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Zephyr Fan Club!!!

55K views 185 replies 81 participants last post by  JimD 
#1 ·
I absolutely love my 323xxx 53' Zephyr Alto! When I went shopping for a new horn I chose it over a King S20 and a Conn 6M. At the beginning I thought it would still be nice to have one of the S20s I had tried out more than 5 years ago when I was living in Port., OR. Now that I have this horn under my fingers, I'm glad I didn't choose another one. While the 6M's a great horn, my Zephyr has such a range of sound possibilities. It sound great when I play dark, bright, and in the mulit-phonic range. There's nothing this horn isn't well equiped to do! I play on a Lakey mpc too, but I've no problems conrolling this horn (well, except when my lip starts going numb and blown out.) Who else loves their Zephyr?
 
#132 ·
Hmm, Woodwind Co., eh? Never played one of those, Grumps. Can you characterize the sound--did they have lots of different models?

Jaye kindly threw in an old Babbit, which has great intonation, is easy blowing, and a bit spread.
 
#134 ·
Hmm, Woodwind Co., eh? Never played one of those, Grumps. Can you characterize the sound--did they have lots of different models?
They had a lot of lettered codes... A, B, G, K, for example for their facings/baffle/chambers. B's are probably more common as a basic vintage styled piece with some added punch. K had even more punch and sometimes squarish chambers (though I have seen them with and without such flat sidewalls). Tip openings range from small (around 5), to more open (rare 7's). You can google for one of their old ad copies, which describe the differences in their models. But to generalize, they have that vintage vibe with a sort of edge you'd find that other makers gravitated to (like Link). The one my son played on his Zephyr alto was like a B6... but I'd have to double check when I'm at home.
 
#133 ·
I'm in this club! My Zeph tenor is 287XXX. I don't think I will ever part with this sax. Unless I find a Silver Sonic I can afford. (Ha, ha, ha, ha!)
I now have three King tenors. The King model, from the mid 20s is pre voll-tru and has more character than the rest and turned me on to the "King" sound. People complain about King ergo's. I think King ergos are fine. It's all the other makers with ergo problems. Old Conns are OK too.
The Cleveland has had a rough time, marching all over Texas I would guess but it still has a great sound and the tone of the Zephyr without adjustable keywork. It has the same bell/body brace as Zephyr/ S20s of the day and the same bow guard as the Zephyr, (the reason I bought it), as well as having a tenor I can take out without worrying about damage, or theft. The nickle keywork is strong and fast. I'm not sure it the Cleveland has the same body as a S20 but the bell keys are on the opposite side simplifying the keywork. Bow is different too.
My Zephyr is a three hole, double socket variety. Totally same body and bell as Super 20s without extra pearls and a silver underslung neck.
I am looking into learning how to build a silver underslung neck.
 
#135 ·
Thanks for the info, Grumps. I tried my Z today with the old rubber Martin piece that came with my Comm III, and y'know, it wasn't half-bad. Not a huge opening and not much punch, but good intonation, a bit spread and fuzzy, kinda nice for a vintage ballad sound.
 
#136 ·
Zephyr tenor owner here. Mine is serial 247k from 1940. 90% of the lacquer is gone. Restored by Paul Maslin. Well broken-in, like its owner. Blows freely. The whole horn vibrates and resonates more than any tenor I've played. The tone is warm, broad, and full but it can still play with focus. Maybe not as full or loud down low as a Super 20 as the bell's smaller, but it just has a gorgeous tone. A few notes need adjusting to play in tune. Double socket neck. Triple ring strap loops. Bought it as my dive bar horn, but it gets the most compliments from others in terms of the tone. Maybe that's because I play it in a lot of dive bars? Other tenor players always want to buy it from me - that's a good sign - may we all get lucky from time to time. I play HR Bergs with it - 100/2 and 110/2.
 
#139 ·
Mine aren't factory either, though it's the only domed reso; the rest are all flat. Just trying to nail down an issue I'm having with a slight airy fluttering sound whenever I play F1 or E1, and which becomes much louder when the Eb key opens. It sounds almost like a snare drum or a pinwheel spinning really fast, and is audible regardless of which mouthpiece I use. My bassist even heard it, so it's in front of the horn too. Nothing seems loose, and it's been regulated recently, so I thought it might be the reso or maybe nearby rollers.

Either that, or this Zephyr's just so freakin' loud it makes the floorboards vibrate sympathetically, which is quite possible.
 
#140 ·
My Zephyr tenor has a couple side key pads that are clearly of great antiquity. Black with age. The resonators on those pads are domed - with a sort of nail head in the center of the dull, vaguely silvery metal dome. Can't recall ever seeing anything like it. The other newer pads are also domed, but more ordinary looking. It's a mid-'30s Zephyr if I remember right, an early one.
 
#141 ·
I just picked up a 305xxx Zephyr alto and it changed my religion. It's in great shape and with my Vandoren Java mouthpiece, it just screams. I am totally floored at the range of sounds I can get on it. It's definitely going to replace my S80II as my main horn!
 
#142 ·
Congrats, Doc! I've had my 307XXX Zephyr alto for a few months now, and am still exploring its sonic range. Haven't tried a regular Java yet, but I have tried a CE Mainstream, which is their interpretation of a Jumbo Java blue. Nicely executed, but not exactly what I'm looking for right now, so the search continues.
 
#143 ·
Zoot, I've tried a few Jumbo Javas and I found they were way too bright. The regular Java mouthpieces are the perfect blend of brightness and depth of tone. They have a richness which doesn't thin out when you push it. I highly recommend them!
 
#145 ·
Me too i love my 1955 Zeph alto i use a vandoren A45 java and 3.5 Riggotti Tenor reeds ... yes Tenor reeds ... I am a tenor player but had a studio date on alto and no reeds so popped on a tenor and have been hooked ever since ... try it !! I hav had many altos but none with the grunt and flexibility of tone as a King Zeph... I have a super 20 Tenor and love that also ... and this is after 45 years playing all sorts of horns as i am a repair tech ... and pro player ...
 
#146 ·
I've actually been considering going Bostic with a tenor reed, Dan. Meanwhile, my first impressions of my 3 newest pieces (a Selmer Super Session D, Klum Acoustimax 6, and Jody Jazz HR 6) were all very positive. Sadly, the trials will have to remain inconclusive for now, as My Zephyr's developed a loose body octave vent that needs resoldering. Guess it's back to the backup-backup horn for the time being.
 
#147 ·
Meanwhile, my first impressions of my 3 newest pieces (a Selmer Super Session D, Klum Acoustimax 6, and Jody Jazz HR 6) were all very positive.
I really like Jody Jazz HR pieces. I have a 6M for my Zeph alto. They bring out the warmth in the tone while keeping the power. The Zephyr is mouthpiece friendly and I'm favoring my Gale and Gregory pieces right now.
 
#152 ·
#157 ·
Just bought a 305XXX Zephyr tenor that should show up this week for what seemed like a pretty fair price.

I'm excited to put it up against my 10M and VI. Funnily enough, I now have an alto (Buescher Aristocrat) and two tenors (10M and now Zephyr) from 1950, totally unintentionally.

Looking forward to getting some play time on this one. Based on what I'm reading, I'm expecting nothing less than a ripping horn. I've been bouncing back and forth between the lush, luxurious richness of the 10M and the warm, buzzy, high-energy zing of the VI for the last several months. Each is an absolute joy to play in its own way and I am hoping the King will be its own kind of joy.

Now where the hell am I going to put another tenor...
 
#161 ·
The horn showed up this afternoon and I got a little time on it and some time inspecting it. The seller (a music store) described it as having been recently overhauled. The pads look pretty fresh, but there are definitely some setup issues. It feels a little squishy in the pinky keys. Key heights seem a little high and the key springs feel a little heavy, but that's coming from my 10M, where they are pretty low and pretty light because 10M's are great like that. I'm not sure what to expect from the King where that's concerned, but I can get around OK on it.

There's definitely a leak in the right hand around the E/D keys and the articulated G# mechanism doesn't work (pressing the G# key with the F or lower closed still lets the pad move a bit too much). Same with the 1/1 Bb. I think I can take a pass at turning those adjuster screws a little bit to see if I can get them to work for me.

The low C key guard was definitely damaged in shipping. It was mashed to the side so that the key cup was actually hitting one of the screws and couldn't close. I took a photo and sent it to the seller, but for now, I've just bent it back enough that the pad can pass through there. Thankfully the pad height is not set on the key guard.

Nevertheless, once I got the C moving okay, I put my Link on there and dug in. And this horn has got something really good going on! The tone is fatter than my VI, but has a similar kind of warm, fuzzy edge on it. The Conn has a big, fat sound as well, but the tone seems a little clearer and woodier. It's hard to describe, but I can tell I like this horn already. Where it stands relative to the others is yet to be seen, given the work it needs, but I am already pretty into it. If it shapes up the way I think it will, I could see this giving my other tenors a run for their money.

Also, intonation seems really good. Pretty much spot on top to bottom with my Link, aside from the D, which is flat in both registers. It's also stuffy in both registers, so I think that just means the C pad has to vent a little more.

I'm not sure what to do about the seller. The shipping damage is bad, but I'm not sure how much is attributable to damage in shipping (relatively straightforward to negotiate) and how much is a mediocre in-house overhaul (impossible to negotiate). I'm confident that if I took it to Lee's Sax Worx here in SF, they'd be able to get the kinks worked out. For an arm and a leg, of course, but I like them and they do outstanding work. I know from experience with work I've had done certain other places and friends' instruments that less high quality shops "overhauled" that I am spoiled. All the same, though, I paid what I think was a pretty good price ($1300 before shipping) and I'd expect a good tenor at that price to need a little bit of work.
 
#162 ·
You said the key guard was mashed to the side and you bent it back. Later you say the shipping damage is bad. Doesn't sound bad from what you describe? I've experienced some problems with Zephyrs being shipped in the original cases. If the case is missing the padding behind the low back side by the low Eb there will always be damage in shipping if that space is not filled. The cases fit loose. Sounds like it just needs some set up work. Zephyrs are great sounding horns.
 
#166 ·
As promised:

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Dropped it off with a tech today. He laughed at the overhaul. Pretty much every single pad was seated incorrectly aside from the ones that were obviously not replaced. Not one single pad sealed. The pads they did use were pretty crappy.

He's gonna re-seat the pads to get it playing now and if I decide I love the horn, I'll go for the full overhaul at some point in the future and do it right. A full overhaul around here is pretty spendy, so I want to make sure that's where I want to put the money in this horn. I'm pretty optimistic, though, and excited to get the horn back next week.
 
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