Posts Tagged ‘Tenor Saxophone’
Does Your Playing Sound Like A Demented Cat?
Author: Helen
Well according to British, classical composer Ralph Vaughan Williams, unless you’re playing classically—and even then you’d have to keep a pretty tight rein on your axe—there’s a pretty good chance it does.
Williams’ last composition, Symphony No. 9 in E Minor, was written between 1956 & 1957, and was performed publically for the first time in London by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in April 1958—just 3 months before the composer’s death. It was for this symphony that Williams incorporated the seldom-used saxophone.
In the program notes for his Symphony No. 9 in E Minor, Williams made the following comments:
The usual symphony orchestra is used with the addition of three saxophones [2 altos and 1 tenor] and flugelhorn. This beautiful and neglected instrument is not usually allowed in the select circles of the orchestra and has been banished to the brass band, where it is allowed to indulge in the bad habit of vibrato to its heart’s content. While in the orchestra it will be obliged to sit up and play straight. The saxophones, also, are not expected, except possibly in one place in the scherzo, to behave like demented cats, but are allowed to be their own romantic selves. Otherwise the orchestra is normal, and is, the composer hopes, sound in wind and strings.
Source: wikipedia.org
Thanks to the wonders of YouTube, here is the third movement of William’s 9th symphony—the scherzo—where you can can hear for yourself how saxophones sound when they sit up and play straight.
Can you hear them behaving like demented cats in this movement? I’m not sure I even know what means. Do you?
For more information about this famous British composer, check out the Ralph Vaughan Williams Society website.
© 2010, The Bassic Sax Blog. All rights reserved.
A Dörfler & Jörka Impala Tenor Up For Auction
Author: Helen
A few weeks ago German sax tech Uwe Ladwig informed me that he had stumbled across yet another stencil name for Dörfler & Jörka saxophones. Like the brand name Corvair, this sax too shared its name with an American car: Impala.
This morning I was checking out the German eBay site and I happened to come across one of these D&J-made Impala saxophones. This silver plated tenor is in desperate need of an overhaul, and has clearly not been played for quite some time.
Source: eBay.de
The seller describes the sax like this:
(I’ll give you the original German because it’s short, and then the translated version)
TENOR SAXOPHON IMPALA
Marke: “IMPALA”
gemarkt: Nr. 16376 – Made in Western Gemany
L. 83cm
ohne Koffer
ungeprüft und mit Spuren der Zeit, müsste überholt und hergerichtet werden, ansonst ordentlicher original Zustand
The translated version goes like this:
Tenor Saxophone Impala
Brand Name: “Impala”
Marked: No. 16376 – Made in Western German.
83 cm Long
No Case
Has not been tested, and shows its age. It will need an overhaul, but otherwise decent original condition.
Source: eBay.de
Source: eBay.de
I don’t imagine that green growth like this would be on the keys if the sax was being played regularly. 
Source: eBay.de
Source: eBay.de
The decorative pearl is missing on the low C key guard.
Source: eBay.de
I wonder why the stamping Made In Western Germany is so worn looking. Even the numbers look a bit hinky.
Although admittedly the stamping on the back of my lacquered D&J De Villiers isn’t fabulous either, which had lead to someone who only had seen the pictures on-line to speculate that the horn might be a relac. It isn’t.
Since then I’ve noticed this to be a pattern on other D&J horns. Here is the stamping on an Artist #300 alto, on a Clinton alto, a René Dumont Tenor, and finally on a Voss Tenor.
The engraving on this Impala appears to be original—as it does on all the saxes from my D&J Gallery that I’ve linked to above—so perhaps the flaw lies in however D&J applied the stamping on the back of their body tubes.
Source: eBay.de
Source: eBay.de
This is quite possibly the original ligature and cap—and perhaps even mouthpiece—that came with the horn. A Roxy alto that sold on eBay in October ‘09 had the same cap and lig. It came with its original accessories.
Source: eBay.de
The original D&J neck tightening screw has been replaced at some point in time. The round thumb screw is gone, and a conventional one is now in its place.
Source: eBay.de
The private auction for this Dörfler & Jörka Impala Tenor runs until August 26. At the time of writing there were 33 bids on the horn, with the high bid being €181.00. XE.com tells me that that’s $229.40 US at this precise moment in time.
© 2010, The Bassic Sax Blog. All rights reserved.
1954 Mark VI Tenor For Sale On eBay
Author: Helen
There is currently an interesting Mark VI tenor on eBay. Its serial number—M564XX—indicates that it was manufactured during the first year of Mark VI production, making it among the most potentially desirable Mark VI tenors out there.
Source: eBay.com
The seller, lockwoodmusiccenter, describes the sax like this:
Early Selmer Mark VI Tenor Saxophone in Excellent Condition- Must See!!!
You are bidding on one used Selmer Mark VI Tenor Saxophone in excellent condition. This is truly a must see! Serial # matches up to 1954, which is the first year of production for the Mark VI. Item specifics are as follows:
- Country MFG: France
- Model: Mark VI Tenor
- Serial # 564XX
- Year: 1954
- engravings are sharp
- Selmer metal dome resonator pads which are original in very good condition
- there are a few shallow minor dents on body and bow as pictured
- hardly scratched
- pads and corks are in very good condition
- neck has no pull down- is in good condition with slight lacquer wear
- includes an original Traypak case by Selmer which is in very good condition- brown exterior, purple interior- zippers are functional
- the case has some wear in the interior and owner has red take around the top and bottom of the case
- instrument has been inspected by our shop, and instruments looks like has original lacquer, but cannot be certain because of age and sharpness of engravings
- was purchased from the 2nd owner, who did not have instrument re-lacquered
- neck as one ding
- must be played and seen in person
- this is in incredible shape and is one of the first of its kind from Selmer
- includes original end cap
Source: eBay.com
Source: eBay.com
This shot of the engraving does look a bit hinky. I don’t know if this is an artifact of the photography however.
Source: eBay.com
This photo just looks strange. Is this the actual finish of the body tube? Or is it an artifact of the photography?
Source: eBay.com
Source: eBay.com
Source: eBay.com
Source: eBay.com
Source: eBay.com
Source: eBay.com
Source: eBay.com
These photos are not great, but there are roughly 40 much better ones that the seller has posted in an album on Photobucket. In this album there are quite a few shots of the bell engraving, but it is still a bit unclear whether or not the engraving is original.
Unfortunately there are no photos of the back side of the body tube included in the album. A potential buyer is left wondering whether the body tube really has these undulations, or if they are indeed an artifact of photography. If I was seriously interested I would get in touch with the seller, ask some questions, and also request more photos of that section of the horn.
This 1954 Mark VI tenor has a Buy It Now price of $13,500. That’s a lot of money for a sax that may be—by the seller’s own admission—a relacquer.
The seller is open to offers however, but at the time of writing there appear to be no offers yet on this classic Mark VI. The auction is set to close on September 7. It will be interesting to see if this VI finds a new home through eBay.
© 2010, The Bassic Sax Blog. All rights reserved.
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