[Route.C]

Hi everyone.

Very recently I have visited a woodwind and brass store to look for a saxophone.. Now when I went there, the owner had recommended the new cannonball saxophones... I have tried both the alto and the tenor series...
I was quite impressed with the alto and with the tenor I was also impressed with, I especially liked the fat neck and the tone difference it made...

and also today on the net I have found a Tenor Selmer SA Series II for $4300 (New zealand dollars). The owner of the Selmer had said that he had bought it in 1994... So this saxophone isn't that new for one but looks to be in fine condition...
The Cannonball saxophones were about $100-200 cheaper by the way. :|

Ok so what I'am trying to get is that is the Selmer SA Series II really worth that price which is over 10+ years older compared to a new cannonball sax...
and also how do they compare? :?

I will need to get a sax before the expiration of the hire period on my yamaha 275 tenor.

(p.s please ignore my last thread... the owner never replied)

Many thanks Chris

 

[Grumps]

...I have found a Tenor Selmer SA Series II for $4300 (New zealand dollars). The owner of the Selmer had said that he had bought it in 1994... So this saxophone isn't that new for one but looks to be in fine condition...
The Cannonball saxophones were about $100-200 cheaper by the way. :|

Ok so what I'am trying to get is that is the Selmer SA Series II really worth that price which is over 10+ years older compared to a new cannonball sax...
and also how do they compare?

I'm not sure about NZ dollars, but once you leave the shop with that Cannonball, it'll be worth about half of what you paid for it. The II is going to hold its value (though I wouldn't imagine that's going to be more than $3K US; perhaps less).

 

[clarnibass]

$1.00nz = $0.75us

 

[soulysax]

While Grumps normally takes a hard line on horns outside the big 4 in this case I have to agree. I like Cannonball but with the parameters you gave I would have to go with the Selmer. That assumes of course it is in good playing shape. You could resell the Selmer with little or no loss vs the new horn depreciation of the Cannonball.

Now if you really liked the Cannonball you may want to look at other buying options. You can find good deals on used horns here or on ebay. Just be sure to factor in some repair expenses when determining your price.

 

[Flameslight]

I have played a Cannonball alto sax for about...four years now, and I must say I have noticed some issues over the years. I originally thought the hard time doing this, bad tone on that, was just me, but I have been enlightened recently, and as was stated above, Cannonball saxophones really are not worth how much they ask for them (when I told my band director how much I had paid for mine, which from their global series [are they still in the stone series at this time?] was about $2500 U.S. dollars, he felt very sorry for me). I am moving to Yamaha very soon; I have heard lots of good things about the Custom Z's they have, and so all I have to say is, if you are looking for a saxophone-for-life, cannonball is NOT the way to go. Hope this information helps you in your search for a good sax, and good-luck!

 

[tonyz]

On the other hand..

I bought a Cannonball tenor and alto stone series about a year ago....paid less than $1900 each and I absolutly LOVE them.

 

[altosaxguy1]

The cannonball's are very good. In my opinion. But the Selmer SA 80 is a lot better in a lot of different aspects of playing. I recently tried a Serie II and as soon as I can I'm going to get one.

 

[Grumps]

While Grumps normally takes a hard line on horns outside the big 4...

Only if you mean Conn, Buescher, Martin and King...

 

[CountSpatula]

Only if you mean Conn, Buescher, Martin and King...

What??? No Yamahas??? :?:?:?

 

[fluteypiccolosax]

when picking out my alto
yamaha 52
cannonball silver
cannonball raven
jupiter idk some intermediate model
selmer la vie
and the series 2

i got the cannonball
wish i got the series 2 though but at my (crappy) music store is was like 800 more and i play sax flute and piccolo and i need a step up flute......dads a cheap-*** pretty much sums it up:banghead: :crybaby: :help:

 

[altosaxguy1]

The Serie II is gonna be a lot more than a Cannonball everywhere...its not the stores fault.

 

[A Greene]

when picking out my alto
yamaha 52
cannonball silver
cannonball raven
jupiter idk some intermediate model
selmer la vie
and the series 2

i got the cannonball
wish i got the series 2 though but at my (crappy) music store is was like 800 more and i play sax flute and piccolo and i need a step up flute......dads a cheap-*** pretty much sums it up:banghead: :crybaby: :help:

Probably would have bought you the horn if you used a few CAPITAL LETTERS and punctuation when writing.

 

[Yellowhorn]

If we just look at resale value, then I'd say go with the Selmer.

As for other aspects, the Serie II is still a bona finde Selmer horn, whereas the CB (and the P Mauriat, TK Melody, etc.) is just a Taiwanese copy of the Serie II or Mk6.

To be fair, there are some PMs, or BCs, that sound better than some Serie II's, but the reverse can also be true!

 

[Johnnymo0829]

try them both out. My gut would say go with the selmer on resale value and reputation of the horns, but the importiant thing is to make sure you are happy with the way the horn plays

 

[sonicthehedgehog]

About a year ago, I went to a music store with a friend who plays on Yamaha horns, I play on a Series II alto, III soprano and Ref. 54 Tenor. That day I took my Alto. My friend told me to try out a bunch of Cannonball altos. I must have tried 5 or 6 Cannonball horns and I liked them all very much. Cannonball makes a fine horn, feels really good and sounds quite good as well, but when I picked up my Series II, there was a brilliance about the sound not present in any of the Cannonball saxophones. My brother was there (he's a trumpeter, a very fine one by the way with a good ear) and he said: "You sound good on those Cannonball horns, but you sound like you on the Selmer." I've tried other Selmers next to mine and there's a brightness about them not present in other horns which is why I keep going back to Selmer. If you're not looking for that quality (which I respect and understand is perfectly acceptable and totally your choice) then by all means go with something you like instead of what we all like. I personally plan not to sell any of my horns, but only purchase instruments when I can afford to put down a good down payment or pay for it in cash, so I don't worry about resale value as much (even though I've mentioned it in a few of my other posts.) I wouldn't worry about resale value if I were you either. Get what you like. A lot of my friends have switched over to Cannonball from Selmer. A few friends have Cannonball horns as backups.

 

[Yellowhorn]

Well, one is a real Selmer horn, and the other one is a Taiwanese Selmer COPY - albeit a good one!

Go with the one that YOU like better, assuming you are willing and able to afford either one of them! From a strictly monetary point of view, if the CB is not that MUCH cheaper than the Selmer, you should go for the Serie II; in the long run (when, to paraphrase John Smith, we all will be dead), you will be better off!

 

[blacknapkin]

I have a series II alto (around '84) and a series II tenor (around '94) and they will be with me as long as I can keep them. I do not deserve the consistent stoicism they have shown me over many years of gigs and travel, as they receive little TLC. They are rocks and they rock.

 

[stormott77]

I have played a Cannonball alto sax for about...four years now, and I must say I have noticed some issues over the years. I originally thought the hard time doing this, bad tone on that, was just me, but I have been enlightened recently, and as was stated above, Cannonball saxophones really are not worth how much they ask for them (when I told my band director how much I had paid for mine, which from their global series [are they still in the stone series at this time?] was about $2500 U.S. dollars, he felt very sorry for me). I am moving to Yamaha very soon; I have heard lots of good things about the Custom Z's they have, and so all I have to say is, if you are looking for a saxophone-for-life, cannonball is NOT the way to go. Hope this information helps you in your search for a good sax, and good-luck!

If your having tone issues on a Cannonball going to a Yamaha custom Z is not the answer. The biggest gripe you hear about the yamahas is their lack luster tone. Cannonballs are good horns with good tone. I would say that compared to a selmer they have a more spread sound. The selmers tend to have a more focused laser beam sound. With the right mouthpiece neck and airstream you can get your cannonball to play with a more focused tone. The bottom line is the tone comes from you. If you want a horn to help you get that focused selmer sound then get a selmer and not a Yamaha.

 

[Dr G]

If your having tone issues on a Cannonball going to a Yamaha custom Z is not the answer. The biggest gripe you hear about the yamahas is their lack luster tone. Cannonballs are good horns with good tone. I would say that compared to a selmer they have a more spread sound.

I agree.

The selmers tend to have a more focused laser beam sound. With the right mouthpiece neck and airstream you can get your cannonball to play with a more focused tone. The bottom line is the tone comes from you. If you want a horn to help you get that focused selmer sound then get a selmer and not a Yamaha.

If you want a tighter focused sound with a Selmer core, I'd say that screams Serie III tenor if you are talking recent production horns.

 

[VintageSaxGuy]

I've had a series II for a few years, and while it is a good sax...it doesn't do anything for me when it comes to jazz, probably because of how focused the sound is. They seem to strike me as a good sax for classical playing.

I was curious about Cannonball saxes after they came out and a while ago I had a friend that swore by them. So one day I go with him to shop for a new Cannonball and I decide to pull a few tenors down and try them. The build quality seemed to be there but the tone on all of them just was awful to me personally...a little on the thin side. But I like a big fat, sometimes spread sound and it didn't come close to what I hoped they would be like. Maybe it was me...or even if not maybe they are different horns today than they were when I tried a few.

And as everyone has stated...if you really want a sound investment, go Selmer. They generally hold their value very well. A Cannonball really will drop a good percentage of it's value once you walk out of the door. But if you can play both, and think the Cannonball fits you better...then go with what works, because that's the only thing that really matters (as long as you aren't planning on selling the sax right away).