Why Do We Make Fun of Saxophone Players

[daruby]

The model prior to the Selmer Mark VI was the Selmer "Super Balanced Action" alto sax. My father was a music teacher and made money on the side through college, WWII and into the late 1950's playing big band "dance jobs". My father purchased his Selmer SBA in 1950 (or so) to replace his prewar Buescher Aristocrat. My dad would tell stories of how he disposed of his awful, out of tune, Buescher alto sax when he got his Selmer. He threw the Buescher against the wall and smashed it after playing its last dance job!

My younger brother still has the Selmer and plays it regularly. These often sell for $6-7K or more even today!

[jkircoff]

Every wind band I've played in, no matter the quality, has had tuning issues between euphoniums (my instrument) and the tenor and baritone sax. I don't have nearly the same issue matching with the clarinets, bassoon, or bass clarinet.

[Clayton M.]

I just recently called saxophones weird-looking trumpets, after a friend of mine posted a sax ensemble video to the community band Facebook page. Good times.

[highpitch]

Why? It's the organic nature of their little noisemakers...reeds.

Always buying the dern variable things.

Constantly fiddling with them.

A good euph MP can last a lifetime...when we find the right one.

Ha!

DG

[iiipopes]

Yes, the fiddling with reeds is a main reason that in school I opted for brass instead of reeds.

[Sara Hood]

Reeds aren't it.

Why? It's the organic nature of their little noisemakers...reeds.

The reeds aren't it. Out in the musical instrument supply marketplace, there are artificial reeds for saxophones and all manner of woodwind instruments. They are made out of nylon or other plastic-y material. And then they have the same arguments we do over whether the material the "reed" (mouthpiece) is made out of makes a difference in the sound. HA!

(laughing at all of us musician types)

- Sara

[TheJH]

honestly the only thing I make fun of sax players for is the technical sensitivity of their instrument; once one little spring is gone or out of place, or a rod is sliiiightly bent, and a quarter or more of all of their keys and pads in the system are just... useless. And maintenance is hell as well. Take a brass instrument with piston valves and not a terrible lot can go wrong in that aspect, compared to saxophones. Saxophones are just so delicate to handle, it's insane.

[malan]

I love the sexaphone playing.

[highpitch]

I'd love to see a sex-a-phone...

DG

[Clayton M.]

At one of my recent rehearsals, I overheard a older fellow, telling some high school aged girls that they should join a sex farm. What he was actually telling them was to join a sax forum. Maybe I should get my hearing checked.