[musicman76]

Hi. I am new to sax playing and this forum, which has proven a very trustworthy source of info. My first horn is a King Cleveland 615 Tenor serial 703651. I know this isn't a vintage or pro horn. I am not sure if this is a continuation of the SML line or not. Does anyone have any info / experience with this horn? I have been playing for a couple weeks (already a musician - but this is my first attempt at woodwinds), and am getting my embouchure together (using rico royal 2 reeds), I am wondering what is good mouthpeice for this horn . I won't be doing any classical playing, so something with a good amount of edge, and a strong altissimo would be nice. I was looking at experimenting with the grafonites, since they are only $15. Also, does a nicer ligature really improve the sound / playability of the horn? The pads have a little button reso on them, which pads would brighten up the c# / d (ok) range? What was the approx. retail on these tenors when they came out. I catch that they were student models, but better made than some of the current ones? Any info would be appreciated. Thanks

 

[HUTMO]

Nice Sax

These are nice free blowing tenors and play quite well. The 615 will do all that you will need it to do. It was a student sax but it has an American vintage feel to it. Put a Link on it and you will have a good set up.

As for the mouthpiece... keep your eye out here and find some used pieces to try until you find what you like. If you are a newer player don't get too caught up on pieces until you develop some mastery.

Good Luck
HUTMO

 

[saintsday]

Welcome Musicman76. As Hutmo said, these can be very nice playing horns and are very durable.

I wouldn't worry about the pads for now as long as they cover and you can obsess about ligatures after you've found a mouthpiece that suits you. If this is your first woodwind, I'm not sure that a Link would be the easiest to start. If you want to try a cheap (but good) piece, you might like one of these http://1stopclarinet.stores.yahoo.net/hitpremtensa.html

 

[musicman76]

Thanks for the tips and encouragement. I look forward to many a late night reading through the posts on this site:line0:

 

[Sax Magic]

Welcome to Saxophone!

Try the B5 Rico Royal Graftonite, or the Bari Esprit (Bari is a brand name, not just meaning baritone sax), or the Runyon Model 22. All of these should give you a solid sound on your very good tenor without spending a ton of money.

As others have said, worry about ligatures much later.

The matching alto, King 613, was a solid student horn with strong capabilities, too. I wouldn't hesitate to use either on a gig if my usual horns were out of commission.

Enjoy the journey, and let us help any way we can. SOTW forum is a great resource of experienced players and working pros mixed with hobbyists.

Sax Magic