Guardala news via rec.music.makers.saxophone newsgroup

[Dr G]

Subject: Once and For All The truth
Date: Tue, 04 Feb 2003 16:58:54 GMT
From: "Ansermetniac" <ansermetniac@optonline.net>
Newsgroups: alt.music.saxophone, rec.music.bluenote, rec.music.makers.saxophone

Re: Dave Guardala

Dave Guardala Mouthpieces, Inc. is still in business. We are distributing the Saxophones and Mouthpieces ourselves. The distribution deal with LA Sax/Barrington/Woodwind and Brasswind/Peden is over and has been for a long time. In addition we have no involvement in the Laser trimmed mouthpieces anymore. They are being produced without our supervision by Dennis Bamber of Woodwind and Brasswind per our dissolution agreement.

LASax was bought by Orpheus. They may have some old stock still available and that is why it appears that they are distributing our Saxophones. Pete LaPlaca, former owner of LASax is a vindictive slandering XXXXXXX (expletive deleted). Do not believe a word he says. LA Sax was formerly owned by Dennis Bamber proprietor of Woodwind Brasswind so they may have some old stock too.

Dave is in Germany at this very minute, at the Sax factory, preparing our master order for the coming months. Dave is busy producing the Custom Mouthpieces which will be avail able from stores soon. they are also available directly from us


Jeffrey Powell-President and Chief Engineer
Dave Guardala Mouthpieces, Inc.
P.O. Box 926
Hicksville, New York
11802
dgmp1@aol.com

p.s Some people try to increase the value of their DG Sax buy saying they are not available anymore when they list it on Ebay.

*** and that's the end of the copied post from DGM, Inc. It may be interesting to see what happens with the "vintage" Guardala market now but I think our prayers for Guardala mouthpieces may be answered.

[Thomas]

"the truth?,you can't handle the truth!" I have a hard time remembering who happens to be the (expletive)of the day on any given day...especially in this business.

[scoros]

Well I guess I better sell my Artist Series tenor and my MB II mouthpiece on ebay before the word starts spreading and I find my self unable to get the outrageous sums of money they are selling for currently. Of course then I will just repurchase the horn and mp as soon as Guardala starts selling his line again but for quiet a bit less than I sell for. Great pieces and great horns!

[Nefertiti]

SELL SELL SELL SELL SELL SELL SELL!!!!!!!!

[Jerry K.]

Maybe I'm missing something here but I have not noticed outrageous prices on used Guardala saxes. Seems to me that I have observed prices that are lower than I would expect. I have personally seen a couple of the black nickel / silver plate Artist models sell for less that $1500 on eBay over the past 6 months. Since this is probably less than half what they originally sold for, I don't get it. :?

[Dr G]

Jerry, the comment was "Some people try to increase the value of their DG Sax buy saying they are not available anymore when they list it on Ebay."

I'd emphasize "try" because they just don't seem to have much market appeal. Steve Goodson actually laid it out very well in his discussion about "value". It's not an issue of the cost of manufacture, it's a question of whether the horn is accepted as a proven performer, as a true peer of highly-respected horns. The Guardala horns, in my view, don't seem to have that.

Mouthpieces are another matter but I tend to think that the market appeal is largely based on the idea that they are of a limited number. I wouldn't be surprised if some lawyer/collector doesn't file a class action suit against Dave Guardala for resumng production and threatening the vintage Guardala mouthpiece market. :shock:

[scoros]

Jerry,
Unfortunately you are right. The Guardala horns have definitely not gotten the respect that they deserve. These horns can easily keep up with some of the more respected models out there and can be found on e-bay at relatively cheap prices. That's where I found mine after I had play tested several other Guardala horns and found them all to be great horns. It was much cheaper than going through a store....the mouthpieces on the other hand...especially the handmade Guardala's seem to have found a market on e-bay going for some very high prices. Guardala's reemergence will definitely throw the limited number theory out the window.
So much for me selling my MBII and paying off my car! :lol:

[sessionsax]

Any new word on this?

[Andrew]

I sold my MB I off...it was so worth the money. I got a really nice sum of money off of it...Luckily, I was one of the first people on eBay to start that whole craze of Brecker mouthpieces...I got a pretty good deal on it...a lot more than they are going for now...BUT, I do hope that DG is still making pieces b/c I want another one :lol: That mouthpiece was easily one of the best mouthpieces I've ever played .

[Paul S]

i just received my DG studio from WWBW. I phoned them and they assured me that the stock they have (11 gold studio's when i asked) is "old" laser-trimmed stock made by dave himself. (The packaging is certainly the same as the older ones - no that this means much, although i would expect they couldn't say "made by DG" if that weren't). The woman i spoke to knew nothing of the license they have to produce these and said that once these were sold, that would be the end of it. It is possible that she isn't informed of course, or has been instructed to say that.

Anyway, the piece is beatufilly made and plays great, so I'm satisfied!

I really hope that if WWBW do produce pieces, they have the decency to differentiate these from "real" DG's. Will cause havok in the 2nd hand market if they don't.

phew!! :roll: all this cloak and dagger for a mouthpiece! amazing! I feel really bad for Dave, who having designed (and not copied, like others from what i can tell!) and produced such great pieces, has had all this business drama. I wish good things for him the future - he is an asset to the saxophone community with this quality of product :)

[sessionsax]

Paul S,

I would say that he did copy -- compare his pieces to the Dukoffs and you will see a remarkable resemblance. But as the saying goes, there is nothing under the sun that is new -- or something close to that.

He in my opinion greatly improved upon the Dukoff design by taking a Dukoff, giving it better finishing and metals, and modifying the chamber and baffle designs to get some really amazing playing pieces.

I have a couple of original DGs and have access to a ton of them through another session players collection. I must have tried 5 different MBII's and they were all different.

I wish I could afford to pick up a DB Laser trimmed. I think that it was a good idea to take a great handmade pieces and CNC it to an exact match with consistency.

Who ever quoted that handmade DG's were consistent haven't tried enough of them. The laser trimmed seem like a good deal though.

[Paul S]

sessionsax...... i got my lasertrimmed studio from wwbw for $365. I know this is not cheap, but certainly is less than elsewhere and far less than the originals.... if you sold one of your originals, i'm sure you would come out ahead here.

I've never played an original, so have no point of comparison, but this is one great mouthpiece (and I've tried a good number now :oops: )

[Dr G]

It's time to bump this back up - especially since readers in other parts of this forum are starting to spread conjecture (if not outright misinformation) about "Chicago Jazz" saxophones and Guardala brand instruments.

[King Bee]

No, DG handtrimmed mouthpieces are not entirely consistent, but I've found a high percentage of them are great mouthpieces on my horns. I have about 9 ot them in my "collection" and returned only one prospective purchase to the seller - a very recent, hand-trimmed tenor piece (King R&B).

The laser-trimmed pieces are very consistent, and every one I've played has been excellent. However, I've never seen a laser-trimmed MB or MB2 - my personal fave overall. I hope that WW&BW will retain the quality of these mouthpieces, if they continue to produce them without Dave's oversight.

I've test played only two DG horns, an Earthtone tenor and the NY tenor with the highly engraved body and keys (with the twin towers). I really liked the Earthtone and would like to play another, but they seem rare in the marketplace. The NY seemed ho hum to me - nuttin' to write home about, except for the bee-u-tee-ful engraving (my best Martha Stewart impression).

[Mike F]

I have several DG's - mostly hand made and some LT's. I have to say that I prefer the LT Studio I have to the hand made one!! And the LT's ARE more consistent than the hand made ones!

[SaxyAcoustician]

SELL SELL SELL SELL SELL SELL SELL!!!!!!!!
LOL~ Were you ever in the stock market? ;)