Real saxophones are used for non-musical purposes all the time. Sometimes they are simply hung on the wall for their aesthetic value, or turned into works of art, while other times they are converted to serve a functional purpose as well.
However, the grand daddy of them all has to be the chandeliers that hang in the Hard Rock Cafes. In these chandeliers the functional and aesthetic combine together to provide a complex blending of iconic shapes, which are meant to convey the overall coolness of the HRC.
I don’t know how many of the HRC’s have these enormous lights in them (this one is in Los Angeles), but you have to admit, they are pretty damn spectacular. How would you like one of these hanging in your house?
Saxy Chandelier
Photography by code_martial Source: Flickr
I’ve seen a number of different photographers post shots of chandeliers like those at the Hard Rock Cafes, and have always wondered: What kinds of saxophones make up these chandeliers? Are there any decent horns in there?
I hope there are just junky, student horns past their prime, hanging around collecting dust. It would really be a shame if good, pro horns were hanging in the foyers of places like the Hard Rock Cafe. You’d almost want to go out on a rescue mission if there were. 😈
I have some pictures of this exact chandelier and I know there’s some selmers on there as well. Almost every one of these horns had a key missing or some kind of mechanism that was broken. Not sure if that was pre or post being screwed fast to the chandelier.
Ouch… Selmers… What are the chances these are Selmer USA horns? This reminds me of that SOTW member who reclaimed a Mark VI alto from the dead after it had been converted into a lamp.
I know there’s some mark VI’s or SBA. Maybe a bundy or two. I’ll try to locate the pictures I have and scan them in and send to you. They were all done with 35 mm film. haha
I can tell you that I can point out 3 Alpine alto saxes (not worth much), and there is one buffet tenor sax in there. Very artwork though. I painted a saxophone for father’s day this year.
Hey Chris. Good eye. (FWIW, I wouldn’t know an Alpine from a Century. I’m really not up on the P.O.C. horns out there. I try to stay as oblivious as possible, unless one of my students has one.)
Glad you uploaded one of the pics of your dad’s gift horn. I was going to ask you if I could do that. This is such a great idea.
I though I sent you an email with the rest of the horn pics, should I try it again?
I got them all Chris, but I wouldn’t upload someone else’s photos unless they told me I could—or unless they were already posted on the web, like they are on eBay. I’d like to use all your pics for an article idea I have on saxophone gifts.