used sax

[jake]

I want to upgrade my sax. I’ve been looking around and its hard to tell what to get. I really have no place to try out new/used saxes around where I live. I have been looking at different reviews of saxes and you tube videos. I know the biggest thing is to try them out and see how they feel because they can be different for each person. I am looking for a more professional model of a tenor sax. There is a local listing for a Cannonball Tenor Sax Global Series Big Bell made in 2005. Seller stated it is in great condition. Of course, this is something I would try out. He is asking $1200. Does this sound reasonable and is this a worthy tenor for the investment? Thanks!

[john]

You can ask my friends at Massullo Music http://massullomusic.com/
these guys are players and fix and sell horns. They do all my stuff and if you mention my name they’ll be very nice and honest. I ask them stuff all the time. Look them up and email or phone them…/ repairmen/players have a lot of good insight on horns cause they play em and work on em. Sandro is the owner, there’s also Jerry and Chad…all sax players as well.

[jake]

Thanks so much. Wow!! I emailed them and got a response right back (and its 4am)!! Amazing. Sounds like a good deal according to them. Guess I will set up a time and try it out. I know I need to work a lot more to improve my tone and make my high notes thicker sounding! Will a better sax help with that (using a Hawk China tenor currently)?
I have an old Vito tenor sax that I took to the sax repairman (replaced a couple pads). When I compare the two, the Hawk blows so much easier and has way less squeaks. I don’t need as much effort with the newer Hawk. I’m hoping a new sax I get will be easy blowing like my Hawk.

[john]

Like I’ve said before, most of it will come from you and your mp and reeds. Of course the horn will make a difference too, but if a total beginner has the most expensive horn made it still won’t sound good. In your case, a cheap crappy sax will work against you so at this point you will notice an improvement with a better horn for sure.

[Michael]

I’m gonna check them out too Johnny; my wife gave me to go-ahead to do what I want with my sign-on bonus that Arkansas Urology is giving me in May and I was seriously looking into the Trevor James line of Alto Saxophones; I’ve heard great things about them but have never had the opportunity to hear one or see one. The shop locally speaks very highly of this line of Altos but no one carries them. The closest place is 4 hours from me at a shop called SaxQuest in St. Louis; Saxophones is all they sell.

[Michael]

I called Massullomusic and they are great folks–they’re sending me some info on the Trevor James line of Altos; when I clicked on the link to Alto Saxophones on their site it listed 2 student models but they informed me that they need to update it. I forgot who it was by name I spoke up, but they told me the Trevor James line of Alto Saxophones can easily hold their own with Selmer, so it would be well worth it. We can spend a few hundred dollars a shot over the course of years to upgrade a current Saxophone or get one that won’t need anything for years to come, that’s how I see it anyway. In the long run I think I would actually be saving some money by doing this.

[john]

i’ve never heard a trevor james sax played in front of me, but my youngest daughter plays a trevor james clarinet to grade 4 standard, she has an intermediate model costing about the same as my intermediate yamaha sax, & the tone is absolutely beautyfull!!!

[john]

Yes, I borrowed an alto from massullo music and would give them serious consideration when buying.
Anyway, Michael, I wouyld get them to sent you one although I haven’t looked into the extra shipping or customs costs…maybe Sandro Massullo would know.

[Michael]

When I called they told me Sandro was at an expo show in Anaheim but would be back in a week or so, which is fine because I told him I get my bonus in the Spring, plenty of time. They have my e-mail address/contact info and we’ll be collaborating over the next few months. They really come across as some fantastic people. The price the guys are quoting me is great–we get what we pay for. Here locally the music shop could get me the Trevor James Alto I’m looking at but they’re not an authorized dealer and quoted me a price that was a few hundred dollars higher.

I have NO intentions on stopping to play the alto just because I have a Tenor now. There’s LOTS of songs that actually sound better with the alto–By the way Johnny; I’ve been working on “Take Five” note-for-note and taking my sweet time too and it’s coming along. My Sax solo will be similar yet a little different. Having the scale to improvise with included with your Sheet music really helps in playing with the Sax solo. Biggest challenge for me with this song will actually be the rhythm of it—I’ve been “humming” it to myself and this really is helping.

At the same time, I’m not worried about another Tenor anytime soon, Massullo Music said they wouldn’t either. 🙂 As they so well put it, it’s REALLY hard to beat the sound of the horn of the 1960s Selmer Tenors paired with a Guardala MP produce. They like the Otto Links too, said many famous Sax players over the years used Otto Links. I met someone who said he could modify an MP that would “blow away” a Guardala MP but I’m kind of weary about that. He’s on ebay and makes/modifies his own MPs for a living, has his own store and all.

[john]

Our member Kevin modifies his mp’s as well!
Links may very well stand up as one of the most popular mp’s of all time. Since their heyday, there is now way more competition though so it’s a different landscape.
You can trust the guys over at massullo as much as anywhere in the world because they are top notch repairmen who also are real professional players.
Take 5 can be a challenge because it’s in 5/4 time. we don’t normally hum any tunes in this time signature, but a good way to think of it is to break it up into one bar of 3/4 and a bar of 2/4…. 3+2 = 5

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