We were having drinks with some friends last night and discussing some of the comments we’ve gotten on my recent blogs, and the topic of ASCAP/BMI payments came up…..a couple of people around the table didn’t think they ought to have to pay to play recorded music in their restaurant or for the music the piano player who appears only on weekends plays……well, I went ballistic……

What planet are these people living on? Do they think that the music they and their customers enjoy just appears through some quirk of quantum physics, or that it is somehow magically delivered to their place of business by Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy, or some other entity?

The simple fact of the matter is that royalties for use is how composers and musicians get paid. They don’t work for free and they have bills to pay just like the rest of us. ASCAP and BMI don’t keep the money they collect. They distribute it to the proper owners, based on the actual usage (as best as it can be determined, which is a very difficult task). The problem is that nobody wants to pay, and this royalty payment is almost never budgeted in advance by those who have to pay it.

I have yet to have it explained to me in terms that I can understand why composers and musicians should be expected to work for free. If I ever hear an explanation that truly holds water, I want to try it on my electrician or plumber next time they do some work on my house.

If composers and musicians are not paid for what they create, there will be no music. If they don’t get paid for creating music, they will soon have to learn to say “do you want fries with that?â€

 

I read an interesting article the other day (at www.cnn.com) about the plight of the musicians in the Minnesota Orchestra……now as a matter of full disclosure, I want to state for the record that I am all in favor or musicians making as much money as possible, as this is in the best financial interest of my businesses……

The general thrust of the article was that it is difficult to maintain the average $75,000 annual salary (plus benefits) for the members of this orchestra based on their current revenue stream, and that since management and labor have been unable to agree upon a solution, the musicians have been locked out and performances cancelled. I think this situation warrants a bit of discussion.

It seems to me that if ticket sales were adequate, there would be no problem. I note with interest that it was announced this morning that the Rolling Stones had completely sold out a show in seven minutes at $650 per seat……hmmmmmm…..what’s the difference?

The difference is that the Stones (and there are PLENTY of other examples) seem to be offering a musical event that consumers want to see. Symphony orchestras often have to drag patrons kicking and screaming to their performances. Why would this be?

I think it is important to think of a symphony orchestra as a band with a hundred year old set list and no stage show. They almost never offer up new material, and the presentation of what they do play is as dry and sterile as possible. It doesn’t have to be this way…..they could do a lot with lighting, staging, and all the other high tech production stuff we have come to expect at rock shows, along with some new material, but THEY CHOOSE NOT TO DO SO……they would rather complain than change, and will get no sympathy from me.

There’s also that pay issue……and I have some serious problems with their sense of entitlement. Sure, the soloists and featured performers should be paid top dollar…..I have no problem with that. But seriously, folks……is it REALLY worth $75,000 a year (plus significant benefits) to have 90 or so supporting musicians reading parts that can most likely be competently played by third year music school students?

I made a very good living as a saxophone player for many years. Nobody ever guaranteed me a damn thing: what I made was what I made. In order to make top dollar (which I did), you have to offer the paying public something that they actually want to buy. There’s just not much more to it than that.

 

I was talking with some friends recently, and it came up in the conversation that during the 70’s, you could hear a pretty good local band at a neighborhood bar for a five dollar cover charge. The club owner, of course, collected the cover charge and used it to offset the fee charged by the band, or the band simply played “for the doorâ€, so what they took in at the door was what they made. I’ve heard many a group for a portrait of The Great Emancipator, and you could very easily entertain yourself and a significant other for a ten spot. I’ve also been the recipient of quite a few of those fivers in exchange for my exhibiting my abilities with the saxophone. Five bucks always felt about right to hear a local band, but unfortunately, we got a little too comfortable with it.

If we fast forward to 2012, and revisit the same local watering holes, we will find the same five dollar cover charge prevailing for hearing a local band. This can be good, or bad, depending on which side of the transaction you’re on. Good if you want to hear local bands at at bargain price (even at a lowest price of all time if you consider adjusting your dollars for inflation since the 70’s), but not so good if you’re a musician and haven’t gotten a raise in over forty years.

It’s very important to recognize that in the 70’s, buyers had very few entertainment options relative to what’s available today, and that the quality of available options has increased substantially, particularly in recent years. It’s also important to recognize that HBO, Sony, Viacom, NBC, and countless other media giants spend billions of dollars each and every year to attempt us to stay at home and not go out to the local bar. So what does this mean, from a musician’s point of view? Where did we drop the ball?

There’s no question that things have changed, and changed a lot. Other than substantially increase the amount of pissing and moaning we do, what are musicians doing about the situation.

Before you say that consumers won’t pay higher prices, let me point something out. When I attended the last Rolling Stones tour of the USA, everyone seated around me had paid around $300 for each and every seat, and the enormous venue was totally sold out, and had been totally sold out since a very few minutes after tickets went on sale. Very obviously, a lot of people will pay top dollar if you are selling something they want to buy. I offer the Stones tour as an example. There are plenty of them.

Which brings us back to the bands. Musicians need to ask themselves what they are doing different today to compete. I would respectfully submit that typically, they’re doing nothing different. They still act and dress like the members of the audience, they play the tunes they want to hear instead of what the paying customers want to hear, and most importantly, they have forgotten the very most important thing: they’re not in the music business, they’re in the entertainment business. All of those folks at the tables in front of the stage are there to forget their troubles and be entertained.

The standards are higher than ever today. Lots of bands can play. Very, very few can entertain. The ones who can entertain deserve the raise. The ones who can’t or won’t entertain don’t.

 

The MK VI horns were built entirely without blueprints and underwent considerable evolution over the production run. The employees simply remembered what to do and made changes as they saw fit. There was not a huge amount of difference between the French assembled and Elkhart assembled horns. Most of the differences were cosmetic. Here are the differences you will see during the production run:

Double S logo on neck ends around 55,000
Short alto bow ends 72,000
Medium bow alto ends 87,000
Long bow alto ends 135,000, medium bow returns
Flat plate neck mechanism ends around 155,000
Metal thumb hook ends around 133,000
Ball joint side keys begin 117,000
Body tube taper reduced at top end around 80,000
Serial number on neck ends 130,000
Strap hook location changed 200,000
Metal resonators discontinued 82,000
Neck key guide moved 155,000
Neck volume and ferrule size decreased 180,000
Knurling of bell to body ring discontinued 139,000
Nickel high G and E discontinued 148,000
Mk VI engraved above LH thumb rest 55,000 – 91,800
Mk VI engraved on bell to bow band 91,800 – 140,400
Stamped Mk VI on back body tube 140,400 – 143,500
Stamped Mk VI on bow band after 143,500

There may be other differences which crop up from time to time……the lowest number Mk VII I have seen is 231,000 ( I owned it for several years), the highest number MK VI I have seen is 261,000……

 

I live in a city with two significant Jazz Studies programs at major universities, and have customers and friends who are either faculty members or students at major Jazz Studies programs at universities around the world. I’m often brought in to lecture at these programs, and I think I am as familiar as anyone with what they are teaching and where their alumni are working. Many of the graduates of these programs develop absolutely amazing musical skills, but there’s a REAL problem: there simply aren’t nearly enough paying jobs for the number of graduates, so they end up unemployed or taking work in other fields. If they take work in other fields, they are generally unqualified, so advancement is difficult.

The universities know all of this, of course, and they continue to perpetuate the fraud so, I believe, the faculty can maintain their OWN jobs, which would of course be unnecessary if the number of students were adjusted to a realistic number reflecting the actual number of jobs which would allow someone to support themselves and maybe even a family. They could adjust admissions to these programs, but they don’t, and I think it borders on being criminal.

All we’re doing in most (granted, not all) cases, is turning out some overeducated listeners.

Don’t get me wrong: I made a rather handsome living for many years as a simple saxophone player, and am pleased to be able to say that a number of my private students have gone on to meet with considerable success. However, I think the universities are misleading these young players, and they should reduce admissions to reflect the real job market. I further believe the universities could do a far better job of preparing their graduates for the REAL job market, but that’s a topic for another day……

 

The recent policy changes at eBay have made a bad situation worse if you’re a seller. If you allow returns, you must now give buyers 14 days! You must also give refunds only as cash refunds or exchanges, no merchandise credits.

Couple this with all the other eBay BS such as no feedback for buyers, requiring PayPal for payments, and you’ve got a no win situation.

PayPal is a division of eBay. If any dispute arises, PayPal always defaults to the buyer. Trust me, they have nobody at PayPal who knows anything about saxophones, nor anybody who cares to listen.

We’ve had all sorts of problems and here are a couple of horror stories from the days when we sold horns and/or expensive accessories on eBay:

a guy bought a 1949 “Big B†Buescher bari from us, and returned it WITHOUT the neck….eBay sided with him, saying we should give him partial credit because he returned “most†of the horn….fortunately, this one was during the days when we could require payment via bank wire, so we had the money and kept it.

a guy in the UK bought a 30M tenor from us that had been modified and had a Selmer thumbrest installed. There were VERY clear pictures of this on the listing. we fully disclosed it in the listing, but he claimed “not as described†, but fortunately, he had paid via bank wire……

we sold a neck for a Mk VI to a guy in Germany….the horn was 60 years old. The tenon was not at original spec (surprised?)….this PayPal customer got his money back and never returned a $400 neck, claiming our neck (tenon was at original manufacturers spec) was “not as described….

we sold a tenor case to a guy in Maryland for his Yamaha…..he claimed the case was “not as describedâ€â€¦..he kept the case AND got his money back….thanks, PayPal

I could go on and on, but I won’t…..eBay is doing just fine without my business….they have no reason to care one way or another if I am happy or not…..we still sell small, inexpensive, non-adjustable items on eBay but nothing else….we won’t take PayPal or credit cards for any transaction over $500…..sure, we miss some business, but it keeps my blood pressure down……they make the rules in their house, and I respect that…..

 

Over the last couple of days there has been a rather vigorous and often quite heated discussion on one of the saxophone related groups I’m a member of on the subject of changes in the music industry and how it affects employment opportunities for musicians…..and of course, since it was a saxophone related group, how it affects employment opportunities for saxophone players.

Now before I go any further, here’s a disclosure: I have not played a gig for money or in public for over eight years. The reason for my retirement is that I have suffered two strokes which have left me with some physical disabilities which severely limit my ability to play. This is not to say that I am not involved with many different aspects of the music business all day, every day…..I’m just stating for the record that I do not play professionally or publicly, and have not done so for some time. Prior to my strokes, I typically played six nights a week, every week, and often played as many as three gigs a day.

Now back to the discussion of employment opportunities in the current music environment……I still have many friends and clients who today are working as much as I ever did, and for top dollar. Not just a couple of guys, but a significant number of them. I think this begs the question of “why are these players successful in a market where others fail?â€â€¦â€¦assuming for the purposes of this discussion that everyone on both sides of the argument has adequate musical skills, then what’s the difference?

Every saxophone player is essentially an independent contractor and business owner. Players fail in this industry because they do not treat their musical career as a business. For the purposes of our discussion here, let’s consider another type of business with which we are all familiar: a restaurant.

If you want to have a prayer of success in the highly competitive restaurant business, I think we would all probably agree that you have to offer a product that consumers actually want to buy, and that the product meets their expectations and tastes good to them. I think that if we apply these criteria, we can all easily understand why all spinach restaurants have never really caught on with the buying public: spinach may be extremely nutritious and good for you, but the simple fact of the matter is that most people just don’t like the taste, and given a variety of menu choices, very few diners will voluntarily order spinach.
This “taste test†applies equally to music. If the buying public does not like the taste of your product, or the sound of your music, then they will not buy it. You will then be forced to seek other employment.

It was alleged in the discussion that there was a vast conspiracy of lawyers, record company executives, media owners, and other un-named yet equally nefarious individuals who controlled which music was offered to the public and force fed certain formats, and prevented the distribution of music that was not approved by their conspiratorial cartel. Please don’t insult my intelligence by repeating this totally bogus argument…..in this Age of the Internet, you can easily distribute samples of what you have to offer…..if people like it, they will seek it out and buy it….if they don’t like it, they will ignore it. You don’t need a record label anymore. If your music does not have, in the opinion of the record labels, any commercial potential or demand, you can easily set up a web site offering your products for sale and attempt to prove them wrong.

I don’t want to come off as being totally negative on the subject of music being a viable occupation. It was very good to me when I was a player, and it is very good to me today. We also have many friends and business associates who are doing quite well in the current market. In every case that I know of, the musicians who are successful understand that they call it the Music Business for a reason, an d treat it as such. Here are some free tips on things I found that worked well for me……they’re not costing you anything, so don’t whine and complain…….

FIRST, PLAY WHAT THEY WANT TO HEAR……
I think this is the biggest mistake players make. When I played in Vince Vance’s band, Vince used to say that if you looked out into the audience and the crowd wasn’t singing along, you just played the wrong tune.

Musicians tend to forget why people come to clubs and concerts. They come to be entertained and to forget their troubles. If they wanted a musical education, they would enroll in a music appreciation class at the local junior college. Seriously, guys, playing Wayne Shorter tunes is a very bad idea in the vast majority of venues.

PLAY WHAT YOU ARE ASKED TO PLAY
I used to tell my employers that “if you’ve got the money, I’ve got the timeâ€â€¦..if you consider yourself far too cool to play a particular format, then you should learn to say “do you want fries with that?†Don’t ignore what your audience knows and likes…..they’re paying you, so they call the tunes…..if you want to create art, do so in the privacy of your living room

LOOK THE PART
The audience has visual expectations that you should not ignore. The crowd should be able to take one quick look at you and determine that you are not just another member of the audience. I think in the course of the discussion I was reading one of the jazz superstars was bad mouthing stage lighting, smoke machines, and pyro……bring ‘em on, says I……and raise the ticket prices accordingly…..it’s an important part of the overall entertainment experience…..I note with interest that the successful acts all make liberal use of it, but the posers and wannabe’s rarely do…..yes, I always used it on bar gigs……and yes, I always insisted that pachouli oil be added to the smoke machine so the stage smelled like hippie girls……hippie girls are well known friends to all saxophonists, but that’s another story for another time….

IT’S A BUSINESS……
Start on time, take reasonable breaks, do all the things you would expect a good employee to do…..

DON’T ASSOCIATE WITH OTHER MUSICIANS WHO ARE NOT WORKING…..
Seriously, don’t hang with people who play at blues jams, open mic nights, or in rehearsal bands. Don’t you DARE support any of the above! My rule is simply this: if whiskey is being sold, then I get paid. Don’t play for charity events unless EVERYBODY associated with the event is working for free. If the caterer gets paid, so do I……

DON’T EXPECT WORK TO JUST COME TO YOU…..YOU HAVE TO FIND IT…..
When I moved to New Orleans 20 years ago, I knew exactly two people in the local music business: my wife Sharon, who was a sound engineer, and Charles Neville of The Neville Brothers…..I spent weeks figuring out which venues were viable (meaning they actually paid what I was worth), targeting them, and then making myself known there. Don’t waste your time and business cards on sub-par venues…..you have to get out and solicit the work…..there are lots of guys who sit by the phone all night waiting for it to ring, or believing they are entitled to a gig because they can play Giant Steps with one hand tied behind their back ……seriously, kids, particularly if you’re new in town, expend a little shoe leather…….

DON’T BE AFRAID TO CREATE YOUR OWN EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES….
OK, just to give you some examples of things I did successfully to create gigs for myself…..here’s a couple:

#1
I went to the local funeral home office, and offered to contract bands for funerals instead of the funeral home having to seek them out and employ them when needed. Trust me, I can get any and all of the “first call†players in New Orleans to come out and play four tunes at 11:00AM for a hundred bucks…..I charged the funeral home $1500, which they passed along as part of the cost of the funeral (that’s the going rate here, before some self righteous SOB accuses me of price gouging), they were glad to have a steady source of work, and I put the rest in my pocket….we did a LOT of this……

#2
This is my favorite……I set this up with several different event planners…..if you have conventions in your area, you can modify this plan to suit local requirements and tastes:

Let’s say the American Association of Solid Waste Engineers is in town for their annual conference. Here in New Orleans, conventions often have a dinner cruise on one of our paddle wheel boats, going down the river, turning around, and coming back, all with a Dixieland band and an open bar. They get back to the dock around 10:00PM, and as they disembark on the gangway, there at the foot of the gangway is their old friend Plaunche Baptiste (one of my several registered stage names), his band The Creole Backsliders, and an extremely large breasted young woman in very scanty attire with a parasol……as the conventioneers come down to the dock, the band strikes up a lively tune and the large breasted young girl begins to shake her ass…..before you know it, we have almost all of the conventioneers in tow, and march them down the street to one of my favorite watering holes…..now if you are the owner of the aforementioned watering hole, are you glad to see your old friend Plaunche with a couple of hundred drunk conventioneers with gold Amex cards in tow? Of course you are, and you show Plaunche your gratitude by allowing Benjamin Franklin to shake hands with President Grant several times……after a while, Plaunche strikes up the band again, the girl begins to shake her ass, and the conventioneers are marched down the street to another watering hole, the owner of which is equally happy to see his old friend Plaunche……after an hour or so, you have to make a determination as to whether or not the conventioneers are beginning to speak in unknown tongues…..if not, march them to another bar….if they are, march them to their hotel, where old Plaunche puts out his top hat and the band plays a final couple of tunes……the hat usually gets filled with tens and twenties…….I charge the convention $700 and split the final evenings tips with the five piece band and pay them $100 each…..all the rest is mine

Once you get yourself established, you can do this sort of thing with disgusting regularity……unless, of course, you consider it musically beneath you…….

UNDERSTAND WHERE THE MONEY IS
One of the most amusing things flung against the wall in the recent discussion was the contention that there were only about 15 or less people actively touring with rock and country bands…..I’m sorry, boys and girls, but my tiny saxophone manufacturing company has more people than that under Endorsing Artist agreements, and the vast majority of them are doing very well financially, some of them exceptionally well. We know lots and lots of people who do this sort of playing for a living…..in fact, they are our primary market for our products. I guess if your gig experience is limited to wedding bands and Sunday Jazz Brunch gigs and CD’s you record in your living room and sell only on your website, you might not have a very good perspective as to what it means to be really successful in this business.

DON’T BE AFRAID TO PROMOTE YOURSELF AND YOUR PRODUCTS
One of the participants in the discussion complained that I had used one of the groups to promote my products. To this, I plead guilty as charged. If you don’t speak up on your behalf, don’t expect anyone else to do so……

CONTRIBUTE KNOWLEDGE FREELY TO THE MUSICAL COMMUNITY
We try to provide a continuous steam of information to the saxophone community about our research, along with plenty of historical information and other items we think would be of interest. If you know something or have some information, then you should share it. Although as a matter of disclosure I am a paid employee of The Saxophone Journal, we do consider our column in every issue about saxophone design to be a part of this outreach. We also are occasionally hired by other publications to contribute articles.

DON’T BE AFRAID TO CHANGE WITH THE TIMES……
One of the charges leveled at me was that it had been so long since I had played that my perspectives were not relevant. Well, if you don’t stay in touch with what’s going on out there, it’s very easy for that to happen. We try to make a point of adding young successful artists (Rob Ingraham, Vincent Broussard as examples) to our stable of endorsers in addition to the older established artists (such as Tom Scott, Ron Holloway, and Charles Neville) so we get the benefit of experience and fresh perspectives. You should use the same approach with your career. I think the only thing that is certain about the music industry is that it is constantly changing and evolving. With the exception of some nostalgia acts, you need to constantly evaluate the current state of the business, and adjust your approach accordingly.

THE BOTTOM LINE IS……
They call it the Music Business for a reason……if you choose to participate, then you need to treat it LIKE a business and act like a business owner, because that is exactly what you are!

 

I’ve seen a good bit of discussion lately about sending a brand new horn to a technician for a set up and adjustment before it is played. One of my students asked me about this today, and we had a pretty good discussion on the topic. Here are my thoughts on the topic:

As a matter of disclosure, I have a couple of good friends and business associates who are absolutely world class technicians who offer this service. Do I think you would benefit from sending your brand new unplayed instrument to them for setup? There is no question in my mind that you would. Let’s explore why you may wish to consider this service, and why it may (or may not) be necessary.

First, I think the reality is that MOST of the major manufacturers send their instruments out to their dealer network in absolutely playable condition, and that the dealers for these major brands are almost always qualified to resolve any major issues that may result from ship[ping etc. When the ultimate purchaser receives their instrument, in almost every case it’s going to play pretty well. This is NOT always the case with “off brand†instruments, or with instruments purchased from dealers who do not maintain an on premise repair shop. It also does NOT apply to used or “vintage†instruments.

So you say “if these horns play well, why should I invest in an aftermarket setup?†or “why don’t the manufacturers and their dealers set them up right in the first place?â€â€¦.well, I believe there’s an answer to those questions…..

The friends of mine who do this sort of work (and there may well be others), Matt Stohrer and Curt Altarac (MusicMedic.com), when allowed to do so, will quite literally tweak your horn almost to death and bring each and every component up to the ultimate possible state of adjustment and regulation. They will often replace some of the materials such as cork and felt with “better†materials. Every post will be aligned perfectly. Intonation will be tweaked down to a fraction of a cent. The results can be amazing.

But do you need it? That’s really the question. Frankly, if you get a name brand horn from an established dealer, it’s probably going to play pretty damn well. Could it be even better? Probably so, but the tweaking upon tweaking necessary comes at a price, which is not low, and you have to decide if it’s worth it to you. Should you spend the money? If you want your horn to be absolutely the best it can be, yes, assuming it’s agreeable with your budget. There is a tremendous amount of slow, hand work involved by someone who spent many years learning their craft, and this sort of thing is not cheap. Should the manufacturers and dealers have done this sort of tweaking in the first place? Well, they could, but the selling price of your new horn would have to be a LOT higher. They get it to a very reasonable state of adjustment (and honestly, very few customers really find fault with the usual factory/dealer setup), and leave it there. There is a cost/benefit tradeoff to be considered.

So, what’s right for you? Only you and your banker know for sure. I will assure you that you pay an awful lot for that last 5% of adjustment, but if you’ve got the cash on the hip, it’s worth it!

 

I was having an email conversation this morning with an absolutely world class prick from New Zealand who objected to the shipping costs as too high……stating that he could get shipping services for far less…..well, maybe he’s right.

We ship small packages via USPS World Express Mail. We do so because (1) we get a tracking number so we know where the shipment is at all times (2) it’s pretty quick: the customer generally gets their merchandise in a few days instead of weeks (3) these packages tend to clear customs much quicker than packages sent via conventional mail and (4) we get proof of delivery…..of course, nothing in this life is free, so all of this comes at a cost. We think it’s worth it. Most of our customers agree. Some don’t agree, and we don’t care. Our experience has taught us that those who insist on the cheapest possible shipping are always the first to complain.

When we ship horns or other high value items, we have learned from long bitter experience that “too much is always better than not enough†when it comes to packaging. Yes, this increases cost. It also significantly reduces problems and shipping damage. Yes, some people object and want us to use cheaper shippers and packing. No, we won’t do that, and no, we don’t care what they think.

 

First, as a matter of full disclosure, I want to make it very clear that I do not believe in the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy, or Santa Claus. None of these entities exist, and nobody has ever been able to offer any conclusive proof to the contrary. Unfortunately, the saxophone world is filled with equally ridiculous myths, perpetrated by posers and wannabes, and I would like to publicly “call their hand†and request conclusive evidence (not “my mama told me this when I was a babyâ€) of their ludicrous claims, or simply request that they admit that they are liars and frauds. Not “mistakenâ€. Liars and frauds. Here’s a couple of items. There are plenty more.

THE ORIGINAL ADOLPHE SAX HORNS AND EARLY BUESCHERS HAD PARABOLIC BORES
OK, I’ve heard this for years. I’ve actually measured several original Adolphe Sax horns, and many Bueschers. Not a parabolic bore to be found. I’ve checked the original patent applications. There’s no mention of a parabolic bore. I’ve asked every legitimate vintage horn dealer I know, and you guessed it: nobody claims to have actually seen such a bore configuration themselves. There is no mention of it in any Buescher advertising (curious….you would think they would heavily promote such a unique feature)…..why? I’ll tell you why. It doesn’t exist and never did exist. If anybody actually has one in their possession, please, publish clear detailed photographs.

POST WORLD WAR II SELMERS ARE MADE FROM RECYCLED ARTILLERY SHELL CASINGS AND THIS GIVES THEM A UNIQUE TONE
This lie is most often put forth by people who know absolutely nothing about instrument manufacturing and the materials used. There are many different varieties of brass. Not all are suitable for instrument manufacturing. The brass used in ammunition casings is far too soft and lacks resonance. If you have actual evidence to the contrary, please provide it.

There are many more lies out there……and we will deal with them at a later date

 

I got a call from a guy I used to play with years ago over the weekend. He said he was letting me know that he was willing to sell his old Selmer for “only $25,000â€â€¦â€¦uh, yeah….

Seriously, boys and girls, do any of you actually have first hand knowledge of any 60 year old saxophone selling for that sort of money? I’m not talking about some story you heard sitting at the bar, I’m talking about a transaction where you were actually present and can personally verify the financial details.

The horn in question, while not common, is actually not particularly rare. The last time I saw it it was in pretty good shape, but some idiot had been allowed to repad it with the wrong thickness pads and incorrect resonators. The case was not original and the original accessories were not present.

I guess a good question to ask initially is “how many people do you personally know who have paid $25,000 for a used saxophone in the last five years?â€â€¦.I strongly suspect the answer is “noneâ€â€¦..the market at that point in the stratosphere is, in my experience, non-existent. The Japanese Selmer Feeding Frenzy of ten years ago is long since over, and the horns purchased have long since been resold at a loss with respect to the inflated purchase prices of that era.

I can count the bona fide serious saxophone collectors I know on the fingers of one hand, so I don’t much believe they are prospects. I seriously doubt that very many of the professional musicians I know have the income to support such a purchase.

I wished my friend well, and suggested that he might try eBay…..after all, there’s a sucker born every minute…..

 

As you know, our company manufactures and sells (among other things) saxophone mouthpieces and synthetic saxophone reeds. In the course of talking with customers in an attempt to assist them with their purchase, I have become increasingly frustrated by the lack of standardization in the saxophone accessory business.

We recently published a reed strength comparison chart. The information on this chart was obtained in the course of our research into ways to build a better synthetic reed. If you examine the data, you’ll immediately notice that there is virtually no rhyme or reason to the systems manufacturers use, except for the fact that higher numbers indicate harder reeds. The grading scales are far from even within a given brand, and there is virtually no way to compare brands easily. To further complicate matters, some brands are now offering filed and unfiled reeds, quarter strengths, and sub-strengths within a given hardness number. There’s no mention of the profile (which is really critical information), just strength. On top of all of this, I don’t think you can count on all the number three unfiled hard reeds from any given manufacturer being consistent with one another…..this is why we grade our Hurri-Cane reeds soft, medium, and hard. Clearly, some sort of commonly agreed upon system is needed.

The mouthpiece system is even worse. Most manufacturers use a system of digits that indicates a larger tip opening as the number gets higher. The first problem (among many) is that nobody has agreed upon the amount of increase each successive digit represents. A logical solution to this, of course, is to express tip openings in some unit of measurement ( thousandths of an inch are sometimes used, fractions of a millimeter would be better), and this is done by a few companies, including ours. The difficulty arises when a customer asks for a tip opening “around a number eight†but fails to tell you exactly whose number eight they’re talking about…..of course, there is far more to accurately describing a mouthpiece than just the tip opening. You also need to know the length of the facing curve (there’s a pretty standard system in place among mouthpiece makers using half millimeters), the type of curve (radial or parabolic), the size of the chamber (Berg Larsen had a good system, with 0 being the smallest, 3 being the largest), and maybe the type baffle. I’m sure if we got the mouthpiece makers to sit down one night with a couple of bottles of good bourbon we could easily work this out.

I guess this is my public request to my peers in the industry to act on this problem. We’ll see if anybody else even thinks it’s a problem, or wants to do anything about it……..

 

Every business day it is my pleasure and honor to speak with several potential saxophone buyers who have expressed an interest in our instruments and who have questions about them. Invariably, I am asked to compare and contrast our saxophones with other brands on the market, and I am always happy to do so. I’m a big believer in customers getting all the information the feel is necessary to make an informed purchase decision, and am always glad to help in any way I can. We have always tried to anticipate questions, and try to make our product descriptions as complete and accurate as possible, and more importantly, we have placed over 150 product demonstration videos on YouTube. We believe YouTube is a great way for the customer to see and hear the product.

Yesterday, I spent about half an hour on the telephone (yes, you can call me 504-324-3850, M – Th, 10AM – 3PM CST) with a buyer from Ohio, and he asked some detailed questions about our brand vs. some of the other brands. I was a little surprised at some of the things he seemed to believe, so when we finished our conversation, I visited the web sites of half a dozen of the “new†saxophone brands that he mentioned.

Now before I go any further, I want to remind you that I was doing business with Asian saxophone factories long before it was considered “cool†to do so. I have been a full time employee for several major manufacturers, always as director of design along with other duties, and have been a paid consultant for many more. I won’t say that I know everybody in the saxophone manufacturing business, but I will state categorically that I know almost everybody, and yes, I know pretty much who actually manufactures virtually every brand offered for sale. I think I do have the best and most complete address book in the saxophone business.

When I visited the sites of all of these new brands, I was really shocked at what was being claimed. There was lots and lots of use of the words “new and improved†without any specifics as to exactly what was new and improved. There was a lot of talk about “capturing the spirit of the great vintage horns of the pastâ€, again without any specifics whatsoever as to exactly how this capture was accomplished. None of these brands gave any specifics as to the types of materials used…..maybe it’s just, me, but I like to know things like what kind of pads and resonators are being used, what the copper content of the alloy is, what’s the spring type…..you know, little details like that…….

Of course, there wasn’t a dimes worth of difference in the horns I looked at. They were all basically Selmer Super 80 Series II copies (granted, that’s not a bad place to start), but there was really no zero na na innovation or unique features……at least we do things like offer kangaroo leather pads, solid copper resonators, Never Stick G# keys, threaded necks, upper stack speaker keys, high G keys, four octave keys, dedicated altissimo keys, and other stuff……you know, things to make playing the saxophone easier and to make the horn play better…..

Honestly, most of the horns I looked at were coming out of the same factory (yes, I know the factory owner very well), and have no innovations or great improvements over other horns. They vary only in the name engraved on the bell. This, my friends, is fraud.

 

Anybody who has ever visited my repair shop knows that I’m a sucker for tools…..if there’s a saxophone repair tool that exists on this planet that I don’t have, it’s most likely because I didn’t know it existed. Seriously, boys and girls….you can’t do a world class job of repairing saxophones if you don’t have the proper tools to work with. As I talk to technicians around the world, they often ask me for tool suggestions, so here are a few. If you don’t have ‘em, get ‘em!

NOVA LEAK LIGHT
This will change your life. It’s small, very light in weight, and it will singe your retinas at 30 paces. Throw away all your other leak lights. This is the most essential tool for a saxophone repair technician, and this version is simply the best available. Get the shorter length version so you can feed it into the top end of baritones and basses. From MusicMedic

PAD IRONS WITH OPEN CENTERS
What? You don’t iron pads and you call yourself a repair technician? If you’ll use these, which have the centers cut out to clear oversized resonators, you’ll get all the wrinkles out of the leather and leave it tight as a drum. Seriously, it’s a most important step in the process, and a lot of people ignore it. From Ferree Tool

VORTEX AIR TORCH
Get rid of all those burners. This is an adjustable hot air gun (up to 400 degrees F) that is great for padding. It’s light weight and you can put the hot air right where you want it. Won’t burn lacquer, either. From MusicMedic

MAGNETIC DENT REMOVAL SYSTEM
This makes most dent removal (not all, but most) so easy it’s like cheatin’…..I paid for mine in the first week. The technique is very easy to learn, and the results are excellent and quick. Buy all the different optional attachments and gizmos…..From MDRS (Eric Satterlee)

THAT MASSIVE MANDREL
It is much easier to handle this monster if two men do it……it looks like the lance of a medieval jouster……but when it comes to straightening a bent saxophone body, all the way up top a baritone, there is just no substitute………it is also most effective in getting body tube dents out…..from Ferree Tool

DENT MACHINE
As a matter of full disclosure, I have a custom made saxophone specific dent machine custom made for me (along with a wide variety of custom made attachments just for saxophones) which enables our shop to do some really amazing dent work. The frame even has the world famous Saxgourmet logo and is painted in a spectacular purple metalflake. I would tell you where to get one made, but I have not seen or heard from the guy who built it for me for years. The Ferree dent machine is quite good, and readily available, along with a wide assortment of accouterments…..

KEY BENDING LEVERS
Most people are surprised to learn that leaks are not removed during the initial manufacturing process by floating. The keys are carefully aligned with the tone holes, and then slightly bent as necessary. I think floating pads is a fool’s game for any but the smallest leaks. Ferree Tool makes some dandy little gizmos for de-leaking: brass wedges (with stick handles) in various shapes and configurations and levers which fit over the hinge tube and are slotted to allow moving the key cup by the rib. There’s a bit of a learning curve, but once you get the feel of the system you can make the horn very tight very easily.

NECK TENON SHRINKER
True, you rarely need to actually shrink a neck tenon unless you foolishly overexpanded it (now I’ve never done that, no not once…….well, maybe occasionally), BUT if you will carefully check the relationship of the tenon to the receiver, you will more often than not find that the tenon is out of round. Don’t waste your time, get a real tenon shrinker with an assortment of collets, and make sure every neck tenon is perfectly round before you lap it into the receiver. From Ferree Tool

MOUTHPIECE TOOLS
It never ceases to amaze me that the vast majority of technicians choose to ignore the mouthpiece as a potential source of problems. Are you kidding? You think the horn will play correctly with uneven rails and a table that is not? Grow up, learn the necessary skills, and get all the tools you need from MusicMedic.

Obviously, this is an incomplete list……BUT it’s a start! I’ll cover more must-have saxophone tools in a future edition.

 

I am rapidly approaching the 50th anniversary of my first gig where I was paid for playing the saxophone. Over the years, I’ve made plenty of mistakes, and hopefully I’ve learned a little bit from at least some of them. Here are a few tips, based on my experience, which will help keep you working.

FIRST, LEARN THE RIGHT REPERTOIRE!
I am forever amazed by the young players I often meet who know every obscure jazz and bebop tune in the world, along with all the changes, but give you a blank stare when “Mustang Sally†is called by the leader on a gig in order to fulfill a request. The simple fact of the matter is that if you plan on making a living playing the saxophone, then you need to learn the tunes that are actually performed by cover bands, since in all probability, that’s where you will be working. Spend a little time in bars with cover bands and write down the songs that are actually played. Do the same at the next few weddings you attend. There is no need to accumulate this data from jazz clubs with fewer than 20 patrons in attendance.

DRESS FOR SUCCESS
Those of you who have visited my office know that I have a great fondness for blue jeans and T shirts. Those of you have played gigs for me in one of my own groups or where I was the contractor know that I will absolutely fire you on the spot if you show up in blue jeans and a T shirt. You’re not only getting paid to play, you’re getting paid to look the part. Your attire at a gig MUST be such that there is absolutely no possibility that you might be mistaken for a member of the audience. Those folks out there in the audience have certain expectations and fantasies, and they must not be disappointed. Make a point of observing the attire of successful acts. You cannot be over-dressed for a gig!

LEARN ABOUT CONTRACTS
They call it “the music BUSINESS†for a reason…..trust me, you can head off all sorts of misunderstandings if you will just take a few minutes with the entertainment buyer and “write it downâ€. A well drawn contract should also include many things beyond the hours of performance and the fee agreed upon. You should address things like when the venue is available for load in and load out; electrical requirements, parking for musicians, case storage during the gig, and many, many other items. In a future blog, I’ll provide you with the contract form we use for The Low Budget Horns so you can see some of the items we cover. Having a contract, of course, means nothing if you don’t understand it, so take a course or two in business law at your local college, or at least spend an hour or two with your attorney having these things properly explained to you. If you play a gig and have a problem, but did not execute a contract in advance, don’t blame anyone but yourself.

IT’S A JOB: ACT LIKE IT!
Going to play a gig is absolutely no different from going to work at Sears: it’s a job, you’re lucky to have it, act professional. If you worked at Sears, you couldn’t drink alcohol or use recreational pharmaceuticals on the job, you can’t eat food provided fir other people, you can’t bring your girlfriend and her friends, you have to start to work on time and finish on time, and only take breaks that are mutually agreed upon. I don’t understand why any of this seems to be such a difficult concept for musicians to absorb.

KEEP YOUR PROPAGANDA MACHINE GOING AT ALL TIMES
There is no excuse whatsoever, none, for not having an up to date promotional package about you on the internet. It must include a PROFESSIONALLY SHOT picture (I don’t care if your girlfriend has a camera, she works at Sears and doesn’t do this for a living) links to videos on YouTube, a brief bio, and your current professional calendar. You should also be sending out email notices (it costs nothing but a little bit of your time) of upcoming public gigs and significant professional events. I’m not real sure a printed promo kit is necessary any more, but remember you must have business cards of exceptional quality (there’s very little difference in price between the finest and the worst business cards, and don’t even think of printing your own on your computer) and maybe a disc with some video clips.

These are just a few tips….I’ll share more in a future blog……

 

I often tell people that I’ve been to every continent except Antarctica with a saxophone (a true fact), and this has taught be a lot of do’s and don’ts about traveling with a horn. I’ve also been in the saxophone repair business since right after the Earth cooled, and have learned a thing or two about what damages saxophones and how to avoid this damage. Here’s a few things you should think about.

GET A PROPER CASE
The #1 cause of serious damage to saxophones is case failure. By failure, I mean any incidence of the case failing to fully protect the horn while it’s in transit. Before you read any further, get your case out and let’s examine a few things. Correcting them can save you BIG MONEY down the road! First, does your horn fit inside the case absolutely tight or can it move? If it can move, you’re asking for trouble. Either add additional padding so the horn absolutely can’t move at all, replace the case, or start saving money now for a big repair bill in the future. Next, take the horn out of the case, close it, and see if it flexes even a little bit when pressure is applied. If it does, either replace the case or call your repairman and ask how much he charges to straighten a bent body tube. A big number? The you better start saving now! Now let’s carefully examine the interior of your case. Where is the horn most vulnerable to body bends? Ups at the neck receiver end, right? And your case DOES have an extra layer protection there, correct? Not just an extra piece of foam, but a real, rigid barrier. It doesn’t? Start saving!

Many players make the mistake of carrying lots of accessories and junk in their case, and leaving the neck to rattle around loosely. Those accessories have the knack of working their way under keys, and loose necks have a nasty habit of bending. If you have nice mouthpieces, particularly if you are traveling with more than one, get a hard sided, well padded mouthpiece case. ALWAYS carry your neck in a hard sided, padded case, not in a sock or a Crown Royal bag. Take a look at the neck prices at www.nationofmusic.com if you need further convincing. Loose mouthpieces invariably end up with chipped side or tip rails.

OK, so what case is best? If you’re doing any traveling at all, you need an “Anvil-type†flight case. I’ve got Anvils for my horns, and they hold the horns inside Walt Johnson (simply the best) cases. I’ve NEVER had any case related damage. Inconvenient? Well, maybe a little, but that’s what roadies are for…..put all the small, loose stuff in a separate case, and get separate cases for your mouthpieces and necks.

BTW, if you like soft sided gig bags, call your repairman…..he’ll probably give you one…..repairman consider having customers use gig bags “retirement planningâ€.
USE KEY CLAMPS
Do you REALLY think having your keys flap around whenever the horn is being moved in its case is good for it? Seriously, think about it……there are lots of other benefits to using key clamps as well, but that’s another topic for another day. This is the least expensive anti-saxophone damage insurance you can buy!

GET THE VERY BEST STAND AVAILABLE
I don’t know how many times I’ve had to do major and expensive repairs to someone’s horn because “it fell off the standâ€â€¦â€¦now go take a look at that stand you bought on sale…..try to imagine the many ways you horn could fall off or out of the stand……get yourself a proper stand, and don’t cheap out. There’s one and one only brand that has my blessing: SaxRax. I’ve used them for years. You can place the horn on the stand at any ridiculous angle and it CAN’T fall out. The base is huge, so it CAN’T tip over. They have lots of available accessories. For example, my SaxRax all have red LED’s on the hoops so I can find my horns when the stage is totally blacked out before we go on; they have a built in cooler for bottled water and pints of single barrel Bourbon; they have a bag for my cell phone; they have a built in cell phone bag……and they make proper stands for all my horns from sopranino to bass, including my saxello! SaxRax are not cheap……however, they cost far less than a visit to my repair shop. Get a SaxRax, fool……
ABOUT AIRLINES…..
Now don’t treat me like I haven’t read the new regulations concerning carry-on instruments. I have. Yes, they do say you can carry your instrument on SUBJECT TO THE CARRIERS REGULATIONS for carry on items. This means that should the carrier decide to enforce the letter of the law on a whim, your horn has to fit inside that little box at the gate, and that if it doesn’t, you will have to check it. Granted, they will often let you slide, BUT IF THEY DON’T. and they have e very right in the world to refuse you, what is your plan of action? Remember, they are not going to hold the plane on the tarmac while you argue with them……they don’t care how many copies of the letter from the AFM you have in your wallet…..if they let you carry your horn on and put it in the overhead, it’s strictly because they are being nice…..it’s NOT because they have to do so, so don’t get confused……plan ahead, and assume that you will have to turn your horn over to those gorillas they call “baggage handlers†so they can play catch. Get the aforementioned Anvil case and the other accouterments previously mentioned……here’s another tip, one that I’ve really appreciated since I’ve gotten older: get wheels on your cases…..they’re much easier for the crew to schlep through the airport that way.

This should get you started. I think if I’ve learned anything about traveling with a saxophone, it’s to plan ahead for the worst! Let me know your comments and questions!

 

 

 

I used to work at a music store where the owner (a very funny guy) used to talk about the “big saxophone scare of the 1920’s†when virtually every home had at least one saxophone and American instrument factories were straining to meet demand. We’re still living with the remnants of this big saxophone scare: the used horn market is littered with old Conns, Bueschers, and the like that have survived from this era.

Today, we are truly living in the golden age of the saxophone. Players now have significantly more choices in instruments and accessories than at any other time in history. In addition to the proliferation of choices, good quality instruments can now be obtained at a most reasonable cost, especially when compared to prices of the past and adjusted for inflation. Saxophones today are a bargain, there’s no two ways about it.

In the process of this evolution in the saxophone market, there have been some significant winners and some significant casualties. The big winners have undoubtably been the Asian manufacturers. These companies have succeeded in achieving absolute market dominance in a fairly short period of time by applying realistic labor rates and (usually) high quality with very little actual innovation or product development.

The overwhelming majority of saxophones brought to market by these new market entrants are following what has become the design standard, the Selmer Super 80 Series II, and I’m not real sure there is a lot wrong with that. I think it is rather unfair to say that these horns are “copiesâ€â€¦..over time, almost all saxophones produced today have morphed into this configuration, simply because it works so well. I’m not sure that’s a bad thing. Of course, the level of execution varies from maker to maker, and there are plenty of minor variations on this theme, but I think we can safely say that the industry has found a standard configuration that works pretty well for the vast majority of players.

I think it is very important to understand that the companies which manufacture our saxophones for us are not like General Motors: the very largest manufacturer in the business only made a little over 22,000 horns last year…..most of the “well known†brands only produce a couple of thousand horns in a year.

We hear a great deal of pissing and moaning about the demise of the saxophone manufacturing business in the United States. The simple fact of the matter is that the USA companies simply allowed themselves to be priced out of the market by paying absolutely ridiculous wages to factory workers. It’s just not worth $40 per hour to solder key parts together, but that’s what they were paying. The myth of the “great Elkhart craftsmen†is just that: a myth. The guys who put the horns together in Elkhart possessed no more skill or expertise than their counterparts in Beijing or Taipei. The same materials are available worldwide. It gets down to the level of quality control you wish to offer and what you are willing to pay for labor.

So where is the industry headed? It’s very difficult to fully automate saxophone manufacturing, so there probably won’t be a lot of cost savings in the future due to automation and robotics. Wage rates in Asia have been steadily rising in China, Taiwan, and Japan. The factories will move to emerging nations such as Indonesia, India, and Viet Nam in order to hold down costs. In fact, factories are currently producing instruments in all these countries, and more factories are being built. The market for saxophone sales has changed considerably: the USA market is in decline, and the high growth markets are Russia and Brazil……I suspect that before long, China will overtake the rest of the world as a market for saxophones. The instrument is certainly gaining considerable popularity there.

All of this is certainly good news for saxophonists all over the world. It’s just hard to beat more choices, better quality, and lower prices!

 

 

 

 

It happened again recently: a musician leaving a gig at a Frenchman Street club late at night was robbed at gun point of cash, a cell phone, and other belongings. Fortunately, in this particular instance, his instruments were not taken in the robbery, so he can continue to work. This is an all to frequent occurrence in our city, afflicting not only musicians (easy to spot if they’re carrying an instrument) but also bartenders, waiters and waitresses, dancers, and others who work into the wee hours and are usually paid nightly in cash. These robberies are generally ignored by the media because publicizing them would be bad for the tourist business, and the Super Bowl is coming up soon!

The problem is, of course, that we have simply allowed our city to become infested by a group of predators. I believe that if you think of it in terms of what action you would take if your kitchen were infested with rats, and examine what solutions might solve the problem and rid your home of the rats, and which solutions might not have long lasting effects.

I believe that if you call a pest control professional, they will assure you that the only way to permanently rid yourself of pests is to exterminate them. You cannot rid yourself of them by building schools, forcing them to wear ankle bracelets to track their movements, holding job fairs, improving their housing, or establishing midnight basketball programs. You must permanently eradicate them, as this prevents them from causing any further problem and also prevents them from breeding.

Musicians (and others in the hospitality industry) need to arm themselves and begin the process of ridding the city of predators whenever a robbery is attempted. We simply cannot wait for law enforcement authorities to arrive. By the time they get to the scene of the crime, our money, our cars, our personal property, and our instruments are long gone, and if we’re lucky, we’re still alive.

Honestly, you need to consider the current situation and decide if you wish to be a victim or proactive. A gun in the hand is worth far more than a police dispatcher on the phone. The rats are in the kitchen. We must now decide what to do about them.

 

Before I begin this rant, as a matter of full disclosure you need to know that I am a member in good standing of Local 174 of the American Federation of Musicians AKA “the musician’s union†and that I first joined the Federation (Local 733) in 1966 (I was required to do so because I had just signed an exclusive representation contract with a major agency which was “all unionâ€), and that about 25 years ago I was a full time salaried employee of Local 256 ( I was Business Agent for the Local) as well as a member of the Board of Directors. I have attended numerous regional and national conferences of the Federation. I am quite familiar with what the union does well, and what it does not do well. I am very proud of my membership in the Federation, and have every intention of remaining a member for the rest of my life, or at least as long as they will have me!

All of that being said, and hopefully you, dear reader, understand that I am somewhat familiar with the workings of the union, I have a few thoughts on the subject, all intended “for the good of the orderâ€. All of this was precipitated by my recent receipt of the latest edition of The International Musician, the monthly magazine of the Federation.

I was struck by the amount of space given to the discussion of the fact that virtually every major symphony orchestra and many other musical organizations were all undergoing financial hard times (to put it mildly) and that the musicians represented by the Federation were all having to make very significant concessions, including significant wage reductions and changes in benefits. The Federation is the bargaining agent for virtually every orchestra in the USA, so the International Musician is pretty full of doom and gloom.

OK, we’ve now established that in spite of years of hard work and success, the union is losing the battle with employers when it comes to keeping musicians wages and benefits at a high level. Well, here’s my thought on that matter: I never felt like I needed the union to negotiate what I got paid. I always (even when I was still in my teens) knew how many dollars it took to get me to get my horn out of the case. I knew that I had to be compensated for rehearsals, for the times I had to bring my bass saxophone along, for the amount of travel to and from the gig, for the fair share of the expected proceeds from a recording session etc. etc. etc. I learned very early in the game how to set the price for my services. If a prospective employer doesn’t wish to pay that price, that’s fine with me. That just gives me another night to sit in my jacuzzi with my beautiful wife.

I think based on the current results, or lack thereof, we can safely say that the union is maybe not very effective in controlling wages and benefits for musicians, and in my opinion, they never should have been. If musicians are simply too stupid to charge a fair price, or have failed to hone their skills to the point where they can control their prices and fees, then I have little sympathy for them and suggest they learn to say “do you want fries with that?†because they obviously cannot control their own destiny.

If the union cannot effectively regulate wages and working conditions, then what remains for them to do, and do they have any meaningful purpose in the world of live music today? There’s actually plenty for them to do, and here are a few suggestions based on the local situation here in New Orleans. I’m sure that other musical communities have other needs, but I don’t know what they are, so I can’t address them.

My basic vision of the highest and best use for the union is that it should be a sort of craft guild/advocacy group. I believe that one of the greatest failings of the musicians union is that it has very much failed to establish union musicians as a desirable “brand†for music buyers. This is going to involve a bit of quality control on the part of the union (in all the years I’ve been a member I have NEVER been asked to demonstrate my skill level), but we need to get out the message that there IS a real difference, and that buyers get what they pay for…..

Another thing that has gone on in our community is a public venue in the French Market where musicians are being asked to play for free (although they can sell CD’s and other merch) for the “exposureâ€â€¦.well, people die of exposure, and in my opinion, the union should have been all over this in all the media and not shut up about it until it’s stopped. Did they do so? Unfortunately, no….this was a chance to take a stand…..it’s the sort of fight the media absolutely loves…..but where were we?

Here’s another local issue, that probably applies in your town. In New Orleans, musicians (and bartenders, dancers, waiters etc.) are usually paid nightly and in cash. It’s a safe bet that anybody trudging through the French Quarter at 4:00AM with a guitar or other instrument case over their shoulder is probably carrying cash, as well as a valuable instrument and a nice cell phone. Robberies are quite common. Where’s the union on this issue, maybe going to city council meetings calling for increased protection? Nope, they’re nowhere to be found……

We’re extremely fortunate that a group of dedicated individuals has set up and funded a splendid medical clinic to meet the health needs of the professional musical community. Should the union be holding monthly fund raisers to support this? Why not? Do they? No….

Musicians have many, many needs, and there are virtually unlimited opportunities for the union to provide education and assistance (and maybe do a little recruiting and promotion of solidarity in the musical community) by outreach educational programs on topics like instrument insurance, retirement planning, marketing, understanding contracts, forming small corporations for bands, etc. etc. etc Do they do this? No….

I guess I’m hard pressed to find something the union is doing successfully outside of making it extremely difficult to do business with employers through arcane rules and bad attitude. Don’t get me wrong, I want the union to succeed and prosper, and be a resource available to all professionals in the music industry. But right now, I think they’re kinda sorta on the wrong path…..

 

 

If you take your horn to the repair shop because “it’s just not playing like it should†and there is no obvious problem, then maybe, just maybe, the problem lies with your mouthpiece, and I’m pretty much willing to bet you lunch anywhere in New Orleans (and we do have some DANDY spots to have lunch) that your technician will not check your mouthpiece for problems. Why would this be? It’s simply because all technicians are trained that the problems are all below the ferrule on the neck, and since there are no problems beyond the end of the neck, the technicians lack the expertise and the simple equipment necessary to diagnose common mouthpiece problems. We’re NOT going to talk about how to repair or reface mouthpieces here. That’s a complex topic for another time, and requires training and equipment that almost no players have. I do find it absolutely inexcusable that ANYONE who holds themselves out as being able to repair saxophones lacks the basic tools and expertise to make basic mouthpiece repairs. I’m not talking about major refacing, opening up or closing down a tip, adding a baffle, or any real modification. I’m only talking about basic mouthpiece repair. As I have stated on other topics, ask the technician to see their mouthpiece gauges, their tip measuring device (either a special caliper or a tip wand), their feeler gauges, their leveling block, and their mouthpiece files. If they lack ANY of this equipment, and it’s not immediately available for your inspection, I strongly urge you to close your case and seek someone who is truly competent to diagnose any and ALL potential problems with your horn. I would respectfully submit that a technician unfamiliar with and unequipped for basic mouthpiece repairs may not know too much about pads and their replacement, either.

“BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBut there’s nothing wrong with my mouthpiece!†you say. Are you sure? Maybe it DOES play OK, but does it play as well as it can? Could it be causing problems, but you have just forced yourself to work around them? Here are a couple of quick and easy diagnostic tests anyone can do, with no special equipment, that may help you spot potential mouthpiece problems.

FIRST, MAKE A GOOD VISUAL INSPECTION
A magnifying glass helps, but is not required. Clean ALL of the accumulated gunk and debris off the mouthpiece…..all of it. Shame on you! You should have done this long ago! If it’s not absolutely clean, go no further, because you’ll be wasting your time. Now, closely examine the tip rail. It should be perfectly smooth and even, and no wider than the edge of a dime (hopefully much narrower than that….wide tip rails impede good articulation)…..if there are chips, scratches, gouges, or the tip is uneven, it needs repair. The shape of the tips contour should also exactly match the brand of reed you use. Yes, reeds do vary from brand to brand.

Now, perform the same sort of inspection on the side rails. They should also be completely free of chips, scratches, and gouges, and should also be no wider than the edge of a dime. This width will most likely taper from the tip down to the window, becoming progressively wider, but it should not become THAT much wider!

The window requires our attention next. It should be perfectly flat at the edges, with no chips or dents, and should correspond in placement to the vamp of the reeds you are using. If your window does not extend AT LEAST to the end of the vamp (the beginning of the bark) on the reed, then you are not getting you money’s worth from your mouthpiece. Also be certain that the material immediately under the edge of the window is quite thin and tapers into the mouthpiece chamber and does not present a vertical “obstacle†as the wave enters the chamber of your mouthpiece.

Finally, the table must be carefully checked to be sure that is absolutely, positively, totally, and perfectly flat. Sorta kinda maybe pretty flat is not enough. If the table is not flat, there is no way that the reed can sit evenly, and in all probability, there will be leakage under the reed. There are a variety of ways to check this, but you don’t have the equipment of expertise for most of the accepted methods. Here’s one you can do in the privacy of your own home: get a thick piece of plate glass (preferably with the edges ground smooth so you don’t cut yourself) and with your mouthpiece table absolutely clean, rub the table on the glass with a pretty firm pressure. Now take a look: if you see any shiny spots, those locations are higher than the rest of the table, and are causing you playing problems.

You’ll notice that I didn’t tell you how to correct these problems, only how to identify them. This sort of repair is best left to someone who is experienced in mouthpiece work. If you want to see a class I taught on this very topic, I put a video up (about an hour in length) on YouTube….the URL is http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qzNDje4m–0.

Let me know your comments and questions!

As a matter of full disclosure, I’ve been a member of the AFM since 1966, and have served as a member of a local board of directors, been to several national conventions and regional conferences, and in the 1980′s was a full time, salaried employee, working as business agent for my home local….. I’m currently a member in good standing of Local 174, and will be eligible for Life Member benefits in a few years….. somehow, I feel our union has lost its sense of direction and purpose….

Have you tried calculating the appropriate pay scale and fees for a casual gig lately? Cartage for large instruments, doublers fees for additional instruments, rehearsal fees, leaders fees, mileage to the gig, and a separate check for the mandatory pension fund contribution. I would think that any full time musician would be aware of all of these costs, and it would not be necessary to itemize them, but that’s just me……if I have to haul my bass saxophone to a gig, you can be sure I’m going to charge you more…..same thing if the gig is in Houston instead of a few blocks away in New Orleans……If I’m the leader, you can be assured that I won’t be working for the same wages as the guitar player….all of this is just part of the job, IMHO.

When the multimedia explosion took place in the 1990′s and it became much easier to distribute product, the union should have seen it coming but didn’t. They continued to operate under the old system, where there was no internet, no MP3′s, no YouTube….they tried to make it as difficult as possible to do business with a union band, erecting more and more hoops for the talent buyer or contractor to jump through….and as a result, union membership and influence dropped like a stone. They can’t even afford to publish that spiffy members magazine any longer.

The mistake, IMHO, was that they didn’t make the concept of using union membership a brand, which had certain unique qualities that could not be found in non-union players. There really are no standards of quality for union players, and they let in an awful lot of people who should not be admitted. They also could go a long way in making the actual business of music easier for both buyers and sellers, but they don’t. Why, they could even help members obtain work…..but they don’t……they cling to their complicated pay scale books and do their best to strong arm entertainment buyers. No real effort is made to recruit young players just entering the business, or recruit anybody, for that matter.

In my vision, the union should operate more like a craft guild, but they choose to go down the path to oblivion. Is it too late to change the course? Probably, but it might be worth a shot.

 

I get asked this question practically every day. True enough, at a point in the past our company did in fact drink the Kool Aid and sold vintage horns, and true enough, when I was an active professional player, I also drank the Kool Aid and used them, thinking they were somehow superior. In addition, I also drank the Kool Aid and believed the price of old horns would go up- forever, and invested substantial sums in horns I felt sure would appreciate. I studied and studied in order to understand every nuance of rolled tone hole, artillery shell brass, and solder chimney mythology, seeking that perfect combination of secret wisdom that would elevate me to the status previously obtained by the Elder Gods of the Saxophone. What a load of crap!

It is my most sincere and heartfelt belief that the current purchasers of vintage horns (at least the ones who are not buying them to collect and admire rather than play) must not own a tuner and apparently lack much sense of pitch discrimination. The simple fact of the matter is that older horns simply do not play in tune nearly as well as horns currently manufactured and available. Bbbbbbbbbbbbbbbut, you say, what about Trane, Bird, Jug, Prez, and all those other countless guys with funny names from the past who sounded great playing old horns? Come on, you know the answer. Those were the only horns available at the time. I think you can bet your sweet ass that if John Coltrane were alive today, he would be playing the most modern, up to date, easiest to play, and in tune horn he could buy. Why make playing any more difficult than it has to be?

This is, needless to say, not mentioning the very questionable ergonomics of older horns, and the simple fact that in most cases, “vintage†saxophones have proved to be a real stinkeroo of an investment. And you wonder why we got out of the old horn business?

 

I’m sure that the saxophone world was in an absolute state of shock when the Mk VI was introduced in 1954. Here was an instrument that was light years ahead of anything else available up to that time, both in terms of sound and in terms of ergonomics. There was nothing else available on the market at the time that could match the feel or the performance. So did the players of the day immediately dump the horns they had been using to take up the “latest and greatest� No, for a variety of reasons. First, and probably foremost, a new horn is a major expenditure that very few players can easily afford. Secondly, I suspect that quite a few players were simply happy with their existing equipment, and had learned how to deal with its shortcomings. Of course, over time, more and more prominent players switched over to the Mk VI, and by the time that production stopped after 20 years, it sees like most everyone was playing one.

By the mid 1970’s Selmer was having a difficult time selling MK VI horns, and offered them at deep discounts. The simple fact of the matter is that there were far too many of essentially the same thing available on the used horn market at much lower prices than Selmer dealers were asking for new ones. Remember that these horns were made not in the thousands, but in the tens of thousands, so there were always plenty of used ones floating around. Oversupply will drive the price down pretty much every time.

Was there anything unique about the Mk VI? Not really…..it was the state of the art at the time it was in production, but all of the good qualities can be and are currently being duplicated. This duplication is not rocket science. Were there unique material used (artillery brass?) that are not available today? In a word, no. Was the skill level of the workers building the horns superior to what is available today? You’re kidding, of course…..except for a very few specialty skills like engraving, the assembling of saxophones is pretty basic manufacturing and metal working, and is easily taught to just about anybody. The trick is good initial design and good quality control.

Today, the Mk VI is still the horn of choice for many players. You have to ask yourself why, since even the very best ones are far from perfect. I think a large part of the reason is simple nostalgia: “Coltrane or (insert long dead saxophone players name here) sounded great, and if I use one, so will Iâ€. Well, maybe yes, or maybe no. The next reason is habit. Lots of people playing Mk VI horns today have owned them for years, and see no reason to change. The final reason is economic: many Mk VI believe that their horns are going to appreciate in value (just like real estate, huh?) and that even the worst one that has been re-lacquered three times, has the engraving buffed down to nothing being as smooth as a baby’s butt, and has the pearl holders worn down to an exquisite thinness is worth $10,000. If they’re lucky, they bought the horn in the period following the end of production and the late 1990’s, when speculators drove prices through the roof. I’ve bought more than a few for less than $300. Are the horns worth the stratospheric prices some wildly optimistic sellers ask? No, although really pristine examples still bring top dollar.

As a matter of disclosure, I got my first Mk VI in 1964, brand new (gift from my father for making first chair in the all state band) and have bought and sold hundreds of them of all varieties over the years. They were my main gig horns for 30 years.
I know that some of the current users will consider my thoughts blasphemy. “Well, my (insert serial number or year of manufacture) has a sound that just cannot be duplicated with modern horns†or “the old craftsmen built much better horns†or some other such denial of fallibility. That’s fine, believe what you will. I leave you with this analogy, since the Indianapolis 500 is coming up in a couple of weeks:

If you were going to enter this years race, would you prefer to compete with a car built in 1954 or 2012? The answer strikes me as obvious…..