[hawee99]

Hello,

I have recently picked up my alto from 25 years ago and have been having a blast playing again. I was pretty decent for a little kid, but ultimately I am still a beginner.
I've only ever played my bundy II alto, but keep getting the nagging feeling I want a tenor. I rented one and it was awesome.

So I'm here to ask some opinions on the Selmer 44 nickle plated VS a Phil Barone antique bronze classic.

There's a local selmer 44 here for sale at an asking price of 2k. That seems like a pretty decent deal to me.....? as most of the new ones are closer to 3300. It looks like it's in great shape.

I convinced myself I was going to go play the selmer on Sunday, love it, and buy it.

Then I saw an antique bronze laquer and thought how awesome that finish looks! So that led me to the phil barone

I know most of this probably boils down to personal opinion, but there are so many options and I know nothing. And at my skill level, they will probably both be very similar to me

Thanks for any opinions or advice you may have!

Cullen

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[Christian1]

Did you like how the Selmer played?

 

[hawee99]

I will be trying it out Sunday hopefully

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[saxcop]

The Selmer is an Asian made horn with a Selmer Paris neck. Probably very similar to the Barone. You could of course get other professional horns used for the same money. For example a used Yamaha 62 minty can be had at the money your spending.

 

[ramcast]

Welcome to the SOTW forum. Like you, I am interested in the Phil Barone saxophones and planning to get a bari and tenor. The main reasons why I am considering his horns are first and foremost, my recent extremely pleasant buying experience and exellent personal customer service buying 3 of his specially priced metal mouthpieces 2 weeks ago. Phil was very courteous, straight forward, honest, and answered all the questions I had very promptly (by email and phone call), and my pieces arrived within 2-3 days. He even sent me another MP immediately when I mentioned to him about a minor flaw on the MP from shipping mishandling.

I also did a lot of research, talked to friends who play Barone horns on a regular basis, and a lot of good information from this site. The consensus was for the price, you get the best bang for the buck on a solid, brand new, well made, reliable, great sounding Taiwanese horn that also includes a choice of his custom rubber mouthpiece ($250 value). I am actually slowly switching from my older vintage horns to these more modern horns with ergonomic keys. Although I eventually adapted to the challenging key ergonomics of some of my present older horns, I am not as efficient playing them so the planned switch.

I would recommend you call or email Phil directly to ask him all the questions, to make a better decision wether to get the Selmer 44 (which I believe is also Taiwan made at a much higher price) or the antique bronze Barone Classic ( great finish BTW- I have the exact finish on my P. Mauriat soprano). I wished I would have known sooner and more about the Phil Barone saxes before I started to build up my present collection.

Here's a recent discussion mentioning the merits of the Barone tenor (look at post #7,8,21, and 37 in particular).

https://forum.saxontheweb.net/showt...ade-from-my-Kessler&highlight=Upgrade+Kessler

Good luck on your decision!

 

[Bjroosevelt]

Thousand reasons for me to say that you should purchase what works for you. There are lots of good options if you are in the $2,000 price range. If the Selmers works for you, but it. If the Barone fits you better buy it. Last time I went horn shopping and actually played a bunch of tenors (15 - 20), I came away with something quite unexpected. At your price range, there is a lot to find. No need to narrow it down to only 2 horns. Try a bunch out, and then decide.

 

[hawee99]

Sweet, thanks for the replies everyone. The info and further reviews on the barone is much appreciated.

One issue I'm running into is that there aren't alot of saxophone stores around. I'm in Colorado. Sax alley has a few and this is where I will go to try the barone.
I would love to be able to try 10+ different models.

I understand that one should buy the sax that feels the best and suits their needs.
I was just hoping for any personal experience with the two I originally stated because I have found those for sale in my area and they seem to be decently regarded horns in the price range.

Would $2000 be considered a great deal on a selmer 44 if it turns out to be in great shape?

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[jambsspiii]

Sweet, thanks for the replies everyone. The info and further reviews on the barone is much appreciated.

One issue I'm running into is that there aren't alot of saxophone stores around. I'm in Colorado. Sax alley has a few and this is where I will go to try the barone.
I would love to be able to try 10+ different models.

I understand that one should buy the sax that feels the best and suits their needs.
I was just hoping for any personal experience with the two I originally stated because I have found those for sale in my area and they seem to be decently regarded horns in the price range.

Would $2000 be considered a great deal on a selmer 44 if it turns out to be in great shape?

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Tim will have some great horns on hand for you to try out. He is super helpful and nice too. Just make sure you look at their hours and plan accordingly.

 

[saxcop]

Sweet, thanks for the replies everyone. The info and further reviews on the barone is much appreciated.

One issue I'm running into is that there aren't alot of saxophone stores around. I'm in Colorado. Sax alley has a few and this is where I will go to try the barone.
I would love to be able to try 10+ different models.

I understand that one should buy the sax that feels the best and suits their needs.
I was just hoping for any personal experience with the two I originally stated because I have found those for sale in my area and they seem to be decently regarded horns in the price range.

Would $2000 be considered a great deal on a selmer 44 if it turns out to be in great shape?

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I haven't seen a lot of those Selmer 44 for sale used. I think the new price is greatly inflated. To be able to state its a great price one has to consider what else could be purchased for the same amount of money. If I had one of those horns for sale at 2k it would be difficult to move. My bet is the seller will be sitting on it for a bit if you don't buy it. If it survives the school rush then it is even less likely to sell at that price.

 

[hawee99]

Great perspective on the selmer price thank you. I will probably go play that tomorrow and then head up to sax alley to look at the barone. And maybe even play some more expensive rigs to have a reference point between models.
I called sax alley and Tim was very nice.
Good call on checking his hours though. Because I would have driven up there Monday and they are closed



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[Jazzoetry]

It's always good when you can Try before you Buy. Instruments become our musical voices and the goal is to have a sax that feels good in our hands and allows us to express what we hear and feel musically. Good luck to all new sax seekers.

 

[hawee99]

I went to try the selmer and they didn't have the right ligature! So I couldn't play it. That was a bummer

A b&s Chicago jazz popped and seems to be in great shape. I've never heard of that company. But after reading a few threads on here, they seem to have been regarded well.

Would y'all say 2200 is a fair price? Ad claims all pads seal and photos look sharp

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[SaxyGirl82]

I would definitely recommend the Phil Barone tenor. I have a tenor and an alto and absolutely love them both. I can't say enough good things about them. I bought my Phil Barone tenor as a back up for my Mark VI. I ended up loving it so much that I sold my Mark VI and it became my primary horn. I have never had a sax with a more focused, clear sound. I have small hands so ergonomics are important to me as well (same reason I wanted to get away from vintage) especially on tenor (not so much on alto) and this sax is so easy to move around on. I love the control I have over the whole dynamic range and intonation is excellent. As others have stated in the thread Phil is also marvelous to deal with. He was very honest and great to answer all the questions I had before my purchase. I don't think you'll be disappointed.

Thanks!
Kristy

 

[saxcop]

I went to try the selmer and they didn't have the right ligature! So I couldn't play it. That was a bummer

A b&s Chicago jazz popped and seems to be in great shape. I've never heard of that company. But after reading a few threads on here, they seem to have been regarded well.

Would y'all say 2200 is a fair price? Ad claims all pads seal and photos look sharp

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The B&S is a great horn. I have several of them and I have several Taiwan made horns. Given the choice between the two at the same price I would take the B&S. $2200 is a fair price if its in really good condition. It will retain its value better.

 

[hawee99]

I went and checked it out today. It was awesome! I wish I could make it sound like the current owner does. I still feel obligated to go play some of the models at sax alley out here. I just think at my skill level most of them might sound similar. So I will likely decide on how they feel in my hand, how they look to me, and to you point, holding their value.

The phils are 2500 brand new. But this b&s did seem to be in excellent shape.

B&S is funny to me. I wonder if it was thought out that if you spell out ampersand its BandS

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[saxcop]

You should snatch up that B&S. They are my favorite horn. I have or have had most everything else.

 

[Sigmund451]

I would not ever think of buying an asian selmer for 2K

You can get so much more horn for that kind of cash

Talk to Tim at Sax Alley. There is about no one in the business more honest.

When you try to sell or upgrade that Selmer I bet you lose 50 percent

Try some used horns. New horns are exactly like new cars...drive them off the lot and say bye to 40 percent of your cash.

 

[graphicguy]

the yts23 is perfect starter tenor; its what i started on before upgrading to yts62

 

[hawee99]

Oh man,
Sax alley had a few old conn 10m
Those are awesome


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[hawee99]

I don't know if a vintage horn like that would be too much for me, but they sure did have a neat feel and sound to them

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