ZeUs Saxes?

[Saxaholic]

I visited the website recently....ZeUs saxophones? Anyone ever play them or hear them, or know anything about them? I've only heard good things....but I wanted to know if anyone has had any experience with them, thanks...

[Andrew]

Which website is this? I'd like to see them...

[Saxaholic]

http://www.zacharymusic.com/Zachary_Music/NewSax.htm

It's Zachary music...and they support and sell the whole line of Zeus.....what do you guys think?

[Dr G]

Looks like yet another horn in the proud tradition of music store stencils. I wonder who makes them? Is there actually a production facility in Canada (as it suggests on the bell)?

[Andrew]

It looks like a copy of a selmer to me. I'd try it out before buying it.

[Morry]

I imagine they are from Canada, the way Cannonballs are from Utah. The company that specs the instrument may be located there, but I would bet that the production facility is in Asia.

[Andrew]

I agree w/Morry. It's a lot like the "French Engineered Saxophone" w/the small font disclaimer saying Assembled in China or something like that. Funny stuff. :P

[Zachary Music]

Guys, there is no reason to get immediately negative, when you don't have the necessary knowledge about a product.

Yes, ZeuS is my own line of instruments, both woodwinds and brass.
The best manufacturers in the world make them and they sell for about half the price of comparable instruments with the big brand names.

I encourage anyone to compare the ZeuS 750 Soprano, Alto, Tenor and Bari to any new Selmer, Yamaha, Keilwerth or any other high priced instrument. I side by side comparison is always welcome. It will make you wonder why people spend double on a sax.

I established ZeuS about 5 years ago and have been very successful with it. Here is statistic for you. A ZeuS saxophone has never been returned to date.

I also have a very popular 6 month, NO interest payment plan on all the new instruments I sell.

Please contact me if you have any questions.

Alex

[scale_master]

The best manufacturers in the world make them

So, where are they actually made? And, if they are the best, what other horns do they make?

I am not negative here, I just would apreciate more sound information. Steve Goodson, e.g., has his line of saxes, but he makes no secret about who produces them.

[Zachary Music]

If you take a look at my site you will see that I have a full line of instruments, Woodwinds and Brass, Student, Intermediate and professional models. A different manufacturer makes almost each model. I know what every company is good at and approach select companies to build my instruments at each price point. For example a company, which makes a great professional trumpet, may not be able to produce a good student trumpet for $375.

The difference in how I do things is that these are not lower quality instruments made by second-rate companies. All ZeuS instruments are actually made by famous manufacturers with the ZeuS name on them. By doing this I have complete control of the final product. I can specify design, finishes, features, cases, etc.

Other sellers who have their own products may do things differently but I do not revealed my sources and manufacturers. In some instances I am not at liberty to do so anyhow. This is an exclusive line and I want to keep it that way. I will let the instrument speak for itself.

I understand that this is a novel approach and it may take getting used to. I find introducing new products very creative and rewarding. I really would not get much satisfaction being just another store, which sells Yamaha and Keilwerth saxes or Bach trumpets. There are already a thousand stores doing that. I try to create unique products and also offer them at a great value. Along with the 0% interest payment plan I offer, there is no better value than ZeuS on the market.

Alex

[justbari]

There's a Dixon baritone at a local music store that is about the same price point as the Zeus bari and I'm wondering if they are the same manufacturer. The horns are very alike (keywork, keyguards, etc..)

It would be great if stores revealed more details about their stencil horns. Why don't they? The customer is left to guessing, comparing photos, opinions. The secrecy may be necessary from a business standpoint but I think it only adds to customer reluctance. Sure we can try horns but Windsor is a LONG drive to try a Zeus.

And like many others I'm sure, I will NEVER buy a horn that I haven't played first. Not even a Selmer, Keilwerth, etc. I know some stores offer a tryout period but I have no interest in paying restocking charges. Why should I PAY if the horn doesn't cut it?

Has anyone tried a Zeus? Any thoughts?


justbari

[justbari]

Just doing some research and found this:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2523426711&category=16 233

It's a Milwaukee Pro Artist bari that looks remarkably similar. The bell says "supervised by french technicians" and the case is identical to the Zeus.

Anyone play one of these? I don't want to seem like I'm beating a dead horse but I'm kind of in the market for a bari and the Zeus (or similarly manufactured horn) is looking pretty good. Just doing a bit of research until I can try one..

[Jerry K.]

"It would be great if stores revealed more details about their stencil horns. Why don't they?"

Excellent question justbari. Unless clearly shown to be otherwise, I am under the assumption that all decent saxes that are reasonably priced are made in Taiwan. So far Zachary Music has been unwilling (contractually or otherwise) to state in this topic, and in another dicussion in the New Products Announcements, what country their saxes are made in, except to say in Europe. For me this is a bit vague. There is a big difference between horns made by Amati and those made by Selmer, Keilwerth and B&S, all of which are made in Europe. As far as I know Selmer and Keilwerth are not currently in the business of producing stencils.

For the record, I am a Prestini dealer and they are Made in Taiwan as are a growing number of other very nice horns. Let's see, Unison, Cannonball, Antigua Winds, Jupiter, New Bueschers, Woodwind & Brasswind, .....

[justbari]

Check out Monique saxes... the bari looks IDENTICAL to the Zeus.

[DaveKessler]

I thought we were talking politics for a moment there.

Why dont they reveal, very simple... most people who private label horns dont want you to know but more importantly dont want other dealers to know who actually makes them.

I private label saxophones as "CR Kessler". They are made for me in Taiwan by Greatminds Musical Instrument Manufacturing. They make MANY other saxophones under different names but they dont reveal those names to anyone.

As a general rule, if they dont tell you, then it is Asian and and you can get it under a different name. Best that I know, there are only 2 Taiwanese makers that actually Own their own factories so that you cannot get their product elsewhere: Unison & Stephanhouser.

Also, Private Labellers may not also want to tell customers who makes them because it doesnt add any credibility. Who has heard of the Ping factory or the Greatminds factory? Only the people who do the private labelling.

I also love the "in 5 years, no ____ has ever been returned". I am sorry but that is not believable. Even with name brand horns, you will get returns... period.

I would love to hear what anyone who has bought and compared these ZeUs horns has to say about them. I am not saying they are a bad horn because I have not seen them in person and have not talked to anyone who has that give an opinion. Would love to though.

[SymphonySax]

Has anyone compared Zeus 750 and Selmer 52? I am in the market for one. If anyone can provide which one to buy, I will greatly appreciate.
thanks

[sax4christ]

Dave correct me if I'm wrong but I believe that the Antigua Winds saxes are made in the Ping factory in Taiwan. I own a silver-plated soprano and have had it for a couple of years now with only a sticky G# pad (pretty normal on a lot of saxes). That has been resolved and it plays really well. The intonation is pretty close to dead on.

[DaveKessler]

Dave correct me if I'm wrong but I believe that the Antigua Winds saxes are made in the Ping factory in Taiwan. I own a silver-plated soprano and have had it for a couple of years now with only a sticky G# pad (pretty normal on a lot of saxes). That has been resolved and it plays really well. The intonation is pretty close to dead on.

The majority of the Antigua hors are made by Ping. There is a model of Alto and Tenor that Antigua has made only for my store that are Not made at the Ping factory and to tell you the truth, I dont know which factory they are made at.

[thundercatbr]

My band director received a Zeus ZAS 750 in black Nickel finish, and i was asked to try it out. So I spent the hour in a private practice room with it. Not only was it amazingly beautiful, but it played like a dream. Its sound reminds me of some vintages i have played in the past. I have to give two thumbs up for zeus. My director pays a zeus trumpet too, and she just blows everyone away. I get an added discount on top of the already good price through her which brings a silver plated 750 to $1300, can't beat that.

[Liberty Lips]

I'm not sure if this is all that relevant to this topic, but the trumpet page on Zachary Music's site has a link to pictures of the factory that builds their ZeuS Guarnerius trumpets. The photos on this page are almost certainly photos of the Kanstul factory in Anaheim, California. Besides building their own line of very high-quality brass instruments, Kanstul stencils a number of brass instruments for other brands, including the Flip Oakes Wild Thing trumpet, which has been something of a sensation in that world. If the manufacturer of ZeuS' saxophones is anywhere near the integrity of Kanstul, then that line should be something to be reckoned with. By the way, the prices on Zachary's site for the trumpets and flugelhorns are significantly lower than the street prices for similar Kanstul instruments.

[IPlayTenor]

I bought a ZeuS ZTS 650L tenor. It is the first saxophone i've ever played so I couldn't judge the quality of the horn at first. Since then i've played several different tenors and none have been better than my ZeuS. It has a real nice feel to it and plays very easily. I've received many comments from more experienced players about the nice tone of the horn. I too was afraid of what kind of instrument I would be receiving when I bought it but got over that and ended up with a great buy. I'd give them a try if your in the market.

[michaelbaird]

Where is it manufactured? That question has yet to be answered.

[Helen]

Before anyone buys one of these, I very, very strongley suggest you do a search for the word Zeus on this board.

[Gordon (NZ)]

Fascinating!

With the secrecy surrounding the new 'brand names' that turn up monotonous regularity, those who deal with them run risks of speculation and confusion.

Is there a difference between ZeUs, ZeuS, and Zeus? Who knows. Next month there may be a ZEUS and a zEUs.

I worked on a Zeus in april 1995.

The job sheet paints a pretty sad picture: Malformed spring cradle needed reconstruction, corks falling off, Modify octave mechanism to make it capable of working, tighten many loose screws, an enormour amount of adjustment.... I noted that the pads were not glued at their centre, so they were sort of 'floating', making accurate adjustment and reliability impossible.

By chance, I worked on an almost new Zeus flute in the same month. The job sheet reads no better, with a comment that the pad membranes were thin and brittle, and failing all over the flute.

Zachary Music, by your secrecy you asked for that, and you got it! It is all true. I don't know about 'ZeUs', but to me the name 'Zeus' is dirt.

[Hurling Frootmig]

I'm posting this reply and locking this thread as hopefully a final word.

According to a discussion I had with the owner of the ZeuS label, he wasn't producing ZeuS horns in 1995. I got the impression that he started doing saxes in the late 1990's but I wasn't taking notes. Additionally, the owner of ZeuS Wind Instruments stated to me that to date (October 2004) there have not been any ZeuS instruments sold or shipped to New Zealand, where Gordon lives and works. All of this leads me to the logical conclusion that the instruments mentioned by Gordon were not the same as the ZeuS horns being distributed out of Canada.

I want to point out that Gordon is a very well respected tech and that I respect his opinion and also believe fully that he worked on instruments labeled zeus. My conclusion is that they were made by someone else given my conversations with the owner of the ZeuS line.

I think Dave Kessler's post in this thread discusses why a private label horn dealer wouldn't want to disclose who makes their horns. Since I've never seen one of the ZeuS saxophones I wouldn't feel comfortable speculating about if they were made in Taiwan, Europe, or the U.S. It is up to the dealer to decide if they want to disclose that information and if they feel that by not disclosing that information that it gives them a business advantage then so be it. It's up to the shopper to decide if the disclosure or lack of disclosure of such information is a deal breaker.

Moving forward, I would like for cooler heads to prevail and for any discussion of this brand or any other brand be carried out in an adult like manner filled with intelligent discourse.

Thanks,


Hurling