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King Saxello

5K views 14 replies 7 participants last post by  Michael Ward 
#1 ·
I love my King Saxello. It's a real one made in the 1920's not a marketing device to sell more sopranos. Yes it is wild untamed bucking bronco of a horn but it has something not found in sopranos. Certainly tonally. It has no refinement and is not polite yet it can wail really wail. When I first heard Roland Kirk playing Afro Blue in his Tribute to John Coltrane on the live portion of Volunteered Slavery he sounded like Trane's evil twin from another planet. Like some African Shamen summoning up a gigantic worm from the bowels of the earth.
I sometimes feel it's like the missing link between alto and soprano. It always feels more saxophonic than my straight soprano.

Not for everyone certainly but the Saxello has real character and is a lot of fun to play and rewarding. I've used a few pieces on mine ..the best are an open Morgan
and my current Mantra 7 with Plasticover 3 reeds. The Plasticity of the Plasticover really suits my Saxello concept.

Other great Saxello Players.... Bennie Maupin, John Handy and Elton Dean also Tom Scott ... King Curtis did not play a King Saxello.
 
#2 ·
I had no idea Charlie Dechant played a real saxello until I saw him with Hall and Oates on the Rock and Roll HOF broadcast. The Saxello can fit into a variety of concepts. I got a mouthpiece for mine from Joe at Sopranoplanet and couldn't be happier.
 
#6 ·
'King Curtis did not play a King Saxello.'

I just about spit Coke Zero all over the keyboard when I read that, because I saw him do 'Soul Serenade' live at the Paramount in NY in 1964. But a couple minutes of research showed that you are right. He played a Martin 'American'. I didn't even know that existed. Here he is with it and his tenor.

 
#7 ·
Made the same blunder for years...horn seemed so like a saxello on records...BUT...It wasn't. RARE INSTRUMENT these daZe.

Saxello is one of my fav' instruments I have. In a way....the sleeper of all cuz it sounds great anywhere.

Great post Michael Ward.
 
#8 ·
I remember reading a great feature in an old jazz book about the sixties scene..The guy was describing how Trane playing the soprano had Africanised jazz ..like every note on the horn because of the colour and intonation was " Blue"... I think that could be applied doubly to the Saxello . In the right context it has a quality that is unique...Bennie used his Mark V1 soprano in some tunes and the Saxello for others because of the flavour. When I heard " Headhunters " the album with God Make Me Funky... The Saxello tracks are so unusual if you listen...they couldn't be a soprano...Yes I would not be without my saxello. A straight Buescher alto would be cool also...another horn that is just a little different.
 
#11 ·
Even the Taiwan 'saxellos' have a similar sound, esp. with the curved neck. They are actually modeled after the Buescher 'tipped-bell' model. I've been playing one since 1999. It wasn't until recently that I found my mouthpiece for it, a Soprano Planet 'Missing Link' .090.
 
#12 ·
Gotta comment . . . I've heard REALLY good Saxello's played in my style of music (old jazz from the 1920's). So, I bought one. Not good for me - very difficult intonation and difficult to set down when playing alto or clarinet on a gig. I know about the special King Saxello stand that fits into the bracket on the rear but mine didn't have the stand with it and I never found anything suitable as a substitute.

Tone-wise, my Saxello sounded like a soprano of any shape regardless of the numerous mouthpieces I used on it. I moved it down the road.

I also bought a new Rampone tipped-bell model (similar shape as the Buescher) and the scale was very good, but tone-wise, just another soprano. I suspect that many WANTED it to sound better because it looked so darned good (gold-plate, that weird tipped bell, etc.), but it too was difficult to set down to play something else. It too has moved on.

I have yet to find that a soprano's shape makes any difference in how the things sound. DAVE
 
#13 ·
I guess if you have a really strong concept and style then that would overcome any difference Dave. For me I was drawn to the King saxello because of the players who made it their own primarily Roland Kirk , Bennie Maupin and Elton Dean. I hear a distinct saxello sound in these players... Bennie sounded different on his straight sop..or rather he played it differently to my ears.
 
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