{"id":30139,"date":"2012-01-30T11:17:15","date_gmt":"2012-01-30T19:17:15","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/bassic-sax.info\/blog\/?p=30139"},"modified":"2024-05-29T08:31:21","modified_gmt":"2024-05-29T15:31:21","slug":"powell-silver-eagle-saxophone","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bassic-sax.info\/blog\/2012\/powell-silver-eagle-saxophone\/","title":{"rendered":"The Powell Silver Eagle Saxophone"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>On September 23, 2010, Steven Wasser, the owner of Powell Flutes\u00b9, announced that the company was going to be unveiling a new, Blessing Saxophone\u00b2. It didn’t take long for the saxophone community to respond. Within days a thread sprung up on SOTW<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The sax world was all abuzz, because what Blessing had undertaken, represented the first saxophone entirely designed and produced on American soil in over 30 years. Even the case is American-made<\/a>.<\/p>\n

According to the Powell\/Blessing owner<\/a>:<\/p>\n

…the United States represents 50% of the world saxophone market, but none of the saxophones available for sale in the United States are made here. Wasser commented, “As far as we are concerned this represents a business opportunity. Our entire strategy is based on making great instruments in the United States. We think one of the positive effects of this recession will be that American consumers are going to pay much more attention to country of origin than they have in the past.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Blessing’s designer and product specialist, is professional saxophonist Mike Smith. Besides having an extensive and impressive performance CV, he is also Professor of Saxophone at Roosevelt University. Previously Smith had also worked for J. Keilwerth in the area of product development, artist relations, and as a performing artist.\u00b3<\/p>\n

Working alongside Smith are designers Chris French and John Weir. Both are highly skilled woodwind developers with years of experience.4<\/sup><\/p>\n

Blessing was able to purchase the tooling from B&S in Germany, because the company had stopped producing their own saxophones around 2005. However, Smith is quick to point out that their new saxophones are not anything like the Medusa, or any other model of B&S horns.<\/p>\n

Smith writes:<\/p>\n

Yes we did buy the B&S tooling. No we are not basing our horn on their design. I am working with designers Chris French and John Weir on a completely new design. The tooling will be used to make pad cups, and posts. We will be altering the fixtures for our design. Neck, tube, bow and bell are being made with new tooling we created.<\/p>\n

Source: The Powell Silver Eagle Saxophone facebook page<\/a><\/h6>\n<\/blockquote>\n

The Silver Eagle Saxophone is a very high-end, very expensive saxophone. It is aimed at the select few players who have the means, and the desire, to own an American-made product with high QC standards.<\/p>\n

The tone holes on the horns are brazed\u2014a process that King used very successfully. This brazing is done in the Powell flute factory.<\/p>\n

The following slide show from the company gives you an idea of the workmanship that goes into the Powell Silver Eagle Saxophone.<\/del> [It has since been removed.]<\/p>\n

The new Silver Eagle Saxophone has all kinds of interesting features, which start at the neck and go right through to the bell. These features are described by Mike Smith, in this newly posted YouTube video.<\/del> [It too has since been removed.]<\/p>\n

But seriously, where’s the tenor? That’s the one I personally would like to hear. Alto players always get the leg-up on everything. What’s up with that anyway?   :scratch:<\/p>\n

Anyways, it’s not clear when the new, Powell Silver Eagle Saxophone will be available for order, or for that matter, what its price will be. To keep in the loop, you can monitor the conversation on SOTW<\/a>\u2014that is if the server isn’t down like it has been so often in the last couple of weeks\u2014or on facebook<\/a>.<\/p>\n

I hope Powell succeeds with this project. I would like to see a North American product make it for a change. All it will take is for people to put their money where their mouth is. Everyone talks a good game, but when it comes time to take out the cash to pay, the cheap factor takes over way too often.<\/p>\n

________________________________________________<\/p>\n

\u00b9 Source: Powell Sax MySpace Page<\/a><\/h6>\n
\u00b2 Source: Blessingbrass.com<\/a><\/h6>\n
\u00b3 Source: Powell Sax MySpace Page<\/a><\/h6>\n
4<\/sup> Source: Ibid<\/h6>\n
\n
…this is just my blog<\/em>. <\/span> My \u201creal\u201d <\/b> website is<\/span> www.bassic-sax.info.<\/a> If you\u2019re looking for <\/span> sax info<\/strong>,<\/span> you should check it out too.<\/span>There\u2019s lots<\/em> there! <\/span><\/div>\n
 <\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

On September 23, 2010, Steven Wasser, the owner of Powell Flutes\u00b9, announced that the company was going to be unveiling a new, Blessing Saxophone\u00b2. It didn’t take …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[191],"tags":[625,150,182,183,646,285,141,662,26],"class_list":["post-30139","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-modern-horns","tag-alto-saxophone","tag-american-saxophones","tag-modern-saxophones","tag-new-horns","tag-on-line-resources","tag-professional-model-saxophones","tag-sax-on-the-web","tag-video","tag-youtube"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t