Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Saxophone Mutes are now in stock!


For soprano, alto, and tenor........

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

Monday, November 16, 2009

The Black Mambo hard rubber tenor mouthpiece


The more I play it, the more I like it.............

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Bari's R Us! The NEW Saxgourmet baritone is now in stock!











We got a HUGE load of horns this morning, including the Voodoo Rex altos (which had been sold out, thank you very much!), the Saxgourmet Saxello (also a sellout), and the NEW Saxgourmet bari. Since the bari is an all new model, here are some of the details and a few quick and dirty pictures.

This model is an evolution of the famous Steve Goodson Model baritone, and is much improved over that great horn. It has features never found before on a baritone, because as you faithful readers know, I'm a baritone player by profession. Here are some of the key points:

(1) The unique Low A mechanism which is operated by the left hand pinky. Of course, the traditional left thumb fingering is also available.

(2) A greatly improved left hand pinky table. It's smaller for quicker action. It's actually the same key touches we use on the Voodoo Rex alto.

(3) Redesigned palm keys. They're smaller and closer together, and much lighter in touch requirement.

(4) Ergonomic key touches for the chromatic F# and high F# keys. You have to try these to appreciate the huge difference.

(5) A revised front F key touch, that is easy on the fingers and really quick.

(6) A much improved screw adjustable F# helper for the lower stack

(7) Totally revised key touch placement for the main stack keys. These are even closer together than the placement we used on the Steve Goodson Model bari.

(8) A revised and much stronger bracing system for the left hand pinky table.

(9) A new pigtail design that greatly facilitates the altissimo and tames the intonation problems of the upper register.

(10) An entirely new bell taper which brings the low B, Bb, and A into perfect tune.

(11) Even more hand cut engraving on the bell, bow, body tube, and now the key cups.

(12) An improved strap hook with better spacing for bari players. 3 rings, of course!

(13) An enlarged Saxgourmet thumbrest specific to this model

(14) Solid copper Maestro resonators from MusicMedic

(15) A new bore taper and resultant tone hole placement for better response. It's a bit bigger bore than the Steve Goodson Model.

(16) A new countour case with wheels

There's much more, of course...but this will give you some idea what this new model is all about. I've got to tell you that I'm the proudest new poppa in Orleans Parish!

Most of this shipment is already sold. I've got seven available out of the fifteen we got today. First come, first served. The price is $4200 firm.

BTW, I read today a post by Morry Payne stating that the Orpheo bari was the same horn as the Steve Goodson Model, only with different pads. This is absolutely 100% incorrect. It proves once again why they call SOTW "The Saxophone Mis-information Site"! The Orpheo is made is a different factory and has nothing in common with the Steve Goodson Model (now discontinued in favor of the new Saxgourmet bari) other than they are both baritone saxophones.

When better saxophones are needed, we will design and manufacture them!

Sunday, November 8, 2009

The Decline and Fall of the American Saxophone Industry

I spent some time this weekend with some guys who have all played saxophone for a living full time for over thirty years each. We had a lot of fun playing through some of my old (and new) horns and mouthpieces, and talking about the eternal truths of "which horn is best and why".

These guys, whose living depends on the performance of their instrument, don't play American horns. Of course, it's worth pointing out that there are NO full saxophone factories in the United States, and have not been for years.

At one time, American horns were considered at least on a par with the offereings of other nations. Somewhere along the line, we dropped the ball.

I recall when I got my first really good horn in 1964. I tried pretty much everything that was available at the time (Kings, Martins, Conns, Bueschers, and Selmers) and there was really no comparison between the American horns and the Selmer. It felt right and sounded right. The American horns were very clumsy feeling, although the Martin had a nice sound as I recall.

Later in my career, I flirted with a Super 20 Silversonic, assorted Yamahas, more Selmers, a Buffet S-1 (great horn!), and various "vintage horns" including a Buescher 400, a Conn 30M, and assorted Martins, including a low Bb "The Martin" bari which was my main axe for many years. But I always went back to Selmers, until I figured I could do better and started designing and building my own horns.

What was wrong with the American horns? Plenty! The manufacturers were not paying attention to what a working musician really needed. They carried over designs from the 1930's well into the early 1970's and expected us to buy them. When innovations in design came along, they ignored them. In fairness, the build quality was generally pretty good, but the ergonomics were terrible and the intonation was quite often questionable. They stood by and ignored our needs.

If you think about it, there were really NO innovations by American manufacturer's after the 1940's. The Conn 28M was great, but poorly marketed, and aside from that, innovations were few and far between. Was there any excuse for this? Sure there was: they were selling the old designs in sufficient quantity, and saw no reason to "improve the breed". Ultimately, the failure to keep up with the times caught up with them.

I keep hearing about the "great horns from Elkhart" and the "great craftsmen of Elkhart". Well, in the 1930's that may have been true. After that, it just wasn't so.

Wednesday, November 4, 2009

Getting Ready for the Saxophone Smackdown!



Mark your calendar! Steve Goodson vs. Curt Altarac in a fight to the finish, no holds barred!

There will be an open to the public (advanced registration required) Saxophone Clinic held on Saturday, February 6 at the NEW MusicMedic.com facility in Wilmington, NC. The fee for the clinic is $80. The clinics and clinicians are as follows:

SAXOPHONE NECKS AND INTONATION: Curt Altarac
HIGH PERFORMANCE SAXOPHONES: Jeff Peterson
A TALE OF TWO FACTORIES: Matt Stohrer
IT ALL STARTS WITH THE MOUTHPIECE: Steve Goodson

In addition to the clinics, there will be a mini-trade show and product demonstrations!

Here's the lineup and particulars:

Sat Feb 6, 2010 8:00 AM

Host: Curt Altarac Curt@MusicMedic.com

Location: MusicMedic.com's New Facility 910.667.0270
901 Martin Street
Wilmington, NC 28401

Clinic Fee: $80.00




CLINICS & CLINICIANS



Curt Altarac received his Masters degree in saxophone performance at the University of Southern Mississippi and has studied saxophone with Harwood Strobeck, Dr. David Abrams, Dr. Laurence Wyman, Dr. Lawrence Gwozdz and Larry Panella. As a teacher and musician Curt is very active with both classical and jazz saxophone, focusing on the Baritone and Bass saxophones. Curt's most recent accomplishment involves the engineering of as well as general contracting for his new business location which is under construction.

Saxophones Necks & Intonation: Through careful research and observance, Curt has discovered many ways of altering the bore and neck of saxophones to achieve specific and predictable results for professional players around the world. In this clinic Curt will explain when why and how he solves problems with an instrument by altering a saxophone neck taper and/or the octave vent.



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Jeff Peterson began disassembling his toys at age 4, took up saxophone studies in the 6th grade, and somehow these experiences and others led him into the field of band instrument repair. In addition to gleaning a wealth of information from his many friends at NAPBIRT, he has studied flute repair with David Straubinger, instrument engraving with Jason DuMars, and saxophone performance with Leo Potts. Jeff is the founder of Horn Improvement, specializing in professional sax, clarinet, and flute repair. In 2007, Jeff began working at Yamaha as manager of the Yamaha Los Angeles Atelier and Woodwind Artist Development. In this role, Jeff works with a worldwide team to develop cutting-edge instruments to satisfy the most discriminating artists. He is currently serving as NAPBIRT Director for Region 7.

High Performance Saxophones: What can be done to bring out the best in a saxophone? Many aspects of saxophone repair are either overlooked or misunderstood. In this session, we will focus on some subtle but critical areas of the saxophone that deserve closer attention. Topics will include: precision neck fitting, set-up essentials, regulation concepts, custom modifications, and more.



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Matt Stohrer was captivated by the saxophone at an early age through his father's record collection. When his parents asked him why he chose to take up the saxophone, his answer was 'Mom, I just love the sound.' He kept playing saxophone through high school and college. By his early 20s he was learning how to repair and as head woodwind tech at Sam Ash, Manhattan, he steadily amassed a distinguished clientele from all over the world through word of mouth. In July of 2009 Matt left Sam Ash to open his own business in Brooklyn to work exclusively on saxophones. Go to www.stohrerwoodwinds.com

A Tale of Two Factories: A virtual tour of the Tenon Industrial Saxophone Factory near Saigon, Vietnam and the Yanagisawa Saxophone Factory in Tokyo, Japan through a tech's eyes, with a focus on how knowing how a horn was made can inform your repair decisions.



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Steve Goodson has been repairing saxophones since 1964, and opened his first repair shop in 1972 and has been based in New Orleans since 1992. Widely regarded as an innovator and an "out of the box" thinker, Steve specializes in custom keywork and significant modifications. In addition to a thriving repair business, Steve Goodson Woodwinds, LLC also manufactures high end hand made saxophones, necks, mouthpieces, and other saxophone accessories for the professional market. Steve has also worked as a design consultant for numerous tool and repair supply makers serving the repair industry, including Ferree's Tool, Ed Myers, and MusicMedic, as well as doing saxophone design and consulting for several major manufacturers in the USA and Asia.


It All Starts With the Mouthpiece: Steve introduces the most overlooked part of any saxophone repair job: the mouthpiece! You'll learn the fundamentals of mouthpiece design, how to match the mouthpiece to the individual horn, how to deal with mouthpiece related tuning and response problems and the basics of mouthpiece repair and refacing. Steve will provide mouthpiece blanks for the participants to make it a real hands-on experience!



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CLINIC SCHEDULE


8:00 - Strong coffee and confections
8:30 - Clinic 1 - Saxophone Necks & Intonation - Curt Altarac
10:00 - More Coffee
10:30 - Clinic 2 - High Performance Saxophones - Jeff Peterson
12:00 - Live Jazz lunch with product demonstrations
2:00 - Clinic 3 - A Tale of Two Factories - Matt Stohrer
3:30 - Cheese and wine
3:45 - Clinic 4 - It All Starts With the Mouthpiece - Steve Goodson
5:00 - More wine
5:15 - Open question and answer session with all clinicians
6:00 - Adjourn


After 6:00: All clinicians will be enjoying dinner, merriment and repair discussions in beautiful downtown Wilmington. Although this is not part of the sponsored NAPBIRT event, please join us!