Post your Antigua Sop Set-up!

[CircaRevival]

Post your Antigua sop set-up(s) here! I think I'm about to buy an Antigua sop from Kessler and am just wondering what the many members on this forum who use Antigua sops set ups are.

Thanks!

[Tom Goodrick]

I have the 590LQ and use the 4C piece with either a Rovner Dark lig or the brass lig that comes with it. I also have the Morgan Protone and the Bari 66 HR piece. I have only Vandoren ZZ 2.5 reeds. Number 3 reeds would be better. With the 4C and the Rover lig, I get very close to the sound of Grover Washington on his album "All My Tomorrows" where it shows a Rovner dark lig on the cover on his Keilwerth BN soprano. The lig is the model 1RVS that I got from Fred Weiner (www.weinermusic.com) for $13. If you go there, I'd also recommend one of the Selmer S-80's that he sells for $66 - a lower price than anywhere else.

I am thinking of getting the S-80 C* (47), D (51), E (53) and the F (57) for a trial period of 30 days. I know I'll keep one. I'll be using V-16 #3's with them. (You pay for all pieces initially and then return the ones you don't want for a refund after 30 days. There is a small cleaning fee and the shipping costs which are pretty small.)

[jgill2000]

I've got an Antigua 590BC with a Runyon Custom #7, and play Vandoren Java #2's. I have the 'Spoiler' for the Runyon, but don't really use it. I love the Custom - it's perfect for my playing style (mostly church/ballad/concert stuff.) I also have a Runyon Quantum #7 with Spoiler, but I like the Custom so much, the Quantum gets no use. I should just sell it. I've been wanting to try out a Selmer Super Session J, but haven't gotten a round to it yet.

Oh, I bought my 590BC from Dave Kessler. No reason to buy from anywhere else IMHO - Dave is great to deal with.

And the BC finish, after 2 years, is as good as new. I love the look, and glad I went with it.

[Russ]

590SP with Yanni Metal 7 and Vandoren ZZ 2.5 reeds.

Be it Trad or Smooth Jazz, Soul or Praise, I find this set up wonderfully versatile with power in abundance when needed, but soft as velvet too.
Without that horrid shrill sound that certain sop players are renowned for.

[GHawk]

Antigua 590BC from Kessler's with a Morgan J8 and Vandoren #2 clarinet reeds. Smooth as silk!

[Gandalfe]

Antigua Winds 590BC, Otto Link Tone Edge 5* w/Optima lig and La Voz med-soft reeds. I use the bent neck and a Neotech clarinet neckstrap. I haven't gotten used to the high G key yet, but it works like a charm.

Pics from Dave Kessler who gave me a great deal on this sweet sax:

http://www.kesslermusic.com/html/images/sax/590bc/octthumb.jpg

[goodsax]

Antigua 590LQ with Selmer S-80 E, Eddie Daniels lig, Vandoren standard 3's and Superial Classique 2.5's for concert band stuff, Jody Jazz red (Runyon) #9, Rovner lig, JAVA 2.5's and Rico Royal 2.5's for jazz. I hardly ever use the optional curved neck.

[Eulipion2]

Antigua 590-BC, usually with the straight neck, Rascher/Ultimate Lig/Legere and JodyJazz 8 3/4 (Yay Paul Coats!)/stock lig/Lavoz Medium.

I find it perfect for everything I want to do. Only problem I have is the thumb rest. I can't seem to find a comfortable position for it. Might need a Thumb Saver or something.

[Hurling Frootmig]

Antiqua Winds 590 SPC with a Selmer Metal.

I really liked the S80D as well but the Metal has something extra to it.

[Tom Goodrick]

I should add that I only use the bent neck so I can use a strap. Doubling on tenor I use a big NeoTech strap for the tenor and my small Yani strap for the sop. Switching can usually be done in 4 measures. I am a little fumble-fingered and would have dropped the sop by now were it not for the strap.

[pknight]

590LQ with a Selmer S80-D, Rovner Dark lig and various reeds. I virtually always use the straight neck. I also have an Otto Link 5* that I'm not quite sure about yet. I am thinking about trying the Protone, but the S80 plays so nicely that I have not been able to convince myself to make the effort.

[Tom Goodrick]

I am seriously considering getting an S-80 D as an improvement over the 4C. But I must say also that, after improving my playing in general with the 4C, I can now play the Morgan Protone quite effectively. It has a fairly decent sound quality and feel. It now seems to take only a very slightly grater pressure than the 4C but gives more volume as well as the improved sound.

[Dave Dolson]

590LQ from Kessler . . . straight neck, no strap; Selmer Super Session J or metal Link 7*, with Java or Superial 2 or 2 1/2, metal Selmer lig or Link lig. DAVE

[Jbroad572]

Antigua 586bc been playing on an Otto Link HR 7*. I don't have a set setup as of yet. Sometimes I use the Link, sometimes I us my SR tech Pro. Been using JAva 3's and Gonzalez 2.25.

[BlueNote]

586LQ
Runyon 7 mpc
Vandoren 2.5 reeds

[CircaRevival]

So you bought the sop BlueNote? Congradulations! What do you think of it? :)

[super20dan]

runyon xl on the straight-runyon custom on the curved.plasticover reeds and stock runyon ligs

[jazaddict]

590LQ w/ Morgan Jazz. RJS #2 reeds.

I LOVE that the palm keys stick out far enough that I didn't have to build them up. I DID, however, build up the right edge of the octave key because the "travel" was too long....felt like I had to rap my thumb around too far. Perfect now. :D

[Tom Goodrick]

I am now playing my 590 with a Selmer S80 E and still using the ZZ 2.5 reeds I bought before getting the horn. I used them on the 4C and the Morgan Protone. One of these days I'll get some ZZ 3.0's. I like the S80 a lot.

[JMac]

586 BC
MojoBari custom vintage Buescher in .048" or .066"
FL lig
Gonzalez 2s (cane from 1999?!?!) / Canyes Xilema Classic 2 clarinet reeds on the .066"
Vandoren 3s on the .048"

What a blast to play!!

[Perry Cobb]

My Antigua Winds sop is an older model bought 4-5 years ago. Not sure what model mine is.......it's a single piece striaght neck with black lacquer...maybe Dave Kessler might remember since I did purchase it from him......it has a pretty dark sound....I'm using a Yani Metal #7 mp with Hemke #2 reeds....

[mrjazz]

I use the curved sop from Antigua. I play Runyon metal #9 with a fiber cell medium reed. But I really like their stock mpc that comes with the horn. I think it may have been designed by Runyon himself. I can play in the altissimo register with ease. Double G,A,Bb, B and C all pop out like butter.

[com281]

I own a late 1990's Antigua Winds A570 BC sopranno saxophone. Until then, I was playing an E.M. Winston 350 GL. These two horns are like night and day. Although my Winston had very good intonation, it just wasn't giving me the sound I was looking for. My Antigua, although an older one blew the socks off the Winston. My Antigua set-up is as follows:

-A570 BC Soprano Sax, (Black chrome with gold lacquer keys, one piece construction, patterned after the Selmer Super 80 horns, per my e-mail conversation with an Antigua Winds representative.)
-Dukoff D6 Silverite soprano sax mouthpiece with factory ligature.
-La Voz soft soprano sax reeds.

Looking forward to trying the newer Antigua sopranos. I've heard good things about them.


Buffet Super Dynaction Tenor
Martin Handcraft Tenor
Conn 10M Tenor
Selmer Super 80 Series I Alto
Conn 28M Alto
E.M. Winston Soprano
Antigua Winds A570 BC

[JazzmanJohn]

I own a 586-lq I bought from Kessler a couple of years ago for well under $1,000. The instrument playes great with a nice rich sound- so much so that I sold my Selmer Mark VI soprano for a whole lot more than I paid for this one. Intonaiton is good and the high notes float right out. It's very free-blowing.

The mouthpiece I'm using is a Sugal rubber 6 I bought on Ebay, although I'\m looking hard at the vintage brand pieces Phil Barone is selling on ebay.

I also have anew-model curved Yani, SC-991, that I also bought from the Kesslers. The sound is MARGINALLY better, intonation about the same. I generally use the curved model when I am the leader, because the big guy - little instrument thing looks unusual and attracts attention. Still, I've performed on the 586LQ successfully.

I had another Antigua Winds model about 5 years ago, a curved soprano. It played ok, but the intonaiton in the high register was not so hot and the sound was ok but not that great. I sold it to a student when I got the Mark VI,

[Tully]

586LQ

jazz: Runyon Custom 7, Rico Royal 3, stock lig

legit: Vandoren S15, Rovner Dark (previous owner basically turned it into a Light), Vandoren blue box 3.5 (sanded down a little)

[backlash]

Antigua Sops seem to be quite popular, I might have to look into getting one before or during college.

[Tully]

Antigua Sops seem to be quite popular

They are indeed, and for good reason IMO.


I forgot to post it above, but I also have an Antigua 520LQ alto (I think it's the 520, anyway), with the following set-up:

SR Tech Legend L-85, Rovner Dark, Vandoren Java 3 for jazz
Richard Hawkins Donald Sinta model, Rovner Dark, Vandoren 3 for legit

Quite frankly, I'm not very impressed with the alto. The tone and keywork are sufficient (definitely not great, though), and there are some intonation quirks. However, it's one of the older models, so I assume the current altos are, like the current sopranos, far better than their predecessors.

[backlash]

I like my A521 for the price no selmer or yamaha at that level could beat it. It was solid for the price, and that is where antigua is getting it right. I have not looked into Dave Kesslers stock of custom horns but those seem to be quite a bargin as well.

[matsuo]

590-LQ, Morgan Protone 6J, Rovner light lig, vandoren 2-1/2 V-16 reeds. great setup for me, good tone and an exelent response:D

[David Beane]

See sig. Lately trying Vandoren Java 3 reeds, but haven't totally switched yet.

[Tully]

586LQ

jazz: Runyon Custom 7, Rico Royal 3, stock lig

legit: Vandoren S15, Rovner Dark (previous owner basically turned it into a Light), Vandoren blue box 3.5 (sanded down a little)



Update: I'm now using a modern rubber Link 7* Vandoren ZZ 2.5 and the same Rovner as in my legit set-up. It gets me a somewhat darker, fuller tone than the Runyon Custom, and the tip opening is more comfortable for me.