The bass from down under

[acti0n_jacks0n]

If you all haven't noticed by now, when I get really REALLY bored I tend to scout eBay for basses because, well, why the hell not? hehe Anyway.. I have noticed that there are several eBay stores selling their own basses. Obviously IW is one of them, and we have all heard/seen how they play on youtube. I am curious, however, if anyone has heard of/played these basses before.

The first is the I&K Bass by Rhythm Australia:
http://cgi.ebay.com/Brand-New-I-K-BASS-SAXOPHONE-with-Hard-Case_W0QQitemZ200314792948QQcmdZViewItemQQptZAU_Mu sical_Instruments_Instruments?_trksid=p3286.m20.l1 116
It is priced at about $3,800 USD, if it is a semi-solid horn, could very well be a cheap bass option for IVEGOTTOHAVEITNOW bass players. It is American/traditionally wrapped. I'm guessing though that this horn is Chinese manufactured and is being resold by this Australian company.

The second bass is the.. um.. HIGH QUALITY BASS SAX SAXAPHONE SAXOPHONE HAPPY FUN TIME GO WITH HIGH F# KEY!!!:
http://cgi.ebay.com/HIGH-QUALITY-BASS-SAX-SAXOPHONE-Bb-key-High-F-CASE_W0QQitemZ150301939212QQcmdZViewItem?_trksid=p 3286.m20.l1116
This is most definitely a Chinese bass, French/modern-wrapped. The page is sketchy, but there is no doubt in my mind that this is a real horn. Good? Eh.. probably not. The store has over 700 feedback points with a 99.6% which really is pretty damned good.. but the horn is probably going to play as well as those neon green sopranos that they sell for $150 on eBay. My guess is that it isn't worth the $6,999 USD to buy the thing.. but by god shipping is FREE! :D

The last bass is the Orpheo Pro Bass sax:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ORPHEO-BASS-SAXOPHONE-Bb-PROFESSIONAL-BRAND-NEW_W0QQitemZ130289780895QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_Def aultDomain_0?hash=item130289780895&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1729%7C66%3A2%7C65%3A12%7C39%3A1%7C 240%3A1318%7C301%3A0%7C293%3A1%7C294%3A50
This one is priced at $4,495 and is American/traditionally wrapped. This is probably a Chinese or Taiwanese horn.. but the store selling the thing is based in Texas. This horn sounds like it could be solid.. well.. as solid as a Chinese bass could be. Now with free shipping!! :O

It looks like International Woodwind has some competition for the Chinese/Taiwanese bass market. I am really interested in that one 'Australian' horn due to that fact that it is under $5000. That is.. some what affordable! Wooooooooo!! :D

If anyone has any experience with any of these horns.. well.. you know what to do 8-)

[al9672]

I&K appear to be just another reseller ewven though they were claiming to be Australian made, there's another thread on them some where.

Supposedly there is a factory in Indonesia that also makes bass saxes
they had a page on alibaba but no other details.

Didn't orpheo recently go bust ?

[milandro]

when I last was at Frankfurt Musikmesse 2008 there were quite a few Chinese basses , for the time being, not really much of a muchness although they can be acquired wholesale for considerably less than these prices that you are mentioning. Bear in mind that you will probably need to spend some money to make them playable and maybe they won't even play out of the box (I've seen a Selmer Bass which wouldn't play out of the box!). Frankly speaking, for this kind of money they are not worth it. You can buy a good vintage horn and be happier. How about this Brazilian J'élle Steiner guy? at http://www.below65-4hz.com ?

[Benny]

I haven't played the I&K bass, but I have played the alto flute and soprano sax.

They are Chinese made, and a music store near me sells them.

The alto flute played ok, but was priced higher than what I could get a Pearl online for- in Australian dollars too.
The soprano sax played well, better than what I thought it would and for the $$ seemed ok.
HOWEVER, I wonder about the build quality of these instruments and how well they will play in 1 year, 5 years, 10 years, 20 years, 50 years.

Hey, if you want a cheap bass it might be the one. It depends how much lead or mallamine you're willing to risk consuming??

[acti0n_jacks0n]

when I last was at Frankfurt Musikmesse 2008 there were quite a few Chinese basses , for the time being, not really much of a muchness although they can be acquired wholesale for considerably less than these prices that you are mentioning. Bear in mind that you will probably need to spend some money to make them playable and maybe they won't even play out of the box (I've seen a Selmer Bass which wouldn't play out of the box!). Frankly speaking, for this kind of money they are not worth it. You can buy a good vintage horn and be happier. How about this Brazilian J'élle Steiner guy? at http://www.below65-4hz.com ?

Oh yes... I forgot about them! :O Does anyone know the price of their basses?

(ponders) I wonder how far along they've progressed on that subcontra they have been working on.. :O

[BeyondSax]

BTW, the I&K bass claims to be a Selmer reproduction, but appears to be based on either Conn or Buescher design. The Selmer had the crook positioned much further up the horn....

[milandro]

Oh yes... I forgot about them! :O Does anyone know the price of their basses?

(ponders) I wonder how far along they've progressed on that subcontra they have been working on.. :O

Don't know but there is also Lopes in Brasil
http://www.lopesinstrumentos.hpgvip.ig.com.br/index_fotos.htm
get in touch, but I have no idea of how these things play
http://www.lopesinstrumentos.hpgvip.ig.com.br/index.htm

[milandro]

There's also the Stainer one.........http://www.zancgeck.com.br/index.php?pg=detalhes&prd=31
Brasil looks a very Bassy country!

[acti0n_jacks0n]

UPDATE!

http://www.nextag.com/norob/PtitleSeller.jsp?chnl=main&tag=700294205&ctx=8GcLAfdcAkWxRDwBAV8YiBnV2m4wDMtDZBOUo7eQj79FTb zegswtGKRnH%2FHyZqUNYwUdzjBYqpXCsm%2FWqUyWHK6fSjYe 6jI6N4uqmgiLz%2FUtWHqhd6f1Iq%2BZUySV6KIqVzO9pDk%2B YQ0PhpY9NyHQDZzf3RkV%2F88XQLX8q19WwFmIvp15S10eYQG2 4PdQkBlx&ptitle=635286336

The Orpheo is now down $1,500.

Yes.. That is a THREE (3) you see at the beginning of that price.

The first company to make a bass for $1,000 gets doughnuts from me :D

[Gandalfe]

UPDATE!

http://www.nextag.com/norob/PtitleSeller.jsp?chnl=main&tag=700294205&ctx=8GcLAfdcAkWxRDwBAV8YiBnV2m4wDMtDZBOUo7eQj79FTb zegswtGKRnH%2FHyZqUNYwUdzjBYqpXCsm%2FWqUyWHK6fSjYe 6jI6N4uqmgiLz%2FUtWHqhd6f1Iq%2BZUySV6KIqVzO9pDk%2B YQ0PhpY9NyHQDZzf3RkV%2F88XQLX8q19WwFmIvp15S10eYQG2 4PdQkBlx&ptitle=635286336

The Orpheo is now down $1,500.

Yes.. That is a THREE (3) you see at the beginning of that price.

The first company to make a bass for $1,000 gets doughnuts from me :DUsed, right?

[acti0n_jacks0n]

Is it? I couldn't find any indication that it was.. :O

Edit: Nope, I checked the link again. It says the condition is new and comes with a 2 year warranty.. (shrugs)

My doughnut offer still stands.. :)

http://www.jbmusicfactory.com/ <--- Link to the seller's sight.

I don't know what to think of all of this.. Could this be the most expensive/pretty paperweight/battering ram/lamp on the market?.. Or maybe we're missing out on a really great quality horn..

...HAH not likely :D


when I last was at Frankfurt Musikmesse 2008 there were quite a few Chinese basses , for the time being, not really much of a muchness although they can be acquired wholesale for considerably less than these prices that you are mentioning. Bear in mind that you will probably need to spend some money to make them playable and maybe they won't even play out of the box (I've seen a Selmer Bass which wouldn't play out of the box!). Frankly speaking, for this kind of money they are not worth it. You can buy a good vintage horn and be happier. How about this Brazilian J'élle Steiner guy? at http://www.below65-4hz.com ?

Laksar Reese is now selling J'elle Steiner horns on eBay --
http://cgi.ebay.com/Jelle-Stainer-Extreme-Saxophones-Bass-Saxophone_W0QQitemZ370132405200QQcmdZViewItemQQptZ LH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item370132405200&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A570|66%3A2|65%3A12|39%3A1|240%3A131 8|301%3A0|293%3A1|294%3A50

Opening bid is at $7,000, BiN at $7,499..
It also looks like Laksar has expanded his eBay store into a larger online webstore.. and isn't limiting himself to selling his IW horns :) He apparently has an old Buescher bass for sale.. yet I digress.

I've played a few of Laksar's horns the other day.. an IW 601 BL bari and a IW 601 AM alto.. at Baxter Northrup over here in LA.. They were pretty damned good bunch of blowing horns for the asking price (atleast for the bari which was at $2,500 if I remember correctly.. an about $2,000 for the alto which seems a bit much) but the bari seemed a tad flimsy to me. When I pushed down the side D key I could fell it warp a tad under pressure (and I was just putting down the same amount of pressure I would put on any other old horn), but luckily it didn't permanently bend the thing.

A good playing horn for the price (mostly), but a slightly cheap feeling is acti0n_jacks0n's take on the IW horns :D

[al9672]

Just spotted that one of the other music stores here has started selling a chinese bass without rebranding it and claiming it as their own
http://www.brassnwoodwind.com.au/Bass_Sax_Jingbao.html
http://www.brassnwoodwind.com.au/newsax.html

so would come out at about US$7800 + shipping

[BASS SAXMAN]

Go for the vintage bass.

[acti0n_jacks0n]

I found this Jinbao bass sax on eBay today:
http://cgi.ebay.com/BASS-SAXOPHONE-NEW-EXCELLENT_W0QQitemZ200314979222QQcmdZViewItemQQptZ LH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item200314979222&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1205%7C66%3A2%7C65%3A12%7C39%3A1%7C 240%3A1318%7C301%3A0%7C293%3A1%7C294%3A50

The seller seems to be enamored by the horn, claiming it to be "the best bass saxophone [he] ever owned." I have actually heard good things about Jinbao horns.. They are a pretty decent horn to be coming from that corner of the sax making world.

It is currently at $5,500..
I wonder if it will sell :O

[dzve]

I just bought the bass from australia together with a freind of mine, we both put in half. I will post when it arrives, we got a very good deal on the price, made him an offer and he accepted it!!!

[Bootman]

Dirk,
let us all know how it plays when you have got it sorted out. I may be prepared to pop down with my Conn to have a blast test with you. School hols is normally ok!

[dzve]

Yes, good idea. I have no ambition to really become a bass saxophonist but somehwere it might come in usefull at a gig. I will post a review of it, I would also like to see you up here and do a comparison as its sopposed to be a copy of the conn your playing.

[Benny]

Just spotted that one of the other music stores here has started selling a chinese bass without rebranding it and claiming it as their own
http://www.brassnwoodwind.com.au/Bass_Sax_Jingbao.html
http://www.brassnwoodwind.com.au/newsax.html

so would come out at about US$7800 + shipping

I've played that bass at the night they 'launched' it. We compared it to a Mark VI, a Kohlert and a Conn. All good horns although the intonation on the VI wasn't as good as the others.
Of all the mouthpieces we tried the Morgan Baritone/bass mouthpiece that belonged to Joe Stevenson was the best.


I just bought the bass from australia together with a freind of mine, we both put in half. I will post when it arrives, we got a very good deal on the price, made him an offer and he accepted it!!!
Was that the one from Brass and Woodwind?

[saxtek]

I'm glad to hear that more and more people are considering owning a bass saxophone.

I already own the one that I love (Eppelsheim) but when bass saxophones become more visible in any context, there are more chances that someone will call and say,

"I need a bass saxophone player and everyone gave me your name."

[SaxPlayer1004]

Hey Randy, go buy a Stainer for me and write a full comprehensive review between that the Eppie and vintage horns. GO!!!!

Played reed 5 for Music Man this weekend. Was subbing for a local sax professor who's a Selmer Artist. Just bought an Eppie bass, and got to play that next to a Selmer Sa80II. Dear lord the Selmer is a wretched instrument. I got some nice looks in the pit with that and my new silver Yami 62 bari. :twisted: Now I have bass fever bad. Laksar has a Stainer for $6500 but I can't play test it and no decent reviews on it :-(

[dzve]

It was the I& K bass from rythm australia, I hope its OK....

[Rowka]

It was the I& K bass from rythm australia, I hope its OK....

Is there a review?

[al9672]

Dirk any review on the bass yet ?
How did it play ?