The Bassic Sax Blog

     Source: Christi Atkins

After nearly 4 years of blog entries, and regular comments from I don’t know how many players from all over the world, I thought it would be really interesting to find out what kinds of saxophone players were dropping in here.

There are a couple of reasons that I thought this information would be interesting to know:

• Sure, I’ll admit it, I’m nosey.     But seriously, who isn’t? Isn’t one of the first questions we ask a fellow sax player when we first meet them: What kind of saxophone do you play?
• If I start to see a pattern, for example if I start to notice that there are more sopranino players here than anything else—not likely because ‘nino players would have likely given up on me by now—then it might give me ideas for future articles.

In this poll you can select as many of the following saxophones as apply to you. So go crazy. The poll is anonymous. Not even I have a recording of who answered what.

This poll will be available in 2 places: in this post, as well as in the side navigation bar. I’ll be making this post a sticky one for a little while, thus allowing as many new people as possible to see and answer it.

Notice I have a check box for Other. I think I managed to capture all the different saxophone voices, but maybe I missed one. If I did, please let me know either via a comment or by email. I do have the power to change a poll that’s in progress.

© 2012, The Bassic Sax Blog. All rights reserved.

Some of you may have noticed that your comments have gone unanswered for nearly a week now. For that I am sorry. I’m going to try and catch up today.

I’m also quite behind in my emails. If you’re awaiting an email from me, hang in there. I’m not sure when I’m going to catch up, but I will eventually. I promise.

Why am I so behind in everything? I’ve made no secret of the fact that I moved over a year ago. However, what you likely don’t know, is that my own house wasn’t sold yet.

On April 1st I finally put it up for sale, and it sold a mere 21 days later. Given that it’s currently a buyer’s market, I’m very lucky that it sold as quickly as it did.

Since the subjects were removed in the beginning of May, we’ve been in a panic to sort out the last of our stuff, and dispose of the things we no longer need/want/have room for. The movers are booked for May 25, and then the large items, as well as the remaining things we have decided to keep, will finally be in our new home as well.

This new home isn’t really new to me, since it was the house my mom designed and my parents had built when I was a teenager. The house has quite a few European design features, and an unobstructed view of Mt. Baker—the area’s landmark, dormant, volcano.

Moving is always a lot of work, but this move is also a combining of 2 households: ours, and the contents of that of my parents. There is still so much sorting that needs to be done, and things of my mom’s that need to be disposed of or sold, that I’m truly overwhelmed. At times it feels like the job will never get done.

I just try to put one foot in front of the other, and do a little bit every day. Eventually things will get done, it will just take time.

My day is normally divided into 2 parts. The morning I spend writing an article for my blog, while the rest of the day is taken up with other, non-sax-related things. If I have time, I try to work on my website, or update my gallery in the evenings.

This is all dependant on how I feel of course. Some days I’m not well enough to do much of anything, or I have medical appointments that keep me busy. (My neurologist has me on a pretty short lease actually.)

As I’m writing this, the room is spinning uncontrollably, and I don’t know when this bout of vertigo will come to an end. Maybe in 5 minutes, maybe in 5 hours. This is getting old. Really old!

Update: Here we are 60+ minutes later, and things are still spinning. I can’t even look at this animation without getting nauseous and disoriented.

I’m so frustrated at how slow I now am. But whenever I battle these daily bouts of vertigo (they happen throughout the day with maddening regularity), I’m hanging onto the furniture to ensure I don’t fall over. This naturally slows down everything I do, since my body is having to compensate for the spinning.

You’re probably wondering how I play sax. It’s hard. Very hard. Trying not to fall over, or knock the horn while putting it together is really difficult. Once I’m playing it’s not too bad, but the set up, and the take down is a killer.

Anyways, enough about all of that. Suffice to say, between now an the end of May things in my life will be rather chaotic as we wrap up the sale of the house.

Naturally things here at the Bassic Sax Blog will not quite be how I like them to be, but oh well, shit happens. Things will get back to normal once June 1 rolls around, and the new owners have taken possession of our old house. Until then, I hope you’ll be patient with me. Thanks…helen

© 2012, The Bassic Sax Blog. All rights reserved.

If you live in the San Diego region of California, or plan to visit there between now an January 2013, you will likely want to check out the Museum Of Making Music’s (MOMM) new exhibit that is opening on Saturday, May 19. The Sound of Sax: How the Saxophone Won America’s Soul, is 7 month-long installation that celebrates the saxophone, and its contribution to music.

Discover a powerful story about a powerful instrument. It’s the story of a genius instrument maker cheered by audiences but jeered by competitors. It’s the story of a 1920s America wild about a new kind of sound. It’s the story of jazz, unleashed, free to roam and improvise like never before. And it’s a story of how music is made–an endless cycle of innovation as ancient as music itself, where musician, composer, listener and manufacturer stretch the boundaries of sound, composition and performance. “The Sound of Sax” runs from May 2012 to January 2013. It’s a story you won’t want to miss.

Source: MOMM

The exhibit kicks off this coming Saturday, with a reception hosted by special guests Blaise Garza, Rob Verdi and Vinny Golia. After a tour of the exhibit with these saxophonists, there’s a concert-conversation with Charles McPherson.

If you’re interested in getting tickets to the opening, or finding out more about the MOMM’s hours of operation and entrance fees, check out its website.

If anyone reading this goes/has gone to this exhibit, please chime in with a comment. Or if your the shy type, drop me an email. I’m curious to know what the exhibit is all about.

© 2012, The Bassic Sax Blog. All rights reserved.

There’s a tenor sax on eBay right now that is bound to raise more than a couple of eyebrows. Christopher Elliott, Inc. is selling a SBA with a most unusual finish. A finish that the company claims is original.

     Source: The Sax Group

This is how Christopher Elliott, Inc. describes this most unusually finished horn:

1953 Selmer Paris Super Balanced Action w/ High F# Tenor Saxophone

Sax #55017 – ONE OWNER

Model: 1953 Selmer Paris Super Balanced Action w/ High F# Tenor Saxophone Sax

Serial: 55017 Dates to 1953

Finish: Original Finish, super dark and patina. We know there is going to be questions as to the originality of the finish of this saxophone; it will create a lot of controversy, and some will question our credibility, some of you may even send us death threats and/or run to SOTW and post that we have no idea what we are talking about and there is no way that this is original. Before you do that, please consult with an expert on Euro SBA finishes. We have had this sax verified by some of the ‘leading experts’ in the world on European Selmer Paris Saxophone finishes, and ALL of them have concluded that this was in fact original finish, and would themselves be confident in listing it as such. Some have seen it in person; some have seen it only with the photos that you have seen here. The consensus is that, although unique looking, strange looking, and rare looking, not all that uncommon for a European SBA of this era and condition to look like this. Coupled with the fact that this was a ONE OWNER saxophone, bought in Europe at the Selmer Paris factory, by a professional musician who not only took great care of his instruments, but he also knew the acoustical consequences of refinishing his prized tenor, he vowed to never have the finish touched by any tech. This was confirmed by the family who insisted it was an oath of his. He has since passed away and his immediate family has (reluctantly) decided to sell this sax, the funds from the sale going directly to his widow.

Body Condition: No major dings or dents. No major repairs done to this instrument.

Pads: Newer pads, Selmer boosters

Key Work: All working.

Case: Original tri-pack case for flute and clarinet as well, old and worn but works

Comments: The bottom line is that this is a very rare, and remarkable instrument. It plays so smooth and effortlessly, the sound is so rich and full, the core of it being dark and lush. Selmer Balanced Action’s have that ‘feel’ that is unique to this instrument alone. If you have ever played a good SBA, you know what we are talking about. This sax has also been verified by our own tech and Selmer Expert (player & collector) Craig Christman as being original, and he has set up this sax to be ready to play by its new owner. You may not find another SBA like this; you don’t ever see them for sale, even though we know there are probably very few in existences in the world that look like this. After playing it, we know why no one will sell them. One thing we do believe is that the right person will come along who knows what they are looking for, and what they are looking at, and they will make a fair offer based on what they see.

It seems they decided to tackle any possible controversy about the finish head on. That’s one way to do it. As of this morning, no thread has been started on SOTW. I wonder if they got any death threats yet?

Oh, and FWIW, IMO anyone who gets themselves so worked up over something as insignificant as the finish on a saxophone, and sends death threats to a seller on eBay, really needs to get a real life. Seriously. But hey, those are just my 2 cents worth to that.

Now getting back to the sax… Take a look at the following photos, and decide whether or not you think this is the original finish on this SBA.

  Source: The Sax Group

I am by no means “an expert on Euro SBA finishes”, however, this horn’s finish does bear a resemblance to my 1 owner, 1950 King Zephyr, which I bought from Sarge at World Wide Sax in 2009. (For more photos, check it out in Bassic Sax Pix.)

The Zeph came from the southern United States somewhere. Furthermore, we do know that the amount of humidity, salt content, etc, that a horn is exposed to, can in fact alter the appearance of its finish. These elements likely contributed to the Zephyr’s appearance today.

Is it possible that this SBA came from a climate that altered its finish? Possibly, although the seller claims it’s original, and besides, the horn is very shiny.

Lacquer is intended to protect a horn from the elements. You would think if the environment it was in had altered its finish, the lacquer would have been affected as well.

Perhaps the finish was a custom order from Selmer Paris. That’s possible too. Or perhaps the antique look was a possible finish option that could be ordered in the 50s from Selmer Paris for their European SBAs?

When it comes to Selmers, we all love a good mystery. I bet some of you didn’t know that Selmer made pink Mark VIs. Yes, it’s true. I’m sure they didn’t sell many, but they did make some. There is even one in the Music Museum in Phoenix.

In any event, this rather unusual looking, and perhaps controversial, SBA tenor is for sale on eBay for another 20 days from today (May 14, 2012). The Buy It Now price is $12,995.00, but Christopher Elliott, Inc. is open to offers. At the time of writing, they have had 1 offer on the horn already.

© 2012, The Bassic Sax Blog. All rights reserved.