{"id":49634,"date":"2020-12-17T11:20:50","date_gmt":"2020-12-17T13:20:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bassic-sax.info\/blog\/?p=49634"},"modified":"2024-06-26T16:18:37","modified_gmt":"2024-06-26T23:18:37","slug":"update-compare-contrast-7-orsi-bass-saxes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bassic-sax.info\/blog\/2020\/update-compare-contrast-7-orsi-bass-saxes\/","title":{"rendered":"Update: Compare\/contrast 7 Orsi bass saxes"},"content":{"rendered":"

I was texting with a new bass sax buddy the other day, and he brought a couple of Orsi bass saxophones to my attention that are currently for sale on eBay. This jiggled my brain cells and had me remembering an article I wrote a couple of years ago where I compared 5 Orsi bass saxes.<\/p>\n

Well it seems I need to update that article, since both of these currently-listed-bass-saxophones are quite different, and add a bit of further mystique to the Orsi bass saxophone saga. <\/p>\n

This time I’m going to do things a bit different and start with a chart that includes all the Orsi basses I have now seen to date. Afterwards we’ll take a bit of a deeper dive into what’s what with these rather mysterious Italian-made monsters of the deep.
\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t
<\/td>Orsi #4269<\/th>Orsi #4248<\/th>Orsi #3547<\/th>Orsi #2935<\/th>Martelle #2037<\/th>Metro #A4149<\/th>Orsi #?<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Model
\n<\/td>		119F<\/td>?<\/td>119F<\/td>Concertino<\/td>Improved<\/td>?<\/td>Concertino<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Finish<\/td>Lacquer<\/td>Gold lacquer<\/td>Lacquer<\/td>Clear Lacquer? Silver? <\/td>Silver plated<\/td>Delacquerd<\/td>Lacquer with nickel plated keys<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Overall appearance<\/td>More modern<\/td>Vintage<\/td>More modern<\/td>Vintage<\/td>Vintage<\/td>Vintage<\/td>Vintage
\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Style<\/td>Long wrap (vintage American style)<\/td>Long wrap (vintage American style)<\/td>Long wrap (vintage American style)<\/td>Long wrap (vintage American style)<\/td>Long wrap (vintage American style)<\/td>Long wrap (vintage American style)<\/td>Long wrap (vintage American style)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Construction<\/td>Post to body<\/td>Post to body<\/td>Post to body<\/td>Post to body<\/td>Post to body<\/td>Post to body<\/td>Post to body<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Type<\/td>Pro<\/td>Intermediate?<\/td>Pro<\/td>Student<\/td>Pro? <\/td>?<\/td>Student<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Range<\/td>Bb-F<\/td>Bb-Eb <\/td>Bb-F (F#)<\/td>B-Eb<\/td>Bb-Eb<\/td>B-Eb<\/td>B-Eb<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
# of L palm keys<\/td>3<\/td>2<\/td>2<\/td>2<\/td>2?<\/td>2<\/td>2<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
# of R palm keys<\/td>3<\/td>1<\/td>2<\/td>2<\/td>1?<\/td>2<\/td>2<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Bis Bb?<\/td>Yes<\/td>No<\/td>Yes<\/td>No<\/td>Yes<\/td>Yes<\/td>No<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Bell keys<\/td>Right-sided<\/td>Right-sided<\/td>Right-sided<\/td>Left-sided low B<\/td>Left-sided<\/td>Left-sided <\/td>Right-sided low B<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Left pinkie cluster<\/td>Compact, more modern with 4 rollers<\/td>Old-style with 4 vertical keys, no rollers<\/td>Compact, more modern with 4 rollers<\/td>Old-style 3 keys with no rollers (?)<\/td>Old-style with 3 rollers<\/td>Old-style with the nail file G#, 3 rollers<\/td>Old-style 3 keys with 2 rollers<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
# of strap rings<\/td>2<\/td>3<\/td>2<\/td>3<\/td>2<\/td>2<\/td>2<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Key guards<\/td>Sheet metal with felt showing through adjustment holes<\/td>Sheet metal with felts showing through adjustment holes<\/td>Sheet metal with mini-decorative \"pearls\" on the bell keys, and felt showing through the adjustment hole on the bow<\/td>Sheet metal with mini decorative \"pearls\"\u00a0<\/td>Sheet metal with mini decorative \"pearls\"\u00a0<\/td>Wire<\/td>Sheet metal with mini decorative \"pearls\" missing<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
F# key guard<\/td>Yes<\/td>No F# key<\/td>Yes <\/td>No F# key<\/td>No <\/td>No<\/td>No F# key<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Pant guard<\/td>2<\/td>No<\/td>3<\/td>No<\/td>Most likely not<\/td>No <\/td>No<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/p>\n

Traits shared by all Orsi bass saxophones in this chart<\/h3>\n

A quick glance down this chart shows a variety of features. However all the horns shared these 2 things in common:<\/p>\n