Inventory of Bari Players & Their Horns

Helen

Helen

Content Expert Saxophones
Staff member
Administrator
OK boys and girls, who here plays baritone? I think almost all the admin staff do...Don't you?

I own 2 baris. The first is a low Bb Selmer Mark VI (1471XX). It is now primarily my jazz horn. Although it is a relaq, I wouldn't trade it for any other bari. The sound is exactly what I want in a baritone. I have it set up exactly how I like it, and through a wide variety of m/p's I can make it do anything from classical to rock and everything inbetween.

My second bari is a B&S Medusa. I bought it about 4 years ago when I was playing in an R&B band and needed a back-up bari. Although I'm not as fond of the key action on this horn (could be that it's just too new, since I'm really a vintage horn player), the sound is what sold me on it. It is full of overtones that I had never heard before playing this particular horn. I've recently decided to add some bari sounds into the blues band I work with, and this bad boy will definately be getting the work.

My most common setups and pics of the horn are on my site at: http://www.bassic-sax.ca/gear5.html
 
Vito/Yani 800 Selmer S90 190 and Rico Reeds. This is the setup that gets me to the sound I've been hearing in my head all of these years. My backup horn is a King Tempo (JK Stencil) with the same mouthpiece and reeds. Sometimes I'll use a Selmer S80 neck on it. On bari and even tenor I love the sound of Berg's but not from me. If that makes any sense. I've been through a host of baritone mouthpieces and for me the S90 works great. I do have a Soloist as a backup though.
 
I owned (very past tense) two different baritones:

* Yamaha YBS-52, low A. Two tone.
* Keilwerth-made Bundy, low Bb. Lacquer. No rolled tone holes.

Mouthpieces: Sigurd Rascher, Berg Larsen, Selmer C* vintage -- very long shank. All hard rubber. Mainly the Rascher. Stock ligatures (which, on the Rascher, was something that looked like a Rovner leather.)

And played various makes and models for extended periods of time in high school. The worst being a really beat up bare-brass Conn New Wonder. The horns I owned were light-years better.

I "majored" in bari when I was in college. When I played, that is. I haven't played, at all, in about 7 years, and haven't owned a bari since, oh, 1992. Feel free to send me one of yours, Ed!

I've always said that bari sax or bass clarinet is "my voice". This week, I'm leaning more toward bass clarinet.
 
selmer mk6 low A 191,xxx
meyer 7m
rico royal 3

I bought this horn brand new from Chas. Ponte Music co in NYC back in 1971. I paid $850.00 for it, a kings ransome back then. I was a fulltime bari player back then, so it didn't take long for me to play it out of adjustment. When I brought it back to Ponte for a free adjustment after about a month or so of playing, I found Mr. Ponte's repairman, a big older Russian gentleman, in tears. He was working on my horn with tears streaming down his face. So I asked him what was wrong. He told me that his wonderful friend had been stabbed to death the night before. I asked him who was the friend. He told me it was King Curtis.

A sad story.
 
Yamaha 52
Ponzol M1 .120
Brancher Leggiero
Fibracell

I need a back-up bari!
 
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Yanagisawa B991 with a Yani #5 using 2.5 Glotin reeds for concert and Otto Link Super Tone Master 6* using2.5 Vandoren ZZ reeds for jazz/combo work. In the theater pit I use Plasticover reeds if I have more than two horns to play.

My back up is a Yani B990.
 
Baritone, what baritone ?

Hi from Switzerland. This is my first post and am glad to belong now to this human-size forum.

My bari: Conn New Wonder II ("Barichu ?"), 1926, restored by Bruno Waltersabacher (Germany).
Jary Custom .110, Vandoren B75 transformed into a "double chamber" by E. Greiffenhagen, 30-year old metal Berg 110/2/SMS (BTW for sale: great piece, punchy/raucous sound but chamber size not ideal for a old Conn).
Fibracell 2 or 2,5, Vandoren ZZ 2 or 2.5 according to mood.

All the best

Jacques
 
The set up these days is a little different.

I now have a couple of Yani baritones. The recently overhauled horn is from 1972 and the backup is from 1969. Both Low A.

Mouthpiece is a Selmer Soloist C* that was opened by someone along the way. The backup mouthpiece is another Soloist that was opened up by someone. Both feel more like C** or D.

Reeds remain Rico's. Either Rico Royal or standard Rico's. Number 3's.
 
I play, infrequently, a Conn 12M. Low Bb. The mpc is Meyer Medium Chamber. The reeds are King #2. I have two reeds. Three of them came with the sax when I bought it used a year or two ago. I haven't needed to buy any others. That's how often I play it. I use a Neotech harness without which I could not stand up and play.

You can hear the 12M on my website in the Music section. Listen to the second version of "My Funny Valentine."

I love bari sax. I think I would play it better if I had more calls for it.
 
Vito VSP (Yani B901), Tenney BP10E Link Tone Edge 7. LaVoz MH reeds. I like the sound, the key work, and the response. I had a late Buescher Aristocrat (the S-80 with rear bell tone holes). The Yani is a far better bari.
 
Ed Svoboda said:
The set up these days is a little different.

I now have a couple of Yani baritones. The recently overhauled horn is from 1972 and the backup is from 1969. Both Low A.

Mouthpiece is a Selmer Soloist C* that was opened by someone along the way. The backup mouthpiece is another Soloist that was opened up by someone. Both feel more like C** or D.

Reeds remain Rico's. Either Rico Royal or standard Rico's. Number 3's.
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Whoa, this is weird!

I play a B991 with a soloist style D mouthpiece and Rico Royal 3's.

I also picked up an SX90, what a totally different sound! Sadly I can't keep'em both and I am VERY attached to the Yani so after a brief romance the Keilwerth is up for sale!
 
Yes. I play bari too but lately have been back to playing mostly tenor. I kind of miss playing bari; I need to find more opportunities :(
 
Barijacques said:
Hi from Switzerland. This is my first post and am glad to belong now to this human-size forum.

All the best

Jacques
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Hello Jacques. Welcome to the Woodwind Forum. We hope that you enjoy your time here. I'm also glad to see another bari player here!

When you get a chance, perhaps you might want to drop in on the WF New People Introductions thread, and say "hi" to everyone (we're a friendly bunch here). This way the others, who don't hang out in the sax board, will know you're here too.

Anyways, welcome again. Oh, I meant to ask, what kind of music do you play on your bari?
 
Bari!

My favorite sax :-D

Selmer SA80IIAF (low A, high F#)
Link 7 metal (with its own lig)
Vandoren 4

I also have a Selmer something mpc for classical (haven't needed that in a long time), and a very nasty sounding RIA, which I pull out if the bass trombone is too loud ;-)
 
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Main horn
Newport USA. Some new thing made by the LA Sax company. Has a monstrous sound, solid action, dead nuts intonation. I love it.
Berg 120/0 or Wolf Tayne 7*

Backup bari
Mark VI 124xxx relac
Bb-F
 
I realized I haven't chimed in on this one yet. Odd, since I do a considerable amount of work on bari.

Jupiter 900 series bari. That's the new one with the Yani style floor peg, and the double arm low C.

Mouthpiece is a Vandoren B75 with baffle mods by moi, a Rovner dark or Vandoren Optimum lig, and the same #3 Legere reed I've been playing on for about three years now.
 
I have two baritones I use for performances. Both are Selmer Mark VI saxes, one from the early 1960s and one from the early 1970s.

The older horn is red. Don't ask, long story. Photo attached.

I've been using Ponzol 120 baritone mouthpieces for quite some time.

I also have a baritone saxophone made by Adolphe Sax in 1861, an Adolphe Sax baritone made by Selmer in the early 1930s, and a straight (sort of) baritone custom made from a normal Amati low Bb baritone.
 
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1930's Conn 12M (silver) with a Morgan vintage mouthpiece. Horn and mouthpiece purchased from Junkdude in Columbus. Taking delivery in late March or early April on a used Dolnet Low A from a private seller in California.
Compared to the bass, the bari always feels like a toy. I think the Dolnet will be heavier.
 
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