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Curious - A new Bass Sax 10000 USD- what's the business case?

9K views 20 replies 16 participants last post by  Instrument Attic 
#1 ·
I was looking at the price of a new bass sax and they seem to be in the range of 10,000 USD and up.

I do not see them being used much although I admit having listened to some really impressive musicians playing one.

How does a musician justify the cost of buying a new bass sax of more than 10k USD?

Is the cost of these horns preventing competition so that anyone having a bass sax will get professional gigs because there are too few out there?
 
#2 ·
I'm going to guess that payed gigs for Bass sax don't come up that often in the real world. There are probably some sax quartets, quintets, etc that might use one regularly and a few "Jazz" music of the 20' -30's groups that might. I know Benny Goodman used one. He (the Bass Sax player) sat back there with the rhythm section. Probably pretty hard to justify the investment, but for the Sax player who has everything else and lots of cash, why not.
 
#3 ·
The best reason for buying a bass saxophone is because you love to play the horn. Gigs are infrequent and it's a difficult instrument to play well. On the other hand, a good bass sax holds its value well, and if you keep your chops up on bass, switching to smaller saxes is relatively easy.
 
#4 ·
I've worked two out of the last five seasons on pit musicals on bass sax. Did another season of pre-recorded incidental music, and this season it's being rented to a fellow musician who is playing a show on it.
 
#6 ·
There are some pricing options out there. A few years ago I passed on a nice Buescher TT bass sax at $3500.00 . . . I just didn't have anywhere to put it, my voice is NOT bass (as much as I love 'em when I hear a good one played like by Paul Woltz in Seattle), and although it was a great price . . .

I saw the International Woodwinds' version of the old Conn/Buescher basses at NAMM a few years ago. The guy at the booth played it and it had that SOUND! They also had their version of the Selmer bass (a glorified baritone in my opinion), which I wouldn't take if offered for free (either the International WW model OR a new Selmer).

One can look for a nice vintage model, one of the IW models at under $10K (well, maybe the price has gone up since I last saw a price on them), or a new or used Selmer (probably WAY over $10K). I'm guessing it takes someone who's well-heeled OR needs one before spending that kind of money. DAVE
 
#7 ·
....How does a musician justify the cost of buying a new bass sax of more than 10k USD?....
He/she doesn't.

Unlike the baritone, there is no monetary incentive to buying a bass, it most likely won't get you more gigs, not enough in any case to earn it's keep.
There aren't any bass sax gigs to speak of, those that play it create their own (Colin Stetson for example).

Why do they buy one? Because they fall in love with it.
If I had the money, I wouldn't even look at a bari but I would get a bass.
 
#9 ·
All of the musicians and contractors in my area (South Florida) know that I'm proficient on bass saxophone, and it enhances my reputation as someone who can cover all of the saxophone parts. If I played piccolo as well as Merlin does, I could have had quite a few jobs playing West Side Story. The contractor was literally begging me and sending me the piccolo parts. I had a lot of work at the time anyway so I turned down the gig, and the contractor had to bring in a sax player from Atlanta to cover the chair.
 
#11 ·
I was looking at the price of a new bass sax and they seem to be in the range of 10,000 USD and up.
You can get them a lot cheaper than that.

However, as has been mentioned, I doubt anyone buys a bass as part of a business plan. I think mine has paid off finacially, but mostly from my own choice of employing myself to play it in my composition/production work. Plus hiring it out to the photographer for the cover of the book The Bass Saxophone.
 
#12 ·
there has been a steady growth of interest for the bass saxophone lately. In one band where I play someone has recently bought himself a Noblet and in a traditional Jazz jam session to which I took part a few months ago a player showed up with an ancient Conn.

Beside attracting a lot of attention the basssax has a real place in many types of music.
 
#13 ·
BTW, according to an original ad by Buescher, their TT bass (like I have) weighs 18 lbs.

And Pete nailed it when he said that players don't buy it because it's part of a business plan. I'd have to gig until I'm 90 to have the thing pay for itself. :bluewink:

As a bass player you really do have to create your own opportunities to play it. I have chosen to pass on playing it more than I have to take it with me. The reason: it takes up a whole lot of real estate on stage. I currently play in a 5 piece band, and while using it occasionally in the band would be interesting, unless we're playing at a festival, the stages are too small to accommodate the horn in its stand.
 
#15 ·
Thanks for very informative responses!
You really make me want to experience a bass sax.

I wonder how many new bass horns that are produced yearly these days. I recall reading somewhere that some are produced in Brazil handmade and the waiting time is 6 months. Does that mean they produce 2 a year ;-) ?

How much of the keywork can be shared with other saxes. Anyone knows what the eco-system looks like?
Again I am just curious about such expensive instruments with limited market and how manufacturers and musicians manage to keep the trade alive.
 
#20 ·
Maybe a heavy tenor, but among my instruments, bass ~ 3x tenor. Surprised the ratio isn't greater. Since it's one octave lower, it's twice as long - which would make it 8 times as much volume and hence weight. Mine is close to 18 lb reported Buescher weight.

It hasn't been involved in a lot of heavy duty money making. My first saxophone, though, so there's some sentimental value.
 
#21 ·
Basses are loads of fun. How valuable to you is a lot of fun and smiles?
Consider this: If you find a nice Conn bass and spend $10k on it, you're not out $10k. You've just traded cash for brass. And when you're sick of the brass, you can trade back for cash again.
A NEW bass, however, is a different question. Most commodities like saxophones resell used at about 60% of the new, in-store cost. So in that case, you'll be losing quite a bit of $$ when you resell it.

Regarding weight:
My Conn bass with neck weighs 16.55 lbs. A 10M I had weighed (again, with neck) 6.52 lbs, which puts the bass a little more than 2.5x the weight of the tenor. Then again, that 10M relaq was the lightest tenor I've had. Mark VIs are about 7 lbs, and most modern tenors are in the 7.5-8.0 range.
Anyway, practically speaking, a short session with a neckstrap is ok, or I can last a lot longer with a harness, or I sit and use my Saxrax stand for as long as my chops hold out.
 
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