Good price for a 66R

[bradshawm]

Well, I posted this earlier, but I can't find it anywhere, so either it didn't take, or I placed it somewhere strange on this forum.

My local dealer has the 66R tenor that he will sell me for $2000. It plays absolutely awesome from top to bottom. It is the vintage finish with brushed lacquer which I'm not too fond of. What say you all - is this a good price?

[Daktion]

um yes... it is a great price if the thing is "new". The finished is lovely.... it'll grow on you i promise :) after many positive comments from your peers about it... you'll start to have feelings for it... it'll be your secret mistress :twisted:

they recently raised the prices for the P. http://www.junkdude.com/saxes/pmauriat.htm It went up ALOT!!!! so yea if all things check out and like you said, it plays great.... I would get it

[GAS_Wyo]

When I first talked about ordering the 66R from Sax Alley the horn was priced at about $2250. When I finally got to his shop and tried one out, Tim informed me the prices went up...I ended up paying $2400+ for mine. But Tim does his "New Sax Set Up" on every one before it leaves his shop. It's $250 worth of service on the horn before one leaves for its new owner's hands. Without the setup it would put my horn at about $2150.

Again, as Daktion said, if it's new, that's a great price. If it's used, it can't be much more than a year old and that's still a good price. But keep in mind, the tenors were selling for about $2000 new out of the box last year. :) Is it the PMST or PMXT? They don't charge a different price, but the XT (oversize bell) wasn't made until mid 2005.

Also, I've been a "dark honey gold laquered" guy for 30 years. But when I played this these horns, the color of the sax mattered very little. I look at it as just something to make music...a tool. These tools are extremely functional and beautiful to boot! At this point I love the antique finish. It's so different from my Selmer Paris SA80-II. I'm really thinking about ordering the new necks also. Makes the horn a little more 'free blowing'. I'm in love with these horns. :D My new mistress!:twisted:

[Morry]

My dealer friend was selling them for $1895, I think, so that's a pretty good price.

[GAS_Wyo]

Yer killin' me, Morry! :D

They probably play straight out of the box better than most anyhow. ;)

[bradshawm]

It is brand new. I'm not sure if it is the PMST or the PMXT. The store clerk said that it was the last one of the ones they received before the price went up. It has the rolled tone holes, but from my inexperienced eye, the bell did not look oversized at all. All I know is that it had a great sound, it played right out of the box totally effortlessly from top to bottom. I am not an experienced tenor player (primarily Alto and Soprano) and haven't really played it since the 70's, but I was able to belt out the low notes all the way down to Bb and play them soft and smooth without having to work at all. Now I have to convince my wife. My budget was $1500 and I'm not sure my she is going to let me go over that. It is also kind of a psychological thing with the finish. I'm pretty conservative, and it is kind of hard to think of paying a couple thousand for something you don't really care for the looks of.

Thanks for your input.

[Daktion]

It is also kind of a psychological thing with the finish. I'm pretty conservative, and it is kind of hard to think of paying a couple thousand for something you don't really care for the looks of.

Thanks for your input.

np... just close your eyes when you play :)

btw has the wife seen the sax in person? maybe she'll dig it alot and is willing to up the budget.

btw here's a link to the catalog (http://www.monteverdemusic.com/pmauriat/catalog.html), there is only one kind of 66R and that is the PMXT (i have it's alto version)... and yes it has RTH.

[bradshawm]

Well, my wife has given me the go ahead. Now the issue is a good mouthpiece and a new case. What about cases. The one that comes with it (molded plastic) is hideous. Any recommendations?

[bradshawm]

Well, I decided not to get it. I went down a played it a little more and while it played very well, There were some questionable quality issues that made me a little nervous. Several of the rolled tone holes were only partially rolled, as in they came up and barely flattened out a little as if there was not enough metal to roll them. Three of them, while rolled on one side, were totally straight on the other. In addition to that, the octave key on the neck had a lot of play from side to side. There was a solder point on one key that did not seem strong at all. I know that all of you love your P. Mauriat but when looking at this one closely, I have say that My Unison SG 300 alto and my Antigua 586BC soprano appeared to be built much better. Maybe one of these days I will have a chance to try out another one and will find this to be an isolated incident.

Thank you all again for your help.

[Keith Ridenhour]

I wouldn't buy any horn new without a years warrenty. Tim made it clear when I bought from him that it was a trial (I would pay the shipping both ways )
and he'd stand behind with repairs for a year. K