies are concerned. But then, he was that kind of educator / performer anyway, always making a possitive impact.

[Mike Ruhl]

Roland Kirk notwithstanding, I don't think you could do the same thing with a garden hose, no matter how many degrees you have, who you've played with, or how long you've played. Just my opinion, though.

[Lomar Manx]

I attended one of Rascher's clinics many years ago, and his performance on the keyless horn (a Buescher) made one of those life long impressions on me. I've always wanted one of these things!

[rfenno]

Hey folks:

In answer to the questions brought up: you bet we do finishes. We offer most of our horns in silver, satin silver, gold plate, satin gold, and anodized nickel, as well as lacquer.

The Keyless Saxophone a special order item anyway, so if you want it to be silver plated, or anodized nickel, or a special neck finish, or fancy engraving, we can do it for you. A "plain" version (and what could be plainer?) may reach you sooner after ordering, though. And the fancier the features, the greater the price.

The Keyless was one of those products which invariably, upon explaining what we had in mind, caused to person being told of our plans to slap their forehead with the heel of their palm and smile.

That's a pretty good indication that the marketplace is ready . . .

Time alone will tell.

The horn was developed in conjunction with college professors of saxophone, influential guys and gals who produce some fine players and teachers with their studios. That seems like our target market.

RF

[SAXBUM]

I know that a keyless trumpet is called a buggle. But, can you play taps on the keyless sax? How about using it as a horn for fox hunting? Tally-ho!

[Lomar Manx]

Rascher could play anthing on his keyless Buescher that he could play on his conventional horn. It was amazing.

[shortwhite]

First let me say that I will probably get one of these as a teaching aid. It seems like a very good idea to me.

I don't, however, see how Mr. Rascher could "play anything on his keyless Buescher that he could play on his conventional horn". Physics would dictate other wise. The fundamental on this horn would be Bb. So the next note possible above that would be Bb one octave higher. You might be able to "lip in" a few other notes close to that Bb. But a chromatic scale (in that lowest register) for example should be impossible.

If I'm wrong about this, someone please clue me in. I'll either have to totally rethink some things or have a huge garge sale.

[mark_m]

Well...so what is "a price any teacher of the saxophone can afford"?

[Mike Ruhl]

I was told $350 for the plain lacquered brass version.

[Bebe Davis]

Hmmm, $350? For that price you can get a high quality didgeridoo. They come in Bb. Keyless, too.

To lipping it up. Cheers!

[amalfitano_hamilton]

If I'm wrong about this, someone please clue me in. I'll either have to totally rethink some things or have a huge garge sale.

You are not wrong. After having been to many Rascher clinics, I can say that he was amazing, and cuter than Corina, but could not play everything on the keyless sax that he played on the keyful sax! Legends grow taller with time!

Is Harry White still with the Rascher quartet? He and I went to college together. One or two semesters Harry played second alto to my lead in Jazz Lab band. Man, talk about a conflict of interest. Harry had legit chops like I've never heard, but the big band was not his bag!

[Howlin]

:idea: American made student model under $400. Let's set up that mail order Harri! (Not so sure about the season pass on the quartet - what do you reckon?)

[MusicMedic]

Harri is no longer in the Quartet. He is starting a Solo Career as far as I know. He has a CD out that is very good. I don't have the info here but I can get that to you if you like.

I just got back from the Sax Congress and Steve Goodson brought a new Unison Keyless horn. It was very cool indeed. I got to see everyone test out their overtone chops and play bugle tunes on it. James Carter played it for a while and actually blew a pretty cool solo!

The only problem with the Keyless horn is that there is no place to put my RooPads on it!

[Mike Ruhl]

James Carter played it for a while and actually blew a pretty cool solo!I am not at all surprised.

[sax_appeal]

One of my friends currently has a keyless saxophones and its pretty awful. It does appear to have all the tone holes though...

[goodsax]

sax_appeal - was that last posted with tongue in cheek? If not, you must know that Sigurd Rascher's keyless sax had no tone holes. There's a photo of him holding one (1959) in his left hand and an Adolphe Sax a Paris alto (1859) in his right inside his Top-Tones book. The keyless he had was made by Buescher in Elkhart, IN.

[paulwl]

Hmmm. Once again the utterance of the name Rascher is interpreted as an exhortation to close the lid on one's sense of humor and go into Lecture Mode.

The guy once stood under Percy Grainger's window late at night and played a passage from Grainger's latest piece, over and over, with one obvious and deliberate wrong note. Objective: to get the light to go on. It did. And then some.

[Paul Coats]

See? Musicians DO have a sense of humor!

[MBushaw]

I got to try the keyless horn at NAMM.
I hid in the corner so no-one else would have to hear how truely bad I am at overtones.
While that was fun, to me one of the great things about the horn is the demonstration of how a leak-free sax should feel. Too many players have never played a horn that feels alive in their hands, or realize that that's how a well set up horn should feel.

[mhoyoux]

Hello !!!!!

Is the UNISON SAXOPHONE keyless still being made in 2006 ?

I have seen a comparable sax : HOLLYWOODWINDS keyless

http://www.hollywoodwinds.com/keyless_sax.htm

What do you think about it ?

Max.

[RickBusarow]

www.unisonsaxophones.com redirects to www.hollywoodwinds.com, so it'd be my guess that they're the same company.

[mhoyoux]

Thanks Mr BUSAROW !

But what about quality of sax (in general) ? (quality of keyless) ?

Availability ? Price ? There isn't informations about that !?

N.B.: It's difficult to find the "EMAIL" of company.

I just have send several email and I'm waiting us to reply me !!

Can you help me by giving informations where to purchase keyless sax ?

Thanks a lot !!!!!!!!

Max.

[RickBusarow]

Actually, I just ran a little search and found this (http://www.saxontheweb.net/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=30042&highlight=hollywood+winds) thread, in which Dave Kessler (who used to deal in Unisons) said that Hollywood Winds is a different company... So it seems a bit shady that there's that redirect.

Anyhow, there's a list of US distributors on the Hollywood Winds site, and one of the shops listed is Horn Improvement. HornImprovement (http://www.saxontheweb.net/vbulletin/member.php?u=17650) is a member of this forum (and a poster in that thread I just linked to), so you might try sending a PM to him/her.

Good luck, Max.

[Merlin]

The keyless sax can be purchased directly from Hollywood Winds.

It plays exactly the way it's supposed to. I tried it for a while at the NAMM show.

[mhoyoux]

hello guys !!!!!!!!

Thank to you for your information!!!

TWO things :

- You'd say I can purchase directly from HOLLYWOODWINDS but there's no shop online ! I have tried to contact them via EMAIl but no response yet.

- You'd say that it plays exactly the way it's suppose to...? You say that intonation or sound is not well ? Construction is good (well-finished)?

N.B.: Sorry if I can't write well the english language!!

Have a nice day from EUROPE !

HOYOUX Maxime.

[hanson74]

If anyone is still interested and following this thread, just thought I'd mention that Carls Pro Band in Central Illinois has these for $285.00.

www.carlsproband.com

[Dr G]

How 'bout a keyless straight tenor?

[haonhien]

Pardon my stupid question, but if it's a teaching tool, why should it need a mouthpiece? Can't it have a mouthpiece built into it and all you'd need to do is to put a reed on? Just wondering....

[Steve P]

Because we all play different mouthpieces.

And how appealing is it to play on a mouthpiece that ever other student has been playing on... ew.

Steve P

[saxymanzach]

My teacher is a Unison dealer and he was in possesion of one of these about a year ago. It was cool for 5 minutes but then I got frustrated because overtones are very dull and this thing sounds horrible. My hands kept slipping and the low Bb was out of whack, even my teacher struggled to get it out. It was dissapointing and is a very poor teaching tool. It would be better off as a $400 lamp or a wall-hanger conversation piece. Not much merit behind this product at all. (of course I only played one.)

[RickBusarow]

How was the low Bb out of whack? It's not like anything could be leaking...

Was there just a gurgle? Did you try different mouthpieces?

[Canadiain]

How 'bout a keyless straight tenor?
They are offering a keyless tenor too if you check the holywood url listed earlier. Its a couple of hundred bucks more expensive.

[RX8SaxMan]

Like saxymanzach said, the keyless sax is cool for a short time, but I think its better to just use a real sax. In anyone wants a keyless tenor, we have one left in stock that I can let go pretty cheap. I don't think we'll be buying any more though.

http://www.socalhorns.com/product_info.php?products_id=611