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REVIEW: Voodoo "Tyrannosaurus" Rex Alto ("The Windup")

24K views 110 replies 22 participants last post by  patchmo 
#1 · (Edited)
*READ ME*
1. This thread is not about Steve Goodson, his past present or future. It is not about whether you like him or hate him. It is about a horn, the
Voodoo Rex Alto.
2. This thread is not about where the horn is made, or import issues.
I couldn't have said it better, myself!:D
The Evil one :twisted: is supposed to be coming out with a new model,...but it's not like anyone here is going to buy from him directly...except maybe a newbie off the turnip truck
Wrong again, Francis!:razz:
:cussing:Owww!!! I hate it when I fall off the truck:banghead:
...I do not see myself buying anything from the evil :twisted:eek:ne himself, now that he is back to being on his own,...without LASAX/Orpheus to make sure that people get what's coming to them;)
Great! More for me!!:mrgreen:
Next Chapter, "The Pitch."
 
#2 ·
Admin Note:

This thread was deleted and now is brought back to the live forum after clarifications from the OP; This post is meant to be a review of the Voodoo Rex Alto. Patchmo (the OP) is writing his review from an iPhone, which is a time-consuming process. This is why rather than re-type what had already been said before, he simply quoted comments previously made by others to ward off unnecessary comments.

So please be patient, Patchmo will soon add another post to complete his review. So be nice (no egg sandwiches, gravy and such), let him write his review.

Thank you.
 
#3 · (Edited)
REVIEW: Voodoo "Tyrannosaurus" Rex Alto ("The Pitch")

The Saxgourmet Voodoo Rex series of saxophones are designed for the saxophonist who wants a darker, richer tone with plenty of low partials. This horn is dark & sweet sounding with a medium large bore, and is unbelievably responsive with spot on intonation. This beautiful tone is achieved through the use of a solid 100% copper body, bell, bow, and neck & rolled tone holes. The copper utilized undergoes a special proprietary treatment during manufacture which produces a metal which is not only strong & dent resistant but also is wonderfully resonant with a very full & even timber throughout the range.
Unlike the few other "copper" saxophones on the market today, the metal used undergoes a special treatment which prevents it from being too soft & dead sounding. Our copper has a very "lively" sound which is unequalled in the saxophone industry & is exclusive to this model.
Rolled tone holes are very expensive to produce, but they provide a larger pad contact surface & a very different "feel" in the mechanism which is preferred by some players. As long as there have been saxophones, there have been complaints about the intonation of the notes above C3. This horn is equipped with a special high note compensator automatic mechanism with an additional tone hole which brings the top tones into perfect pitch. This mechanism requires no change in normal fingerings, and is simple & reliable, requiring only 1 additional key cup & spring. When you 1st hold this horn, you will immediately notice the fit in your hands. It's quite unlike anything you have ever experienced in a saxophone. The key touches are all right where they should be for a perfect, comfortable playing position. We paid particular attention to the placement & height of the palm keys. The front F & high F# key touch have been enlarged & are much easier to reach. You won't have to stretch your little finger to reach the low C & low Bb. The front F key touch has been re-designed, the chromatic F# & high F# key touches have been made super-ergonomic, the palm key layout has been changed; the feet of the upper stack have been enlarged a bit more. The chromatic side keys are all right where they should be. We also took the extra step of putting large round feet on the upper stack keys to stop the annoying flutter & make for very quite operation. Every horn is beautifully & extensively hand engraved on the bell, bell flare, bow, body tube, neck, and all key cups. The network is lacquered a rich honey gold to contrast with the body & the entire finish is given an epoxy clear coat to preserve & protect the beauty. The pearl key touches are genuine deep water abalone. The strap hook has 3 rings for your playing comfort, and extra large Saxgourmet ergonomic thumbrest is standard equipment. Solid copper resonators on special Kangaroo leather pads from MusicMedic.
Next Chapter, "The Delivery," coming next...
 
#4 · (Edited)
REVIEW: Voodoo "Tyrannosaurus" Rex Alto ("The Delivery")

Since I know how some are enamored with anything SG related, down to what kind of boxes he uses; like kwgrinnell,:razz: I am including the intimate details;) I obtained possession of the box; which arrived via UPS, around 5:15 Central Standard Time on Thursday, August 20th. Once arrived at my destination I inspected the box. It was roughly 14 1/2 tall x 28 1/2 long x 8 1/2 wide & was listed as being 14 pounds. It had 5 white stickers with F R A G I L E centered on the stickers, with 4 red lightning bolt like designs extending in to the center of the stickers, on 5 of the 6 sides of the box. The stickers had on them: LABEL MADE IN REDMOND, OREGON, U.S.A. THE DE LEONE CORPORATION SCL 501. There were 4 double staples on opposite sides of the short sides of the cardboard box, for a total of 16. 3 pieces of clear packing tape were wrapped lengthways around the box. 4 pieces were wrapped widthways to just short of center of the box. 1 of the stickers was creased underneath at 2 1/2 inches from the top left side & 1 5/16ths from the bottom right side for 2 7/8th inches. None of the stickers were centered but at different angles & lengths from the sides of the box. For example, one of the stickers on the long side of the box was 3/4ths of an inch from the bottom of the box on the left & 1 7/8ths on the right, while being 3 inches from the side if the box on the left bottom & 2 3/8ths from the top left of the 4x4 sticker.:twisted: The UPS Internet Shipping: Shipment Label dated 8/17/2009 was on the bottom right side of the same side as said sticker. I removed the label at 5:48 with WESTCOTT TITANIUM NON STICK scissors with blue handles with yellow striping on the interior finger area of the scissors. The label was 8 1/2 x 11 inches. The only damage to the box was an about 3 inch scrape on the long side of the bottom side which was 14 1/2 inches from 1 edge of the box & 10 3/4ths from the other end. The scrape extended about 2 2/8ths towards the center of the box on one end & 2 1/8th on the other end, where the clear packing tape had prevented the scrape from extending further. The scrape was not deep enough to affect the integrity of the box.
Next Chapter: "The Strike!," coming next.
 
#5 ·
Re: REVIEW: Voodoo "Tyrannosaurus" Rex Alto ("The Delivery")

Since I know how some are enamored with anything SG related, down to what kind of boxes he uses; like kwgrinnell,:razz: I am including the intimate details;) I obtained possession of the box; which arrived via UPS, around 5:15 Central Standard Time on Thursday, August 20th. Once arrived at my destination I inspected the box. It was roughly 14 1/2 tall x 28 1/2 long x 8 1/2 wide & was listed as being 14 pounds. It had 5 white stickers with F R A G I L E centered on the stickers, with 4 red lightning bolt like designs extending in to the center of the stickers, on 5 of the 6 sides of the box. The stickers had on them: LABEL MADE IN REDMOND, OREGON, U.S.A. THE DE LEONE CORPORATION SCL 501. There were 4 double staples on opposite sides of the short sides of the cardboard box, for a total of 16. 3 pieces of clear packing tape were wrapped lengthways around the box. 4 pieces were wrapped widthways to just short of center of the box. 1 of the stickers was creased underneath at 2 1/2 inches from the top left side & 1 5/16ths from the bottom right side for 2 7/8th inches. None of the stickers were centered but at different angles & lengths from the sides of the box. For example, one of the stickers on the long side of the box was 3/4ths of an inch from the bottom of the box on the left & 1 7/8ths on the right, while being 3 inches from the side if the box on the left bottom & 2 3/8ths from the top left of the 4x4 sticker.:twisted: The UPS Internet Shipping: Shipment Label dated 8/17/2009 was on the bottom right side of the same side as said sticker. I removed the label at 5:48 with WESTCOTT TITANIUM NON STICK scissors with blue handles with yellow striping on the interior finger area of the scissors. The label was 8 1/2 x 11 inches. The only damage to the box was an about 3 inch scrape on the long side of the bottom side which was 14 1/2 inches from 1 edge of the box & 10 3/4ths from the other end. The scrape extended about 2 2/8ths towards the center of the box on one end & 2 1/8th on the other end, where the clear packing tape had prevented the scrape from extending further. The scrape was not deep enough to affect the integrity of the box.
Next Chapter: "The Strike!," coming next.
Wow, you really are the master of suspense.
 
#7 · (Edited)
REVIEW: Voodoo "Tyrannosaurus" Rex Alto ("The Strike")

5:57 - I began the operation. With my trusty scissors I proceeded to cut at the "crotch;" for a lack of a better word, of the waistline, towards the neckline. I delicately stuck my finger into the resulting breach & ran the hard blade up as if through buttah until I arrived at the FRAGILE area. I then reversed the process & cut from the opposite end, finally cutting through the area which offered some resistance as I forced my way through the "I L."
6:02 - Imagine my surprise when I found the inside to be pink:TGNCHK:, and white packing peanuts. I stuck my hand into the box & removed the filling, enough so that I wouldn't make a mess, and by 6:11 I had removed the black soul from the box.
The black, 2 zipper case, with 2 stiff fabric-covered handles with a Velcro/fabric handle encasing wrap, included 2 black metal loops to affix a carrying strap to. The fabric/zipper swath is 4 inches wide & runs the entire length of the front of the case, around to about 4 1/2 inches on the apex side & about 5 inches on the bottom. Not being an expert in leather versus synthetic, I won't guess what the rest of the case is made of, the rest of the case is Alto shaped instead of being a square case. The case is about 27 2/8ths long, 5 inches wide at the apex, and 12 inches wide at the bottom.
The 2 zippers were located on the left side, so I unzipped the one to the right.
6:19 - I lifted the lid, and what to my eyes did appear? A dark reddish-brown plush interior, a gold-covered mouthpiece cap with the 3 small holes in the top of it, the neck in bubble-wrap, and a folded black neck-strap located in the center of the body/bell of the sax. Realizing I had the case upside-down, I closed it & flipped it over:toothy9:
Next Chapter: "The Home-run," coming next.
 
#11 ·
REVIEW: Voodoo "Tyrannosaurus" Rex Alto ("The Homerun")

The case included a hard plastic Saxgourmet Alto mouthpiece that is 3 7/16th inches long.
Also included is 1 1/16th inch long, gold-colored, 2-screw lig with a fancy design on 4 areas of it & LZH-1999 on it. It's not a solid metal lig, but has 8 "cut-out" areas around the interior of it.
Additionally, underneath the bell/bow of the horn was a black neck-strap that is 45 3/4th inches (41 1/2 of that being the actual strap, and the rest being the black metal clips) when stretched out & 34 1/2 inches when brought to the shortest lenghth it can be brought to for playing. The cushioned part of the strap is 6 1/2 inches long. Unlike my Neotech strap with the 1 hook, this strap has 2 hooks. 1 at each end of the strap. These have the safety clasp to keep them from coming off the hook-ring on the sax. Personally, I would probably not use this strap because the hooks are metal & the neck area is not as cushioned as my Neotech strap with it's plastic hook with safety clasp.
There are 3 indented areas of the case. 1 for the mouthpiece; an area right above where the bore of the sax is, which is 1 1/4th by 2 inches (2 1/4th deep on 1 side & 2 1/2 on the other, the neck compartment; which runs along the bore & is about 12 inches along the outer edge, 1 1/2 of an inch wide at the neck-cork area, then it runs about 9 inches down the bore before angling back towards the middle/outside of the case. The last indentuon is underneath the bell/bow of the horn: about 8 1/2 inches long, 4 inches wide, and ranges from about 1 1/2 of an inch deep near the bottom of the horn to an inch near the curve of the bell. None of these areas are covered by a "lid" of anytype to keep anything from shifting; though the mouthpiece area is snug enough that the mouthpiece will probably not move much if kept in the cover. The indentuon for the neck & mouthpiece areas extend into the upper section of the case. The mouthpiece area, for about 1 1/4th of an inch. The neck area, for about an inch.
Next Chapter: "The Horn," coming next.
6:26 - I removed the neck
 
#15 ·
REVIEW: Voodoo "Tyrannosaurus" Rex Alto ("The Horn")

...after donning my white gloves that came with the horn:stop: (I kid, I kid!!), from the bubble-wrap; usin' my trusty scissors, then removed it from the small plastic bag it came in. The leaf-like engravings run up both sides of the neck & are very nicely done. They start about 2/8ths from the bottom & run up to about 1/4th of an inch from the cork. The cork is 1 3/8ths of an inch long & is in great shape. The inside of the cork side of the neck is 7/16ths of an inch on the inside & 7/8ths on the outside. The under-neck octave mechanism is sturdy. It's an inch wide where it meets with the octave mechanism on the horn. There's a small imperfection on the left-hand side of the lip of the neck; less than an 8th of an inch long, where it fits on the sax, and when you place your finger inside the neck you can feel a small bump on the inside / opposite side of that imperfection; don't know if some tool caused this during the manufacturing process, but it's not a significant issue to me since it's so slight.
Note: The case is very sturdy, but one of those that doesn't necessarily like to stay open; having a fabric strap that runs from about the middle bottom of the case to the middle bottom of the lid, so it needs a little "assistance" to stay open & might need to be coaxed into staying open, and it has a tendancy to sometimes start tipping over on the lid side once the horn is removed, depending on what type of surface it's on.
6:33 - The 1st thing I noticed when I removed the sax from the case is that it feels like a tyrannosaurus.
Next Chapter: "The Rex," coming next.
 
#18 ·
I've enjoyed the presentation sufficiently to actually shortcut the specific thread in my browser. That said, I figure there's at least a fifty fifty chance that our humble narrator doesn't even have the horn and is merely entertaining us.

Fine by me.

To the best of my knowledge Thomas Gradgrind is not sitting on the SOTW editorial board...
 
#19 ·
REVIEW: Voodoo "Tyrannosaurus" Rex Alto ("The Rex")

This horn is solid!
The color is nothing like the rose-brass shiny-penny look of the Saxgourmet Tenor Six. It's a dark copper look except for the Honey-colored areas as mentioned in "The Pitch."
I removed the lyre screw since I don't plan on playing this in a pick-up marching band with a flip-chart.;)
On the right side of the bell is:
VOODOO REX
DESIGNED BY
STEVE GOODSON
Above that is a skull complete with a Tophat & 2 bones crossed underneath the skull.
The flower/vine-like engraving is tastefully done.
The bore interior where the neck goes is 7/8ths of an inch.
Unlike the Saxgourmet Tenor Six which has the 3 neck-strap rings as 1 complete piece affixed to the horn, the Rex has 3 separate large rings, when compared to the Saxgourmet Tenor Six.
The side F# key is large so much so that you'ld have a hard time not being able to find it when you need it. The same can be said for the mechanism for high F#.
The bell is 5 3/16ths inches wide.
The interior of the bell is about 3 1/2 to 4 inches in width & 3 3/4ths inches long.
The abalone key touches are beautiful!
6:51 - I weighed this baby Rex & it weighed in at 4 pounds; 4 1/2 with the neck.
The thumbhook is BIG.
6:55 - The key action is SOLID. No clanky-clanky with this beast; unlike the Saxgourmet Tenor Six which has a little clank action on one of the low notes.
Next Chapter: "I Blow":shock:, coming next.:D
 
#23 ·
Perhaps no egg sandwich, and as reviews go it's certainly not soup yet either but.....

When was the last time any Voldemort product thread lasted this long with a completely civil crowd? Heck- YOU are the most inflamatory poster to date in the thread!!!

A testament to the technique.
 
#26 ·
REVIEW: Voodoo "Tyrannosaurus" Rex Alto ("I Blow")

7:00 - After a little reed prep I tossed a Plasticover 2 Alto reed on my Aaron Drake Ceramic mouthpiece JAB062009 & my new Christoph Heftrig lig, greased up the neck cork, slid it on there, and easily just blew into the mouthpiece & out slid a open keys C# so surprisingly easy that I was surprised! (imagine that!!:D) Certainly easier than my Selmer Ref 54, Yamaha YAS-21, or PF Flier. The playability of the horn was sweet though I had to adjust slightly to it from my other horns because of the placement of the keys being closer together for easier playing. However, I had a gig to go play which I normally only play my Tenor on. I took the Alto with me along with my wireless mic. Once there, after prepping a Rico La Voz MED SOFT Alto reed I placed it on my JodyJazz DV 9* because I wanted a different sound then what I was getting from the Drake. When I had time; like between sets, I tested the horn out in a side-room to make sure it was going to work for what I wanted to do. We started the last set with Bob Seger's "Turn The Page." The horn sounded great; having the darker sound which helps off-set the "bright" mouthpiece I use. We add more Sax than Seger has on his version:twisted: & it worked out great.
Since then, I've taken the horn out more & have been amazed at how easy it is to "growl" on this compared to my other saxes. Altissimo is easy. I was surprised how easy high E-F# come out using the palm keys. However, I'll probably have to find different Altissimo Eb & above fingerings. I'm extremely happy with the horn:)
 
#27 ·
REVIEW: Voodoo "Tyrannosaurus" Rex Alto ("Ain't done yet!")

To clarify, the cork side of the neck is 5/8ths of an inch around the exterior, it's the neck bore that is 7/8ths of an inch on the interior.
I've received nice comments re the sound of the horn.
The neck is a 1 screw neck.
The only keys which are abalone are all the front keys except the top F key, and the spatula G# key.
Dark green felts are used as cushions on the 3 double-arm keys(Bb, B, & C) & low Eb.
The octave-key thumbrest is smooth honey-colored & easily allows the thumb to slide on & off the octave mechanism.
The only things I'm really surprised at from a critical point of view is that this horn doesn't seem to offer the non-stick G# key option, because when I went to play the horn the next day the G# key was stuck!:shock:
And my only other observation so far is that I'm surprised that the left-hand side D post sticks out right next to the octave-key thumbrest, 5/16ths of an inch away. This isn't a factor except when I'm playing using my sax-mute which constricts how much I can move my hand. The D & F posts seem to be the same 1 1/4th of an inch in length, while the E post is 1 inch. So if I were re-designing this horn, those are probably the 2 main areas I'd address.:cool:
 
#28 ·
hey patchmo, i'm in the possession of real good anti-voodoo stuff. Please contact me, either here or via PM...
And, believe you me, i've had some experience with this. SG's spells broke my lig, and that's no BS. In addition, he turned me mother of pearls touches to black ones. Better hurry...
 
#32 ·
hey patchmo, i'm in the possession of real good anti-voodoo stuff.
:rolleyes:Well, lucky for me:
1. This thread is not about Steve Goodson; for those of you who might be brushin' up on your reading comprehension skills, and
2. I don't know if I'd like the anti-voodoo that you do:razz:
Just wait until my Voodoo "Tyrannosaurus" Rex Tenor comes in!:laughing:
 
#35 ·
Patchmo, I know this probably a bit uncool, but how much did you pay for the horns? The list prices are unworldly.... I'm curious what the "real" price is....
 
#36 ·
Re: REVIEW: Voodoo "Tyrannosaurus" Rex Alto ("The Delivery")

After almost going blind trying to read that, I went back and tried to re-read the posts, even though it was pretty difficult, giving the OP the benefit of the doubt. About the only thing I can say is that was a mistake I won't make again. I should have known that patchmo wouldn't make a serious post.
 
#41 ·
Re: REVIEW: Voodoo "Tyrannosaurus" Rex Alto ("The Delivery")

After almost going blind trying to read that, I went back and tried to re-read the posts, even though it was pretty difficult, giving the OP the benefit of the doubt. About the only thing I can say is that was a mistake I won't make again. I should have known that patchmo wouldn't make a serious post.
Okay, at least I'm not the only one who had that feeling. I also agree with Kim, this horn may be a great horn, but it's a bit of a challenge to glean such through the ruler/measuring tape measurements. SG does make some very nice products. I've been hard on SG in the past, but maybe he's turning out some pretty well-made stuff.
 
#39 ·
I'm just a little concerned about the need for "WESTCOTT TITANIUM NON STICK scissors with blue handles with yellow striping on the interior finger area of the scissors...." :?

We don't have that particular brand in the UK, so does that preclude me from ever owning a Voodoo ? Patchmo, I know it's a pain - but could you possibly pack it all up again and see how re-opening the package with (e.g.) a 'Stanley knife' affects the overall response of the sax, particularly the low altissimo ? Just up to A3 would be fine....
 
#54 ·
I know it's a pain - but could you possibly pack it all up again and see how re-opening the package with (e.g.) a 'Stanley knife'...
Now, would this be the particular 'Stanley knife' owned by "The""Lord Stanley" himself:? Is it still on his "person," necessitating me exhuming his burial plot? Is there any "Voodoo" ritual that needs to be followed whilst the deed goes down? Or did he bequeath it to someone & it's been melted down & used as part of "Lord Stanleys' Cup," which could end up in a jolly good fracus with 'ockey players; complete with missin' gnashers:?:
 
#40 ·
C'mon, Patchmo. What KIND of cork grease??? The hard waxy stuff, or the pre-softened creamy stuff? And was it in the little push-up tube or the little tin? :?

So far, there are just too many variables in this report. :twisted: Who knows where that good tone is coming from? :D
 
#52 ·
Great! Now I guess I can delete the thread ............just kidding:twisted:
You could, if you want to turn Steve into a Prophet...and I'm thinkin' you might not wanna go there!:lol:
Seriously though, thanks Pat for the review :)
You're very welcome.
I'm just going to have to get used to actually playing the normal high F# on this horn instead of an alternate fingering like I'm so used to doing on my other 3 horns, because the F# on this horn actually comes out so much easier.
The abalone keys just feel ever so slightly concave to the touch.
 
#48 ·
I thought a good part of that post by patchmo was nothing more than a cut&paste job from one of Steve's descriptions, itself. The use of "we" and not "I, "our" instead of "my" in places, for example. patchmo likes to fill wide open spaces with lengthy cuts&pastes.
 
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