I’ve got an older student model alto sax that it’s clear I will have no opportunity to play over the next couple of years (without getting evicted), so I’m looking to trade for something I’ll actually get some use out of. So, if anyone is looking for an alto sax, I’d be willing to consider trading for any of the following :
A flute: Boehm or simple system
Whistles: Copeland (Sopranon D, C or Low D), Grinter (would consider any key), O’Riordan (right, like that’s gonna happen)…
Electric Guitar: Preferrebly something with non-trem bridge - an Epiphone Dot would be perfect, but I’m open to other possibilities.
Guitar Amp: Mesa Boogie Mark IIC …okay, maybe not but a decent practice amp with headphone out will do - tubes would be nice.
German Shepherd Puppy: Just kidding I’d love to have another dog, but I have a hard enough time finding housing with one dog!
Send me a PM if you want to do some horse trading.
Loren
(Edited to add the following) Would also consider trading for a laptop computer or certain silversmithing equipment, particularly a decent torch.
What’s the easiest tone to begin sax with–considering the beginner is already a whistler and knows his sax fingering, so the problem would be in back-pressure and/or lips pressure.
Alto and Tenor are pretty ‘straightforward’.
Tenor is easier ,I think,to play in tune than Alto-as you have a bit more lee-way between lower notes,and it’s o.k. breathwise once you get that column of air moving.
Alto,on the other hand,has a smaller air column to set in motion.Lots of kids start on Alto-though mainly because it’s a smaller horn and so easier to handle.
Soprano is a much harder task master-not recommended for the complete beginner.
Newbys normally start on a softish reed (say a 3) then work up to something harder.Then you can get different ‘Lays’ of mouthpiece-the Lay being the amount that the reed needs to move when vibrating against the mouthpiece-the more ‘open’ the mouthpiece,the harder it is to blow.
The reed/mouthpiece configuration is seemingly limitless in scope-it obsesses Saxophonists.
So,I’d say Alto would be a good choice for a budding Sax player (I’ve always fancied trying a Baritone myself!)
Go on Zub.- You know you want it,you secret Hepcat you!
Alto or tenor; not soprano, and I can’t even imagine sopranino! Whichever horn a person gets, make sure that the pads are good and the horn is in good adjustment. I’ve played for lots of years, and couldn’t even get some notes to speak in a top-of-the-line new soprano that came from the factory poorly adjusted. (This is where it gets tricky. A complete repad, cleaning, and adjustment of a sax can easily run $400 to $500, so you really need to pay attention to the condition of any horn considered.)
Mouthpiece and reeds also make a tremendous difference.
Anyway this settles it: I’ll try and see Hervieux and Glet in the next few weeks.
Beside their famed bombardes and binious (bagpipes) they make also a simple-system wooden sax in D (with optional C#, C and even B pinkie keys) with a rather good reputation. I guess this will count as a “C” alto, which are a pretty hard find in conventional metal saxes.
Do you think I’ll take the opportunity to try out one of their wooden low whistles (D, Eb or F)?
Pity these related Taragot (straight Bb alto) are too far away in the South of France…
They sound good in Eastern Europe music, but work well for Breton too
but a decent practice amp with headphone out will do - tubes would be nice.
