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Super 20 Fan Club

318K views 1K replies 236 participants last post by  Instrument Attic 
G
#1 ·
We're baa-aaaack! Super 20 players, stand up and be counted.

Super 20 tenor, 364xxx, silver neck, brass bell, no pearls on the side :(

I've had this horn since 1974 (sophomore year high school). Dad paid $75 for the horn, then another $100 for a complete overhaul/relacquer (it needed it).

Despite what you may have read, these are very flexible horns, adaptable to all musical styles. The combination of the sterling silver neck along with bore taper/neck curve/bow curve allows the Super 20 tenors to bring out the best in a variety of mouthpiece setups.
 
#503 ·
Hey guess what. I'm surprised no one's mentioned this yet but the Buescher TH&C's have the backward hinged G# cluster key too! (or at least the one I own)

Even more surprising is the fact that it actually feels much better than the backward G#'s on the transitional Super 20's! I think it could have something to do with the hinge or even its position/shape. However, I'm sure it wouldn't be very difficult to 'master the cluster' on the Super 20's if you set your mind (and pinky) to it.
 
#511 ·
They are beautiful. I have no problems with the C sharp. As I say it's the same as my V1 sop and nino and I really wouldn't have noticed. This horn is also very well set up. The sound and response is what blows me away. My friend on here Byas a Drink has a 299... and a much later horn and he encouraged me to try the 297...He much prefers the sound of the pre 305...horns and described it as dark with a real cutting quality..he also added it was a "real jazz horn" and he's right. He also thought the resonance and intonation is superior on the earlier horns.
As I said I was unprepared for the " Superstuff" after owning a Series 3 that
my V1 slaughtered in every department but this horn is something else.
 
#515 ·
I just stumbled into the club, and boy am I glad I did. I'm constantly surfing L.A. craigslist for tenors, I found a dude selling a 427xxx eastlake silver neck super 20 for $1000 (a typo??) and I hounded him for weeks until he finally got back to me. He had it shipped from Florida where he bought it in 1999 from his high school band teacher, who owned it since it since its birth in ~1966-7. Apparently 15 people contacted him the first day of the listing, but I was first!! YES!!!!!!

It's a really clean relac, though the engraving is somewhat soft (from buffing or thick lacquer? i dunno), but it does play like a winner. I use hr link 6* with RJS 2H reeds and the response is effortless despite the 15 year old pads and lack of TLC. Compared to my yamaha 62II, the altissimo and palm keys notes leap out without even trying. wow.

It's my 4th sax and first vintage tenor, and I am so bloody happy I made this impulse buy, at a steal no less. The last owner seemingly never swabbed it (other than pad saver) and the inside of the sterling neck was totally coated with black mildewy crap. I cringed when I saw he kept his C* mouthpiece permanently fastened with reed and rovner lig scratching and denting against the neck in the neck bag, what an a**. When I finally swabbed the body some pieces of dead grass came out. I'm so glad I rescued her...

I'm currently investigating some overhaul options to fix the neck dents and repad. can I get a roll call on what you all prefer for pads and resonators? tenor or alto. :cool:

I'm leaning towards sarge's vintage premium rebuild with saxgourmet pads and flat seamless resos. it currently has plastic domes and I think it could use a little bit more edge. Downside is wwsax waitlist is till october. I've heard music medic does good work and uses newest materials, may go with them. Horn improvement is a couple hours away, will consider them if the price is reasonable compared to shipping out of state.

Also, I'm not sure how to describe my ideal action setup, since I've only played newer horns, sharp and fast or as close to the original setup as possible...?

I'll post some pics when I get a chance, pre-and post rebuild.

THANKS!!

PS. anyone in the market for a Yamaha 62II tenor? haha
 
#520 ·
On behalf of all members of the Super 20 Fan Club I would like to extend my sincerest condolences :cry:. Clearly, desperate times must have called for such desperate measures :shock:. At the same time, however, I would like to compliment you in that you chose to downgrade to something other than Selmer :D.
 
#536 ·
This made me think that saxophones and women after all may have something in common...but that thought is warped because...

Yep, mine had that too.
One of the best things about the Super 20, aside from the sound, is how well they stay in adjustment. One good setup will give you a LOT of mileage.
...this clearly demonstrates they don't.

I don't think I coulda gotten a better deal for my eastlake horn. I guess a man's gotta do...
Eastlakes rock! (At least the earlier ones do). What more do you want, pearls???

Thought I'd point out my tech (micah @ horn improvement) recommended a brace for the F# key. Considering my horn had been mistreated by her last owner (sob) I'm glad I invested in this since I'm told that key is particularly weak on super 20s. Anyone else been told or experienced this?
No, don't quite understand. Never heard of this before. Could you please elaborate and take a pic from the side that shows how the rod was modified.

I won't ever part with my 460xxx Eastlake Super 20 tenor (I have another one 466XXX which I only bought to acquire an original case...
Brown with green interior? Had I known you were so old-fashioned ;), I would have given you the case to mine. I sold it for very little in spite of that the condition was as minty as old cases get (and built surprisingly well). My wife has bad allergies so out it went. Anyway, a Hiscox is safer for storage and transport.
 
#523 ·
Now that I'm a member, I thought I should pay my respects here.

I have a 385xxx Super 20 with silver neck (not silversonic) that I got on Ebay about a year ago for $2500. The previous owner said his Mark VI played better but somehow it did not occur to him to hire a repair man to fix about 5 pads that were leaking. Luckily that's exactly what I did, and I also had the action adjusted. The lacquer is immaculate everywhere except on the back of the body (a section about 5 inches long that touches the ground if you lay the horn on its palm keys). It's a sight to behold, but more importantly, it plays unbelievably. None of the Mark 6's I have tried played any better. Some of them responded equally well, but the tone wasn't the same and usually they weren't as loud.

I used to play an RPC 125 on it and before that I played an RPC 115B. I also have a killer vintage duckbill Berg (made of bronze) that sounds great on my SML but for some reason is too bright for the King and sounds thin. But the mouthpiece I play on it now (and probably will for the rest of my life) is a Tenney Link STM 8 NY. I've never owned a Link before, but now I understand why so many legendary players played them.
 
#525 ·
Not yet, I may take some eventually. It has the sunbursts on the B and Bb pads, but I'm assuming that's normal for the serial number? Engraving says King Super 20, The H.N. White Co., Cleveland, Ohio. And it's surrounded by a bunch of flowers and leaves.

I was really lucky though, my repair man says it's one of the tightest (rods etc.) and most mechanically sound Super 20's he's ever seen and he works on a lot of them. It's weird, I can tap the neck in certain spots and the whole horn resonates. And the body vibrates when I play. I'm guessing that's normal though since other people in this thread have reported the same thing happening with their S20's.
 
#527 ·
Ok fan club, I have a alto super 20 ventage 67, silver neck, I play it each sunday for church but am looking for a 2nd, equal quality used horn. Any ideas since the Kings have some quirks in the octive key weak spring, and soft key springs. For a 2nd horn about equal quality what would all of you recommend. Still play a Meyer 5, with the Legeier plastic reeds, great no warp week to week. Nuff said, give me some ideas on a 2nd sax, FlaSax
 
#529 ·
Any ideas since the Kings have some quirks in the octive key...
Keep the mechanism properly oiled, and make sure the body octave pip is clean and the pad for it doesn't stick. Lots of folks complain about hitting a clean middle D on these horns, and I suspect from my own experience with these horns it's because the mechanics just need a bit of attention.
 
#541 ·
Try a vintage Selmer Soloist (written on the table) or a vintage HR Berg with a low baffle.

Personally, I like the bright tone on Super 20's using a Dukoff Super Power Chamber.
 
#531 ·
Almost in the club - next week!!

So close - waiting for my silversonic tenor (gold leaf on bell) 375xxx to arrive from of all places Sydney. Trying to back to my roots - had a silversonic 400xxx 30 years ago - moved away from it eventually but am so pumped to be coming back!![Impnt]
 
#532 ·
Welcome back to playing sax and welcome to the Super 20 fan club! Yours looks stunning! I am trying to get a silversonic tenor or alto.
 
#533 ·
Greetings from Los Angeles... Any reason you're selling your super 20, other than to get the silver bell? Are you looking for a cleveland specifically? There's someone selling a silver tenor in my area for $4500 if you didn't already spot it...

http://losangeles.craigslist.org/wst/msg/1333720686.html

As much as I believe it has a different (and possibly more attractive) sound characteristic, I feel like it would be tough luck to find a really nice one, especially without hearing it first, and for a reasonable price. I don't think I coulda gotten a better deal for my eastlake horn. I guess a man's gotta do...
 
#535 ·
I never noticed anything with the F# key other that it is placed nicely (I hardly ever use it and in my Getzen Buescher stencil I had to bend it out of the way because I was always pressing it while playing other things like a Low C). I would like to find some tech in Holland who would favour the high tech approach on all materials used on a horn like this because there are definitely improvements available now on the market compared to when the horn was made. Since I am not a conservationist........ who wants to keep the horn original at all cost if its performance and comfort can be improved? I won't ever part with my 460xxx Eastlake Super 20 tenor (I have another one 466XXX which I only bought to acquire an original case.....perhaps I am a conservationist after all (!) and an overslung alto too but I am not so sure about those........) so re-sale value is not an issue. Modifying a horn that has to be re-sold is not a good idea, I think. If I would ever decide for a re-lacquer (not afraid of that too). I would certainly have my horn re-engraved with the addition of a custom engraving. Perhaps a two tone engraving too. But none of that is available in Holland so it is all dreams!
 
#538 ·
Hi all,

I have a '63 (I think, I'm not near it to double check!), Silver Sonic tenor that toured internationally with its former owner. It's currently in need of some new pads and an adjustment, but it's absolutely one of my favorites among the tenors I have. Some day I would like to add a Super 20 alto to join the tenor I already have!
 
#539 ·
Hi, just joined the forum. I play a 385XXX King Super 20 and it's the best damn horn I have ever played, and I've played quite a few of them. It's got a lot of power and blows very freely. It was set up by Paul Maslin, the top sax technician here in Chicago, so the action on it is outstanding. I might buy a second tenor at some point, but I'll never sell this one.
 
#548 ·
I have a 385xxx as well, set up by one of the top sax techs here in the NW. Sounds like we have very similar horns. I can't believe the power and tone quality I get out of mine, you can put a wind tunnel full of air through it and it just gets louder and louder without the sound breaking. I still haven't found a Selmer (or any horn, I've tried other S20's including older ones) that sounds better. There may be horns with better ergonomics, but nothing beats the S20 for sound. Besides, the only thing that bothers me about the ergonomics is the lack of a tilting left hand pinky cluster and the awkward left hand thumbrest (which I could have modified if I take it to the repairman again). The main stack on my S20 is as fast and slick as anything.
 
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