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Beaugnier/Vito/Noblet Basses

7K views 22 replies 8 participants last post by  turf3 
#1 ·
Hi, I recently acquired one of these. Still sorting out a few leaks consequent on shipping. When I tried it out, it seemed a lot easier to manage than the Conn/Buescher size, plus keyed to high F, and yet it barked with authority when pushed.

Would like to hear any others' experiences with these basses. How about mouthpiece selection? I have a Geo. Bundy bass MP which seems extremely blah. A Meyer with the chamber hogged out (from a previous investigation) seems to give reasonable response and intonation; the middle D is troublesome, so far I haven't been able to voice to get it to play with the long fingering at all (OK with the palm key of course). Low D seems quite sharp (though C, B, Bb seem pretty much right on). Does this sound characteristic? I have the version with two pads for low D vent (two pads close when you finger low C).
 
#2 ·
Had one probably 15 yrs ago for a brief trial. Was using a Florida-era Otto Link STM baritone mpc on it .
It was a little pitchy and I didn't have enough time to sort it out so I sent it back to the music store before the trial period ran out .

I think it could've worked but didn't want to take a chance on it given the price, and if it hadn't I wouldn't have wanted to pass it on to someone else.
Sounded good and I enjoyed playing it but the pitch issues scared me away .
 
#3 ·
I acquired a Noblet bass sax some time ago, as a backup to my Pan American that I use for gigging. Plays easy, requires less air, and sounds good. It had intonation issues, however, most notably a horribly out of tune low D (about a quarter tone too high). A previous owner lengthened the neck, which helped intonation in the low register, but at the expense of the high register, which now ran flat by at least a quarter tone. Tuning the upper register left me with a completely out of tune low register and the other way around. So I brought the neck back to its original state, and instead used cork to tune the low register. I put large shims in several tone holes to bring down low E, especially D, and C#, and opened the key hight. Ideally these tone holes should be moved some 1-2 centimeter. It plays quite well in tune now, but because of the large shims in the low tone holes, it needs good air support. Anyway, it plays well this way. I use a Woodwind & co bass sax mouthpiece that I opened up. A larger tip and a softish reed helps to equalize resistance and intonation.
 
#4 ·
Hi Henk,

I noticed so far on mine that low D and low C# were quite sharp. Crescents in the tone holes have largely fixed this. I still see flat palm key notes, which I attribute to using a smaller chamber mouthpiece than I should, and pulling out. (I tune saxophones to the middle G, as it's in the middle of the tube and well-vented.) I find low C, B, Bb are pretty much exactly in tune. Middle C (one finger only, no octave key) is very stuffy, I think I need to look at key heights.

How is your middle D? Can you get it to speak without the palm key? At this point I can get it to speak coming down to D from above, but not coming up from below or just trying to hit it by itself.

There are still some leaks.
 
#5 ·
Mine seems to have the same general intonation tendencies. A large chamber mouthpiece might help to get your palm keys up in pitch. I still have to lip them up a little as well, but they are okay now. I have no trouble with middle D, probably because of the double C tone holes. On the other hand, I have no problem with middle D at my Pan American bass either. It sounds a little stuffy, but plays okay. Middle C is a known problematic note on bass saxes too, best played as B with the side-C. I don't have a particular problem with mine, I think a softish reed (or: little resistance) makes all the stuffy notes speak a lot easier.
 
#8 ·
I know this is an old thread, but thought I'd weigh in anyway. I've had a Noblet bass for a few years now, and after experimenting with a number of mouthpieces and reed combinations I've settled on two that work very well on this horn. Both are dedicated bass mouthpieces, an RPC and a LeBayle Jazz III. The RPC is slightly more spread sounding, works best with a #1 1/2 reed, the LeBayle is closer and more focused, and plays best with a #2 reed. Middle D plays best with just the high D key, which I think is typical on bass sax. Side C is better sounding as well, but with either mouthpiece the scale is very manageable on my horn, something I couldn't say about several other bass and baritone pieces I tried and rejected.
 
#9 ·
Hey, thanks for keeping it alive (I'm the one that started it).

I didn't know RPC made bass-specific MPs. Do you know what's different from his bari pieces?

I am finding nowadays that middle D is speaking better, but interestingly enough middle Eb is very tough. I know I can cheat the fingerings but I'd like to develop the voicing not to have to do that.

I am pretty much exclusively using a Selmer S80 bass mouthpiece these days. Interestingly, it has a big round chamber NOT the square chamber of the smaller S80/S90 pieces (I don't know what a S80 bari piece is like, never seen one). With experience the pitch issues are starting to come into line. I also have a Jody Jazz DV bass piece which is very well made and tunes well (though I hate the H shaped ligature and little micro-cap it comes with) but honestly I like the tone of the Selmer a bit better. Because the bassax occupies a specific acoustic place, I find that there's no trouble being heard even in a big band. I don't know the facing of the Selmer MP. It appears there is only one facing made, and there is no facing number or letter even stamped on it.

I had pretty good results with some baritone pieces (though not as good as the Selmer and JJ) but they are all too open. I might at some point investigate using much much softer reeds, but I have limited practice time and the Selmer is working for me right now.

The other issue is finding an ongoing application. The trad jazz groups I've been playing with have kind of moved into swing and 4 beat playing and most of the repertoire is better served with the upright bass.

Where are you using your bassax?
 
#10 ·
My Selmer saxo basse mouthpiece looks like an S80, says "C*". Chamber is round, but not big. To my eye, it's the shortest facing of any of my bass sax mouthpieces, and plays like it; I prefer the low end tone I get from a longer facing. (But I have a Keilwerth H Couf, not a French style.)
 
#11 ·
Interesting. Mine has the S80 external contour, says "S80" on it but NOT C* (or any facing designation at all). I guess when I said "big chamber" I should have been clearer. Certainly not big like the dill pickle bass MP I have (that sounds like blowing into wet cotton), but bigger than most baritone sax mouthpieces. Anyway, definitely not the square chamber.

I bet yours and mine are actually the exact same thing only with different markings. Who knows, they may have offered different facings once upon a time and then stopped, offering only one facing. I think the Vandoren bass sax MP is the same way, one facing only.

I have not measured the facing length against my other MPs.
 
#13 ·
I bought mine in about 2017, mail ordered from WWBW. Among WWBW, Saxquest, and a couple other online retailer's web catalogs I did not see reference to any facing choices, at that time. Of course, it doesn't mean that there weren't any choices, but the fact that mine has no facing designation at all implies (though it doesn't prove) that maybe they quit making different facings between '11 and '17.

Too bad we are 4000 miles apart or we could meet up and compare the pieces. I bet they are the same thing or the same thing with tiny differences in the facing.
 
#14 ·
I’ve used my bass to sub on the bass sax chair in Clare Fischer’s big band, now lead by his son. Also on West Side Story and The Music Man, both of which are scored using this instrument. Ron no longer makes his bass mouthpiece, the one I have has a bigger chamber than his bari mpc, and a longer more open facing than my bari piece. The facing is unmarked on the bass piece, my bari piece is marked 110, but seems more open, the bass piece is much more open. Unfortunately, both of the bass pieces I prefer are hard to come by now, since LeBayle seems to have disappeared from the scene, and Ron never responded to my request that he make one for me. I got mine in the used market, and they rarely come up for sale. Prior to getting these I experimented with several bari Mpcs and a Woodwind and vintage Vandoren bass mouthpiece, none of which were satisfactory, either with bass or bari reeds. Both of my current pieces work well with either kind of reed, which is helpful.
 
#19 ·
Noblet bass sax sighted on ebay. Not in great shape. I have no connection with the seller.

Incidentally, I was able to remove the crescents I put in after getting a Selmer bass mouthpiece. Still looking for a better case.
 
#20 ·
Wonder where you get an "aftermarket neck" for a Noblet bass? Yeah, maybe it goes in the socket. I wouldn't bet on it past that.

Although there are a lot of short wrap Chinese basses sold, each one of which comes with a case, not a one of the retailers I contacted seemed to have a clue how one could get a case (without the bass) for one, which would almost certainly fit my Noblet. I'd say half never even responded. One outfit led me on, I took quality detailed measurements, and then they offered me a case for a long wrap bass (definitely will NOT fit; something like 6" difference). I guess I'll have to wait till there's a big recession and they actually WANT my business. Then maybe someone will pay attention to me coming to them saying "I am willing to pay you money RIGHT NOW for something that I know exists; that you are currently in contact with a supplier for it; but which would require you to make a couple phone calls or send some e-mails to earn my cash money."
 
#23 ·
You know, I think the $900 case came to my attention a couple years ago when I was searching. That's pretty pricey for me. At that cost I'll just modify the Noblet case (I need to cut in half, splice in about 1 1/2" of material, reline, put better latches). For $300-400 I'd buy a case. For $900 I'll do it myself.
 
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