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 1926 ‘True Tone’ Eb Alto, Series III, Silver, #205k (Archived)
SOLD - Serial #205k, the first good era with roller G#. In great condition, and a little tarnish to wipe off (it will shine great!). Silver is 90% intact, the bell is silver inside, not goldwash. Some wear inside the bell down to brass. I'm not sure if it was gold and was rubbed out over time--my gut says silver since the beginning. It has the earlier-era engraving, with a crisp "Buescher" on the bell. Neck is # "1". This model has a great tubby-warmth to the sound --Sigard Rascher made this one famous! They have a tone that is uniquely 'Buescher' for early vintage saxes--very woody--but intonation was not perfected well on these 1920s horns; having a proper mouthpiece will help! (A larger chamber will be recommended.) It has the original wood case in "Good/ok" shape. Currently we are treating the case with some anti-odor methods. Please check in with me on this topic. I believe we'll be able to make it work well for you. This sax was rebuilt with tan pads and plastic resos (no snaps present) by a very reputable Northwest WA sax repairman. The work was done 10yrs ago and the sax was barely played during that first year. It has been in its case since.
Conn ’20M’ Eb Alto, #3,812k, w/ F# (Archived)
SOLD - A trusted "starter sax", with vintage Conn bones and strong metal! (good for kids). It also have the high F# key!
Cosmetic Rating: 7.0 -- mostly great
WWSL0ES2.5ES0.00.611.7-C-002
Other: ‘KSC – USA’ Eb Alto, #N60k (Archived)
SOLD - Here's a tricky sax/potential "diamond in the rough". I believe, due to some info from the past owner, that this could be a 1970s/early80s build that was a copy of a Selmer Mark VII. It is a heavy build and you'll see all the great things that we love for ergos.
TONE: The tone is not quick " vintage Selmer" as it is a little brighter. However, it is not the same extra bright tone of the modern saxes.
PADS: older, factory pads. PC work pending.
CASE: wood case. "good/ok" condition.
For this sax, we will include a basic tune-up and it will continue to play excellent. I see this as a great "step-up"/intermediate sax for someone on a budget... or a very nice pep band horn!
Conn 1942 ’10M’ Bb Tenor, #306,84x (Archived)
SOLD - A prime era 10m in original lacquer, S# 306,843. the thing is 30-m's and 10-m's are so different , i felt like i need to have both... the 30m is more of a jazz horn and the 10m works better for my rockin' R&B stuff. It has never seen any notable body damage, although some minor dents may have been rolled out before i got her. Rolled tone holes, Naked Lady engraving. The neck is slightly pulled down, i corrected that and eventually i will do a Conn Style Premium Rebuild, with Saxgourmet Kangaroo pads and flat metal resonators. The premium upgrade, with Teflon and Ultrasuede, will really do a lot to smooth out the action on her.
Chadd comments: This one is a real screamer. Setup with oversized flat metal resonators, and the Black Saxgourmet Roo pads. Just the real deal here, everything you'd expect from the fable of 10M's.
Originally, I got to sell this to a friend of Sarge's/mine. I had the rare opportunity to by her back and list her again through WWS; it's only fitting.
Item #:WWST2s5.0s0.5301.7-s06
Holton 1930 ‘Rudy Wiedoeft’ Eb Alto, Silver #39k (Archived)
SOLD - A collector's joy and diamond-in-the-rough alto! I am so tempted to keep this one for myself. It has trill keys, unique venting, neck tuning adjustment, and more! The Frank Holton Company operated in Elkhorn, Wisconsin, USA. The "RW" model is one of the more popular. This sax features:
--C1 venting
--G# trill
--Eb trill
--Eb3 trill
--Neck tuning adjuster
FINISH: Original silver plate, in excellent 90%+ condition
SOUND: Sweet, vintage, ... more to come here...
Current pad setup on arrival was a rivet, no reso. The tone was restricted. It plays well enough to hear the sweet tone, but I think that you'd really fall in love with this sax with a fresh WWS Rebuild and pads chosen for your preferences.
***WWS Rebuild included at the listed price.***
Item #:WWS2.5S0.00.521.7-0
Keilwerth ‘ST-90, Series IV’ Bb Tenor, #420,7xx (Archived)
SOLD - With high F# and the JK oversized pearls (plastic on this series IV), Here's a great used, one-of-my-favorite, not-thrashed models! New in the last 10yrs-ish, serial #420,xxx, newer construction, gold lacquer throughout! Comes with good case and mouthpiece.
Cosmetic condition rating: 7.5
PC work pending.
Item #:WWS5.1E2.28.4261.7-C0