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My Barone Vintage Tenor
After some serious thinking and a trust in Phil that I gained after getting a Hollywood from him about a year and a half ago I pulled the trigger on a Vintage tenor. I have been in my sax cave for the last week and a half getting to know my new horn.
For those of you that don't know me I will give you a little back ground on my experience as a player. I have been playing sax for about 23 years. I consider myself to be an above average player that has had the good fortune of making a living playing for most of my adult life. I'm nothing special but I have my moments. I have toured full time in the pop realm but now I teach privately and do studio work when I can get it. Every now and then I will do shows or a small tour as a sub. I jam with some local guys at the moment just for fun. I have been playing a Cannonball Big Bell Global Series tenor which was their top of the line offering when I bought it new for 2400 dollars at Union Street Music in San Francisco when it was actually on Union Street. I play a Barone Hollywood 7* on tenor for everything. So lets get into it shall we!
Service. What can I say, it was top notch. Not only did Phil talk to me at great length on several occasions about his horns, he also shipped it out to me quickly in the middle of the mountains of snow he was/is buried in. He was quick to say if I didn't like it send it back for a full refund. Well I love it.
Ergonomics. The ergos are very similar to my Cannonball but the left hand feels a tiny bit more twisted to the right than the Cannonball. I would say it took me about an hour with a metronome before I felt completely comfy. This is a slick feeling horn. It is also lighter than my Cannonball which is a Nickel plate.
Build. This thing is solid. I took it to the guys at Horn Improvement in
Orange County and they really liked everything about it.
Tone. This horn has a great big sound all up and down the entire range. It has a spread sound but it doesn't lack focus at all. In fact it has a really nice core to it. By comparison the Cannonball is just all highs and mids with no focus. The Barone is much more balanced, darker with a clearer crisper sound to it. I love the big sound especially for the big gigs because it really helps you hear yourself. Mixed with the Hollywood it is just insane. I can get a real dark smoky sound for a jazz gig and go right to a rock gig and make the horn a bright cutting screamer. The Hollywood just does it all if you put in the time and learn how to blow it. I can subtone even into the altissimo. The horn plays at all volume levels very well. The intonation and harmonics are very nice too. I have no trouble bending notes on it or being expressive.
Price. You can't beat it. I can't believe how much horn you get for so little coin.
Others. I have let every sax player that I have been around for the last couple weeks blow on it and they all loved it. I have played a lot of horns from new Selmers , VIs, JKs, Cannonballs, Yamahas and others. This horn plays and sounds just as good or better as any I have played. I would love to try a Classic just for fun but I know I would have to have it. My wife just doesn't understand that I need more horns and surfboards. She is actually a good sport and if it wasn't for her I would own all of Phils mpcs and horns and be broke.
When I get a little more time I will post some sound or video clips and some pictures.
After some serious thinking and a trust in Phil that I gained after getting a Hollywood from him about a year and a half ago I pulled the trigger on a Vintage tenor. I have been in my sax cave for the last week and a half getting to know my new horn.
For those of you that don't know me I will give you a little back ground on my experience as a player. I have been playing sax for about 23 years. I consider myself to be an above average player that has had the good fortune of making a living playing for most of my adult life. I'm nothing special but I have my moments. I have toured full time in the pop realm but now I teach privately and do studio work when I can get it. Every now and then I will do shows or a small tour as a sub. I jam with some local guys at the moment just for fun. I have been playing a Cannonball Big Bell Global Series tenor which was their top of the line offering when I bought it new for 2400 dollars at Union Street Music in San Francisco when it was actually on Union Street. I play a Barone Hollywood 7* on tenor for everything. So lets get into it shall we!
Service. What can I say, it was top notch. Not only did Phil talk to me at great length on several occasions about his horns, he also shipped it out to me quickly in the middle of the mountains of snow he was/is buried in. He was quick to say if I didn't like it send it back for a full refund. Well I love it.
Ergonomics. The ergos are very similar to my Cannonball but the left hand feels a tiny bit more twisted to the right than the Cannonball. I would say it took me about an hour with a metronome before I felt completely comfy. This is a slick feeling horn. It is also lighter than my Cannonball which is a Nickel plate.
Build. This thing is solid. I took it to the guys at Horn Improvement in
Orange County and they really liked everything about it.
Tone. This horn has a great big sound all up and down the entire range. It has a spread sound but it doesn't lack focus at all. In fact it has a really nice core to it. By comparison the Cannonball is just all highs and mids with no focus. The Barone is much more balanced, darker with a clearer crisper sound to it. I love the big sound especially for the big gigs because it really helps you hear yourself. Mixed with the Hollywood it is just insane. I can get a real dark smoky sound for a jazz gig and go right to a rock gig and make the horn a bright cutting screamer. The Hollywood just does it all if you put in the time and learn how to blow it. I can subtone even into the altissimo. The horn plays at all volume levels very well. The intonation and harmonics are very nice too. I have no trouble bending notes on it or being expressive.
Price. You can't beat it. I can't believe how much horn you get for so little coin.
Others. I have let every sax player that I have been around for the last couple weeks blow on it and they all loved it. I have played a lot of horns from new Selmers , VIs, JKs, Cannonballs, Yamahas and others. This horn plays and sounds just as good or better as any I have played. I would love to try a Classic just for fun but I know I would have to have it. My wife just doesn't understand that I need more horns and surfboards. She is actually a good sport and if it wasn't for her I would own all of Phils mpcs and horns and be broke.
When I get a little more time I will post some sound or video clips and some pictures.
They are truly spectacular tenors. 
