[Russ]

Hi all.

I purchased this wonderful horn from Manlio (MMM) recently. Nice guy indeed.

I know they're modelled on Selmer horns but having owned a Selmer SII alto, I feel the Prestige is nothing like the Selmer. It 'feels' more like my old Buffet SDA, and sounds really great too. Very resonant feel to it and the action feels nice and quick although it does need to go into my tech to have some personal adjustments made. Spring tensions etc....

The only thing I'm finding awkward is the RH pinky keys. They seem too far a reach compared to other horns I've owned. Anyone else experienced this on Grassi altos? Minor quibble though.

Anyway, here's some (LARGE) pics:

http://www.saxstuff.co.uk/1.JPG
http://www.saxstuff.co.uk/2.JPG
http://www.saxstuff.co.uk/3.JPG
http://www.saxstuff.co.uk/4.JPG
http://www.saxstuff.co.uk/5.JPG
http://www.saxstuff.co.uk/6.JPG
http://www.saxstuff.co.uk/7.JPG
http://www.saxstuff.co.uk/8.JPG
http://www.saxstuff.co.uk/9.JPG
http://www.saxstuff.co.uk/10.JPG
http://www.saxstuff.co.uk/11.JPG

Regards.

 

[J.Max]

I've always thought that the Prestige altos were more like Buffets than Selmers. I've only ever played one, but it felt more like an S1 than the Professional, which feels more like a Mark VI. They both sound really good, and that's a gorgeous horn...

 

[Russ]

J.Max,

You are so right. The more I play, the more this horn really does feel like a Buffet. Remarkably so. I've owned several Buffet horns: SDA, S1, Copper Prestige ....... The horns feel 'remarkably' similar. If I had to plum for one, I'd go for the Buffet Prestige. (purely on sketchy memory, but definately Buffet).

The real difference in comparison between the two is that all my Buffet horns had that hard 'snap' when the pads struck the tone holes whereas the Grassi is more cushioned on impact. This will take some getting used to.

The Buffet SDA was far and away the best sounding alto I ever played, and not really being an alto player (mainly tenor), forget my inhibitions and give this horn some stick and it really lights up. It has the vibrant body & timbre of a class vintage horn.

I'll try to get some pics of the horn without flash photography so you can really see it. As Grassi's are a relatively unknown entity, the more decent pictures, the better

Regards,

Russ

PS: Manlio, thanks for a wonderful instrument My dearly departed wife would have approved of my purchase as she saw your photos last time around in February and was keen for me to make a purchase back then but funds were tight at the time.
How I ended up with this horn after all this time is quite remarkable. Someone was smiling down on me

 

[J.Max]

I wonder if you could fix that "cushion" problem with a repad...then again, if the horn sounds good, and you can get used to it, who cares?


Please do try and get some good pictures! I need to do this with my horns as well and get them to saxpics! It's amazing for a company with a history as long as Grassi (they were around as long or longer than Buescher or King before Selmer bought everyone out) there really isn't a whole lot out there.

 

[calisax]

Prestige are definitely Selmer like. That pinky key might just need bending back in place.

 

[Russ]

I wonder if you could fix that "cushion" problem with a repad...then again, if the horn sounds good, and you can get used to it, who cares?

I actually prefer the "cushion" to the "snap". The action is far quieter than any of the Buffet horns I've owned and I suspect this is a contributing factor.

I'm stuck in all day today waiting for a service tech to repair the washer dryer :x so I'll work on those photos

 

[MMM]

Thank you Russ!

Russ,

sorry too busy and just noted your posts: thank you for the endorsement!
I am really pleased you're enjoying playing it, it's just what it needed!

It's funny you should mention Buffet, I still have an SDA alto and I love it (I didn't think I could live after selling my MK6!), that's probably why I liked the sound of the Grassi.
As far as action is concerned, I thought that the pads installed were a tad on the soft side, that would explain your feeling, but there were only a couple that warranted replacing, so that's what I did.
I was very impressed with the build, my only experience of Grassi was when I first started playing in Rome and they were not finished well.

From my old Lewington catalogue, the 2000 (or Professional 2000) and the Prestige were very similar, main changes were keywork...I'd like to find out if Grassi's were any good in the 60s, and if only someone could put a date on those serial numbers!

All the best,
Manlio