[dexdex]

Hi, welcome, and congratulations.
The MkVII tenor is one of the best kept secrets.
The left hand pinky cluster is definitely of a suboptimal design and make.
The high arch neck shape is another disputable feature.
I play mine with a S-III neck.
Once you adjust to those specific aspects, you can rely on an excellent build, excellent intonation, and a horn with a very broad scope.
Mine « survived » several attempts to move to other horns. It’s low market value also helped me to keep it, but I’m really happy each time I play it live. That thing speaks and roars.
Speaking of King S-20, a good friend and sax fellow has one; what is cool is that the rather « power horn » character of the MkVII is quite similar to the S-20. With better keywork and intonation.
Looking forward to hear your impressions.

 

[dexdex]

What do "power" and "big sound" mean here? Is this horn know for being louder than others?

Hi. To be honest, I never compared any saxophones in front of a dBmeter. So I have no scientific clue.
What I can say is that the MkVII is ready to take all the air you supply, and responds with both volume and a solid sound, not turning thin or shrill. This is even more true in my case with the right neck. I’ve been using a Ref54 neck for years, and switched to an early S-III recently, making the response easier in the low end.
The contrast is quite noticeable with many MkVIs, which tend to be on the “gentle” side, played with the same mouthpiece/reed combo.
The counterpart of it is that other more gentle horns are better suited to play softly. The MkVII isn’t an overly resistant horn, but it responds better if you push some air. Yamaha or Yanagisawa tenors are more comfortable and easier in whisper mode.
I became aware of it while trying notorious “power” horns, like modern Keilwerths or as already mentioned, the King S20s.
The MkVII has been designed with “volume” in mind, partly in response to the success of heavy amplified guitars in pop/rock music.