[RootyTootoot]

I have an old tenor Wolf Tayne m/p in my possession that came with a tenor i imported a few years ago. I say "old" on the basis of its cosmetic appearance, you understand. I'm unsure as to whether this is worth anything. What are the distinctive differences between the new Babbit Wolf Taynes (and when did they strart being made?) and the old "Wolf Taynes" - is there an easy way to tell the difference? Excuse me if this is a ridiculous and naive question but I really don't know much about this topic and i'd like to be educated.

 

[Tharruff]

Rooty,

I can't really answer your question but I do have two of what I guess would qualify as the 'older' Wolfies (1970's) for Tenor and one for Alto. When I see them for sale, they generally don't seem to bring high prices. I can attest that I tried for quite awhile (several years) to play them on both Alto and Tenor and finally gave up.

While I was not unhappy with the tone that I got on Alto with a Wolfie, I had horrible problems with intonation which was probably mostly that my chops couldn't handle it.

On Tenor, the intonation problems were even worse due to what I would later find out to be the mismatch of a my embouchure and a 'smaller' chambered mouthpiece on a Balanced Action Tenor Sax. Due to constantly fighting intonation I think that I was never really able to get a decent sound concept with a Wolfie on Tenor.

After switching to Morgan Excalibur 'Large' chambers on both Alto and Tenor I haven't put any of the Wolfies back on in several years to see what I think of them now. Maybe I will try that excercise one day soon and report...???

 

[Kritavi]

If its a metal piece the older ones have the facing number on the table rather then the shank.

 

[RootyTootoot]

Thanks for that Kritavi. It's an older 6 then. $ value anyone?

 

[DD]

RTT:

I have played on WTs since 1964, including 5,6,6*, and 7 on my 114***
MK VI. No intonation issues and a solid sound with an edge not usually present on Link STMs. Some people have squeak issues early on and give up on them, but if persistent they will provide fine results. Mid-strength Fibracells have worked well for me. As to value $75 to $100 US is not atypical.

 

[RootyTootoot]

Thanks DD. I've played it quite a lot myself over the last three years or so and I kind of agree with your description. Certainly it's more edgy than a Link (for me). I found it much easier to tune than an STM, where i always tend to tune a bit flat if i'm not careful. Anyhow, by sheer good luck i seem to have stumbled into my dream tenor piece (a Berg) recently, so i'm going to be getting rid of the WT. Thanks all for info.

 

[jd]

they usually dont bring much money but for me they out play the vintage links big money links from the same era. they can be an excellent value and they are for sure great players.i just added a couple of excellent tenor wolfies to my collection for in the 100.00 range

 

[Danny Troy]

Wow, that takes me back. That was my first metal piece, and probably bought it around 1964 or so (if they were made that early). I can't remember much about it's playability, since I was a beginner and wasn't able to properly evaluate it anyway. At the time that was what my instructor was selling, so not knowing any better I bought one. Don't remember much about it, but I do remember the plating eventually falling off. I would be able to peel the plating off at times. Never had a mpc do that since! I also remember that it had no baffle. Is this true, and if so I'm surprised you guys are getting an edge with it. I was never able to get much edge from non-baffle mpcs. I really do wish I had that mpc right now. I'd love to see what it played like way back then. I guess the fact that I was playing on a MK VI helped a lot!

 

[Michael Ward]

My old teacher Tommy Tuft had an old Wolf Tayne alto piece. I think I used to borrow it but it was way too open for me. Fast forward to the mid 80's and when I was recording in Detriot I met the great sax man Dave McMurray and had the pleasure of watching him record an alto solo on a Don Was production. He played an old Wolfy on a Martin alto and he sounded terrific..I couldn't get a peep out of it but he could.

 

[BrianMitchellBrody]

I think the vintage WT pieces are extremely easy to play, and I have never had a single issue with intonation. They are bright and buzzy and LOUD making it the perfect combination for electric jazz and rock bands.

BTW according to Phil Barone, Wolfe Tannenbaum is alive and well in Florida and is still accepting refacing work.

B

 

[Grumps]

My old teacher Tommy Tuft had an old Wolf Tayne alto piece.

I had one of those for a time; a dark and cavernous mouthpiece if there ever was one. Only a cheap, tinny horn would give it any edge beyond how you naturally blow.

 

[Isle of Jazz]

I miss Rooty.

 

[jd]

No edge?? My tenor wolfies are just slightly less edgie then my dukoffs. The tenor wolfe I have now reminds me of a fantastic dukoff that I used for years .That piece was an unbelievably good Dukoff that I just wore out over time. brightness and power is somewhere between a metal berg a dukoff. I also had a dud for alto that I thought was unplayable. I sold to it another player and loved it.he said He sounded like "stitt" on it. whatever...Grumps have you ever tried one for tenor? I think you will be surprised

 

[Tharruff]

Wow...this thread revived after a couple of years on hiatus...I remember that the Wolfies that I used to play on had decent edge to them, but I stand by my memory that I had real intonation problems with them...the metal ones anyway.

I also have a W-T # 4 facing for Clarinet that I like pretty well, and two hard rubber ones for Soprano Sax (a 4 and a 6 facing) that I like pretty well too.

I guess that the metal W-T's for Alto and Tenor are what I couldn't get along with...

Maybe I should send them to Wofe Tanninbaum himself and ask him to 'tune them up' ? I still have them...

 

[Grumps]

Grumps have you ever tried one for tenor?

Nope. Was commenting in regard to the alto model.

 

[DaddyRabbit]

I miss Rooty.

Where is Rooty?