[jojocat]

Hi,

I got this tenor for a few boxes and I'd like to know more about it.

Here are the inscriptions on :
Weltklang Solist
Markneukirchen
klingenthal
Serial no : 65670
Made in GDR
Fabriqué en RDA ( in french )

The sax plays very well although I have some problem to make sound the low tones ( but I'm a beginner ). It is in great shape, but dirty. It is gold lackered with silver keys.

Can anyone tell me more about this horn ?

Thanks in advance.

 

[rotkvica]

Its student model (if this means anything), made by B&S - DDR period. You may ask B&S for Year of production, but they have very bad serial number track record (from personal experience). I have their Blue Label (not official name) sax, from DDR period and I had also opportunity to try few Weltklangs.
You have history of B&S on their web site. From my experience (I am still a begginer player, playing for two years only, but can tell difference between two saxes if I can play them one by one. I do have solid musical mileage from playing guitar and bass for 20 years) these saxes sound quite nice but do not have action as good as modern horns, and are very easy to blow. Your teacher should tell if low notes problem is leaking sax or You. If You do not have teacher - find one, for few lessons at least. Advice I have got from good people at this forum and it was very good one.

I do not think You are going to resell it easy, but on the other hand You may not wish to.

Best regards

 

[Stephen Howard]

Most of the problems are likely to be down to the strange and awful pads fitted to the horn.

I did a review recently of a Weltklang bari - which has some information on it that would be relevant to your tenor.

http://www.shwoodwind.co.uk/Reviews/Saxes/Bari/lafleur_gdr_bari.htm

Regards,

 

[jojocat]

Dear Rotkvica and Stephen,

thanks a lot for your comments. I was too much busy to reply until now. Rotkvica, for your information, I played sax for 4 years but it was over 20 years ago. I don't know how to say it in English - I'm french - but I have the ''pitch", and I know perfectly the music theory. Stephen, if you read this reply, is it possible that changing the cork would help to produce the low tones ? The cork is really really tired...and, difficult or not to change the pads by myself ??

Thanks to reply, Jocelyn

 

[Stephen Howard]

If there are any leaks from the mouthpiece cork then it will certainly help to change it - but in the meantime you could just wrap some teflon tape (often sold as Plumbers Tape) around it.
Changing the pads requires a degree of skill. It's not that it's particularly hard, it's just that you have to know what you're doing and you have to be very precise. On a well-made horn it's a tricky enough job, but if there are build-quality issues such as warped tone holes (which are common on Weltklang horns) it makes the job virtually impossible until such issues have been addressed.

Regards,

 

[jojocat]

Dear Stephen,

thanks a lot for your advices. I thought about rolling some teflon tape, but I can't find the one I have and anyway,I'm very busy...but what you say about changing some pads made me decide to send the horn to the repair shop. You know, I will pay this Weltklang only Can $ 200.00 ( in a common ageement with the seller, have the horn at home. I didn't pay it yet and if the repairs are expensive - let's say 2000 more, the price will be lower )... so it deserves to get some job done to play decently.. What's your opinion ?

Thanks for your kindness,

Jocelyn

 

[Stephen Howard]

So you paid about 100 uk for it, which is probably about right - and I wouldn't consider spending more than a couple of hundred on it to get it blowing (about 400 Canadian).

Regards,

 

[JayeLID]

Its student model (if this means anything)...

Solists were Weltklang's top-line horn...I agree their action would be best maximized by a good tech....but it isn't really a "student model"...by today's standards, one would have to place this an "intermediate". I also agree that these blow very 'wide open', which is nice.


A total investment (purchase price plus tech work) of around $600-650usd is about where one should put it as a decent deal, market-wise. Anything much over that, and there are better purchases. So, give or take $50, I agree w/ Steve.
I also agree about the pads...these had artificial leather pads...and while on the good side one can argue that they sure last a hella long time and no cows were killed; and I am all FOR alternative pad material and I bet they served quite well for quite a while...usually after about 20 years, they aren't performing very well any longer (although they may not be obviously leaking, per se). I usually change-out about 1/3 of the pads on a Weltklang which I rehab....

As mentioned above, the tone is a Weltklang's biggest asset..they always sound HUUUGE, and you cannot really get that in a contemporary Tenor any longer.

 

[jojocat]

Dear all,

thanks a lot for comments and advices. They are very useful.

BTW, one good surprise I had is the mouthpiece which is a Selmer S80 C*, with also a Selmer ligature. Reeds are Vandoren Java 3 1/2; I think they are a bit too ''thick'' for a beginner like me. Any other suggestion ?¸¸

Thanks, Jocelyn

 

[Stephen Howard]

That's a nice bonus!
Beginner reeds? Try plain Rico 2 or 2 1/2 - a couple of each should be enough to figure out where you need to go from there.

Regards,

 

[milandro]

I agree with JayeSF that the Weltklang Solists are the best horn made by Weltklang (before turning into B&S) and virtually identical to what later became the B&S model 1000. Somewhat spartan in the mechanics but a great sounding horn. Tenors tend to be made better than SOME altos were made. They were one of the cheapest sources of stencils for GOOD saxophones during the '70 to the '90 (but they had been around a very long time before of that!) managing to be cheaper that Italian brands or Amati saxophones. Unsophisticated but nice. My first tenor was a Weltklang solist which I bought unloved and un-played and once I had it repadded it played well and ferried my towards other horns (my second tenor was a Selmer Mark VII). I could have stayed with the Weltklang though and a friend of mine has a silver plate version that he still plays alongside his Mark VI.
Have the horn adjusted well and possibly repadded. I had a good local , cheap tech do that, and sold the horn for the price that I had paid , including the repad.

 

[jojocat]

Thanks guys,

Milandro, mine is also a silver plated model. A couple of dents and scratches, but invisible at first look. It's in great shape, but very dirty when I got it. I guess the horn was on its stand as a decoration, you see....lacks of dirt and cigarette smoke... had to clean it for looooongg hours.

I read here and there on the net that this horn can sound great if in shape; on the question of complete repadding : unfortunately, I'm close to Quebec City in Canada. It's not a big city; there's not a bunch of techs. The only shop I know ask Can $650.00 for repadding and adjustment. Sounds a lot, don't you find ?

 

[milandro]

It is possibly the amount that the horn would even be worth if you decide to sell , on the other hand, have you got access to a playable refurbished horn for that kind of money? If not..........maybe it is still worth fixing then.

 

[JayeLID]

OK, but...did the shop say it REQUIRES a complete repad ? Whenever faced with a situation like this....I generally feel a tech is going to try to get a big job out of a new client, particularly on a horn of which they have no familiarity. The follow-up question here should be:

"OK, thank you very much. I am sure it would be wonderful if it had a full repad and complete re-regulation ! But, is there a less expensive option which can make the sax play up and down cleanly without me having to fight it ?"

...because very likely, all of the pads do NOT need replacing. As I noted above, usually even on a Weltklang which hasn't been used in sometime, a lot of the pads still have life left in 'em. I rarely have found the NECESSITY to replace more than 7 or 8 pads, total....
Now, as Milandro notes....$200 for the purchase plus $650 for a pretty dee-luxe work-up....equals $850cdn. That's not terrible. You would have a horn in great regulation and probably performing close to its maximum. I mean, if it ended up not being your cup of tea.... & you decided to sell it, you would probably get very close to that amount....

BTW...it's a 1985-made sax.....

 

[jojocat]

Dear JayeSF,

thanks to give me the year of production. I was really curious about how ''vintage'' the horn is.

Well, considering all the advices I got in this thread, I called back the sax dealer this afternoon and I had another technician online. After talking with him about the problem(s), he of course suggested to take a look at the beast, but he told me he is almost sure to get the sax playable for about $ 150.00. Finally, a decent horn with an interesting sound for 350-400 boxes is not too bad...

I'm excited to play it once correctly set!!

Thanks again guys for all your precious knowledge and experience!!