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Plans For An American Made Saxophone.

147K views 463 replies 103 participants last post by  nhsaxes 
#1 ·
#295 ·
Mike,
Is it too soon for feedback on the "intermediate" model that you briefly, initially mentioned?
Tenor?
Braised tone holes?
 
#297 ·
brazed, braised, braiszed, braysed, brrrr-aized, etc...

King's have 'em.
I love 'em.
 
#299 ·
westcoastbebop, I'm sorry you didn't like the horn. I have to go by Dan Higgins, Bob Sheppard, Greg Osby, Rhueben Allen, Everett Harp, Charlie Young. They had nothing but positive feedback.
I have been recording on this horn for the last six months and have had nothing but compliments. It's impossible to satisfy everyone. I will keep trying to make improvements and I have a great group of musicians consulting on this project. Specifically the sax players mentioned above. All the best Mike Smith
 
#301 ·
An intermediate model with soldered on tone holes and similar construction would be nice, at a much cheaper price,
minus the silver and engraved this and that, of course.
 
#304 ·
yes, I think that any instrument made in any Western country nowadays can only be made at a profit if in the high end market segment. The only possibility to make an " intermediate" horn is to have it made in Taiwan but the whole point of " An American made saxophone" is to be made in America with the quality standards that used to be distinctive for the top instruments made there.

I like the fact that these horns, at least in appearance, seem to borrow quite a bit form my favourite horn, the King Super 20.

I think that as far as money is concerned, if one can buy a new and improved horn at a price not much higher than a vintage Super 20 the business model should be definitely feasible.

I am a great believer in the possibilities of quality products made in America, Europe and Japan and I believe that this is the future of any " western" industry, concentrating into making what they are best at doing. High quality , high price, relatively small scale, supreme quality.
 
#315 ·
I like the feel of my Super 20 way more than that of the "newer" saxes on the market that I have tried. I am sure it is just the fact that I have been playing it for 43+ years. But now that I think of it, I did try my Super 20 and a MKVI side by side in 1968 and liked the "feel" of the Super 20 better. Back then I had no knowledge of inline verses offset key work.
 
#316 ·
Back then I had no knowledge of inline verses offset key work.
It's actually something I'm hardly aware of, I can switch between a MKVI, 10M or R & C without consciously noticing an ergonomic difference. It's only Keilwerths that give me a bit of an odd feel, lovely horns though.
 
#320 ·
What I don't understand is why items like key-guards, etc. aren't more distinctive. Obviously after 150'ish years of saxophone design you aren't going to try and reinvent the wheel. But some added panache in items that have little to no effect in the function of the horn would be nice. I'm not talking about anything excessive, just something distinctive at least. Like some of the old VKS horns with the initials in the guards.

And yes. I GET that they intend this to be a "player's" horn; substance over style.
 
#353 ·
FYI, upon inquiry, I received a pdf file with pricing as follows:
Silver Eagle with sterling neck and bell: $9,390
Silver Eagle in brass: $7,990
I don't think this is that bad. I mean, quite seriously...I was expecting a brass lacquer finish model...maiden voyage vintage off the line... to go for $10,000...that was the number I was expecting to see.

Yes...I agree with many of the observations made...you could buy a selmer...you could buy a minty Conn Artist + a minty Comm III + a minty THC all combined for $8000....all of that is true.

But actually...I don't feel these prices are abusive....when you really consider the significance of the endeavor....I am actually pleasantly surprised....

(not that I will be shelling that out anytime soon...but goes w/o saying that the intermediate model will be cheaper, ssssooooo....hey, not all that bad...)

What I don't understand is why items like key-guards, etc. aren't more distinctive. Obviously after 150'ish years of saxophone design you aren't going to try and reinvent the wheel. But some added panache in items that have little to no effect in the function of the horn would be nice. I'm not talking about anything excessive, just something distinctive at least. Like some of the old VKS horns with the initials in the guards.

And yes. I GET that they intend this to be a "player's" horn; substance over style.
I gotta agree with you there. Given all of the effort that went into this...it sorta just has the general overall appearance of a run-of-the-mill contemporary horn. Overall, a bit pedestrian looking...and that bellbrace is just plain hideous. It's a bit of a shame.

On the flip-side, single piece body tube and neck and soldered body/bow ferrules (instead of the stupid screw sort). And the adjustable nut pivot screws. Those are VERY nice specifications. Some really good touches there....So, god IS in some of the details, as Meis would have said...
 
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