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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.
 
#227 ·
Hi all S20 fans!

I grew up playing the clarinet in a church band in Vietnam and at times had to subsitute on an Eastlake (early '68) silversonic tenor. Back then I knew nothing about horns to appreciate the undefinable King sound, but now I do; the horn is still there and plays well after 38 years of abuse (gang rape is more accurate). As beaten up as it is, the sound is still amazing!

Anyway, I now want an S20 tenor (in addition to my current PM one). So, if anyone has one for sale, please email me pictures and how much you want for it to thang.d.nguyen@gmail.com

Thank you.
 
#229 ·
Thanks, Brasscane.

Annonymous and y'all S20 players here: I have been thinking, since there seems to be such a huge crowd of S20 player, why not form an online S20 club or forum, where members can share, inform, and discuss anything related to it?

Annonymous, since I don't know enough about S20 to be a moderator of a blog, would you, Dan20, or anyone volunteer to be the host of a blog? Creating one is EASY; go to www.blogger.com (I can help set it up and give the moderator the password and username, if needed).
 
#232 ·
Yellowhornblower said:
Annonymous and y'all S20 players here: I have been thinking, since there seems to be such a huge crowd of S20 player, why not form an online S20 club or forum, where members can share, inform, and discuss anything related to it?
I am not too sure why you'd want to remove the discussion from here.
What is the advantage in doing so?
 
#233 ·
Rispoli -

This site, after all, is one for the entire global sax community, and therefore, it may not be convenient or appropriate as an online club of community of a particular brand, or model, of horns, namely the King Super 20.

And as a club, members are at greater liberty to share or say things on their own forum or website without fearing that doing so will have a negative effect on others. Equally, if a member only wants to distribute something only to S20 players, then this online forum will serve as the vehicle, and SOTW may not.

In any case, it is just an idea. So, take it as it is!
 
#234 ·
Yellowhornblower said:
Hi all S20 fans!

Anyway, I now want an S20 tenor (in addition to my current PM one). So, if anyone has one for sale, please email me pictures and how much you want for it to thang.d.nguyen@gmail.com

Thank you.
You are from Jakarta, i am from Bandung, the S20 is the best choice, i am beginner for horn, but until compare some sound of horn i really like of s20
 
#235 ·
Yellowhornblower said:
Hi all S20 fans!

Anyway, I now want an S20 tenor (in addition to my current PM one). So, if anyone has one for sale, please email me pictures and how much you want for it to thang.d.nguyen@gmail.com

Thank you.
You are from Jakarta, i am from Bandung, the S20 is the best choice, i am beginner for horn, but until compare some sound of horn i really like of s20

By the way... I play the F second Oktave in Zypher Super 20 but the sound so terrible and false, any sugestion for this ? may be my jaws or something wrong
 
#236 ·
Pelez -

I just sent you a PM. Perhaps we can meet someday.

Regarding your question, it can be your horn (leaking somewhere in the upper register), but it can also be you (no offense). As a new player, your embouchure may not be tight enough; your air flow may not be sustained enough; your reed may be too light or old; or it can be something else.

I would suggest that you make long tones a permanent feature of your practice - yes, permanent, because they are some of your best friends in the art of playing horns.
 
#239 ·
Yellowhornblower said:
Pelez -

I just sent you a PM. Perhaps we can meet someday.

Regarding your question, it can be your horn (leaking somewhere in the upper register), but it can also be you (no offense). As a new player, your embouchure may not be tight enough; your air flow may not be sustained enough; your reed may be too light or old; or it can be something else.

I would suggest that you make long tones a permanent feature of your practice - yes, permanent, because they are some of your best friends in the art of playing horns.
Yeah, i think the problem is me, since my teacher try my horn, He said there`s no problem with my horn, i think the problem is in my embouchure, any sugestion how to fix it?
 
#240 ·
Pelez:
It's been said elsewhere and it's become nearly a cliche because it's true: take the mouthpiece off the horn and start your practice every day by playing as much of an octave as you can. Yes you will sound like a lost duck, but one duck playing an octave. This will help your embouchure. Try it, it's fun.
 
#241 ·
Pelez -

It's hard for you to consume instructions thrown at you on this forum on how to build your embouchure since you are a beginner.

This, actually, is one of the first things your teacher should have started on you - even before long tones, fingering charts, and scales. It is HIS job! At the same time, he should start teaching you how to breath and blow (so you don't end up taking in air in your lungs and blow it out from there; in other words, take in and blow air from your stomach).

Another lesson your teacher should start you on is rhythm - BEFORE melodies.

Here are just a few recommendations. There are a whole lot more!
 
#242 ·
Hi S20 fans,

Just want to share that I got a serious GAS-attack: I bought a Super 20 baritone today! Actually I wasn't looking for a baritone (I never played bari), but being the happy owner of a S20 tenor I was rather curious when I saw an advertisement of someone selling this bari a couple of weeks ago. It's a 406xxx Cleveland instrument (1965). It hasn't seen a tech for 20 years, but it is still playable (even by me, even though it was the first time I tried a bari). Huge sound! The seller didn't play it a lot, and only at home. But I think that it must have been played a lot in the first half of its life, since the lacquer is worn, with many scratches, stains and small dings. But no serious dents, fortunately. There are some traces of soldering repairs: the neck (perhaps it was taken apart to remove dents?) and the octave lever is repaired (looks as if it was broken in half and resoldered). It came with the original case.
I guess I'll take it to a tech next week and decide what I should. I think it deserves a full overhaul.

Any suggestions for a mouthpiece? (It came with a mouthpiece (tip opening 4) with no brand name on it, it looks a bit cheapish).
 
G
#243 ·
I've been playing a KS20 silversonic bari for about six years (#390910) What a monster! you'll love your horn. I play it in a 20 piece stage/big band and in a classic rock band and it cuts through everything. You'll love your horn.

Speaking of buying horns, i'm looking at buying a KS20 silversonic tenor, with gold inlay on the bell and underslung neck (#477097, about 1972). It plays great, recently repadded. Any sugeestions as to what to offer the guy??
 
#246 ·
Mike -

Go here to see a guide on how much vintage horns are worth:

http://www.saxgourmet.com/VINTAGE_SAXOPHONE_VALUE_GUIDE.htm

I had always thought that a rubber pc would not sound good on, or reveal the power of, an S2O! But now, you are telling me your friends use Berg rubber pcs on their S20's and it sounds good! Those pcs must have a large chamber and a big tip?

My all-brass S20 tenor, which is otw, comes with a rubber Berg, and its previous owner told me that it sounds good on his MK6, but sucks *** on the King! So, I am thinking of using my Runyon spoiler on the King, and the Berg on my PMauriat black pearl.
 
#247 ·
Thanks for your mpc suggestions. A friend of mine has a Berg (metal, 120) that he won't sell, but he will give it me to try and to get an idea of how it sounds.
The neck of the bari appears to be not the original neck (judging from pictures of a bari on saxpics.com. :( So perhaps I will consider ordering an after-market neck. Well, first it needs an overhaul, then I'll see how it plays.

Mike, don't know what price you should offer for the Silversonic Tenor. Prices vary a lot (at least here in The Netherlands). Besides, prices here are higher than in the states. I think a shop here would ask >4000 euri for a Silver Sonic if it's a good looking, overhauled horn. If you don't buy it in a shop, the (asking) price is of course lower.
 
#248 ·
I'm looking at this because I just got a S20 alto, but regarding the baritone mouthpiece discussion ... I play a Berg .110 HR on my baritone sax (a Yani) and I have a Rico Royal metallite as my back-up. It's a grey plastic mouthpiece that I paid about the equivalent of $25 for and it is nearly as good as the Berg Larsen, with much the same playing characteristics. So that might be a smart one to check out for your King bari?

And so I joined the club with a 428K early Eastlake horn, silver neck, nickel keys, engraved bell cups, underslung octave key. Badly needs a set-up but it plays well enough to tell it's a cracker. The keys are all very smooth and fast and it sits well in the hands, immediately feeling comfortable and familiar. It's got all the orginal accessories and the flashest case I have ever seen - you can see why it would have attracted extrovert players way back when.
 
#249 ·
swapsax said:
I'll go for the first part of your post...there are some mediocre Cleveland horns
and some great early East Lakes...
Yes, but having owned numerous examples of both myself, I have found the Cleveland horns, especially those from the 1950s, to be more substantial and sturdilly built in all respects, especially the keywork, which seems more solid and less clunky. A 1970 (early Eastlake) tenor I owned seemed lighter in weight (thinner brass?) with keywork that was somewhat noisy and just felt cheapier overall. Just my .02....
 
#250 ·
Swingtone -

The SN of my S20 (Eastlake) is 454XXX. The previous owner said it is an early '68, but I think it is a '70 because the King SN chart says:

406500 1965
457600 1970

If you do the math, it will show that horns of SN 454XXX were made in 1970, as opposed to 1968. According to these figures, King made 10220 horns each year between 65-70.

I can be wrong, but like to hear from you all King players!
 
#251 ·
Singlereed - Congratulations with your S20 alto!
I tried my friend's metal Berg this weekend on my S20 bari, but I don't know what to think of it yet. It's a bit hard to control and it's difficult to play in tune in the upper register (it's sharp). But the horn first needs an overhaul, and last but not least: I have to learn how to play the baritone :)
 
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