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Sax on the Web Forum Archive / Baritone Saxophone / Super 80 Bari..any good?

Cashsax
User ID: 9014973 Sep 12th 5:23 PM
I got a chance to pick up a mint Super 80 low A bari(1985) in lacquer. Would a new series II (Silver) be a lot better. What's the diff.? Any opinions???....Thanks, Cash

wf
User ID: 9349783 Sep 12th 5:29 PM
My experience is that on average, the S80 I are worse than the Series II. They seem to have more intonation problems and don't seem as well made. Also, the keywork is a little better on the II (forked F key).
But...
If there is a significant price difference, you might want to go for the Series I, especially because Silver is so hard to take care of. About 90% of the silver horns I see look terrible after a year or two. A bari would be extremely hard to keep polished.

V
User ID: 0303694 Sep 14th 12:12 AM
With the use of 3M anti-tarnish strips (available at any hardware store), care of a silver horn is pretty much a non-issue. I have a silver Series III tenor, and I only have to wipe it down every now and then to make it GLEAM! The 3M strips are awesome!

Regarding your decision btwn. the Selmer horns, my experience with a Series II (lacquered) bari has lead me to play a Yanagisawa 991. IMHO, the new Yani's are such a superior horn...there is no contest. If you have the $$, I would check out the 992 or even 993 (drooling...). You will not be dissappointed.

Good luck!

BrianA
User ID: 1564944 Sep 14th 1:45 PM
Ditto on the Yani bari saxes, made me give up my Selmer Mark VI and my Yamaha.. no contest.. not to mention the way Selmer with the lack of players in the family moved the low A thumb key support bracket to the opposite side of the horn after all the great years prior to ending the Mark VI design, making it the most uncomfortable bari out there, add this to the fact that they did away with the all important added bell brace on the super II making it the easiest horn ever to knock out of alignment.. just take one and hold the bell with one hand and the top turn of the body tube with the other hand and just feel how the bell portion can be moved so easily now that it is without that great added bracing they had on the Mark VI.. well I guess that they saved about three bucks or 180 francs a horn by letting go of a badly made model but as long as it has the good old Selmer logo....about the only thing it still has it a good sound if you get it properly regulated and can hold the regulation.. the Yani 991 can almost be drop kicked and holds up well and plays it tail off, feels like the best of the old Mark VI bari saxes but has accuracy like no other.

wf
User ID: 9349783 Sep 14th 2:43 PM
Amen on the Yani's. All around they are great horns sop, alto, ten, or bari. You can get great deals on them too.

Cashsax
User ID: 9014973 Sep 14th 3:18 PM
...The used Bari. I'm looking at is a 1985 Super 80 (not a series II). Is the Low A thumb key like the MK VI.. or has it been screwed-up?? This is getting scary, I'm a long time Selmer player and the new Horns are starting to look like junk. I've owned several Bari's. including low A MK VI's. I don't like Jap. Horns all that much. I've played my VI Tenor and VII Alto for many years and they're such fantastic horns, I never found any better saxes sound or action-wise or construction and I've tried most all new horns. Recently,the new Bronze Yanigasawa Soprano was embarrassed badly by my "new" Super 80 series III Soprano (silver). I tried them side-side same set-up, airspeed etc. The difference was immediatly apparent to everyone in the store. Back to the subject have other makers tried the new low A thumb-key or is it just Selmer??

Cashsax
User ID: 9014973 Sep 14th 3:26 PM
Oh Yeah, what's up with this Bell Brace deal on the 1985 Super 80(seriesI??).. It looks like a MK VI ring very high on the Bell. Looks fine to me.. Is the Series II a different deal? Thanks, Cash

Bari. Student
User ID: 2693314 Sep 14th 7:19 PM
Amen on yani's too, belive the yani's and you will be saved forever, from other horn problems.

Cashsax
User ID: 9014973 Sep 14th 11:45 PM
Just where is the Low A key on a series II...? different than a MKVI???

Linda
User ID: 0645514 Sep 15th 7:46 PM
Cash: The low A thumb key on my SA 80 (#373XXX) is just below the left thumb rest. It kind of curves around.

Cashsax
User ID: 9014973 Sep 16th 12:43 AM
Hello Linda, Thanks! sounds like the same as my old MKVI. Doesn't sound they changed anything... How about the series II, anything different??....Later, Cash

BrianA
User ID: 1564944 Sep 16th 3:08 AM
the mechanism is mounted on the side opposite that on the Mark VI and this makes a huge difference on the leverage pressure needed to use the low A with your thumb. I have heard that on some of the later series II bari saxes that it was changed back again. As to the bracing forget about the position of the circle bracket, if you look at your VI you should see another piece of brass mounted from body to bell, in addition to the circle making it very stable and hard to move the bell.

Cashsax
User ID: 9014973 Sep 16th 8:06 PM
Thank You Brian that is very interesting.I never had a problem with the Low A key location on the MKVI in the past. In fact I found it quite easy and natural to use. It was a shock to hear the "new" key had been re-positioned. I'm looking at a '58 low A VI that's been re-lacq'd or a new Series II in silver. I wonder where the key would be on the current Series II...? Later, Cash

BrianA
User ID: 1564944 Sep 17th 9:44 AM
If they have revised their way of thinking and the new Series II has the same low A support and lever positiones in the same place as the Mark VI that will be great assuming you can live with the flimsey bell without that old bracing system or you want to make the horn no longer original by having a "competant" technician add another brace for you, which is just what I would do if I were not so sold on the Yani 991 as the better pro bari around today.

Cashsax User ID: 9014973	Sep 12th 5:23 PM I got a chance to pick up a mint Super 80 low A bari(1985) in lacquer. Would a new series II (Silver) be a lot better. What's the diff.? Any opinions???....Thanks, Cash
wf User ID: 9349783	Sep 12th 5:29 PM My experience is that on average, the S80 I are worse than the Series II. They seem to have more intonation problems and don't seem as well made. Also, the keywork is a little better on the II (forked F key). But... If there is a significant price difference, you might want to go for the Series I, especially because Silver is so hard to take care of. About 90% of the silver horns I see look terrible after a year or two. A bari would be extremely hard to keep polished.
V User ID: 0303694	Sep 14th 12:12 AM With the use of 3M anti-tarnish strips (available at any hardware store), care of a silver horn is pretty much a non-issue. I have a silver Series III tenor, and I only have to wipe it down every now and then to make it GLEAM! The 3M strips are awesome! Regarding your decision btwn. the Selmer horns, my experience with a Series II (lacquered) bari has lead me to play a Yanagisawa 991. IMHO, the new Yani's are such a superior horn...there is no contest. If you have the $$, I would check out the 992 or even 993 (drooling...). You will not be dissappointed. Good luck!
BrianA User ID: 1564944	Sep 14th 1:45 PM Ditto on the Yani bari saxes, made me give up my Selmer Mark VI and my Yamaha.. no contest.. not to mention the way Selmer with the lack of players in the family moved the low A thumb key support bracket to the opposite side of the horn after all the great years prior to ending the Mark VI design, making it the most uncomfortable bari out there, add this to the fact that they did away with the all important added bell brace on the super II making it the easiest horn ever to knock out of alignment.. just take one and hold the bell with one hand and the top turn of the body tube with the other hand and just feel how the bell portion can be moved so easily now that it is without that great added bracing they had on the Mark VI.. well I guess that they saved about three bucks or 180 francs a horn by letting go of a badly made model but as long as it has the good old Selmer logo....about the only thing it still has it a good sound if you get it properly regulated and can hold the regulation.. the Yani 991 can almost be drop kicked and holds up well and plays it tail off, feels like the best of the old Mark VI bari saxes but has accuracy like no other.
wf User ID: 9349783	Sep 14th 2:43 PM Amen on the Yani's. All around they are great horns sop, alto, ten, or bari. You can get great deals on them too.
Cashsax User ID: 9014973	Sep 14th 3:18 PM ...The used Bari. I'm looking at is a 1985 Super 80 (not a series II). Is the Low A thumb key like the MK VI.. or has it been screwed-up?? This is getting scary, I'm a long time Selmer player and the new Horns are starting to look like junk. I've owned several Bari's. including low A MK VI's. I don't like Jap. Horns all that much. I've played my VI Tenor and VII Alto for many years and they're such fantastic horns, I never found any better saxes sound or action-wise or construction and I've tried most all new horns. Recently,the new Bronze Yanigasawa Soprano was embarrassed badly by my "new" Super 80 series III Soprano (silver). I tried them side-side same set-up, airspeed etc. The difference was immediatly apparent to everyone in the store. Back to the subject have other makers tried the new low A thumb-key or is it just Selmer??
Cashsax User ID: 9014973	Sep 14th 3:26 PM Oh Yeah, what's up with this Bell Brace deal on the 1985 Super 80(seriesI??).. It looks like a MK VI ring very high on the Bell. Looks fine to me.. Is the Series II a different deal? Thanks, Cash
Bari. Student User ID: 2693314	Sep 14th 7:19 PM Amen on yani's too, belive the yani's and you will be saved forever, from other horn problems.
Cashsax User ID: 9014973	Sep 14th 11:45 PM Just where is the Low A key on a series II...? different than a MKVI???
Linda User ID: 0645514	Sep 15th 7:46 PM Cash: The low A thumb key on my SA 80 (#373XXX) is just below the left thumb rest. It kind of curves around.
Cashsax User ID: 9014973	Sep 16th 12:43 AM Hello Linda, Thanks! sounds like the same as my old MKVI. Doesn't sound they changed anything... How about the series II, anything different??....Later, Cash
BrianA User ID: 1564944	Sep 16th 3:08 AM the mechanism is mounted on the side opposite that on the Mark VI and this makes a huge difference on the leverage pressure needed to use the low A with your thumb. I have heard that on some of the later series II bari saxes that it was changed back again. As to the bracing forget about the position of the circle bracket, if you look at your VI you should see another piece of brass mounted from body to bell, in addition to the circle making it very stable and hard to move the bell.
Cashsax User ID: 9014973	Sep 16th 8:06 PM Thank You Brian that is very interesting.I never had a problem with the Low A key location on the MKVI in the past. In fact I found it quite easy and natural to use. It was a shock to hear the "new" key had been re-positioned. I'm looking at a '58 low A VI that's been re-lacq'd or a new Series II in silver. I wonder where the key would be on the current Series II...? Later, Cash
BrianA User ID: 1564944	Sep 17th 9:44 AM If they have revised their way of thinking and the new Series II has the same low A support and lever positiones in the same place as the Mark VI that will be great assuming you can live with the flimsey bell without that old bracing system or you want to make the horn no longer original by having a "competant" technician add another brace for you, which is just what I would do if I were not so sold on the Yani 991 as the better pro bari around today.