Wednesday, September 3, 2014

What To Look For In A Custom Saxophone Maker

By Marlene Blevins


If you are a saxophonist, there is nothing more rewarding than owning a sax that is designed specifically for your particular style of playing. A company that creates customized saxophones should have many years of research into acoustics and plenty of feedback from professional musicians. A high quality sax should have a immediate response, wide dynamic range and be comfortable with good ergonomics. You can fins many reputable musical instrument makes that have custom built saxophones for sale.

Any saxophone need to be made to high quality standards. Buying a custom built sax will ensure that the instrument is made to the highest mechanical standards with precise acoustic refinement. A good custom made sax will play beautiful and sound wonderful through the life of the instrument. Many sax players prefer to have a custom made saxophone instead of one of the established brands. This is because the instruments playability and sound can be tailored to the musicians needs.

One of the most important parts of a saxophone is the mouthpiece. A good mouthpiece will provide a wide variety of tones and dynamic range. It should also provide ease of playing at all registers, from vibrant and bright to dark and lush. The mouthpiece should also be highly responsive and stay in tune no matter how the instrument is blown.

The ligature is the device that holds the reed. A springy ligature will enhance the natural vibration of the reed without any dampening effect. It will dramatically improvement the instruments timbre, response and intonation enabling the saxophonist to create the sound desired for an emotional effect.

The neck of a saxophone is the heart and sole of the instrument and is responsible for all of its sound characteristics. A high quality neck should have excellent pitch definition, evenness throughout all registers, immediate response and provide the saxophone with a rich, resonant tone.

A good custom sax maker will have expertise in saxophone acoustics, as well as psycho-acoustics so they can help musicians to find their true saxophone sound. They should offer plenty of consultation time that consists of a question and answer session and let their customers play some scales and intervals in order to make mechanical and acoustical recommendations before they make the perfect saxophone.

As well as a well made saxophone, customers should also receive a well made case. A poorly designed case will cause damage to a saxophone over time, as it will move inside the case. A good case will hold the saxophone securely in place with no movement. The case will also be made from high quality materials and protect the instrument should the case be dropped on the ground.

For most professional saxophone players owning a custom made saxophone is incredibly rewarding and they are a joy to play. This is because they have been designed according to the musicians specific style of playing. A high quality custom made saxophone will also last for generations and carry a lot of history. If you are a saxophonist why not consider getting a saxophone made specifically for you? You can enjoy playing an instrument that is tailored to your needs and your style of playing.




About the Author:



No comments:

Post a Comment