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I Know.....It's not a Super 20, or a Zephyr......

2K views 27 replies 11 participants last post by  DarrellMass 
#1 ·
.....But I like it! My '66 Cleveland tenor finally arrived, today. Lots of initial impressions, but I'll keep them down to a dull roar, till I get this thing fully sorted out.
First off, it's noticeably smaller and lighter than my Vito/Yamaha 23. The lighter weight is really nice!
I was worried about the older style keywork, but I actually like it! The whole sax feels good in my hands.....no apparent imbalance.....very comfortable, actually.
So far, I've only tried an M9 Metalite, an S80 C*, and an M5 Metalite on it. My pick of those three is the M5. I was playing a 2.5 Fibracell on it, but I think next time I'll try the 3.0 I have.
It needs a checkover for leaks. I'm having some trouble on the low register, but generally, it plays really easily. Maybe too easily! It keeps slipping into the high register, when I'm playing the middle and low fingerings. The octave key is not sticking. I've even gotten some unintentional altissimo notes, when I don't even know any altissimo fingerings!
I like how it seems to be much more even-toned, in the middle register, than my Vito seems to be. My Vito is very different in the middle than in the low and high. This horn doesn't jump out at you so differently, in the middle.
Overall, I believe it's a keeper. I'm not totally convinced the tone is anything to rave about, over the Vito, but i probably just haven't found out how to get the tone out of it, yet. Hands down, though, it's enough of a keeper on the physical qualities, alone.
Hoping I'll get the tone to bowl me over, too, once I get used to it.
 
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#2 ·
Congrats on your new horn. I'm surprised that the Cleveland is noticeably lighter than your 23, as those are fairly light horns themselves. However, some vintage horns were exceptionally light. The lightest I can think of is the Buescher (marked Selmer) Aristocrat based Bundy. You will most definitely want to have the horn looked over, as it sounds like you do have leaks. Lastly, it sounds like there may be some leaks in your Vito YAS-23. That model is extremely even toned throughout all registers, providing that everything is working as it ought to be. Once again, congrats on your purchase. A sax doesn't have to be expensive to work well.
 
#6 ·
Thanks everyone. The morning after is proving to be even better. I believe the leak is a tenon leak (as is the case with my Vito). Once you find the right spot, the Cleveland plays pretty nicely, top to bottom. Being a rookie, I'm not too swift with technical verbiage, But this horn seems to have a more 'focused' sound than the Vito (if that's the right terminology for what I think I'm hearing?). I like the tone more, now that I've found a temporary work around for the leak.
And so much for perceptions! As sure as I thought I was about the horn's size and weight, it appears the horn is roughly a half inch longer, and half a pound heavier than the Vito! Whatever the case, I like the way it feels, and it is definitely a keeper!
Do I wish I had a Super 20? Sure.......but I'm happy, with my first real step into the 'vintagey' arena.
 
#10 ·
Ya Mijderf, I have plans on seeing if my local guy is equipped to do that, but somehow the problems of last night have all but disappeared, and this thing is wailing, today! Having a hard time putting it down. Can saxes just suddenly wake up?
 
#11 ·
Ya Mijderf, I have plans on seeing if my local guy is equipped to do that, but somehow the problems of last night have all but disappeared, and this thing is wailing, today! Having a hard time putting it down. Can saxes just suddenly wake up?
Yes, it is possible for dried-out pads to reconstitute and perhaps seal better. The most correct answer is to play it for a while, and get it to a tech for a leak check and adjustments.

My "local" tech comments that if horns are not played regularly, they tend to develop more leaks - another reason to have fewer horns.
 
#13 ·
Thanks Doc. Makes sense. Seems like that's what has happened. The more I played it this morning, the better it got. Very cool thing to have happen to you! A new horn that keeps getting better, before your very ears! This horn was very nicely fitted with new corks, everywhere you could put one, and now that the pads are sealing, I tend to believe the pre-sale servicing was by someone who knows what he's doing.

As Artstove stated with his King, this horn does have a nice edginess, when you get into it.....especially with this paint-peeling M5! My tone has leapt ahead to being much closer to what I have in mind, with the addition of the Cleveland. I'm a happy man! It also has nice fat low notes, too. What's not to love? (The C# maybe? But I'll get used to it.)

Yes MrBlue, you would love this thing. It makes you love it!
 
#15 ·
Don't know that my beginner setup is really worth mentioning. Headed to the repair shop tomorrow to have it looked at, and hopefully fixed. The leak problems resurfaced. Duly noted on the profile. Thanks, Mijderf.
 
#18 ·
Well, I just found one major contributor to my problems.....or it found me, when the high F pad fell out onto the floor! Could explain the intermittent leak problem, with it floating around in the cup, seating and then not seating, however it chooses. The horn seems to play pretty well, with that pad set in position.
Still, the tenon feels loose, too, but it's possibly not as problematic as I once thought, with this new loose pad discovery.
Might be a real cheap fix!
 
#20 ·
But what happens if a spring breaks or a pad falls out while your #1 is in the shop?

You need a backup for your backup!

And then a backup mouthpiece... And since each horn is different, you'll likely need two mouthpieces (at a minimum) per horn.
 
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