Ugh. This has gotta stop. Writing always helps me process. So that's what I'll do with my time tonight.
Pictured from left to right:
1921 Conn New Wonder
1938 Buescher Aristocrat
1943 Conn 10M
1937 Selmer Balanced Action:
I'll talk about them in that order.
Conn New Wonder. I played one of these exclusively for about a decade. So I always like to have one around even if it's not terribly useful to me. It's kind of my standard. Out of the 4 it's the most fun to play, and well, the oldest sounding tenor I have. It's quite spread. If I go from the 10M to this horn the New Wonder sounds 'tinny'. But that's merely a perception. Once my ears get used to it, this is a big and full sounding horn. It responds well, very fast, and of course fills the room nicely without stepping on anyones toes. That's what I like about these old New Wonders. Listen to an old Billie Holiday recording with Lester Young blowing behind her. His sound fills the record yet somehow never gets in her way. It's plain haunting. I've done this with one of these, my old 1928 model and another 1921 horn I had years ago. Intonation is quite good on these old Conns. Surprisingly good for a near 100 year old horn. I do find the high end goes sharp a bit so I tend to play with a loose embouchure. But certainly easier than other horns I've played costing much more.
Conn made a lot of these horns so they are easily available.
Sound wise I find these to be plain beautiful. They don't fall apart when pushed, they just get bigger. This horn has small flat metal resonators. The guy who overhauled it wanted to mimic the Conn Reso-pads. Good thing to do in my opinion. Better than getting actual reso-pads. Just get something with the same style resonators. Not that it makes much difference in the end. More on this opinion later.
What's not to love?
This wouldn't be my first choice for studio work if I'm playing with someone else. I use an Otto Link Early Babbit Super Tonemaster #7 and a simple Rico orange box #3. I did a session this summer in Vermont with this horn and it actually did great. The other musicians loved the tone I got. So really, any of these four horns I can make work, but I'd rather use any of the other 3 for that. I've done some free sessions with this horn and find it blends quite well. I actually love the sound with flute and trumpet. Room filling but never gets in the way. So why the studio work comment? It really does have this old world sound. It's very personal to me. I loved and struggled with one of these for years. My own music I was 90% happy. Other peoples music I was 40% happy. Subjective? Of course. Your experience may be totally different.
Next, 1937 Buescher Aristocrat:
These were my next obsession. I had 2 this year that I sold and it didn't take long for me to regret it. I just got this one from JW Sax in Massachusetts. It's a killer. The neck isn't original, it's from an Elkhart Band Instrument company horn from an unknown time. I had a terrible looking Aristocrat with the same neck for a while. I feel these necks are even punchier then the original, as it these horns need more guts! This one is set up with those Noyek "waffle" resonators. The kind some horn techs like to promote. Some say it "distorts" the sound, some say it brightens the sound. Bullshit. This is the darkest Aristocrat I've owned by far. My brightest had Selmer Nylon resonators.
I love these horns. They're smooth like velvet and out of the lot, this is by far the warmest. But it's also the nastiest when pushed. The lacquer on this horn is original. Very nice to look at even though this horn has been through some battle zones.
These have by far my favorite engraving. And looks matter. But more importantly, I feel a bit more special playing on one cause, well, so few people play these. Ike Quebec, and Sonny Rollins played a Big B version with the same size bell. Wayne Shorter played a 30's Bundy like this.
Intonation is great. The second best of the lot. It can go a bit sharp upstairs but it's not nearly as wild as the New Wonder. These horns cut as well. I don't find it as room filling as the New Wonder, but it's not what I consider 'laser like' focus as you see others say so often. The high end is wider that my 10M and I love that. The low end is like that 'iron fist in a velvet glove' thing. People look at the bell and say "focused" or "compact, but I wonder how many folks have played these. You can't just lok at the bell, it's the whole picture: neck, tone hole size, bore. This is a true large bore sax. I played a Rampone recently and felt it had a kinship. Like that Rampone I find these have a big ass sound and I like the resistance. I find these to be the most flexible tonally. I can mimic a flute, bassoon, human voice or a disgusting blues saxophonist on a dime.
I've gotten more compliments from players and non players alike on this model than any other. The first time I A/B'd one of these it looked funny with that smallish bell flare. My friend and I put it up against his 2 SML tenors, his Mk6 and a 1948 10M I had and another New Wonder. The Buescher just sat in the room better then the SML and Conn horns. It seemed louder than even the giant bell SML! The only horn that out-projected it was my friends admittedly not great 1957 Mk6. That horn was louder, but the Buescher sounded better to our ears.
So I'll keep this one around. The New Wonder is my old standard, then I played one of these for about 6 years and, well, it's my new standard.
I used it on a gig last night after I got it in the mail 3 hours before. Felt like coming home to a sweet potato pie and good coffee.
Next, my trusty 1943 Conn 10M:
I was obsessed over these horns for years. A guy who worked next door to me bought one for $200 back in about 1999 and I tried to buy it off him. He never did anything with it, poor horn is probably still in it's case. A good horn is just a tool after all, and should be in service.
That's all this is: just a damned good horn. The tone doesn't compel me nearly as much as my Buescher, but when I need a solid, in tune, big sounding reliable tenor with the best action of the lot (yes, I think these have the best key work ever made. It's almost too fast!) then I grab this one. I had a King Zephyr once on a soul session I did. I also had a '41 10M in the car that I was taking back to my tech after he overhauled it but didn't chem clean it. The horn had some old Jazzers years of cigarette smoke in it and I gagged when trying to play it! I did play one line on it and the guy producing the session had me re-do everything on the 10M. I suffered! The Zephyr went bye bye.
This one is set up with nylon resonators. Plenty of cut and top end for me. It's not as complex or compelling of a sound, but has a big dark fundamental. I have a rubber Warburton piece I used that really spices this horn up for me. It spreads the sound out nicely, better than my faithful Otto Link.
I don't feel as connected to this horn as I do the other 2. It's almost like it's so good that I don't care about it as much. Not unusual for me, I have a classical guitar that is worth $10k-$20k and a student model worth $1k. I spend more time on the student model and I just love that guitar. But I won't be selling the expensive one anytime soon as it is heavenly. I'd just feel more bummed if I sold my beloved student one.
I play sax stuff on this horn. When I need a sax I reach for this. The first 2 I play me. On my guitars I love to play classical on that expensive one, I play classical and everything else on my cheaper one. I play me......
And the one that most of you clicked on to see, my Selmer Balanced Action:
Always wanted one. I had this overhauled by Kim Bock at KB Sax. He did an amazing job. I had him put those brass reusable Resotech resonators in it. I'm 6 months into it now and here are my impressions:
It really has a lovely voice. The high end is the best of all of these and there is a richness to the bell keys that I've never found better. I like the key work but I like the 10M better honestly.
Ultimately I always sound like me no matter what. But funny enough, the 10M and this horn have such a similar color to the sound. They are really close when I play them. The New Wonder and Aristocrat venture into different sonic territories but this sounds like a great saxophone. If I wanted to be a jazz player this would be the horn no doubt. Followed by the 10M.
This horn has taught me a bit about my favorite Selmer players. It requires me to play so differently just to get what I want from it. For starters:
Intonation.... It's the trickiest of the lot. I've read over and over the bell keys are sharp on these, that the bell or bow was too short, but that is a part of the sound. It sounds the most modern of the lot for sure, I played a Yanagisawa T4, my friends Grassi, and some newer Selmers and yes, the inspiration starts here. Very voluptuous low end, rich and vocal like throughout. But with regards to intonation here's my experience on this horn:
Put a digital tuner to it and I find the bell keys spot on! Play a scale on up to the top at moderate volume and it stays together. But push the thing and, well, the bell keys are still spot on and the rest of the horn goes flat!
This is not to say the horn is flawed. I've asked friends who love these and I've experimented as well. I need a firm embouchure when playing my high notes, not loose like my American horns. As my friend Lathan says: firm yet supple.
With attention, work (lots of work) I can do it. It's a matter of do I want to work hard or just enjoy myself at this point (I turned 50 this summer!). I did 2 sessions this summer on the Selmer and realized how much work I'd need to do just to get it right. They weren't that fun for me. I don't like fighting my gear. Life is too short.
Live I think this horn probably cuts the best. I get it. There is a reason why they have such a loyal following. This may actually be the loudest horn I've ever owned. And while I don't like the Mk6 feel myself, these are unbeatable. Well, maybe the Super Balanced beats them in the feel department.
Then there is the money part. This horn cost more dough than the other 3 combined and that was pre-overhaul! Fortunately Kim and I did a work trade on the overhaul, I revived a Selmer Varitone amp and re-wired the matching Mk6 horn for him.
I do like this horn, but I think I like the money more than the horn. When it was in his shop a fine player tried it and fell in love with it. So maybe it needs to go to that person who knows how to work it. This is the horn I grab last cause I don't have as much fun with the thing. On the other hand, give me more time with it and maybe it'll change me for the better? I can see that.
Nah, eff it. Give me the cash!
So there you have it. There are so many great options out there. I do hope any readers find this article fun and useful. Feel free to share your experiences in the comments section.
-J
