Sax on the Web Forum banner

Joining the club....

3K views 18 replies 8 participants last post by  John Kotches 
#1 ·
I just purchased a 1945 (or so, serial 269xxx) Zephyr Tenor which should arrive on Friday. Total price delivered was under $1k. That seems to be a fair price.

I've only played on tenors with modern keywork, YAS61, Mk VI, cheap Chinese SA 80 series II copy. I realize the ergos are going to be an adjustment, but its more about the tone. I'll never be playing bebop at MM=360 so I'm not too worried about that last little bit of performance ;-)

I'll give it a play test before taking it to my tech for a once over.

I'm excited to be getting this level of quality for a very reasonable price.

Sent from my Nexus 6 using Forum Runner
 
#3 ·
Congrats on your "new" Zephyr. Under 1K is a great price. Mine's #278xxx and I really like it. Wonderful tone, very flexible, and plenty of power. Aaron Barnard put mine in top condition. It's great fun to play and is
very rewarding once you get the feel of it. Please post a follow up when yours comes back from the tech.
 
#5 ·
I only gave it a quick play test. It plays top to bottom with only a small issue with low Bb.

Tone is OMG :)

The touch is a little softer than I am used to but I tend to bash the keys hard. Maybe this will force me to use a more delicate touch!

A few quick pics...

The biggest initial issue is around the low Bb tone hole with what I assume to be verdigris. There might be a little red rot.

I notice a little more of the assumed verdigris around the bow to body joint which you can see in the serial number picture. The last 3 of the serial number is blurred, it is very clear on the instrument.

Considering this horn is 18 years older than me, it needing a little finish TLC is not a surprise.

The lacquer that remains has that awesome dark cognac coloring.

The only other thing it needs is a new neck cork. There are no symptoms of neck pulldown and the double socket seats very cleanly.

I am shocked I could get this era Zephyr for less than 1200-1300.

Sent from my Nexus 6 using Forum Runner
 

Attachments

#6 ·
No big deal on the green. It looks like spit or sweat dripped on the tone hole. Put your leak light or a LED flashlight in the bell and see what is going on. The low Bb is a common adjustment problem that is easily corrected by some cork adjustment either at the pad arm or pinky lever.
 
#8 ·
Thanks for the advice. The neck is in need of some minor tightening, which could be contributing to it.

I took it by the tech, and he wants me to play it for a week or so to find all the things that I notice. None of the things are major. These are last little tweaks to get it to perfect playing condition.

There a couple of things he can't fix, that come with the Horn of this particular vintage. I feel like the side B flat key is a little too close to my hand and I find myself pumping it accidentally just enough to vent the key. The other thing is that the low B key doesn't have a lot of real estate so it's going to be an adjustment to get that where I want it.

But at the price I paid, there's plenty of room for adjustments the pads are very fresh.

I couldn't be more pleased especially for the price I paid.

Sent from my Nexus 6 using Forum Runner
 
#13 ·
I'm about 2 months in, and still learning to play this beast. Well we're doing that in perpetuity aren't we?

Making it roar is pretty easy... sweet and Smokey it's a little more effort to get just right. But wow is the improvement enormous.

Sent from my Nexus 6 using Forum Runner
 
#16 ·
I'm about 2 months in, and still learning to play this beast. Well we're doing that in perpetuity aren't we?
Making it roar is pretty easy... sweet and Smokey it's a little more effort to get just right. But wow is the improvement enormous.
Sent from my Nexus 6 using Forum Runner
My Zephyr is a bit mouthpiece and reed picky. It took awhile to find a few combinations that worked best for me. Once you find the proper set-up I think those sweet and smokey parts will come around. Just a couple of ideas that worked for me. For more accessible sweet and smokey I'm using a Jody Jazz 6* with a JAVA Red 3 or 3.5. Nice easy subtoning. When I put on a Vandoren V16 T8 with a V16 3 reed it's a blaster. Most versatile is a Phil Barone 7* with a Vandoren ZZ 3 or Rigotti Gold 3 reed. YMMV.

As a comparison, on all my other tenors I usually just use a Jody Jazz 8* and JAVA Red 2.5-3.
 
#15 ·
jhol:

That was many years ago, and I don't think my recollection would be incredibly valuable. I haven't had the Mk VI for 20 years and the Yamaha for even longer. I went from the 61 to the Mk VI in college.

I can put together a few thoughts based on my recollection if you'd like though.

Sent from my Nexus 6 using Forum Runner
 
#17 ·
I'm using a current production Link STM NY, with a 7* tip. Nothing extreme for me.

I'm not a gigging professional, and at this point I'm just sticking with one mouthpiece instead of playing roulette.

Of course 2 months after I buy, a couple of silver plated Zephyr's of the same vintage as mine show up. Thank God the Martin Soprano wiped out my GAS fund :)

Sent from my Nexus 6 using Forum Runner
 
#18 ·
Get a tube of Wenol metal polish to clean off the verdegris. Comes in a tube, like toothpaste.
Put some on q-tips ... rub and rub.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top