[hoax1]

hey guys,

a quick question for all you martin lovers out there, i have been reading alot of old posts on martins and they seem a great sax for there price. my teacher plays a old indiana alto and she can get that thing screaming.

my question is that i have been playing alto for about 4 years now and want to start tenor, i was looking for a martin and have been searching around on ebay found one at
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&Item=170155075311&Category=16234&_trksid=p3907.m29.

does this serial number make it a the martin tenor saxophone, it seams like a good price but think it will jump a fair bit. what price should i be expecting to pay.

does any one have any reasonable martin tenors for sale.

any advice would be much appreciated

 

[Neil Sharpe]

Check out these sites for information.
http://www.saxpics.com/martin/committee.htm

http://www.themartinstory.net/

and also Bob Ackerman's site as to why he likes The Martins.
http://www.bobackermansaxophones.com/articles.html

It's my understanding that Bob Ackerman prefers "The Martin Tenor" in the 195xxx-220xxx serial range, but there certainly is a variety of opinions. Others suggest 150xxx-220xxx. Pete Thomas, for example, has a 1951 tenor which should put it in the 175xxx-178xxx range.
http://www.petethomas.co.uk/sx-05-martin-tenor.html

As for value, check out www.worldwidesax.com and www.junkdude.com who currently have The Martins in stock.

On Ebay, although prices can always vary, "The Martin" tenors in good condition, with original lacquer, have been averaging, generally speaking, between $1100.00 to $1700.00 with exceptions above and below.

When one buys a horn off Ebay, expect to spend some money to put it in top playing condition; the general rule of thumb is roughly $150.00-300.00. Given this, if I may suggest, it would seem a good idea to buy one off a reputable dealer where you can get a free trial (although if you return it, expect to pay shipping both ways) and also will know that the sax has been put in good playing condition before it's shipped to you.

hey guys,

a quick question for all you martin lovers out there, i have been reading alot of old posts on martins and they seem a great sax for there price. my teacher plays a old indiana alto and she can get that thing screaming.

my question is that i have been playing alto for about 4 years now and want to start tenor, i was looking for a martin and have been searching around on ebay found one at
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&Item=170155075311&Category=16234&_trksid=p3907.m29.

does this serial number make it a the martin tenor saxophone, it seams like a good price but think it will jump a fair bit. what price should i be expecting to pay.

does any one have any reasonable martin tenors for sale.

any advice would be much appreciated

 

[Bootman]

The models to look for are The Martin mid 50's models have always been very consistent and played better for me than the earlier models. The Committee I and II models are also great playing tenors. The Indiana models are the real dark horse here, they play exceptionally well for very little money.

If you have the money and are really chasing the best of the Martin range then look towards a Magna model. Every Magna I have played and owned has simply kncoked me out, all the best features of the earlier "the Martin" models with an extra bit of zing to it. They also are more balanced in timbre across the range of the horn than the earlier models. I would describe a Magna as a Keilwerth on steroids. There is a reason why these horns where called Mkvi killers.

 

[hoax1]

Thanks for the help.

i live in australia and dont really know any tech guys here that could tune a martin for me might have to get it all done in the states.

are martins a popular sax in the states, what i mean is are there many for sale at a given time.

so did any one think the sax on ebay was a good buy

 

[davevillajr]

I'd been checking out that horn off and on. I REALLY dig the Martins, and currently own two Indianas (an alto and a tenor). I've been wanting a "The Martin" for a while. I think if you can get that one for around $1000 or less you'd have hit the jackpot.

It's a cool looking horn, and I'll bet it sounds INCREDIBLE.

 

[hoax1]

thanks for that dave.

was wondering what your indianas play like. are you happy with the sound, how would you compare it to other tenor horns, from what i can gather they are quite reasonably priced

cheers

 

[davevillajr]

I am really happy with the sound of my Indianas. They have a "vibe" of their own.

My Selmer (and Selmer copy) horns have a sound that I would call sweet, light, and focused, very pretty, and not really nasty or muscular. They sound refined and centered, very polite.

The Indianas, on the other hand, have a more "muscular" tone, with a little more beefy-ness or heft to the tone. A little rougher around the edges, but still a fantastic, controllable sound. I still sound like me - my overall tone doesn't change - but it gets a little.... deeper, I guess.

It's all subjective really, but that's the sense I get from MY horns.

Of course, no one else may be able to hear the differences.....but, I can.

Ergonomically, the layout of the Martin took a little getting used to, the keys are placed differently, but within reason. The non-articulated G# key of the Martin feels a little funny after playing my Selmer, and the alternate F# key is in a slightly different place, but all very reasonably placed.

Both my Indianas physically feel smaller than my Selmer horns, real or percieved I haven't really compared them together, they seem more compact.

I like the feel I get when I play the Martin saxes, and really haven't touched my Selmer horns in a while.

dv

 

[stefank]

I bought a beat up looking Indiana alto for $350 (Australian). It's not going to win any beauty contests, but it's great to play.

 

[jthole]

The models to look for are The Martin mid 50's models have always been very consistent and played better for me than the earlier models. The Committee I and II models are also great playing tenors. The Indiana models are the real dark horse here, they play exceptionally well for very little money.

I agree on the Indiana models. If you are looking at collector value, there are much better choices, but if you go for sound and playability, then I think they are a great choice! The keywork is excellent (no real differences between the Indiana and The Martin) and the sound is just great. Some say that the Indiana has a thinner sound than the The Martin horns, but I personally don't hear the difference.

 

[stefank]

Hoax, I notice the seller of that Martin tenor on ebay only is posting to the USA, so that's probably one to forget about. I went through the Australian ebay listings earlier in the day, and didn't see anything that caught my eye (at least not with an affordable asking price).

 

[freeflier]

From the ebay ad:

She's been relacquered at somepoint in time.So I had the lacquer removed during the rebuild

um... isn't the whole "problem" with a relaquered horn the laquer removal process? Didn't this guy just double the damage, rather than remove it?

 

[milandro]

it all depends on how you remove the lacquer.

I am not a sax technician but I've done this on a few metal items.

You can do this with many horns too without any significant buffing. Vintage lacquer , very often comes off with immersion in boiling hot water and soda crystals.....

The only serious hidden risk in any Martins is the one of leaking toneholes....read this
http://www.shwoodwind.co.uk/HandyHints/Martin_toneholes.htm

 

[Benny]

hoax1 - if you're interested I can put you in touch with a tech in Melbourne named Phil Noy. He is a total Martin nut and THE guy to set up a Martin horn for you. Even better- he probably knows someone who can sell you one. Where abouts are you living?

PM me if you want more info ie: phone number.

good luck

 

[hoax1]

thanks heaps for the help guys, overwelmed with the responses.

think im going to shop around for a indiana, are there any differences between year models in the indianas.

will try to find a reasonbly priced one and get it fixed up.

seems like there are quite a few martin lovers out there wich is god too see.

 

[milandro]

One more thing to think about is make sure they use the right pads on your Martin if you recide to have it overhauled, Martins are Picky and prefer thinner pads




from the Martin story site:

"...Apparently there are at least 3 stages of Indianas
stage 1. Based on CommitteeI or II with heart shaped left thumb rest, and silver keys and adjustable right thumb rest
stage 2 Based on THE MARTIN with gold color keys, at least some of them have adjustable right thumb rests. No heart shaped left thumb rest (not on the THE MARTINS either.)
stage 3 Based on THE MARTIN with silver keys and no adjustable right thumb rest. No heart shaped left thumb rest...."

 

[hoax1]

thanks milandro, does it mention wich is the better and how to tell them apart, or do you have a link to tthe site.

 

[milandro]

yes...if you read my post....again it tells you exactly how to tell them apart, based of LH thumb rest, silver keys, and adjustable RH tumb rest.

The martin story site doesn't exactly provide an opinion on which one of these models are better.

Personally I feel you should go for the one that sounds better to you (obvious, isn't it?) but if you have no way to find out prior to buying go for the one which looks better and has the full wack of accessories (Thumb rests like the committee), Some very early ones have more quirky intonation, they say, but don't worry about buying a later one..... until 1963 they are OK, some are exceptional....If you have the right money buy a Magna instead of the Indiana!

 

[hoax1]

thankyou very much milandro.

will have to see how the funds are going
cheers

 

[milandro]

save as much money as you can and invest in a beautiful horn, there is no point in jumping from horn to horn (I've done a fair bit of that, I should know ) . These are adult saxophones, but have a personality. Some people have problems with horns with a personality. Give me a Martin over a Selmer Super Action 80 II anyday. I will have to fight small quirks here and there but I'll have a horn in my possession which is unique and will keep me satisfied for years and years.

 

[davevillajr]

From the Martin Story website, a good rule of "thumb" is if the instrument has an adjustable right hand thumbrest, it is more desirable and (underlying subtext) a better horn....

dv