What is Your Favorite Sax Finish? - Page 3

**Morry** · 07-27-2008, 08:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GAS_Wyo

I'll second that, Frank. ...but since I haven't seen yours, I'm going to have to go with the dark honey gold finish on MY Ref 54 alto~!

No, I like the finish best on MY Ref 54...

**Giganova** · 07-28-2008, 12:20 AM

My favorites:

- Bare brass that is aging naturally (I have a Barone bare brass tenor and the finish gets prettier from day to day while a natural patina develops)

- Satin silver (like my JK SX90R nickel/silver) with gold keys

- Honey gold, vintage style (never had one of those, but pretty!)

I am not a fan of new horns that are made to look like they have a vintage finish. Totally fake, IMHO.

Kenny Garrick · 07-28-2008, 01:36 AM

I like the gold plated Yamaha custom looks so cool and you know its expensive

Will never have the pennies to pay for one though I am a sax player

bstrom · 07-28-2008, 02:15 AM

Definitely gold plate, now if I could only afford it.

mostly alto guy · 07-28-2008, 02:35 AM

Copper or bronze body with polished brass keywork.
Black nickel with silver plate keywork. I stopped short of ordering a black nickel JK with black nickel keys.
Clear nickel with polished brass keywork.
Dark lacquer, like on a 50s Buffet.

LazySaxman · 07-28-2008, 03:28 AM

I always liked the shiny silver finish on the horn that the tenor player plays in "Back to the Future" towards the end during the prom scene. He's wearing a teal suit and playing Night Train. That's just burned in my brain as Classy.

Yamahaaltoplayer · 07-28-2008, 03:40 AM

I want a unlac 82Z.

altosaxguy1 · 07-28-2008, 03:56 AM

Gold plated EX.

tigerhobs · 07-28-2008, 06:06 AM

anything but unlaq, I like shiny things.

JavaWolf · 07-28-2008, 06:13 AM

Black nickel w/silver keywork or bare brass.

Razzy · 07-28-2008, 07:11 AM

Bare brass

Xulld · 08-13-2008, 06:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JavaWolf

Black nickel w/silver keywork or bare brass.

This is my thoughts exactly.

geauxsax · 08-13-2008, 09:18 PM

Matte silver, gold wash bell on a vintage axe.

ranma503 · 08-13-2008, 09:26 PM

I don't think I have one favorite... I have a couple:

Gold and silver plate are both nice...

Then, whatever you call what happens to horns that are maintained and used but lose lacquer and the brass changes over a considerable amount of time... each one looks unique. The well loved look I guess... Like consider a horn from the 1930's or so that is still in good condition but not mint... I used to have a teacher with a Mark VI he bought new in (I think) the early 70's that even though it was a fairly recent horn was completely devoid of any lacquer to speak of. I'd prefer to think he wore it off himself than that he had it stripped of lacquer... who knows. Anyway...

geauxsax · 08-13-2008, 09:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ranma503

I don't think I have one favorite... I have a couple:

Gold and silver plate are both nice...

Then, whatever you call what happens to horns that are maintained and used but lose lacquer and the brass changes over a considerable amount of time... each one looks unique. The well loved look I guess... Like consider a horn from the 1930's or so that is still in good condition but not mint... I used to have a teacher with a Mark VI he bought new in (I think) the early 70's that even though it was a fairly recent horn was completely devoid of any lacquer to speak of. I'd prefer to think he wore it off himself than that he had it stripped of lacquer... who knows. Anyway...

My former teacher's Selmer SBA alto he bought new was like that--hardly any lacquer at all, but NO dents at all--not even little ones. He wore the lacquer off by playing. . .and playing. . .and playing. That was some horn too!

Rowka · 08-13-2008, 10:06 PM

A tissue and a cigarette?

notes_norton · 08-13-2008, 10:12 PM

1) First choice would be electric blue with silver inside the bell and under the engravings (perhaps silver keys, too). But I'd never own one like that because it would be too easy to scratch the paint off to make it look extra trashy.

2) Satin silver with polished silver keys, inside the bell, and in some parts of the bell engraving

3) Shiny Nickel

4) Gold Plate (but I don't like the sound of gold plated horns - too edgy - but we're talking looks here

5) Gold Lacquer

Notes

SaxMoose · 08-13-2008, 10:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ChuBerry47

Satin silver with Shiny keys, and Gold washed bell

^ that's my favorite, next to that, just reg. silver plate or the white lacquer that used to be optional on some of the selmers.

GaithersburgReeds · 08-13-2008, 10:36 PM

Yamahaaltoplayer · 08-14-2008, 08:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GaithersburgReeds

Took me a while to get it.

I WOULD like silver plate/solid silver, unlac brass, clear lacquer or matte silver plated body with polished silver keys: http://www.usahorn.com/instView.usa?...x+Silver+Matte They didn't make many of those beauties.

Only 50 to be exact.

Of course I never even touched a sax with a finish other than clear lacquer with clear-lacquered-nickel-plated keys: my YAS-23.