[RookTenor]

I found this clip on Youtube. I love the sound of this horn.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PsXp1a0MxIA

Very rich and "Webster-esque"(in my opinion) Is this the Holton, the mouthpiece, the musician or a combination of the three? Whatever it is, I wanna sound like that one day...

 

[jicaino]

There's more influence from a player's tonal concept and the aesthetical approach to phrasing than from the gear he's using. I can vouch for that since I got me a Balanced Action tenor just for pursuing the Websteresque tone, and learned in the way that I should really focus on the music and not on the gear. Today, many years later, I can do the Webster thingy on any tenor I play. A Balanced Action certainly "rounds up" the setup, but I wouldn't say it's definitive. At least no more than the stripped 40'ish suite I like to wear when I'll be doing "the Webster", or the big knife I like to carry on my belt to feel I'm being faithful to Ben's heritage :mrgreen:

 

[JayeLID]

Well....can't argue with the above...as I'm sur eyou already know, Rook....teh horn ain't gonna change the player. HOWEVER.... if one is going for such a sound they can either help themselves or handicap themselves by the instrument they choose.

Plus....that doesn't take anything away from the fact that Holtons DO sound very NICE.

.....are Holtons good, fat sounding horns ?

Hell, Yes.....I have about 7 of 'em....ranging from '20's to late '60's....A, T, B (my avatar is an old Holton 230 Alto); and several are nothing less than superb instruments. I have a 50's 241 and a '37 Revelation Tenor....and....well....OK, I'll say it.....they both just blow away almost any other vintage Tenor that I've ever laid my hands on (be it a King, Buescher, Martin, Conn, Selmer VI, Keilwerth, Kohlert, you name it ~ the list goes on). I would never part with my Revelation.

Holtons generally have a BIG round sound, very dark and full. They also maintain their character up and down the registers. Much maligned primarily by those who have either not played one decently set up...or by those who failed to spend a little time with one which was....

Definitely classic horns which can stand toe to toe with any other (and they tend to be had dirt cheap, too)....

....just visit the Holton section....the cabal hangs out there

 

[geauxsax]

Man--I made a big reply to this last night at it disappeared.

Too lazy to retype the whole thing. to recap what I remember typing:

--I dig Holtons
--I think they get undeserved bad press by folks who haven't played them, or played a beater with leaks, old pads, etc, and just chalked up the problems to it "being a Holton."
--I personally believe that they weren't popular and weren't played by pros because Holton put its marketing efforts into Brasswinds, in contrast to the "big" vintage sax brands--not for any quality issues.
--They are big-sounding horns, built like tanks, that can take a lot of air, have a huge bottom end, and seem to be made well. My tenors (Revelation and 241) are more resistant than my Buescher Big B (no surprise, right?) but in a good way.
--I've heard a few times that they're "Conn-ish". I don't have enough time playing Conns to agree or not. Anyone?


FYI: my Holtons: satin Gold Sop with front F, burnished Gold Rudy Alto, two lacquered 232 altos, satin silver Revelation tenor, lacquered 241 Tenor.

when I get back to the States in a couple years, I plan on getting a bari and C-mel too.

 

[JayeLID]

Man--I made a big reply to this last night at it disappeared.

You too ???!!!! The above was my second reply....the first one I did at about midnight...but come the next morning there was nary a sign of it (happened with a few other posts I made, too). Not deleted by a moderator or anything....just vanished.

I think Harri has a ghost in the machine.....