Sax on the Web Forum

Sax on the Web Forum Archive / Baritone Saxophone / Mark VI Low A

Bari
User ID: 7001743 Jun 22nd 11:39 AM
I remember seeing a Mark VI low A bari on ebay; what a horn and what a price. Only 4k and nobody had bid on it. OH WHY DID I LET IT GET AWAY!!! The owner lowered the price after the bid ended and it just went higher and higher.

One problem was that the top of it had a dent in it. Is it possible to get that dent out through the curve?

Now that I remember I saw that bari after it was bid on again. I saw it listed 3 times. I wouldn't buy it now coz I don't trust the owner.

Bootman
User ID: 1676554 Jun 22nd 5:49 PM
The dents in the S bend are entirely possible to remove, youneed to know a good repairman because this is a sax apart job including unsoldering of the joints. A big job because a dent in this area is often indicative of a bent upper body of the sax. It is amazing how much better a straightened Bari or any sax plays.

This is the first thing to check on with any vintage or older Bari, they almost always have had a knock that has thrown the top of the body out of alignment. These knocks often occur when the sax is transported in cases that allow the sax to move around and thus the damage is caused by the weight of the sax against itself.

Anji
User ID: 0498634 Jun 22nd 6:24 PM
There are several reputable sellers, right here on the SOTW forum that could set you up with similar Mk VI low A baris in the price range.

You would get an instrument that meets the actual description. These folks are very conscious of buyer satisfaction...

Another $1000 for a horn that actually PLAYS is probably worthwhile.

If you buy off eBay, you may wish bid as if the instrument will need a complete overhaul.

Noel
User ID: 0519814 Jun 29th 10:57 AM
Are mark VI bari's with the low A everything you could want and more? I've never played one but I've seen a few bari players drool at the sight of a VI with a low A. One gal who has a mark VI bari with no engraving and a relaquer that makes the horn look like a jupiter just laughs at my Guardala Artist series and calls it a waste of space. Anybody have an opinion?

Bootman
User ID: 1676554 Jun 30th 3:48 AM
No they aren't. They are soft, lack enough punch to cut through a band and wimp out in the midrange of the horn. I recently sold a 5 digit serial low A mk vi becaus ewhen compared to my Conn, you couldn't hear it, even with the mic. The Conn on the other hand cut through loud and clear acoustically on stage in a loud blues band.

My favoured bari is a Conn 12M to low Bb, the Chu model which is simply the most free blowing bari I have ever played. YOu owe it to yourself to check out one of these older Conn's.

Anji
User ID: 8945823 Jun 30th 9:18 AM
Lettem' laugh... the horn doesn't make heroes.

Best living bari player around here plays a Jupiter when he's on the road. The Mk VI is too valuable to lug around.

Of course, Paulie would probably make a garden
house sound good!

Noel
User ID: 7280713 Jun 30th 2:32 PM
How much would a Conn 12M run? A friend of mine wants to start playing his bari again, but he has an LA sax and he wants to get something like an old conn. He played in big bands in high school but now wants to do more small group stuff and some experimental rock stuff that he has really gotten into.

Bari
User ID: 7001743 Jul 3rd 11:31 AM
How bout the Super 20 bari? I mean is that a REALLY good horn as was expected. Or do the Buescher and Martin Baris match it? Coz there is a 2200 Martin Bari and a 3200 Super 20 Bari.

super20dan
User ID: 0255034 Jul 3rd 4:47 PM
sound wise the super20 bari is the best i have ever played. keywork isnt as solid as a selmer but its way better than the keywork on a conn. i have never played or even seen a martin bari so i cant help there

Bootman
User ID: 1676554 Jul 3rd 5:41 PM
Dan,
except for the low C# which is the heaviest of all model saxes on a Super 20.

Bari
User ID: 7001743 Jul 4th 12:03 PM
I've been playing a low A bari for some time; but I believe that if set up right, a low Bflat bari will also sound excellent. (its just i play something for a while, and I can't stand to play anything higher). Like the sound in the Pink Panther song. I think thats a bari...So the Super 20 can do that? Its worth the 3200? And I shouldn't rob my neighbors for about 8000 to get an SA 80 II or something?

Bootman
User ID: 1676554 Jul 4th 5:20 PM
The Pink Panther is Plas Johnson on Tenor, he uses a big open mpc with a baritone sax reed. Huge sound, one of the great unsung sax players.

super20dan
User ID: 0255034 Jul 4th 9:00 PM
bootman right you are c# is no fun on a super 20 bari. it takes a lot of pressure on your little pinky to operate it. pink panther was done on a 1960,s conn 10m tenor so i am told. forgot wich mpc but i bet its a metal link

Bari
User ID: 7001743 Jul 5th 6:38 PM
Ah; I heard the original; definitely a tenor. I heard something else...

If thats the 10m it sounds a lot like the Chu Berry. Thats the tenor sound I am looking for. The keywork on 10m is probably better. So its 10m or Chu.

George Briscoe
User ID: 9161143 Aug 28th 12:15 PM
Regarding Plas Johnson: I was on tour in '98 and my roommate was Richard Torres (lead tenor for Stan Kenton 1970-74) who grew up in L.A. When he was a teenager in the mid 60s, he took lessons from Art Pepper and hung around with Plas Johnson (during the "Pink Panther" era), including watching studio sessions. He told me that in those days, Plas played an old Selmer balanced action tenor with a ridiculously OPEN Berg metal (like a 150 or so) with a 1 1/2 Rico plasticover reed (yes, that soft). Plas apparently had Berg make him a number of mouthpieces over the years, including one that approached a tip opening of 200!!!!! Even Plas admitted that it was too open. I have no idea what set up he's playing on now. The problem with that set up is that he didn't get much volume out of it, so it was a velvety, lush tone that only worked going straight into a microphone. It sure is hip sounding, though! On the other hand, my favorite Richard Torres story was about the night that he met Julian "Cannonball" Adderley in an L.A. chicken shack. Cannonball was eating TWO whole fried chickens!!!

Bari User ID: 7001743	Jun 22nd 11:39 AM I remember seeing a Mark VI low A bari on ebay; what a horn and what a price. Only 4k and nobody had bid on it. OH WHY DID I LET IT GET AWAY!!! The owner lowered the price after the bid ended and it just went higher and higher. One problem was that the top of it had a dent in it. Is it possible to get that dent out through the curve? Now that I remember I saw that bari after it was bid on again. I saw it listed 3 times. I wouldn't buy it now coz I don't trust the owner.
Bootman User ID: 1676554	Jun 22nd 5:49 PM The dents in the S bend are entirely possible to remove, youneed to know a good repairman because this is a sax apart job including unsoldering of the joints. A big job because a dent in this area is often indicative of a bent upper body of the sax. It is amazing how much better a straightened Bari or any sax plays. This is the first thing to check on with any vintage or older Bari, they almost always have had a knock that has thrown the top of the body out of alignment. These knocks often occur when the sax is transported in cases that allow the sax to move around and thus the damage is caused by the weight of the sax against itself.
Anji User ID: 0498634	Jun 22nd 6:24 PM There are several reputable sellers, right here on the SOTW forum that could set you up with similar Mk VI low A baris in the price range. You would get an instrument that meets the actual description. These folks are very conscious of buyer satisfaction... Another $1000 for a horn that actually PLAYS is probably worthwhile. If you buy off eBay, you may wish bid as if the instrument will need a complete overhaul.
Noel User ID: 0519814	Jun 29th 10:57 AM Are mark VI bari's with the low A everything you could want and more? I've never played one but I've seen a few bari players drool at the sight of a VI with a low A. One gal who has a mark VI bari with no engraving and a relaquer that makes the horn look like a jupiter just laughs at my Guardala Artist series and calls it a waste of space. Anybody have an opinion?
Bootman User ID: 1676554	Jun 30th 3:48 AM No they aren't. They are soft, lack enough punch to cut through a band and wimp out in the midrange of the horn. I recently sold a 5 digit serial low A mk vi becaus ewhen compared to my Conn, you couldn't hear it, even with the mic. The Conn on the other hand cut through loud and clear acoustically on stage in a loud blues band. My favoured bari is a Conn 12M to low Bb, the Chu model which is simply the most free blowing bari I have ever played. YOu owe it to yourself to check out one of these older Conn's.
Anji User ID: 8945823	Jun 30th 9:18 AM Lettem' laugh... the horn doesn't make heroes. Best living bari player around here plays a Jupiter when he's on the road. The Mk VI is too valuable to lug around. Of course, Paulie would probably make a garden house sound good!
Noel User ID: 7280713	Jun 30th 2:32 PM How much would a Conn 12M run? A friend of mine wants to start playing his bari again, but he has an LA sax and he wants to get something like an old conn. He played in big bands in high school but now wants to do more small group stuff and some experimental rock stuff that he has really gotten into.
Bari User ID: 7001743	Jul 3rd 11:31 AM How bout the Super 20 bari? I mean is that a REALLY good horn as was expected. Or do the Buescher and Martin Baris match it? Coz there is a 2200 Martin Bari and a 3200 Super 20 Bari.
super20dan User ID: 0255034	Jul 3rd 4:47 PM sound wise the super20 bari is the best i have ever played. keywork isnt as solid as a selmer but its way better than the keywork on a conn. i have never played or even seen a martin bari so i cant help there
Bootman User ID: 1676554	Jul 3rd 5:41 PM Dan, except for the low C# which is the heaviest of all model saxes on a Super 20.
Bari User ID: 7001743	Jul 4th 12:03 PM I've been playing a low A bari for some time; but I believe that if set up right, a low Bflat bari will also sound excellent. (its just i play something for a while, and I can't stand to play anything higher). Like the sound in the Pink Panther song. I think thats a bari...So the Super 20 can do that? Its worth the 3200? And I shouldn't rob my neighbors for about 8000 to get an SA 80 II or something?
Bootman User ID: 1676554	Jul 4th 5:20 PM The Pink Panther is Plas Johnson on Tenor, he uses a big open mpc with a baritone sax reed. Huge sound, one of the great unsung sax players.
super20dan User ID: 0255034	Jul 4th 9:00 PM bootman right you are c# is no fun on a super 20 bari. it takes a lot of pressure on your little pinky to operate it. pink panther was done on a 1960,s conn 10m tenor so i am told. forgot wich mpc but i bet its a metal link
Bari User ID: 7001743	Jul 5th 6:38 PM Ah; I heard the original; definitely a tenor. I heard something else... If thats the 10m it sounds a lot like the Chu Berry. Thats the tenor sound I am looking for. The keywork on 10m is probably better. So its 10m or Chu.
George Briscoe User ID: 9161143	Aug 28th 12:15 PM Regarding Plas Johnson: I was on tour in '98 and my roommate was Richard Torres (lead tenor for Stan Kenton 1970-74) who grew up in L.A. When he was a teenager in the mid 60s, he took lessons from Art Pepper and hung around with Plas Johnson (during the "Pink Panther" era), including watching studio sessions. He told me that in those days, Plas played an old Selmer balanced action tenor with a ridiculously OPEN Berg metal (like a 150 or so) with a 1 1/2 Rico plasticover reed (yes, that soft). Plas apparently had Berg make him a number of mouthpieces over the years, including one that approached a tip opening of 200!!!!! Even Plas admitted that it was too open. I have no idea what set up he's playing on now. The problem with that set up is that he didn't get much volume out of it, so it was a velvety, lush tone that only worked going straight into a microphone. It sure is hip sounding, though! On the other hand, my favorite Richard Torres story was about the night that he met Julian "Cannonball" Adderley in an L.A. chicken shack. Cannonball was eating TWO whole fried chickens!!!