Grassi 1993 ‘Professional 2000’ Eb Baritone, Low A #64k (Archived)

1990s Grassi Eb Baritone, with Low A

A superb baritone that will blow the doors down! This Grassi has a tone that blows us away for its "crispness" & "bark". It reminds me of Keilwerth bark, but with slightly less spread in the harmonics. "Professional 2000" engraved under the serial #, elongated C/Eb key touches (added modern comfort). There are other great features also: Grassi's elaborate tube rings, bell engraving, F#-arm adjustment screws, ...note that there is no high F#. There were ding dings/one dent to mention on the lower, front bow--*I can take this dent out; It will clean up nicely. There may be a few small pings on it too; the scratch to mention is by the pants guard on the tube. She's not perfect, but she is very very pretty.

Not many people have ever played a Grassi, even more so, there is not a ton of information on these. These were "Made in Italy" and do have a respectful following - as long as you are working with the professional model. This #64k is later in the factory run.

CASE: Original Grassi Hard case. It is a little lighter-grade, (light, and a little flimsy) but overall it's in excellent condition.

FINISH: Original Lacquer Body & Keys.

SOUND: Powerful, presence, a little "bark", crisp. This is not ideal for quiet chamber work. (I really liked the tone with a Medium Chamber mouthpiece best -- see: similar to Yamaha 5C or Meyers, as an example.)

PADS: Current pad setup is original and plays very well.  It has tan pads and larger metal resonators - nickel; with a seamless, light dome; and no-rivet.

I think you could fall in love with this sax as-is and enjoy it for several years without needing major pad work. I am happy to tune up the sax with some precision. There are minor things that I'd love to perfect.

Any one who actually knows what these horns offer will agree with the common statement: "These horns are highly undervalued, and offer you more for the money than many others in the same price range".

Sound File of this actual Grassi:

Item #:WWS2E4.6E3.35.222.17-F