Veritone Mark VI

[bfoster64]

Hey guys and gals, I just played a beautiful Mark VI SN 140xxx but it is a Veritone model and it still has the cable that runs from the base of the body up to the neck--even the microphone is intact. The unit that goes on the bell keys is not there, however, nor is the amplifier/speaker cabinet. I have a few questions:
1. Is this just a normal Mark VI that was modified after production?
2. Is there any way to use the Veritone cable with modern amplification gear?
3. How hard would it be to strip the Veritone hardware off the sax?
4. How does the Veritone effect the value compared to a Mark VI of the same vintage?
If not for the Veritone, I mght have bought the sax on the spot b/c it is in 9/10 condition, has a good vintage, played great, and the price was reasonable.

[Tharruff]

1. It was not modified after production. It was made that way by Selmer at the Selmer factory.
2. The signal from the neck transducer can be interpreted by other kinds of electronics. Someone who I played with once long ago was able to do it (I have two Varitone necks with cables) but I didn't ask him how he got the thing to work.
3. I don't think it would be that hard to take the stuff off but the lacquer will ger burned up everywhere that you have to put the torch to melt the solder joints. If I had a Varitone, I wouldn't take the stuff off.
4. Not sure about value. They certainly are less seldom seen than non-amplified VI's but I guess that I can't say that I have seen them selling for much larger prices than nice VI's of similar vintage.

I used to sit next to a guy who played a 1966 Varitone Tenor. His parents bought it brand new when he was a teenager and it has been his only Tenor for as long as I have known him. It is nearly lacquerless by now due to the years of use. While he said that he had all of the rest of original the gear at home to play electrically, he never played it electric on any of the gigs that we were on together.

I have been trying to put together a working Varitone set up for several years but haven't quite gotten there yet.

I played a working Varitone a couple of years ago at Les Arbuckle's shop near Boston. I thought it was way cool. It belonged to one of his customers.

[bfoster64]

Okay, I'm most interested in subject #2 now, if it is possible to send the Veritone signal into another (i.e., non-Veritone) kind of amplifier, does anyone know how to do that?

[chitownjazz]

...
4. Not sure about value. They certainly are less seldom seen than non-amplified VI's but I guess that I can't say that I have seen them selling for much larger prices than nice VI's of similar vintage. ...

Wow, I thought the issue was how much less it would be worth. Don't see a lot of call for Varitone work these days, do you? I think Sonny Stitt recorded with one for a while back in the 60s.

[Dr_sax]

It is very easy to use the transduceer with a normal amp. It is actually just a small dynamic microphone capsule. Just have an electronic tech solder a normal plug to the cable and plug it into a mixer.

[DD]

No solder needed - Get a Radio Shack 1/8" female to 1/4" male adapter cable and go to work. It worked for me on both alto and tenor back in the 60's as a direct mic to amp system - it can also be routed through a divider such as a Maestro W-2 or W-3 unit with no trouble. The mics are sensitive, however.

[bfoster64]

Sounds like I could use the adapter to plug the horn directly into my DigiTech vocal effects unit, and from there into our PA, right? I'm starting to think this is a COOL idea. Why mess around with a clip-on? But is it a quality signal? I guess I would want to test the Microphone to make sure it still works . . . . Any other comments? Thanks, by the way, for all the great info so far!

[BayviewSax]

Here's a stupid question: Anybody have any idea who can REPAIR a Varitone amp? I'm still missing the pickup/cables, but I've got the controller and the amp. I bought it from somebody on Saxquest who SWORE it was in "perfect working condition." It was not when it arrived. I took it to my local guitar genius who, not surprisingly, could do very little with it. ("I hooked it up to a CD player and got a sound out of it.") Anyway, I tried to settle something with the seller, but that fell through and he disappeared. I'd still like to get it fixed, but have no CLUE who would work on it.

If you're dying to move your Varitone neck, mpc, transducer, or cord, please let me know. Also, if you're dying to move your WORKING unit, let me know.

[Gange]

Check out http://kullrusk.com/ for some Varitone action. :-)

[hornimprovement]

3. How hard would it be to strip the Veritone hardware off the sax?
4. How does the Veritone effect the value compared to a Mark VI of the same vintage?


I recently picked up a 142XXX Varitone. I am going to remove the wire housing from the body tube and remove the neck mic. The wire housing tube is soft soldered and will come off without frying the lacquer.

I was not seeing enough interest in the electronic aspects to hunt down the missing components. There has been a Varitone amp relisted on eBay lately but I haven't seen the box that goes on the Low B/Bb keyguard around.

[Zacharias]

Check out http://kullrusk.com/ for some Varitone action. :-)

soooo good. They would be sweet to see live

[ajcomputers]

Ben, I see that you live in p-town. Is the the horn that is over at wally's? I tried it and thought it was a pos. Its relacquered isn't it?

[Tharruff]

Bayview,

I have a copy of the repair manual which includes a wiring diagram and I also have my amp in a guitar shop near Boston where the repair guy sucessfully repaired another guy's Varitone amp. Unfortunately, he has been so 'busy' that he hasn't had time to work on mine yet. I have kind of lost confidence in this guy though because in another month or so it will be THREE years since I dropped the amp off. I guess that I should just go get it back...

[BayviewSax]

Damn! You just gave me Christmas and shattered dreams all in one paragraph. I've got the manual/diagram (eBay). I have a bud who does electronics as a hobby... I may just see what he thinks. I just need to find a pick-up.