SOLD - A very early era, professional Yanagisawa/Yani baritone known as the "6 Series". This is one of the earliest years that received the full "[Yani logo]" on the the bell - built by Yani, claimed by Yani. Of course is also says "Japan" under the serial number and has the logo on the neck neck brace and the clothes guard.
Conn ‘Eagle’ Baritone, 1920s – 0.070″
SOLD - The original tip is 0.070" right now. Help direct us to how best to size the time to you (It will likely not go higher than 0.105"). Notice the lower walls cutout for comfort - cool! A great large chamber mouthpiece made of hard rubber mouthpiece from the golden era. If you want it closer to original with minor inspections and enhancements, the price will be $229.00
These were commonly paired with New Wonder I or II saxes originally.
Item #:WWSL8E3.11091.7-003
Buescher 1955 ‘Aristocrat II – Big B’ Eb Baritone, #351,41x (Archived)
SOLD - WWS REBUILD in buescher snap-in pads, Finish: Original Lacquer at 50%.
Serial number 351xxx. 60+% Original Lacquer, The Big Bs are famous for a BIG warm sound with rich low notes--resonant low end the fills the room, probably due to some help from the big bell flare. Mid-range gets a little thin but the low notes make up for it. These fit very well in jazz or concert bands. Intonation is pretty good all-round, C# is non-articulated, but my biggest complainant on the model is the lack of pants-guard on the backside. Beyond that, the Big B Baritones have a cult following who seek that fat warm sound.
This sax has a a WWS Rebuild on it. We originally sold it to a local customer who chose to sell it back to us due to their life changes. I will happily tune our pad-work up and send it out playing as good as I remember it.
CASE: It came back with the original case (working, yet poor condition). We can talk about case options for this one.
Rousseau ‘Jazz Model JDX #6’ Baritone – 0.103″ (Archived)
SOLD - A hard rubber mouthpiece that is a great addition to any player and especially those on a budget. I really admire the Rousseau company for making quality mouthpieces that don't break the bank. New pricing is $140-190.00 ... come quick!
Marketed Description via WWBW:
"The JDX series of jazz mouthpieces features a unique wedged baffle that allows the performer to balance a stable sound with maximum power, edge and projection"
Item: WWSL3W6.2W5.6281.7-003-0
Grassi 1993 ‘Professional 2000’ Eb Baritone, Low A #64k (Archived)
SOLD - 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. 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". Item #:WWS2E4.6E3.35.222.17-F
Yanagisawa 1972 ‘[Vito Stencil] 6 Series/B6’ Eb Baritone, Low A, Bare Brass #1,272,9xx(Archived)
SOLD - Early era professional Yanagisawa/Yani baritone known as the "6 Series". This is the earliest years of the 'stencil' lines (a "stenciled" name engraved on the the bell - built by Yani; and it says "Japan" under the serial number). You can see the Yani logo on the neck brace and the clothes guard. This sax arrived as a trade in, after it had received an estimated $1,200.00 repad + the new case. I will inspect it and make some adjustments as needed. The sax was ADULT OWNED and played semi-professionally by a 30+ year sax player.
FINISH: It was stripped from the original finish to bare brass; it has tarnished to a nice, golden color.
CASE: Comes with near new Protec case. ($300)
PADS: The pads are in great shape; tan pads with plastic resonators.
Buescher ‘Whitehall’ Baritone, 1940s (WWS Reface) – 0.102″ (Archived)
SOLD - Custom Reface! + Large chamber! - A vintage hard rubber mouthpiece that is a copy of a vintage Buescher that I would approximate from the 1940s. This one had a large chamber and the original tip (needing some minor seal help) at 0.074" on arrival. Now it measures 0.102". it is an easy blower and has a big sound. It must be a unique blend because you seldom see a large chamber that remains with a high-rollover baffle. Large chamber & high baffle from custom reface. Item: WWSL4.7W6.12151.6-018
Conn 1925 ‘New Wonder II – “Chu Berry”‘ Eb Baritone, Lacquer #156,xxx (Archived)
SOLD - Chu Sound Files to Enjoy! - A great horn for a player, gigger, conn-lover...etc! In lacquer, it's potentially a one-time relacquer. I say this because 1) lacquer wasn't used until about 1934, and 2) the lack of engraving leads me to believe that the sax was potentially nickel or bare brass from the factory. HINT: Let's do a custom restoration and engraving! There's some bumps and dings in the body, bow and bell. I'll burnish these out with love the best I can. Also there are a few ring resolders, mixed-matched springs, and guard resolder marks too.
OPTIONS: I'm considering this sax for a Silver Restoration because the bell is bare -- We can add a beautiful, custom-floral engraving. The price would go up significantly, but so would the beauty and 'wow factor'.
CASE: used protec in good condition. Just add a little extra padding for a secure fit.
REBUILD: a WWS Standard Rebuild included in the price. I recommend huge resonators (upgrade possible) and pads to match your playing environment.
Item #WWS9E.0E0.37.381.7-0