A nice post about our products, on SOTW, no less!

They hate and abuse me on SOTW. Here's a post from a customer, which I have cut and pasted in it's entirety, since they always take down anything favorable said about me. The link to the original post is:
http://forum.saxontheweb.net/showthread.php?p=1288940#post1288940

He who shall not be named

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I know I'm not going to make any friends with this post but here I go. I have read all the stuff written about "he who shall not be named" in various posts and to be honest until yesterday I bought into all of what some people were saying.

Many of you know that I had issues with Emilio Lyon's recent "overhaul" of my Mark VI tenor. Last week I reached the end of my rope and decided that I would go against the advice that had been given to me and shoot old Voldemort a question. He immediately called me back and spent almost 45 minutes on the phone with me diagnosing my problem and giving advice. I then made an appointment with him.

Yesterday I went over to his uptown home in the Garden District of New Orleans and brought along my Mark VI Tenor and SBA alto (which I am very proud of). I rang the bell and what answered the door was not the monster some portray him to be. He didn't hiss, bite or have horns. He was every bit the constant professional. He invited me right in and made me feel right at home.

As I walked down the hall from the entrance into his studio I couldn't help but notice all of the autographed pictures from various artists thanking him for the wonderful service through the years. Artist's like Michael Brecker and the world renowned classical saxophonist Dr. Lawrence Gwadz (who was one of my teachers by the way). These are the best of the best and they trusted him so what was up with what everyone was saying about him.

ln his studio I met the real Steve Goodson. Yes, that's right I said it. Steve Goodson! He was easily approachable, pleasant and the constant professional. He first spent about 30 minutes examining my Mark VI tenor then another hour explaining what was and wasn't done with respect to my recent overhaul along with all my options if I wanted the horn overhauled by his studio. I will also note that he never once said a bad word about Emilio Lyon's. No matter what I said he would just speak highly of him as he did everyone I mentioned during my visit. This impressed me so much. I know some repair guys that just knock on others (You do too) but not Steve. As I said he was the constant proffesional.

Steve thoroughly explained all my options and in the end I decided to wait until March to have the overhaul done so I could get through my Holiday gigs and he through trade shows.

Before I left I tried out a few of his mouthpieces, necks and horns.

Before I begin to tell you about the products I tested let me tell you that I am no weak player by far and I know my horns. I play professionally in the New Orleans/Baton Rouge/Deep South area playing with local and national touring groups. I majored in saxophone performance studying with Alan Keating, Lawrence Gwadz, Jazz with Willis Delony, Eddie Campbell and a few more. I gig constantly and have a bit of a Brecker meets King Curtis kind of sound on tenor and a Cannonball meets Woods sound on alto if that tells you anything. I am equally sound in jazz and classical saxophone performance. I have owned 2 Mark VI altos and 1 SBA alto. I have owned several Mark VI tenors and everything else under the sun from a 10M to a Martin. I teach saxophone privately and like many of you buy, sell and repair saxes and woodwinds. I am truly a Sax Junkee.

I first tried one of Steve's silver plated necks on my Tenor. The neck wasn't even fitted properly. It was just flopping around and the sound was like WOW. Big, fat, and responsive. This neck masked and simply overcame the problems the horn was having. I am heading back Saturday to pick one up along with something else.

I then tried a few of his mouthpieces. The were all beautifully hand finished, responsive and free blowing. If I were in the market for a mouthpiece I would be spending more time in this part of his studio.

Needing a Bari sax since the sale of my Mark VI I asked to play the Bari Sax. Let me tell you that I was skeptical picking it up but I quickly noticed that whoever is making his horns wherever they are being made is a true craftsmen. They are very nicely made. And when I played the horn all I could say was OMG! Steve laughed and nodded with approval as if to say "That's right." This Bari had more tone, more power and more of just everything that any other Bari I have played. The keys were even set up like a Tenor. It is a freaking ergonomic masterpiece! I don't need to give you the long list of VIs, Yanis, Yamaha's and other Baris that I have been fortunate enough to own and play. I'll just tell you that the Sax Gourmet Bari simply buried them all! Don't say "you just haven't played on any good ones yet" because I have. I've played on the best of everything, I know my Baris and this one smokes the competition. Whatever metal his malefactor is using just makes that thing growl. The tone speaks Mark VI all the way. The metal mimics that vintage Selmer sound but the horn is just way better than any VI I have played. Woops, did I say that.

Then I asked to play the soprano. I presently own a Yamaha Custom and just wanted to compare. The Sax Gourmet Soprano's bell is curved with a silver bell and neck. The body is copper plate. What a pretty sound. The tone was like a cross between a Mark VI and a old silver curved Buscher. Just an insanely free blowing soprano that I will be upgrading too as soon as I can.

The Voodoo Rex Alto was very good as well. A really solid pro-level sax. I really didn't spend a lot of time with this horn because I am so use to my SBA alto and I didn't want to get ruined.

I then picked up what I consider to now be my personal "Holy Grail." A tenor sax that Steve called the Sax Gourmet Super 400. I played the horn for a brief second and turned to Steve and said "This is the best Mark VI I have ever played on." He just laughed and nodded like he did before.

Let me say that this horn played circles around every Mark VI that I have ever owned or played on. In fact for you Yamaha lovers that claim that they are the new thing. I just sent a YTS82ZS and YTS82ZUL back to WWBW last week and have maybe played 15 Z Tenors and it beats the pants off all of them too!

Steve went to the case and came back with another neck and said "try this one, it comes with two necks." I put the 2nd neck on this masterpiece and now just when I thought it couldn't get better it did. The sound darkened a little and it just said "I am a 5 digit Mark VI or SBA'. I litterly stood there floored staring at the horn. Surely it was a wolf in sheeps clothing. Surely Steve had replated an old SBA and stuck his logo on it. Not at all. Steve designed this masterpiece. I truly stood in awe. I played it for what must have been another solid hour while he went on with his business. I kept playing my VI and then the Super 400, back and forth I went checking my licks and responsiveness. There was nothing that the six could do that the 400 couldn't but there was plenty that the 400 could do that the six couldn't. I came to the conclusion that I must have this horn. He took a deposit on it and I am going to pick it up on Saturday. My search is over...

You know how well the Yamaha's play but they still have that tingy Yamaha sound. Not this. This has a Selmer sound all the way. Resonance all the way. The body is copper plated and it is just a pretty horn. Man does it play it's a## off. I have no idea how he did it but he did.

I hope that many of you will look past all the hype around Steve (AKA: He who shall not be named). He's really a nice guy and he doesn't bite at all. He makes one hell of a sax that deserves it's place along side the great ones.

Thanks for reading my little blurb.
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SOP:Yamaha Custom, Vandoren V16
ALTO 1: SBA 36K, Morgan Excalibur
ALTO 1: Mark VI 126K, Morgan Excalibur
TENOR 1: Saxgourmet Super 400, Ponzol M2S
TENOR 2: Mark VI 160K, Ponzol M2S
BARI: Sold
CLNT: Buffet R-13