Low A magna on eBay

[amg]

I wonder if other folks have seen this?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2561021515&category=16 233

I know Bootman has one of these (and didn't it require a lot of attention?).... I'd be interested to know who else has played/owned one. Particularly, does anyone have an idea how many were made? And do they have similar intonation issues to other Martin baris (as discussed on other threads)? And how much maintenance would it need (assuming it's OK now?)

I'm not intending to bid for it, by the way.

If you want a non-modern low A baritone and don't want (or can't have) a Mark VI or SBA, then the Magna seems to be one of the few choices available (Conn? - nobody seems to care for the low A horns; SML? Couf?) What else is there? Other French makes I suppose...

Andrew

[Bootman]

The big question is it straight? dents inthe bow and S bend area are indicative of abuse in the past. The usual problem with a VIntage bari is that it has taken a thump in the bell which has caused the horn to bend around the G tone hole. On a magna Bari this is very problematic because it has soldered toneholes.

Baris are very expensive to repair, gettting one that is straight is the most difficult thing. They don't travel well unless you place them in proper flight cases.

I can't see enough detail in the picks to tell if there is any damage or not. I would be asking for more detailed photos.

[Perfect Pitch]

I must say that from NZ this seems like a very reasonable price for a good bari of which there are far too few here. Richard can you give me an idea of what I would pay for a good bari Ozside please - especially interested in VI or Tranny? :mrgreen:

[1saxman]

This Magna looks a little rough to my eye, and it has already gone past what I think it's worth. A Magna is a wonderful low A bari, maybe the best, but there can be a lot wrong with any horn that you couldn't see from those distant, fuzzy pictures. Even though the seller says it's the original lacquer, I would have to see the engraving myself. The horn looks a little bent, too, and the wire guard seems a little warped. These are just indications, but could mean a really abused horn with a lot of problems, like cracks around the soldered-in tone rings. There have been some honest Magnas on ebay from time to time, and I'd wait for a better one. This horn is definitely a shot in the dark.

[shmuelyosef]

I'm not shopping for a bari either, but I had seen this horn...you guys are amazing that you can see all that from those fuzzy pictures! It is also surprising to me that you don't think this horn is even worth $1100 (current price), given the rarity. I've seen Vitos (cheapest credible low A) that looked like ex-school horns go for $1100...

[MJ]

I defer to the experts on this forum, though I can speak something of the seller. Recently I bought a Martin tenor from this seller. Today I took the horn to my technician, who repeated seller info on new pads needed on top stack and adjustment. It would have cost me about 70 bucks to get the horn in good playing shape, but I opted for the $136 job including a chem clean. In my experience, the seller was pretty close on what the horn needed to play well. Did I mention my repair technician is wonderful?

[Anji]

Horns this old that don't have a few dings or battle scars should be suspect... it's the ones good enough to play that get worn!

Isn't this the same crew investing stoopid money on delacquer mods from perfeklay good horns?!

A functioning bari in need of some attention, complete with case and original neck will sell for $1200 USD, most any day in the US.

The Martin Magna is one of those bargain horns out there for playing collectors... rare, but not in great demand.

Betcha this lot would spend upwards of $4000 USD for a Mk VI that looked worse and needed major surgery!

They should call this the 'something for nothing' board... jeezit.

[Martin]

Perfectly put, and to make matters worse, the horn they buy will not be a patch on a Martin Bari.

The one Bootman has sounds incredible, really hard to get that kind of sound out of any modern horn.

[Bootman]

Perfect Pitch,
Baris aren't cheap Down Under, you are looking at around $5000 AUD starting price for a clapped out horn. Anything vintage is very difficult to find.

[Alan G]

Just a quick "thank you" to Andrew for the post. I have been scanning ebay for these for a long time. Since the seller didn't put "sax.." in the description, I would never have found it..(I search under "Martin Sax*" or Bari* Sax* filters).

As it was - I got out-bid :cry:

Next time - I should have more $$$ in the bank!


Then watch out! :evil:

Thanks again..

And if anybody else sees one on ebay - do let me know. But don't you go bidding on it!!


Oh, yeah - also - we need to get the word out that Martin Magna Bari's are AWFULL instruments - really worthless - not even worthwhile for a lamp stand....heh.

[amg]

Alan G

-- glad my post alerted you to this horn, and sorry you didn't get it.

Have you ever played a low A Magna? I'd be interested to know how they feel -- sound, intonation etc.... I'd be surprised if there's a single example of one over here in the UK, but I could be wrong.

What did it fetch in the end? I'd have thought 1100 to 1400 USD was a fair price for any ("vintage") low A bari, even if it needs a bit of attention. I just spent 950 UK pounds on a very beaten-up Mark VI (to low Bflat) which required 1000 pounds of further work to be playable. (It had the whole collection of problems Bootman mentioned above ... bent body tube, detached bell-to-body brace, missing keyguards, a split in the seam on the top bow, a load of unbelievably bad repairs it had been subjected to, etc) Still ended up cheaper than the retail price here of a Yanigasawa B901 or a Yamaha 32, and it looks so much more ... characterful. I think it sounds better, too. No low A, but so far I don't miss it.

Andrew

[shmuelyosef]

Just fyi...Sarge over at Worldwide Sax bought this horn for ~$2600 (he is phant*m apparently)...he is going to make it perfect and sell it for $3700.

[amg]

Yup, check his progress at www.worldwidesax.com/bari.htm. Start saving up. I note usa horn are asking 3690 US dollars for the Yani B901 ... but maybe they're on the expensive side (?)

[Alan G]

Umm - well, I knew it would need some work - so I *only* bid $2450, and they got it for $2475....

If I had the bucks - I would bid just shy of 3000.

Had the seller put good, clear pictures with closeups - I would consider going higher, especially for a nice horn.

Shoot - I gots ta head over to the Sarge's web site and start drooling...

(Please honey - it'll be perfect!! Can't I? hmmm? - I'll do the dishes for a year....honest! - an' take out the garbage without being asked...an' do the laundry...an' pick up my dirty underwear....an' I won't complain about how you squeeze the toothpast tube the wrong way...... :D )

[amg]

This looks like the same horn back on eBay (it's certainly the same pics)

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2567342519&category=16 233

...I wonder what the story is?

[soreliprick]

Could be it was nearly bent in half and then repaired by some idiot like me without the proper tools. Or it could be the buy of the century.

[Perfect Pitch]

Same seller - looks like first buyer did not complete sale?

[Alan G]

Well - this is a strange twist!

World Wide Sax had it listed as "in transit" - then it drops of their web site..

The seller left positive feedback on phant'm.

No feedback on ppb3000 from buyer....

Hmmm - might have ta make some phone calls...

Bidding is up were it needs to be, though.





Of, course - I'm still married.... so I'll have ta let it go...

[Perfect Pitch]

At $1006, still well below the $2475 reached last time...

[Alan G]

????

Wow - yer right. I thought it was higher than that...musta miss-read the total - or, was looking at the original auction!!!

duh.

$1006 would be a steal - and it meets reserve, when it was over 2K the last time - WHA'S SUP WID DAT?!

[sarge]

Hi guys, i know you are wondering what's up, but i just got my refund, so now i can tell what you need to know.
*Everything you could ever imagine was wrong with this sax* I'm not saying it couldn't all be fixed, but it's a relac, it has tube damage and bell damage, multiple dents to neck and body... and more... if a person got it for 1200.00 and wanted to put 1200 into body work, it could all be fixed, but i didn't get it for 1200.00 so I had to send it back.

'nuff said,
sarge.

p.s. they had this in a shop and the shop either didn't mention any of this to the seller or he (seller) didn't relay the info at the auction. he was honest enough to refund me all but my shipping though, so bless him for that.
s.

[Gandalfe]

Figured that's what is was.

I keep meaning to visit your shop Sarge. My son is pressuring me to replace my Yani 990 with a real bari but we can't agree on whether a Conn is better than a Selmer. The proof is in the playin' and last I knew you had a sweet Martin for sale too.

Thanks for the update.

[Perfect Pitch]

wELL i MUST SAY YOU HAVE NOT LIGHTENED MY HEART AS i HAVE JUST BOUGHT A cONN BARI FROM THE SAME BUYER WHICH IS NOW IN TRANSIT FROM us TO nz :!:

[PaulNYC]

It's been relisted :
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=16233&item=2567342 519

[pfox]

1saxman-the first time around you said it looked to you like the body may be bent and the wire guard was crooked. This was confirmed by Sarge after he received it. My questions are, and I'm serious, how could you see this from these pictures? For those of us who look at ebay regularly to shop baris, this would be a big help if we knew how to spot troubles like that. I've looked a few times, it's still the same pictures, but they are not exactly close-ups or high quality. Can you tell us which picture most obviously looked bad to you, and what should we be looking for? Thanks on behalf of all tire kickers out here.

[shmuelyosef]

wELL i MUST SAY YOU HAVE NOT LIGHTENED MY HEART AS i HAVE JUST BOUGHT A cONN BARI FROM THE SAME BUYER WHICH IS NOW IN TRANSIT FROM us TO nz :!:

At least you only paid $613 for it!!! You can afford to put $600 or so into it and still have a real cheap nice bari.

[Perfect Pitch]

Heh - thanks shmuel, just suffering a little buyer's remorse

:wink:

[1saxman]

Hard to put a finger on it, phox. It just didn't look right to me, and that 'sense' rarely fails. I've been a draftsman and engineer all my life except for a few years on the road, and I just 'saw' practically everything Sarge mentioned. It's like looking at a used car. You can always tell by the first glance a car that has been used, not abused. Same with horns. Sometimes even an abused horn will be okay with a little work, but it must have that core of originality to go on. The Magna just looked like a typical relac'd, abused horn to me. Here's a pic of a well-used Martin that is original, and I think you'll see the difference. http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2003-8/16185/Martinten4.JPG
[/img]

[pfox]

Good eye, 1sax. I want you along the next time I buy a used car...

[Perfect Pitch]

"I took it to a pro repair place last week and asked them to check it over so that it is in good playing condition. They replaced a few pads, one spring, touched up a couple of tone holes, and smoothed out a couple of dents. They played it and they loved it. " - seller

:roll:

[Perfect Pitch]

$1006 would be a steal


How about $1037?

[1saxman]

I wouldn't touch a horn that guy advertised. That description is a sad joke. If he's that ignorant or that dishonest, he should only sell new items. Sarge is fortunate he got his money back. Hey, I've been taken before, but I also have been looking at saxes a long time, too. I bought a Berg on ebay not long ago. The pictures showed a dirty but apparently solid scoop bill. What the pics didn't show, even the close-ups, was that someone had attempted to cut a bullet baffle into the scoop bill's shelf area, and they must have used a chain saw on it. I got lucky too, and the guy paid me back. He still hasn't sold it, although he did list it as 'Moded' (modded, or modified). He wasn't dishonest, just uninformed. I think our Magna seller is the same. Probably 75% of saxes on ebay are listed by people who have not the slightest clue as to condition or anything else.

[top_gun25]

I have played one!

I broke it too!
not my fault!!!
bad solder on a palm key. broke instead of pivoting. that and a little rust. low Bb

gee solved my own post!

[1saxman]

That key broke because it supposed to have been brazed, not soft-soldered.

[1saxman]

Just read and responded to your other post on this horn. The key will have to be brazed (also called silver soldering) at an instrument repair facility. Take the horn to a shop in your area and see if they can do it. The sax is worth fixing up if you can buy it from the school as junk.

[joshuski]

This site is a life saver. I almost bid on that low A magna bari.

I purchased a martin committee bari a couple of years ago on ebay and had good luck with it. This site came in handy when I purchased my bari back then. Unfortunately had to sell it, I went back to school. Now I graduated and am seriously looking at buying a bari. Something told me to think about it check this site again.

[amg]

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2574002999&category=16 233

This is not the one that appeared (twice) recently .... this one looks pretty good.

[Dr G]

http://saxontheweb.myforums.net/viewtopic.php?t=9371

[Dave dix]

Yes i recognise the horn for the too much? thread.
Seems a bit of a large mark up from the purchase price without having the neck dent removed etc but money is money and this horn is pretty good!!!!!
Dave

[1saxman]

This one's the real McCoy, boys. Like he says, it's a late one without the adjustable thumbrest, but it looks all original and straight to me.

[1saxman]

On Martin baris; I have been one of those using the term 'Holy Grail' for the low A Magna bari, but maybe some definitions are in order. Sure, 'The Martin Baritone' baris are generally great, with a very distinctive sound, and the 'Magna' version adds the low A (for the most part - there were some low Bb Magnas). If you are into section playing or jazz, the Martin may not work for you. None of them have the alternate F#, and they all have quirky intonation in the high notes. If you play blues, rock, R&B or anything else requiring a chainsaw of a bari with a huge bottom end, the Martin is your meat. It's the only one with a second low A key worked by the RH thumb, and they of course have the thick soldered-in tone rings (tone holes). Action is buttery, light and fast. Palm keys seem 'right', but not Selmerish. You won't find any well-known bari players using one, but Martin bari lovers are out there in numbers. What I like about it is; projection in all registers, a 'small' feel to the hands, the distinctive Martin tone (deep yet cutting) and the look (big, engraved bell and LH bell keys). I don't have a Magna, rather a low Bb from 1955. They never changed the model from 1945 to the end, so there really isn't much difference in them. The last one was made just like the first one, on the same machinery and mostly by the same people. If you want the Conn or Selmer sound, though, better leave the Martin be.