Key touches

[Morry]

Here's something I don't understand, and my apologies if you like them....

You build a sax and apply a "vintage" finish to it. Then you put on rainbow colored key touches. I don't get it. Do one or the other, but the abalone, or whatever they are, touches don't look like a vintage horn. It seems to defeat the purpose to me.

[makemyday]

:D you're so right. This shows once more, that their sense of aesthetics still leaves a lot to be desired.... Maybe someone should explain to them the meaning of the word "kitsch"?

[deiter1977]

Guys, I see your point. However, I must respectfully disagree, for no reason other than that I simply like how the abalone key touches look with the antiqued finish. It doesn't make "logical" sense, but I think it's a sexy horn! ;)

[GAS_Wyo]

Good question, Morry.! If I remember correctly, didn't you have one of these within the last year? Did the look contribute to your decision to get rid of it?

As for me, I love the abalone key touches! I take no offense...to each his own. I have both the alto and tenor, so one of them is sitting beside me while the other is producing that dark PM sound. Invariably, I always get someone after playing who comes up and asks about this super cool looking sax and the awesome keys.

Now to address your question. I do like the look of the PM's, but they are not "vintage" copies. Has anyone seen another horn with anything but white pearls? I think PM makes them this way to be something different. And they ARE DIFFERENT! Both in looks and in sound. Depending on the mouthpiece, I can get any sound out of it I want to make.

IMHO, the look of the keytouches, or the horn for that matter, is totally irrelevant. I played a 1974 Selmer Bundy for 30 years before I decided to buy any other horn. After going through Jr. High, High School and 2 College Marching Band seasons, it looked like a piece of crap! I had someone take out the major dents in 2000 and it really started to sound great! I got interested again and now own 6 horns. The PM's are the most recent additions to the lot. I wouldn't trade them for the world right now. Let's check to see how I feel a year from now! ;)

[Morry]

Good question, Morry.! If I remember correctly, didn't you have one of these within the last year? Did the look contribute to your decision to get rid of it?

No, my financial irresponsibility contributed to my decision to sell the Mauriat. :-) I was thinking about getting another, but I would absolutely not buy one with those key touches. It just looks cartoonish to me. Kind of like the rainbow colored L.A. Saxes.

[dshack]

The Mariauts look to me nothing like actual 'vintage' horns, as I believe was stated earlier. Vintage horns for the most part look cool because they're falling apart, raw brass, or otherwise a departure from the shiny, yellow-gold brass we're used to. However, this doesn't preclude their saxes looking way cool. I love the finish and the keys, even if the horns are finished in more of a faux-antique style than anything else.

Actually, come to think of it, they remind me of the saxophones you might find in Middle-Earth. Don't know why.

[Morry]

Actually, come to think of it, they remind me of the saxophones you might find in Middle-Earth.

Ah, that makes sense now...they're marketing to Hobbits.

[Joe Jazz]

They stole the precious, mean little hobbitsees......:cry:

[GAS_Wyo]

My avatar on Forum of the Saxes is a photo of Gandalfe when he first arrives in the Shire to greet Frodo...there just might be something to this LOTR connection. Let's start a rumor! ;)

They do look pretty 'middle-earth' to me too!

[Morry]

Maybe their new slogan should be:

"9 out of 10 nerds preferred the P. Mauriat to any other saxophone"

[Dave Dolson]

Maybe their new slogan should be:

"9 out of 10 nerds preferred the P. Mauriat to any other saxophone"

Ouch!!! DAVE

[tensopbass]

Quote. Has anyone seen another horn with anything but white pearls?...


That's it, I'm getting rid of the abalone on my Kielwerth! I should have had the blue opal triplets when I had the chance.
Btw, does rainbow paint adhere to Sterling silver? nicko

[Selmersix]

FYI: With most P.Mauriat saxophones you have the option to choose one with white genuine pearl key touches or abalone, as you like!

[Dr G]

Maybe their new slogan should be:

"9 out of 10 nerds preferred the P. Mauriat to any other saxophone"

How many nerds do we have at SotW? 10? 100? Maybe it's an age thing. What about old vs young nerds? I know there is a big difference there. Most old nerds that I know are playing either J-K SX90Rs or Selmer Refs. ;)

Do that many nerds actually like the PMs?

[GAS_Wyo]

Morry,
I see that Dave Dolson really liked your reply when I mentioned references to the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy/movies. Just keep in mind that some of us "nerds" are enjoying playing the sax with our pocket protectors and PDA's proudly displayed on our belts. It's a real hit on stage! :D

Do that many nerds actually like the PMs?
I think so! Nerds don't worry about how great a horn looks, they actually care about the sound coming from the horn. (Go for tone!) ;)

The best part...some of us nerds use our digital cameras to take photos of the pearls. We only do things like this when our wives and children are sleeping. We can't practice at that time so we occupy our time with horn maintenance, computer games and replying on SOTW to folks from Birmingham who like movies like 'Smokey and the Bandit', 'Deliverance', etc. :twisted:

PS...we also know how to spell and define 'etcetera' :D

(just messin' with ya', Morry! I probably have a more southern accent than you!)

[Joe Jazz]

And here I thought we nerds all bought silver saxes so we could sit around polishing them while all the cool kids were out doing drugs, getting girls pregnant/getting pregnant, and playing sports(anyone seen my chess set?).............. :?

[brassnaked]

Quote. Has anyone seen another horn with anything but white pearls?...


The left hand thurmb rest on my Borgani is ANYTHING I want it to be...I had my tech remove the horrible flat black plastic thing that it came with and installed a peice of 1/4" diameter brass rod on the body, right in the center of where the old thumb rest had been. I ordered several brass & stone/shell/bone bezel-mounted gold plated brass guitar knobs from Q-Parts:
http://www.q-parts.com/
The knobs need only be modifield heighth-wise by cutting off some of the bottom and then grinding-out the center to match the curve contour of the body of the sax. A tiny allen-type set screw secures the new thumb rest to the post...if I want to change, let's say, the abalone one to a turquoise one, all I have to do is loosen the set screw, remove the one, install the other and tighten the screw...takes about 15 seconds to change from one to the other.

It's NOT for everyone...

Although I've still not seen replacement after-market stone key touches, I have seen them for trumpets. Perhaps a little "cottage-industry" waiting to happen in the sax world? Who knows. Since I also play guitar, I can testify to the enormous and EXTREME customization after-markets for making one's guitar as personal as a person cares to...I think it's fascinating however that the same concept has for the most part eluded woodwinds. It'll be interesting to see if personalization and customization will also "take-off" to the same degree as it has already with guitars.

[shmuelyosef]

Cannonball has lots of touch options...wood, various stones, etc...The Keilwerth Shadow comes with black pearls for the dark side...

[Morry]

Cannonball has lots of touch options...wood, various stones, etc...The Keilwerth Shadow comes with black pearls for the dark side...

The black touches on the Shadow match the overall theme of the horn. The rainbow touches on the Mauriat don't, IMO.