Kessler Custom Tenor

[TommyH]

First, some background. . .

I originally took up sax when I was about 12 Y/O, as a second instrument to my keys (which don't travel well for marching band) ;) . I've played that sax (a conn 18m alto) off and on for the last 20-some years, but never seriously devoted much gigging time to the woodwinds.

Recently, I was playing keys at a local blues "open mic" jam, and decided to bring out the alto (in light of the abundance of organ players at recent jams). After I finished my set (during which I was barely audible), a guy with a tenor came up and absolutely rocked the place. Then and there I decided that I was in need of a serious upgrade.

I started searching the web, and stumbled on this forum. I looked for some vintage horns on Ebay for a while, but couldn't find any reasonable deal. Based in large part upon what I read here, I decided to call Kessler's and order the custom tenor.


Now a brief review. . .

The sax arrived Monday in perfect condition. It played well right out of the case, and I haven't noticed any really "stuffy" notes or problem areas yet. Intonation is very good, and the horn "feels" really comfortable. In general, its a very accomodating instrument. It sounds a little bright (which I tend to like), but not overly so.

The one thing that really floored me though, is the way altisimmo just popped out of this thing once I started using a ZZ #3 reed on the Kessler MPC. I assume that this is largely a MPC issue, but man -- I could hardly even think about alts on the alto -- with this horn it's a breeze.

In summary, I'm a really happy customer. (time to start thinking about one in black nickel; mmmm, black nickel . . . )

Tom H.

[BayviewSax]

I just picked one of these up second-hand. It's the Custom in the Antiqued finish. I'm looking at it as a backup, but I'm very pleased with it. The keywork is exactly like my Series III had. The tone is a tad on the dark side, but I'm going (I hope) to try one of the Kessler Tone Boosters. I haven't run it past a tuner, but played it back to back with my main tenor (a Mark VI) and didn't cringe, so I'm thinking it's pretty good. The tone definitely speaks as that of an intermediate horn, but to my ear, is comparable to horns I have played costing much more (Cannonballs, Mauriats, etc.).

The mouthpiece was very impressive. The tip is too small for what I'm used to, but it produces a quality tone with good projection. The ligature seems too small for the mouthpiece, but if that's the only problem with the horn, this is going to be a great experience.

The case is very impressive. In spite of what they are, I've always been impressed by Cannonball's packaging -- great cases. Nothing less than that here. It's a solid, travel-style case which features smart design and plain usability.

Let's play the grade game:

Aesthetics: A-
Quality: B
Value: A
Keywork: A-
Case: B+
Mouthpiece: B

If you're looking for a backup horn with modern keywork, I'd recommend the Kessler horns. If you're looking for a solid intermediate horn, I'd HIGHLY recommend these. If you're looking for a full-time gigging warhorse, maybe not, but time will tell.

[saxymanzach]

The tone definitely speaks as that of an intermediate horn, but to my ear, is comparable to horns I have played costing much more (Cannonballs, Mauriats, etc.).



My main horn is a Kessler, and I played it against my teachers VI and we both found that the Kessler stood up very well against it. I don't think the tone that I get out of it sounds "intermediate" at all. Grade "A" horn all around for such a FANTASTIC PRICE!!!