armstrong alto

[wompipistrello]

i picked up a used armstrong alto made in Elkhart, IN. my little sister is playing on it right now. I was wondering if anyone has any information on this make. i will post the model number and such in a few days. I will have to steal it back from her to get those numbers. thanks

joe

[cydad761]

that I purchased new in 1979 from "The Saxophone Shop" in Chicago. It is a model 3010. It includes the high F sharp and was billed as a good intermediate horn when I got it.

I played it my last year of high school and in college jazz band and still play it at church occasionally. I have kept it in almost mint condition and it has only been adjusted for an air leak once and still plays beautifully the entire range of the horn.

I think it is a pretty decent horn, although not as heavy and dark sounding as my Martin Indiana.

I don't know anything about who actually makes them or their reputation, etc. and would also ne interested in what others have heard or other experiences.

Jeff

[Pete]

Armstrong is currently owned by United Musical Instruments, so you can check out www.unitedmusical.com and send 'em an e-mail if you'd like :)

Some Armstrong models were actually made by Keilwerth, including the H-Coufs and the Heritage and are extremely nice horns.

The 3000 series is their older student/intermediate line. These horns do not have a good reputation and I've found them to be very flimsily made. This has hopefully improved in the last few years.

[wompipistrello]

thanks for the replies. i will check out the website. if i have any questions i will let you know.

joe

[werkinsnake]

I know this thread is a little stale, but I figured that I would add my own 2 cents anyway (it's a slow night). I own and know several people who own Armstrong saxophones. Most of the examples I've seen (including mine) are altos. My friend has an Armstrong Tenor. None of the nearly 10 examples I've seen have had a high F# key. Mine was made sometime in the mid 60's. They are built like tanks, and their sound is decent. Not spectacular, but a great marching horn that will see a lot of abuse. I've seen these horns being dropped from over 3 ft and comming out without a ding. The lacquer on my horn is really scratched up, but the thing does not have a single dent, or ding for that matter. The high end is really easy to play, and altissimo is a breeze. The downfall to these horns is the low end which tends to be all over the place under low E. The low notes are easy to play, but they just tend to be really sharp. Overall, a great begginners horn, and a must have for marching band where you want to keep your Selmer, Keilwerth, Yani, or Yamaha custom at home.

[arsenic87]

I have a borrowed alto. It only says Armstrong on the bell, no model number etc. I used it to restart laying a couple of years ago. It is not that bad of a horn, comparable to a Bundy, that I bought for my daughter. I don't play it that much, since I primarily play tenor, but still pull it out once in while, when I try to teach my daughter to play.

[Pheonix]

I have just started playing and have a 1976 Armstrong Alto. It has hardly ever been played and has been in its case for a few years now. It is in for a service at the moment.