martin alto Imiral 1935

[rob berends]

hello,
first of all COOL forum!!!
I am the owner of a Martin tenor Committee 1, I woned several tenors like :
The Martin com 11, the crown and lion etc etc and now i want to buy a alto.
I can buy a impirial from 1935 but i dont know much about this instrument.
Any info ??
Here he is http://www.sax-collection.com/cgi/work_view.pl?126

thanks and if i can help out somewhat please contact me.
thanks
rob berends

[super20dan]

all i can say is i hope it better than mine-its a turkey in the sound department.the worst sounding alto i have ever played.

[Neil Sharpe]

With all due respect, I must disagree with super20dan. The 1930's Martin Handcraft Imperial can be great horns. It's important to distinguish them from the Martin Imperial made in the 1960's that are a much lesser horn.

I own a 1931 Imperial and it's a terrific sax. Kim Slava at Doctor Sax also has some very good things to say about these horns.

" Like I said elsewhere, those Martin "The Martin" Committees have nothing on these old Imperials from the 30's. Great tone, great bottom end, great key action." "I'm not real good at describing the tone. It is dark and smoky, with romantic overtones...It IS a powerful, well balanced tone. I really like it.

http://www.doctorsax.biz/martin_imperial_1041.htm

http://www.doctorsax.biz/martin_saxes.htm

http://www.doctorsax.biz/imperial_contrast.htm

[rob berends]

Thanks for your reply!!!

[super20dan]

mine is a 1930,s vintage model as i cant for the life of me figure why it sound so bad. i have owned every model martin made and they all were great horns including a 60,s indiana model -but this one is a real turkey-low milage and orig laq -has good pads -in perfect regulation -just sounds bad

[Neil Sharpe]

Here's Stephen Howard's review of a Martin Handcraft alto, the immediate predecessor to the Imperial which was designed as an improvement on the earlier models.
http://www.shwoodwind.co.uk/Reviews/Saxes/Alto/Martin_Handcraft_alto.htm

[Sergiosax]

Just an opinion... get it!
If you like dark, full and round sound, but powerful when needed, and a mechanically almost perfect instrument, this is the horn you are looking for. Just you need to get used a little bit to hand position, but nothing so bad.
I love my 1935 tenor, would never get rid of it..
I heard the Handcraft Imperial is also quite rare, is it true?!?