[BigSaxCo1]

I'm pretty amazed right now.
I joined this Grassi ownership group on Facebook, and a link was given to the official Grassi page
on there (Facebook page) (http://www.facebook.com/#!/IdaMariaGrassi?fref=ts).

Well, on that page there were pics of a tenor and bari, both supposingly being made
by Grassi (you could clearly see the logo on the bells). The pictures gave the page of the music
store where these were located. I would've never investigated if I had not seen that the bari
had a short neck and a low c# keyguard. :yikes!:

Well this store had a website is some language (I didn't take time to figure it out).
But lone behold, they sold new Grassi instruments. (http://www.giocondi.it/public/display7.php)
(By the way if you end up on their main page just go to the right hand side and down a bit and find the
search section and in categoria box find sassofoni, then search.)

I'm not sure if this is already known information but it certainly wasn't for me.

Either they're back or maybe someone bought the name.

 

[Rampone]

Yes, someone has bought the name ! If you see a brand new Grassi, it's made in China or somewhere else in Asia, and has nothing to do with the original Grassi's from Quarna Sotto in Italy. You can also find Buescher's, Conn's, Selmer's and - you name it - which are inferior instruments labelled with bought or stolen names of great saxophones from the past.

 

[DetroitDave]

There was already a Facebook group for vintage Italian made Ida Maria Grassi saxophones. For some reason, when this new page came along the curator of the original group changed the name to "Vintage Italian Made Ida Maria Grassi Saxohpones" which can be found at:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/140192072679812/

I suggested there that the new group should be written in Mandarin but its caretaker claims the new ones are "Italian made." I have doubts about that and expressed them. I'd love to be wrong about it but, so far, I have found no evidence, other than that one fan page on facebook, that Grassis -- after some years of the name being used to churn out some cheap Asian horns -- are once again being made in Italy .

 

[BigSaxCo1]

It saddens me to think that the name will be out on these horns. They're nothing like the originals!

 

[MMM]

I don't believe these saxes are "made" or even "assembled" in italy (as other newer brands claim).
I think the clue is in the logo: it is no longer "I.M. Grassi Made in Italy" but simply "I.M Grassi Italy".
Proel (importers of all things musical) bought the rights to the name many years ago and decided to brand woodwind and brass instruments made in Taiwan and China with the "Grassi" name.
From what I hear, the new "Jazzy Line" Grassis are very fine instruments, on a par with Mauriat and System 54 (their latest models have rolled tone holes, raw brass, etc.) but have nothing to do with the old Quarna made Grassi.

I guess to succeed on the italian market, it helps if people see a brand (preferably italian) they recognise and has been around for a long time, so from that point of view, good thinking on behalf of Proel!
Cheers,
M.

 

[MontyMac]

It saddens me to think that the name will be out on these horns. They're nothing like the originals!

I stumbled upon one source:
www.dhgate.com/store/product/grassi-bari-sax-no-reserve-baritone/79286072.html
I guess nobody plates keys anymore.

 

[milandro]

AS I have written many times before (nothing new under the sun) ( the links in this 2009 thread a re no longer accurate)

http://forum.saxontheweb.net/showthread.php?125909-Anyone-have-a-link-for-the-quot-new-quot-Grassi
http://forum.saxontheweb.net/showth...assi-Professional-from-80s-vs-Vintage-Borgani

when the company stopped production the Grassi brand was bought by the Proel Group ( although prior to that it was briefly owned by someone else Aronne Gasparato who then went to work for Proel)

they still do

http://www.proel.com/proel/products/new_musical_instruments.html

Proel has sourced Grassi for years in Taiwan and China