Modern Plastic sax?

[spiderjames]

One of the main problems with the Grafton sax was cracking in the plastic body. Since there has been leaps and bounds in the plastics industry in recent years, Is anybody experimenting with plastic body saxes again?

[milandro]

let's revive this topic, shall we? I found it while making some research on innovative sax design and indeed it would be nice to know if someone else out there has been making a serious attempt to produce something modern using plastics or composite materials to create a modern version of the immortal Grafton?

BTW, if anyone thinks that Graftons are toys with a plastic sound think twice and get your hands on one to try as I recently did in Holland in Deventer at this shop " De saxofoonwinkel" http://www.saxshop.nl/ where they were so kind to hand me out a beautiful Grafton which they fixed perfectly ( I understand this is not for everyone...) and added the Toptone pads they are specialized in. It roared!8-) But I've said this already (I was really impressed by their generosity...uncommon in my experience)

Enough of that. Does anybody have any info on this?

[Rick Adams]

Hey Milandro, check this polymer sax (http://forum.saxontheweb.net/showthread.php?t=57839&highlight=polymer) out

[shotgun]

Beat me to it, Rick ... by seconds!

[Rick Adams]

:)

[milandro]

well, there's only one thing to say WOW! :) I am eagerly waiting...
this could be the beginning of some real radical innovation in a world that has seen many innovations but very few as radical as this.

I dont' know if the neck being made of plastic is a good idea, I think that density and the frequescies it vibrates there are important for the sound generation.
I'll keep posting there!

[Connical]

well, there's only one thing to say WOW! :) I am eagerly waiting...
this could be the beginning of some real radical innovation in a world that has seen many innovations but very few as radical as this.

I dont' know if the neck being made of plastic is a good idea, I think that density and the frequescies it vibrates there are important for the sound generation.
I'll keep posting there!
Could be interesting though. With all of the different types of plastics available, many variety's could be explored . Instead of arguing the merits of brass,silver or copper, it could be nylon ,styrene ,acrylic , ...

[milandro]

Could be interesting though. With all of the different types of plastics available, many variety's could be explored . Instead of arguing the merits of brass,silver or copper, it could be nylon ,styrene ,acrylic , ...

I definitely think that the plastics possibility should be explored and valued in their merits but the problem of sound production is a real one. That is the reason why several distinguished producers of various necks (for example) charge you a more or less fair amount of money to make us after sales necks in various materials such as copper, brass, silver and wood, all of which should add something to the sound but definetly subtract quite a bit from your bank account. If that is so and if plastics have the same qualities or not, I don't honestly know.I would like t to be explored.

The only one thing I am sure about is that this plastic horn has to, above all, reject to suggest the possibility of appearing to be a "cheap" saxophone, because then it will be doomed since most serious players will never buy one if not for a maching band or a joke and profits would be difficult to generate against the flood of Chinese horns in the 300$ range!

So if it has to have any chance of succeeding, it has to be , I believe by being different and at the forefront of technology and design for those who would want to buy the most modern saxophone out there, not necessarily the cheapest one.

So you could have a basic model with normal characteristics and a series of advanced ones with special features. I love the CAD of the neck!;) When do we see more?