Anyone tried the Gear4Music Bass Sax?

[Johnmcd]

Hi,

Gear4Music is a UK based company that is selling Chinese made instruments at incredible prices (a tenor sax for £225/$450). I've read reviews elsewhere on this forum that actually rate their saxes very highly - they're solidly built, not at all flimsy, all equipped with the full range of keys (front F and high F# etc), and pretty well in tune (apart from the terrible plastic mouthpieces that they supply with them, but then I think most people would experiment with different pieces for a new sax and not stick with the one that came with the instrument). They also keep going too, unlike a lot of student horns that start to fall apart after a few months.

I've recently noticed that they're now selling a Bass Sax for £2,500 (about $5,000 at today's exchange rates). I'd love to know if anyone has tried it. I wonder if their quality of manufacture extends to the larger instruments (I recently bought a low C bass Clarinet from them which I had to return with their very handy 14 day money-back-guarantee, as it just wasn't sturdily enough made). Perhaps they're able to produce the larger saxes with the same sturdiness as the smaller ones.

Apologies if there is already a thread going on this, but I'd love to hear what people think of these. If you can be bothered to put some brief strain on the credit card, it's almost worth getting one and returning it for full refund in 2 weeks, just to try it out.

http://www.gear4music.com/Woodwind_Instruments/Saxophone/Bass_Saxophone_by_Gear4music_Gold.html

Cheers all,

John.

[Dave Dolson]

John: if you read through the bass sax section you will see previous discussions about Asian-made bass saxophones.

I don't know about this specific model in the Gear4Music ad (I looked at the ad), but I'm guessing that not many places are making (or assembling, who knows?) new bass saxophones. If I were a betting man, I'd bet that the one you are considering is essentially the same thing as the model being offered by International Woodwinds.

I've seen them in person - and listened to one of the two models played by the guy running the IW booth at a huge trade show in Anaheim, California. The one I saw played had a huge voice, just like the old Conn/Buescher models from the '20's. It looked just like them, too, complete with the old split bell pads. It boomed as the guy played it.

At this year's show (search for posts about NAMM), IW added a different kind of bass sax, one modeled after the Selmer MKVI. They were side-by-side. The Selmer was obviously a different horn (smaller over all) and if consistent with the few Selmer basses I've heard before, most likely weaker than the vintage-style bass sax. The Selmers I've heard just sounded like lower baritones - no BOOM in the tone.

I have heard unsubstantiated talk about how the IW basses are not as well made as the old Conns and Beuschers, but it was second-hand talk and who knows how biased the story teller(s) may have been about Asian saxophones. Hope this helps. DAVE