Monthly Archives: March 2010

Keilwerth SX-90 Bass Saxophone For Auction On eBay

Posted on by
5

This bass saxophone immediately caught my eye yesterday when I first saw it. I wished I lived closer so that I could give it a try, because I must admit, I’ve been curious about the SX-90 bass for quite some time.

     Source: eBay.com

Keilwerth bass saxophones are just not seen very often—with a notable exception being in and around the Philly area, where you can find them more in string bands, than most likely anywhere else in North America.

This bass belongs to a former member of the Denville string band. Here’s how the sax is being described by the seller:

This is a (approx.) 2000 Keilwerth bass saxophone. I’ve used it for 5 years in a NJ band specializing in 1910′s to 1920′s traditional Philadelphia String Band music (banjo, sax and accordion). I’m moving to NC in a few months and can’t find a band down there where it’ll fit in, so I’m back to playing tenor and bari. I bought it in 2005 from an airline pilot that was newly retired and planning to travel and had no use for it. This sax is in very good to excellent condition. You can see in the photos that I’ve applied peel-and-stick vinyl shelf liner to the body to protect the finish from belt buckles and chair rash, and it’s easily removed. An arrow in one photo points to a dent – I confess – I caused it… I dropped it on the edge of the case while putting it away. It’s not a big deal, basses collect more dents than dust and this one doesn’t affect anything but my ego.

There is a bit of lacquer spotting as you might expect. I’d put the finish at 98%. The neck is in perfect condition. The mouthpiece is a 50′s Selmer and is included as is the ligature. It’s had a baffle added and helps this bass play as easily as any tenor. The case is the original and except for a few scuffs is in excellent condition with wheels added at one end. The wheels are a good thing to have on a beast like this. the stand is also included and is perfect for playing while seated.

I encourage you to come play this in person before bidding. It’ll knock your socks off! I’m located in Stirling, NJ 07980. US 48 sale only.

Sells new for $17,000.00 at Woodwind and Brasswind.

From Keilwerth sales literature:

Professional SX90 bass saxophone, gold lacquer body and keys, extra high F arm with adjusting screw for better lower stack adjustment, auxiliary F key, mother of pearl finger buttons, leather pads with metal resonators, adjustable thumb rest, adjustable palm keys, larger bow section, G pad cup lifting mechanism, hydraulically formed neck, key clamps, deluxe stitched plush lined case.

     Source: eBay.com

Since I’m not familiar with Keilwerth bass saxes in an up close & personal way, I don’t know what is located near the lyre holder and screw. In this photo I’m not sure what this black material is. I’m thinking maybe electrician’s tape? Is it, and whatever that translucent material with it is, part of the protection the owner added to protect the finish?

     Source: eBay.com

     Source: eBay.com

     Source: eBay.com

This must be where the dent is that the owner mentions. I’m not sure I can see the dent, so it must not be too big.

     Source: eBay.com
     Source: eBay.com

     Source: eBay.com

The bow looks to be in very nice shape, and doesn’t seem to have any visible dents. Note the added protection added to the bow guard. This owner was very fastidious about protecting his horn from damage.

     Source: eBay.com

The sink trap neck really does seem to be in pristine condition. Did this sax ever get played more than a few times a year? I’m thinking not.

     Source: eBay.com

This Keilwerth seems to be in overall amazing condition. The auction for this bass runs until April 5. Bids are to start at $8,000.00. At the time of writing, there were no bids yet on this lovely bass sax.

…this is just my blog. My “real” website is www.bassic-sax.info. If you’re looking for sax info, you should check it out too.There’s lots there!

An Update On The bassic-sax.info Revamp & Redesign

Posted on by
Reply

As many of you know, last September I mentioned on my weblog that I was working on a total redesign of the main portion of my website, bassic-sax.info. I had originally planned to launch this new site last fall. Regular readers of my blog will also likely remember that my mom had a massive heart attack in November that left her hospitalized in another city. I was staying in a hotel close by the hospital when she passed away suddenly 2 weeks later.  

This event was further followed by a series of events that were also out of my control, and were very difficult to contend with. All of this to say, updating my website did not register high on my priority scale for a number of months.

However, things have finally settled, and my priorities have been refocused. For a number of weeks now I have been working diligently at trying to get my redesigned bassic-sax.info finished. As I write this, the new site is set to accommodate approximately 165 pages! :shock:   It will most likely pick up a few more along the way as well. Although when the site is first launched, not all 165 pages will be active yet. It will likely launch with about 140 or so. The rest of the pages will be added over the course of the next few months, as I complete my research, and gather more images and data.

The new site is rich in new photos and new information, while still keeping the old information that I currently have on bassic-sax.info. Where possible, I have updated the photographs from the old site.

The new bassic-sax.info has many image galleries, such as the one illustrated in the screen shot below. 

I have never been interested in recreating the wheel. Therefore my site will continue to focus on the obscure brands of saxophones that I’ve come across, and that I have researched—such as Hammerschmidt, illustrated in the screen shot below.

In other words, while there will eventually be a page on Selmer saxophones on my website, I will not be devoting a great deal space or time to them. That information already exists elsewhere in abundance.

I am very excited about the upcoming launch of my revamped and redesigned version of bassic-sax.info. I have still some work to do, but the plan is to switch to the new site over the Easter long weekend.

I have spoken with my web designer, and we have decided to leave the old site where it is. This way people who have pages bookmarked, will still be able to access the old site and not get any error messages.

The new web site will have all new URLs, and is being created via a content management system. This will allow me to do most of the updates myself, and allow me to grow the site as seems most appropriate as time goes by.

Wish me luck over the next 10 days. I still have a lot to do, but if all goes well, by April 4, 2010, the new version of bassic-sax.info should be up and running.

…this is just my blog. My “real” website is www.bassic-sax.info. If you’re looking for sax info, you should check it out too.There’s lots there!

Are You Looking For A Minty YTS-23?

Posted on by
2

I freely admit that I don’t own a Yamaha. Never have. Most likely never will. However, I’ve helped lots of my students buy either a YTS or YAS-23. They are, IMO anyway, about the best student model saxophones out there.

They are of course very easy play, since they offer very little resistance. These horns are also quite forgiving. They will put up with the bumps that students are prone to put them through, and will maintain their regulation quite well. They also have about the best intonation of any student saxophone on the market.

Over nearly 20 years of teaching saxophone, I’ve seen many students bring many brands of saxophones to their lessons. It’s been my experience that these Yamaha horns give you about the best value for your student horn dollar.

A few weeks ago I had the chance to play my friend Kevin’s minty YTS-23. This horn looks like it is just a year or so old. When I was helping my students look for a sax, this would have been one I would have told their parents to go for. 

Over the past few weeks Kevin has rebuilt a vintage alto that he bought, and has since come to realize that he is really a small horn player. So he has decided to let this Yamaha tenor go.

Unfortunately Kevin doesn’t have a still camera, so these pics were taken with his small movie camera. However, they will give you a good idea of the condition of this horn.

There is no original case for this sax, but it comes with this Pro Tec case. It is in great condition.

There is a scratch on the bell, just above the Yamaha stamp.

This sax is incredibly clean; both inside and out.

In this photo you can see a few little light scratches on the bow.

Kevin currently has the horn listed on eBay. Please read the ad for a full description of the sax, and the work that was done on it since Kevin has owned it.

If one of your students is in the market for a really good, used Yamaha, this is an excellent choice. Or if you are looking for a back-up horn for yourself, and were looking for a 23, this should be a serious contender.

In any event, the auction for Kevin’s YTS-23 runs until March 31. The Buy It Now price is $799.99. Or, you can make him an offer.

…this is just my blog. My “real” website is www.bassic-sax.info. If you’re looking for sax info, you should check it out too.There’s lots there!