Bought on a Whim - Can anyone Advise

4073 Views 46 Replies 17 Participants Last post by Jkulin, May 20, 2007

Jkulin

Discussion Starter · May 17, 2007

I noticed the following on eBay a few days ago: -

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=120118613961

I sniped a bid, chancing a gamble that this might be something nice, then low and behold found that I had won it this evening.

The photo's are rather poor, but I wonder if anyone can identify it?

Once it arrives, then I will take some better photo's.

At 28" surely this is an alto.

Any advice would be welcome.

Many Thanks.

1 - 20 of 47 Posts

Gandalfe

· #2 · May 17, 2007

Red key inlays? Maybe this is one of those Saxophone Shaped Objects (SSO) that someone bought and never could get to play?

Jkulin

Discussion Starter · #3 · May 17, 2007

Gandalfe said:
Red key inlays? Maybe this is one of those Saxophone Shaped Objects (SSO) that someone bought and never could get to play?

Being rather stupid, could you explain a little?

Many Thanks

Tharruff

· #4 · May 17, 2007

Oh boy...I think you have bought one of those 'made in India - looks like a Saxophone but really isn't' wall hanger things.

Carl H.

· #5 · May 17, 2007

Probably a recently made vase suitable for holding flowers. Made in India and sold to unsuspecting victims on ebay as a musical instrument.

milandro

· #6 · May 17, 2007

yes, Indian crap, fake saxophone (pardon my French) a bad copy of a primitive Besson (it says Besson very often too) it surfaces regularly everywhere, unplayable and totally useless. Pity, next time take a little more time before bidding.

Gandalfe

· #7 · May 17, 2007

Hmm... and looking at the bidder record it looks that bidder 4 and maybe others were shills. Account less than 90 days old and between 1 to 9 activities. Got hate these guys for perpetrating these shams.

Per your question, a SSO is shaped like a saxophone but doesn't play like one. :shock:

Yellowhorn

· #8 · May 18, 2007

Hang it on a wall! Better yet, a bar! So, you can show people how primitive the saxophone used to be!

In a place like Vietnam, this horn could be sold as metal for recycling, valued by weight and what kind of metal it is made off!

calisax

· #9 · May 18, 2007

Don't listen to them... Wait till you get it and play it. It's made of brass, obviously not a mark vi, but give it blow. Who knows? Not like you spent 1k on it, right?

milandro

· #10 · May 18, 2007

calisax said:
Don't listen to them... Wait till you get it and play it. It's made of brass, obviously not a mark vi, but give it blow. Who knows? Not like you spent 1k on it, right?

Calisax, this horn is confirmed S... , the question is not at all if it is what we all seem to know and agree it is, but just how is it that these pices of junk keep on appearing on the market for years and years, I am not talking from hearsay here I actually held the thing in my hands at a streetmarket and even told off the guy who was selling them telling him that all the instruments he had there were absolutly disgraceful an unplayable, he didn't know anything about musical instruments just bought the things real cheap through a Indian factory not unlike this one:
http://www.alibaba.com/catalog/11062851/Indian_Alto_Saxophone_With_Bos.html
(this is the same alto as the one we are talking about), these indians factories mostly produce all sorts of imitation junk which fill so many " antiques" markets these days, grammophones, telscopes, compasses....most of the times with heavy use of brass and most of the times they are not able to any function but if anyone want to buy this things thinking they are of any value......who am I to say don't?

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calisax

· #11 · May 18, 2007

milandro said:
Calisax, this horn is confirmed S... , the question is not at all if it is what we all seem to know and agree it is, but just how is it that these pices of junk keep on appearing on the market for years and years, I am not talking from hearsay here I actually held the thing in my hands at a streetmarket and even told off the guy who was selling them telling him that all the instruments he had there were absolutly disgraceful an unplayable, he didn't know anything about musical instruments just bought the things real cheap through a Indian factory not unlike this one:

Right, but you're just stating the obvious. We've all made whimsical purchases on ebay, right? Just trying to shine light on the fact that any sax that lacks the prestige of the 'biggies' might at least look good hanging on your wall. Just thinking out of the box.

milandro

· #12 · May 18, 2007

I don't understand your point and you don't seem to understand mine, we seem to talk alongside one another so probaby there is no use in arguing. This saxophone is not only not one of the biggies....it is not even a saxophone ! It just looks like one, at the very best. In my opinion it doesn't even look nice on the wall. Besides offering my commiserations to the buyer (we all made mistakes sort of thing...) I have little else to say than that those things are dangerously littering the marketplace and they shouldn't.

stitch

· #13 · May 18, 2007

calisax said:
Just trying to shine light on the fact that any sax that lacks the prestige of the 'biggies' might at least look good hanging on your wall. Just thinking out of the box.

Milandro's dead right. This one doesn't just lack the prestige of the 'biggies', it lacks the prestige of actually being a sax.

I suspect the sellers of these saxes is more honest than they imagine when they say

" You can not compair (sic) this Saxophone with any Branded or American Alto Saxophone".

Bear has a page on these that evrybody should bookmark.

milandro

· #14 · May 18, 2007 (Edited)

herethis is a link to one factory, they aso have a baby saxophone, whatever that means....:?

this is another one here

Yellowhorn

· #15 · May 18, 2007

I am with Milandro here! We all know what Ebay is, and those who choose to deal horns on it are (or should be) aware of bad experiences that have happened on it. There is a section called "Ebay experiences" on SOTW for those who want to know!

I am glad that Milandro brought up Alibaba, which is the Asian equivalent of Ebay. Recently, I saw a post of a King silversonic Super 20 in Singapore on Alibaba. When I called the seller, I have got the wrong number, and he would not give me his address when I told him I wanted to play-test the horn in Singapore. Instead, he wanted me to make a payment to him first. I told him to f--ck off!

Meanwhile, my (elephant) memory told me that I had seen that horn somewhere. Sure enough, I went back and found the same horn on Saxquest, which is based in Missouri, USA! Same pics and same serial numbers. When I went back to Saxquest with an intention to inform the folks there about this, the horn was posted SOLD! So, I did not bother!

So, Lord, don't forgive them because they KNOW what they are doing!

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milandro

· #16 · May 18, 2007

on another forum here there is another discussion which was started by Davinder Kumar chairman of TR and which sparkled a little bit of acrimonious talk (which I would like to avoid here if possible)

it is amazing that the author of such badly executed forgeries presents them as cutting edge of the sax technology!

It would be amusing if it wouldn't cost that much money!

jmartin

· #17 · May 18, 2007

milandro said:
herethis is a link to one factory, they aso have a baby saxophone, whatever that means....:?

this is another one here

Man, they sell a little bit of everything. They even have a "Jew's Harp," and it's listed under wind instruments.

Bar-Ron

· #18 · May 18, 2007

I think we are under estimating the value to intellect and preparedness a scam artist really is.
If we trusted E-Bay or any other market we would not be trusting knowlege or awareness, or even good educational discussion like this that brings us closer together in the thoughts on saxes and the market.

The scam artist will exist wether in a Indian bomb factory or even in a reputable company like Conn; such as the Mexiconn garbage.

Evette Schaeffer has put out some pretty flimsy brass tubes with keys attached to them that appear to resemble saxes too.

Do not under estimate the value the scam artist plays in educating the masses on the inherent ease that manufactureres can slide into scum, just for quick cash.

Knowlege will always be the better protection than unfounded trust!

What is that old saying?

"Trust in Allah, but tie up your Camal"

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milandro

· #19 · May 18, 2007

Yellowhornblower said:
I am glad that Milandro brought up Alibaba, which is the Asian equivalent of Ebay.

I wouldn't say that! Alibaba read this(I have been using often it while sourcing some Chinese plastic products for my day job...) is a portal where in fact all sorts of companies can advertise their company and products, mostly used by far eastern companies but occasionally also by middle-eastern companies. Alibaba is a valuable way to get in touch with a certain type of company if you look for a product

martysax

· #20 · May 18, 2007

jmartin said:
Man, they sell a little bit of everything. They even have a "Jew's Harp."

Does that mean I get a discount, or goyem can't play it?

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