Hey Neal!
Cheers on the info. I’ve already started by making simple recordings so I can recognize and play notes in my mind instead of music. I’m just starting with the basics and practicing a couple of notes at a time.
Just one question. I’ve noticed that there are a few saxes with white lacquer. They look great! How popular are they and are they worth the extra buck? I’m still happy with my Reference 54. It’s still a great horn.
I’ll keep reading the sax station. Catch you later!
Manny
Hey Manny,
Cool. Yeah, making recordings is a great idea. Can be a little painful to listen to it…. haha
I haven’t seen too many of the pros using the colored saxophones. They’re made by LA sax? They seem to like the crazy colors.
My personal opinion- the lacquer is just paint, and it doesn’t help your sound. Plating is different- gold/blacknickel/silver are all actual metals that can change the sound.
But some people get the lacquer itself removed from their saxes because it ‘deadens’ the sound.
-Neal
Good to know 🙂 I didn’t know that removing lacquer could improve the sound of a saxophone
Take care
Love and Light
Maggie
If you don’t know what you’re doing, you shouldn’t remove the lacquer yourself! The lacquer itself doesn’t help the sound, but it does protects the metal from the environment. Some people think their saxophones sound better many years letter when they’ve completely lost the shine they once had.
Great post! I didn’t know that saxophone sometimes get better with age. Vintage matters eh! 🙂