We have added this new page, at the request of our customers, for unsolicited customer comments. Along with their comments are their email addresses, in case you want to have further dialog with them. To send your comment to be listed here, email to this address: worldwidesax@gmail.com I will also occasionally post email I have received from a happy customer, about their transaction. (this is about 10% of the nice mail that I get after a sale, thanks so much!)

Here is a list of the countries we have happy customers in:
Egypt, Denmark, Austria, Africa, Sweden, Russia, Finland, Norway, Australia, Brunei, Japan, So. Korea, Italy, Canada, Germany, France, England, China, The Philippines, Holland, Switzerland, The Netherlands, Taiwan, Israel,

Bill from Tennessee, USA just bought our King Zephyr tenor:

January 17, 2012, Bill Harrell [secret]@gmail.com

 Hi Steve&Chadd,

 Received Zephyr late Tuesday afternoon in good condition. As luck would
have it, I was tied up and not able to try it out very much for a couple of
days (after all this planning!). Anyway, I liked the feel immediately and
the setup seems good (I'm sure thanks to all your tweaking ). I tried it
with a Brilhart mpc first and the scale seemed fine (big low end ) but when
I tried a Berg it really came alive. Faster response, much less restriction
and good projection ( cutting though volume ). Brighter than the SML for
sure, but noticeably more comfortable table and balance and intonation
seems good as well. I guess that means a yes for this trial and sale.
Thanks for your consideration on the case and I hope to put it to good use
getting to know this instrument better.

As always, thanks for all your patience, time and deference to me though
this process.

Bill

Glen from New York just bought our Conn 26M alto that we brought back from the grave. What a story!(also on "Our Finest"):

September 2011, Glen at: veloxnex@yahoo.com

Chadd ( and Sarge),

The play test is over....... the horn is fantastic. It's mine, I am keeping it. The work you did to repair the damage is amazing. I don't think anyone will ever know that it had been screwed to a wall. It is a really beautiful horn. I know now why people fall in love with that "Conn sound". The action is faster than anything that I have played. Thanks for keeping my request in mind when you were setting it up.

The notes you included were a huge help for me getting used to playing a vintage horn. The level of service WorldWideSax has provided was exceptional. Its not that often that I have a buying experience this pleasurable.

I will miss the daily e-mail on the rebuilding progress, they were interesting and exciting. Most of all I just want to say Thank You again for work on the Conqueror , I heard people speak of these legendary horns but I never thought I would own one in such fantastic condition. Its a real work of art that was saved from scrap because of your incredible skill to repair it but also your love and knowledge of saxophones to know that this horn was worth saving.

Thanks,
Glen

Robert, from Australia, just bought a one of Sarge's special, personal horns: a Conn 10M with special upgrades to the thumb-rest and octave-rest, a Premium Rebuild and natural big sound:

August 16, 2011, Robert Gerner pnpgnr06@gmail.com

Dear Sarge and Chadd,

Well, you have another delighted customer from 'down under'.

Your completely restored, premium rebuild, Conn 10M arrived in perfect condition, thanks to Chadd's masterful packing, and it is superb which ever way you look at it. It is pitch perfect, the action is very fast and the ergonomics of the key work just great. With its gold interior to the bell and the polished silver keys against the matt-finished body it is a thing of beauty. I have settled on a Selmer D mouth piece which gives a lovely warm tone, and whilst I tried a metal mouthpiece as in a Meyer 6J it is not for me.

The instrument is a treat, as too was the WWS service from beginning to end.

All power to Worldwide Sax, now and in the future.

Kind regards, Robert Gerner.

David, from Nebraska, USA, just bought a WWS rebuild Buescher for the family TrueTone alto & a Meyer mpc:

July 17, 2011, David R Tarvin Sr gogreen.wh2o.solutions@gmail.com

Steve&Chadd,

Good morning.

My grandson Nathan received his saxophone early Friday afternoon. He waited to open it up until his mother, his grandmother and I were in the room. We all agreed; it looks beautiful. He tested it with both mouthpieces and both necks. It plays easily and sounds fabulous. He is able to hit the low notes and all notes in the high register with ease with both mouthpieces. The Meyer projects a little more than the Buescher, but his sound is so much improved. Thank you guys for a wonderful job.

David

Brad from the U.S.A. just bought our Conn C-Soprano in gold plate for his Son:

April 2011 Brad Gast <bradgast@mangosinc.com>

Just wanted to say thank you, Chadd, for an awesome job. Working with you
was an absolute pleasure. Your care and attention to detail was outstanding.
I especially loved the fact that you ordered a custom "miniature" dent
removal tool (on your nickel) for one barely-noticeable imperfection on the
rather slim neck of this very special C soprano. Talk about going the extra
mile. I also truly appreciated your communication throughout the process.
The final product? Breath-taking from both a performance and a cosmetic
place. Thanks again for a wonderful first experience and outstanding
saxophone...with so many "extra touches." You are truly a class act.

-my best, Bradley Gast (of Mangos Inc.)

-and Maxfield Gast, whose latest music is for the FX show "Louis" see more at: www.maxfieldgast.com

Todd, from Florida, USA, just bought a WWS rebuilt Buescher Aristo 1 Tenor:

Feb 3, 2011, Todd Sneeringer <toddsneeringer@cfl.rr.com>

Arrived today safe and sound. Don’t think I’ll be using that case. I Would not trust it to keep the horn safe

without the packing materials. I’ll keep the case in storage just to have it.

Impressive work! Plays easily top to bottom so no shipping trauma that I can tell. The Buescher has a

pleasing complex tone which is what I was really after. Wow, the palm keys really speak out! Altissimo is

much easier also and I need all the help I can get there. I was wondering about the ergo’s and can tell right

away they are no problem. Like them better than other vintage horns I tried years ago (Conn and Martin).

Actually like how the horn is up higher than the P.Mauriat I was playing – the P.Mauriat has a neck angle that puts

the keys lower and it required a longer neck strap than normal. Just a few notes to get used to intonation

wise on the Buescher but nothing looks like a problem. I have several custom large chamber mouthpieces

and so far I like a refaced Otto Link best.

So I can already tell it is a keeper. Add me to your list of happy customers.

Thanks!
Todd

Scott, visiting from Japan, just bought a WWS rebuilt Selmer Mark VI 148K Tenor:

Feb 2, 2011, Scott Dalton <scott_d@4lifejapan.co.jp>

I have purchased and sold quite a few horns over the years and on both
sides of the Pacific, and would definitely rate Worldwide Sax among the
elite. Their place had a unique and broad selection of vintage horns (glad
I got to make an appointment while traveling through the Seattle area), the
guys were professional and personable, and after trying out several
extremely cool "dream-horns" I wish I could take all home all at once, I
picked out one freshly overhauled vintage Selmer Mark VI Tenor with lots to boast
about, including the most solid upper altissimo I've ever experienced.
Later, when they shipped a horn to me in Japan, the horn came securely
packed and played right out of the box. These guys know how to do it right!
Thanks Steve and Chadd!

Amanda, from Kent, England, just purchased our freshly rebuilt Buescher Aristocrat series 3 Tenor:

Nov 22, 2009 02:50:17 PM, amandalack@googlemail.com wrote:

Hi Steve

we have received the sax safe & sound. No problems except some wear on the octave mechanism which we are sorting out at this end. We have had a few anxious days, but Michael is now thoroughly happy and satisfied and thinks it is a magnificent instrument. We also think it is probably a better quality buescher than he had before. It certainly plays louder and with a richer tone. He is especially impressed with the low notes which are much easier to play. We have invested in a new case for extra security and are sure that Michael will treasure this sax (which he rates far above the new Selmers, Mauriats etc. that he tested out as potential replacements for his other sax).

Thank you for all your efforts.

Amanda

Steve E just received one of our mouthpieces, customized by Bob Carpenter:

Subject: Thanks! I'm impressed!

I just got the Geo M. Bundy 105 tenor piece last night. I'm going to play more today to be 100% sure about intonation etc., but it seems very close to what I'm looking for at a reasonable price so it is probably a keeper. I just had to let you know immediately, though, that I'm particularly impressed with your description of the sound of this piece. When you said it was a cross between a NY Meyer and HR Berg I couldn't quite wrap my brain around that, but it's true! It sounds EXACTLY as you say it does, and the rubber is of outstanding quality as is Bob's craftsmanship. Truth in advertising is a rare thing these days and is much appreciated. Because of that, you can bet if I have other vintage sax itches to scratch, your site will be one of the ones I visit first!

Steve

Erica, from Alaska, just purchased our freshly rebuilt The Martin Tenors:

From: Erica Worhatch [mailto:eworhatch@gmail.com]
Sent: Monday, March 03, 2008 10:59 PM
Hey Steve, It's here! Made really good time too. I'm very happy with it to say the least....love the tone! My cockatoo is super pissed (revenge?). Really glad I decided to go this route (as opposed to a mel-c...what was I thinking if I could get my hands on a piece like this!) Thanks for the direction.Oh, about that 3 day trial period: this is so NOT going back! Love it! Oh, and I have to warn you: I may very much be one of those repeat customers. Although I think I'll be busy with this one for a while. Seriously, can't thank you enough for the great service. Not only did I get an awesome sax but you've restored my faith in customer service. Thanks for being flexible about the payment method and feel free to add me to you list of references. I'd expound more but my awesome new sax is calling! Erica

Edmund, from NY, just purchased our Silver Chu Tenor, with some nice mods like a selmer thumbrest, the sax came out gorgeous:

Dear Steve,

Well, well, well, what can I say? Simply amazing!! Until yesterday I hadn't played for more than a few hours due to working on the movie. After playing the sax for about six hours it's all coming together. This morning it sounds incredible, so nice it blows my mind. It plays so easily it's not to be believed. Esp. the roller keys, B flat to B to C sharp, C to D sharp, smoooooth. Very nice. I'll tell you what, I may be just a beginner but it sure is easier to play something in perfect condition. Kind of like it's easier to drive a Ferrari faster than an old Triumph, or in this case a perfectly restored Bentley rather that an 80's Cadillac.

Wow and Wow, Thanks, thanks, thanks. Such a pleasure, I'm so lucky to be able to afford something like this at my level of play. Give me a few months of straight practice, if I can find the time as I may be on another movie starting next week for 10 weeks and I'll sound like I've progressed a year.

Thanks again, and please put any or all of this on your website, edited any way you like.
Edmund Tomaselli [ejtnyc@gmail.com] 8-07

John is another NYC player, he just picked up a nice old Conn soprano:

From: John R Beaty [mailto:jrb402@nyu.edu]

Sent: Saturday, July 21, 2007 9:58 AM

To: wwsax@comcast.net

Subject: Thank You

Sarge,

The Conn you sent me is great, exactly what I have been looking for in a soprano. It has been a great experience buying an

instrument from you. Just a side question, do you know the history on the soprano? It is so old I am just curious.

Again thank you so much,

peace,

john

I just finished a selmer style rebuild on Bert's five digit tenor, here's his revue:

Cc: Evens,Bert - TGS-TPP-1
Subject: Mark VI Rebuild (70xxx)
Hi Sarge,

I just can't believe the way my horn plays after the rebuild you did on her! WOW!! My wife commented on how much better the tone was when I first got home, but I was having some trouble on the low end (D and below). After hours of playing, I can now tongue a low B flat with a SUB TONE! That may not seem like a big deal to the pros, but I have NEVER been able to do that!! I can also keep the green light on the tuner lit up throughout the full range with VERY little adjustment on my part. It just keeps getting better as I play more and everything settles in. What a pleasure it is to play now!!

Thank you SO much.

You probably don't need any more references, but I'll be glad to talk to anyone that will listen if you send them my way. (Please don't post my work e-mail. Use bvacation@comcast .net if you put this on your site.)

Thanks again,

Bert Evens

Daniel just bought one of our Martin Committee 2 tenors, he's in sax heaven:

Sarge - I have played this Comm II all morning, and I am one very happy man! Good lord, after all these years of thinking I was an "alto man", I think I've found my place. My wife agrees. :). Needless to say, it's SOLD. BTW, the mouthpiece/reed combo I'm using just seems to fit with this horn. I'm using the Kessler OL7Pro, a Vandoren V16 2.5 reed, and a FL ultimate lig. I have never picked up a horn before and felt that I had found my "dream" set-up, before today. I think it helped that I've been playing the bari for the last month, in terms of having proper air support, etc from the get go. Anyhow, just had to share my enthusiasm for this horn with you. It's set up beautifully and I'm having a blast running through the fast passages in the old Omnibook.

Thanks for your great work!

Daniel 2-07

dpchip@yahoo.com

You can see this Buescher alto silver restoration alto at my finest works page:

Steve,

Wow that's one good looking horn. My son was out of town when it arrived so he didn't get to start playing until yesterday. He can't believe the difference in the horn. He reports the sound volume is 2 x what he could get before the rebuild especially in the low end, he says it puts it to the back of the room with little effort. Music he struggled with before the rebuild he was able to pick up cold and nail. The action is smooth and quicker than anything he has ever played. The upper end of the horn can now be played very softly he said I can go up high and just lay notes in instead of having to power everything up top just to get it out of the horn. He said they jumped into "Eye of the tiger" yesterday in stage band at school and it was the first time the brass section realized there was a sax part in the piece. It continues to play better with each days use. Matt says he's picking up on the new playing quality's quickly and it's a great confidence builder up high or down low it goes were you want it too. Tone quality is much richer and he's enjoying the variety of tonal personalities the horn is now capable of producing. As parents it will be fun to watch Matt's playing skill increase now that the horn is capable of exceeding his expectations. It makes you wonder how many talented kids gave up on music just because of the cheep horn their un-knowing parents bought for them made any hard work on their part meaningless. Matt's director is dieing to try the horn out (he's a lifelong sax player) and I'd like to get his take on the horn but Matt hasn't allowed anyone else near it yet.

Any way thanks for a great restoration it plays as good as it looks and we are very satisfied with the incredible workmanship applied to this horn. The engraving is perfect I'm really glad we put it on, the lady that does that work for you is truly a gifted artist. The satin silver with the bright highlights and the gold bell is a really classy combination and I think as the silver ages a little it will only get better. The Black K. pads with silver reso's are very visually striking. Glad we replaced those springs I don't know how you got that action so smooth but it's like glass and so incredibly quick, the balance key to key is very satisfying. Thx again Scott Unruh [mailto: cntrl4u@aol.com]

John just got his 1940 Buescher small bell aristocrat and was quite pleased with our rebuild and the beautiful sound:

OK Sarge,
Finally got the horn here in Cairo and it's Fantastic!!!! Thanks so much. The feel is great and the sound is great, I'm really glad I spent the extra bucks instead of getting one of these $800 ebay horns.
Next time I'm in the states I'll send you my Series 1 alto so you can do the same thing to it!
Cheers,
John, john_dikeman@yahoo.com 1-07

Martin lives in The Netherlands and he just purchased one of our nicest Silver Plated The Martin Tenors:

From: Martin Slok [mailto:mf.slok@hccnet.nl]
Sent: Thursday, November 09, 2006 9:56 AM
To: wwsax@comcast.net
Subject: RE: Committee Silver Tenor sax

Hi Steve.

At last, I had received the sax yesterday evening, it’s a beauty! I did not be possible to play, because it was to late for my neighbours (the noise).

Now I play and it’s in one word AMAZING!

I don’t need the trail period, it’s sold.

I want to thank you for the great support and maybe we have another contact in the future

Regards,

(The) Martin

I just finished a Premium rebuild, on one of our Silver Conn New Wonder "Chu Berry " Tenors for Kurt in the UK:

I picked up the sax this morning. It looks lovely, vintage but not tatty, a nice patina. The action is weighted just right for my fingers, I play it faster than my own (which i am used to!) modern Yani A992 alto. After 2 1/2 hours of playing i'm starting to get my mouth around it and it's making a beautiful, deep mellow sound..........in short I LOVE IT.

Thank You, Kurt Anderssen [Kurt.Anderssen@ntlworld.com] 9-16-06

I recently finished a MK VI Silver Restoration for Teddy (check it out at the "Finest Works" page):

Hey Sarge-

You did a fantastic job and I don't mean just the way it

looks, the horn has never played better and the sound is thicker and

better than before the plating. Now that my injury is healing I can

really enjoy the horn. I can hit all the notes easy and the pad job is

top notch. The action is quiet, smooth and even. I am already thinking

of buying back my old Conn 10M and having you do it also.

Thanks,

Teddy Yakush 8-3-06

Mike has been a customer for many years now and has one of the nicest collections of horns i've heard of:

Hey there, Steve. Just wanted to drop you a line and convey my thanks and respect to you for all the work you’ve done for me, including the latest pearl, the Conn art deco curved soprano. Aside from a number of horns I’ve purchased from you, you completed overhauls on at least 4 vintage saxes by different manufacturers, all of which are the most exceptional sounding horns I’ve ever heard, much less owned. You captured the unique voice of each horn through meticulous craftsmanship, diligence and an experienced sensitivity regarding how specific models evolved and how they are set up to play best, either by original specs or modified. Your many overhaul options to tailor this is impressive as clearly spelled out on your website, but moreover your explanations regarding why something is suitable or not, regardless of price, is even more satisfying. Throughout all of our transactions you have been friendly, professional, efficient and honest, the latter of which is something you don't find too often these days in the tech world. People will be impressed with your website, your stock, your collection - but real musicians will be drawn by your workmanship and care. I tell folks if you want a vintage sax, go to the guy who specializes only in vintage saxes. Go check out Worldwide Sax for quality horns. Thanks again.

Best regards, Mike Shutello 7-06

Randall loves his "new" Vintage Zephyr:

Hi Steve,

I just got to play the Zephyr a bit. At first I really struggled and
could not figure it out. And then, just like your paper said, i found
a black tube that was a protection spacer up at the top that i had
missed. From that point, total glee!!!!!!!!! This sax has the biggest
sound. And talk about free blowing. Geez, I could rob a bank with
this sax!!! Awesome beautiful pure big tone. My oh my I'm impressed
and happy!!!! Nice job man!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ok, that's enough e-mailing for right now, I'm going back to
playing!!!!!!!!! If the urge strikes me again, I'd buy a sax from you
in a minute. Nice caring work!!!!!!!

All the best,
Randall
Mar 8, 2006, RFULLMER@socal.rr.com

We just made a new friend in Japan:

Hi sarge
I received the Martin alto last friday.
The horn has a fantastic looking and really nice sound!
In addition to the above the horn's action is also awesome, even comparing to a morden selmer.
I really appreciate the horn, including your fine craftsmanship and the fast shipment delivery.
I would like to recommend wwsax to everyone that I know who's playing sax.

Cheers,
Jack salsero@tkm.att.ne.jp Mon, 26 Dec 2005

Matt has had a few saxes rebuilt here... he was very happy with his tenor premium rebuild:

<iets@whidbey.net>
To: "wwsax" <wwsax@verizon.net>
Hey Steve - Just wanted to drop a note to say how much I'm enjoying the
horns. I wanted to particularly note how the action on the tenor has improved. I
was guarded in my expectations, but it is much nicer than I had even hoped
it might be. Now that I've had a chance to look it over real careful, and play
it up and down thoroughly, I can see the meticulous care you've given it.
All the little details, like teflon on the bottom of the LH pinky stack and
the perfect adjustment on pad and key heights make it play wonderfully.

The alto is playing great, too. The tweaks you gave it last week really
made a difference.

Thanks again for your great work.
Matt 12-1-05

Frank bought a beautiful silver 1951 the martin tenor for his talented son:

GOT THE SAX!!!!

Hey Sarge, the sax came today my kid's still playing as i write, he he. this is absolutely stunning and it sounds as good

as it looks, thanks again sooooo much for the hookup. A big thanks again

Frank Coates 10-6-05

James may be the luckiest young player i know of... he is now playing an absolutely beautiful Silver Conn 6m:

Hi Steve, Thank you so much for the amazing work you have done on my silver 6m conn. It's playing amazingly, I think it is by far and away the best saxophone I have ever played! The action is absolutely fantastic, I have no problems playing it after having played any of my other more modern horns. In fact I'm getting to quite like it! The sound is incredible, it's just what I wanted in a horn. The sound is extremely deep and rich with a wonderful warmth and brilliance, yet solid and easy to control. What more can I say! It's perfect and I think you have done an amazing job! My dream horn! If anyone ever needs any convincing that you will do the best job around, please feel free to give them my email and I'll tell them my experience. Thanks so much.

James Wylie ddwylie@xtra.co.nz 9-29-05

Dave is a repeat customer and loves his vintage horns:

Steve,

The horn is an absolute blast to play! I just love the tone- dark and
warm, with a touch of vinegary edge. It's very unique and obviously
very different than the sound of a contemporary soprano. This is my
first (and only!) soprano, and I was anticipating it to be slow going at
first. This has not been the case- this horn is very easy to play right
off the bat, and the intonation is excellent.

Thank you for your excellent work and communication. Just like my chu
tenor that you rebuilt, the martin is so tight that its hard to believe
that this is a 77 yr old horn!

David <MorrisseyD@sirna.com> 9/2005

Just made two new friends in Germany, where players are really getting into vintage saxes and music:

Hi Sarge,

the martin arrived safely yesterday. I fell immediately in love with the great bluesy sound and the smooth keywork setup. Ok, she will not win a beauty contest, but for me she is like a good old girlfriend. This sax is playing much better than me, so I have to go into the woodshed....

Thanks for these 2 wonderful tenors. Sven (who ordered a King Super 20, with a premium rebuild) and I recommend you strongly for your professional, honest and reliable work - that's what counts all the more in long-distance buying. We both are glad that there is someone out there feeling responsible to do a good job on these fine saxes from a period that created the music we love. And with your fine rebuilds we are able to get a part of this music, that's what makes us feel happy....

If we ever need a complete rebuild of a (maybe german) horn we'd like to feel free to contact you again.

Thanks

Elmar and Sven
6-05

Keith has just had another of his players horns equipped with my Premium rebuild, here's what he had to say:

From: keith lawrence

To: wwsax

Sent: Tuesday, May 24, 2005 5:29 AM

Subject: Re: King C Melody Project

Hi Steve,

I received the C Melody today and have just finished playing it for several hours. All I can say is Wow!! Is this the same instrument I sent you. I am extremely impressed with the improvements you made with intonation. The high D & E were not playable at all before and now they sound great. My ear and chromatic tuner are both very happy. The black Roo pads and the flat silver reso's really helped increase the horns projection. The key work is now very smooth and fast for late 1920's King sax. I can now play this C Melody with my KUC worship team with pride. It has been hard for me to play anything that you did not restore for me. The Martin Tenor (silver) and the Big B silver alto have received many oohs and aahs from my many KUC church members. This makes the 6th sax you have restored for me. Three of them are currently on your favorites web page.

Bob did a great job on the mouthpiece too!! I can now add some more vibrato now on the ballads. I am using Bob's mouthpieces on all my horns now.

I really appreciate the special care you took restoring this horn. I am sure it sounds better than new.

You are a true craftsman and a real blessing to Vintage saxophone World Wide community.

Your friend in Japan,

Keith Lawrence

One of my favorite 10M's went to Brian:

From: "Brian Bogle" <bebogle@mail.com>
To: <wwsax@netzero.com>
Sent: Thursday, May 19, 2005 12:22 AM
Subject: Conn 10M 277xxx

Dear Steve,
I have owned many horns in my lifetime from Mark VIs in the 73xxxs to 95xxxs
and a couple of Yamaha 62s. I even had a 1960 King Super 20 but nothing
compares to the 1936 10M that I bought from you in March of 2005. I know it
wasn't a "looker" but I have been playing it now for two months and I have all but
retired my 1961 Selmer and my 1937 Conn 30M. I was taken, when I visited
your shop, by the keen action and smooth tone of the horn, but I assumed
that when I got home I would gravitate back to my "comfort" horns. This never happened!
The guys that I play with keep telling me to bring my "Washington" horn
because they like it best. I can't begin to understand what you did to the
key action of that old horn but it just blows me away! The intonation is fantastic! Thank you so
much for being so helpful and for taking the time it took for me to try so
many horns. You are an artist and I hope to send you some of my horns in
the future.
Brian Bogle

P.S. Please use this as a testimonial, if you wish. Cheers, BB

Dick wanted a really sweet and mellow alto, so i rebuilt a SML Primax i had, for him and he loves it:

Hi Sarge,

I received the horn today. All I can say is, "what a piece of work."

It came through in fine shape. It plays fine with my Meyer 6L mpc and the sound is exactly what I was hoping for. It's not nearly as bright in the upper range; much smoother too. You do great work. Use me for a reference any time!
Thanks ever so much,

Dick Rerenius29@aol.com Wednesday, April 13, 2005

Duke bought one of the nicest Conn 10's we have had pass through here in a long time... it was a minty 1942 model, i put a premium rebuild into this one and it's sound was fat and strong:

From: Duke Fu

To: 'wwsax'

Sent: Friday, March 25, 2005 1:56 AM

Subject: RE: 1942 Conn 10M "Naked Lady" Tenor

Hi Steve,

I received the sax on Wednesday and I absolutely love it. I’ve been playing it non-stop, except when pesky work gets in the way, and you were right about the sound. Its very versatile depending on what setup I use. There is always certain fatness to the sound especially in the bottom end. I have stuck to buying new saxes because I was always told that the playing mechanism would be a hindrance. Although there is a difference, I didn’t have problems playing even the most difficult pieces. It’s very fast. This beautiful sax has found a new home. Thanks Steve , Duke

JR just bought a silver "Chu" Tenor from WWS stock. it was a nice one and he ordered it with the Premium Rebuild/pad setup, here's what he had to say:

Steve, I wanted to write you a quick note and tell you that I've been
playing the horn quite a bit and I absolutely love it! I tried playing my
old 1922 Conn the other night, and I don't see how I played that horn for
as long as I did. It is so wonderful to play on a horn that has had a
quality professional setup. Thank you very much for doing such a great job
getting me the horn I've been only dreaming of playing for a few years now.

Thanks again,
JR 3-11-05

Here's one that's a little different, a customer tried out one of our saxes and didn't care for it... so I refunded him his full purchase price and I hope that I can be of help again someday:

----- Original Message -----
From: "Peter Argyres"
To: "wwsax"
Sent: Monday, February 28, 2005 9:11 PM
Subject: Re: king tempo bari 67,xxx
Hi Steve,
Yes I have the horn-I live on a quiet dead end street so they do that
sometimes. I will be returning the horn though. It plays wonderfully everywhere except on the low C sharp which blows really constricted-the pad down there is opening so I don't think its just a settling from the shipping. The horn is in rougher shape than I'd hoped from the pics. I just need to save up for a while more to be able to afford a good sounding bari in good shape. I'll pack it up as nicely as it came and have it heading back to you tomorrow by UPS and will let you know the tracking number.
Best regards,
Peter

Matt has become more than a customer, but a friend and i was happy to help him find the sax that was right for him:

Steve, the H Couf tenor is wonderful. The pad job is exquisite, the action is crisp and light. Your patience, guidance, skills, and dedication to customer satisfaction helped make my decision to purchase the horn an easy one, and one that I feel good about.  I know I could have bought a horn from Ebay for less money, but it wouldn't have been any cheaper. The value of the confidence that comes of buying from a seller who pays so much attention to great setup, and to ensuring the buyer is satisfied, is worth much more than the few dollars I might have saved in getting some mystery horn from somebody known only as something like "dirt_cheap_sax" or "caveat_emptor_hahaha".

I'm lucky enough to be within driving distance of your shop. I know many of your clients and customers are a bit more remote, like in another state or across an ocean or two. I can sure understand the trepidation one feels when sending a lot of money to somebody they don't know. I've seen and played many of the horns you have advertised on your web site, and can attest that each one is expertly rebuilt and honestly described. I'm looking forward to having your rebuild a couple of my other saxes.

Money spent on a horn, or a rebuild, from you is money well spent. Please feel free to have any potential costumers contact me directly for a reference, if they would like to hear an objective endorsement as to your skills and integrity. I'd be honored if you'd add this testimonial to your website.

Thanks again for all your help - Matt Nash 12-04        360 679 4967

Jouni was pleased with a rare SML alto and soloist mouthpiece we sent to Finland:

From: Jouni Havulin To: 'wwsax'

Sent: Thursday, December 23, 2004 5:58 AM

Subject: Alto MCP (Selmersoloist etc)

Hi Sarge,

Merry Christmas to you. I finally got the mpc from my friend when he returned. (the selmer soloist c* /opened to E). You were correct, it seems to make the middle D easier to get right and it is very different from the late soloist model they do these days. I thank you for your excellent service and quality, both the horn and the mpc have been just like you promised. If the customs and VAT just weren´t so bad I think I would get me a tenor from you as well. Hope to be around your corner someday in future. Thanks again,

Jouni Havulinna, happy with SML…

Mike Shutello just purchased a SML soprano and had this to say: Hey, Steve. Wanted to thank you again for a really special horn. The SML nickel soprano is gorgeous and sounds great. It feels so ergonomic in my hands. We will make beautiful music together! You're the best! - Mike Nov 2004

Rick just had me rebuild his super 20, with my strongest Premium rebuild, including Noyak resos:

"When my local repair man couldn't upgrade my 1972 King Super 20 tenor to contemporary playing standards, I took it to Steve. He added a modern left thumb button and replaced the right thumb hook with a Selmer-style adjustable hook. This made the horn playable on gigs for hours at a time without pain, and I would strongly recommend these changes for anyone playing a vintage King or Conn professionally (unless they are exceptionally collectible horns.) Steve also did a repad with black Prestini pads and crinkly metal resonators, which made an already strong horn even more powerful. All the custom work looks factory. -- Rick Campbell, Portland, Oregon"

Michael just purchased a great "The Martin Bari", with a premium rebuild, here are his comments:

From: michael.paul.semann@juno.com To: <wwsax@netzero.com> Sent: Saturday, July 31, 2004 4:38 PM Subject: Re: the bari

Steve, The minute I started out to get a bite to eat, sure enough here comes the FEDEX truck. I couldn't be more pleased with the horn Steve. The time and energy you spent on the setup is evident from the first few minutes of playing. Great sound and easy blowing from the altissimo down to low B/Bb. It plays better than any Committee or Magna Bari I have ever played. The horn is in even better shape than the pics and description let on. I can't thank you enough for your expertise and fantastic service/products. Thank you for the care you took to prep and pack the horn for shipment as well. It arrived in perfect adjustment without any of the quirks that sometimes happen do to rough handling during shipping etc. You can definitely mark this puppy SOLD on the web site! Thanks again, and don't forget to let me know when the Martin Tenor is about ready. Take care and have a great weekend. Michael.

Joe sent me his super 20 alto for a total rebuild and lacquer stripping, it came out really nice...

Steve, Received the saxophone today in Taiwan and it arrived without any damage. With regards to the finish and the work performed, I am elated, no word can describe the feeling once I removed the bubble wrap, and the horn is stunning, thank you. The horn is resurrected where the action is smooth with flawless tone. You get plenty of praise for the work you do but I will make if short and sweet - there is only one name under heaven thou shall call upon to be saved, and there is only one place under heaven thou shall get thy saxophone restored, World Wide Sax. Thank you very much for the great work, wish you the best and you ARE the BEST. Joe Hsu

Jay sent me his beautiful Big B tenor, for a premium buescher style rebuild, here are his comments:

03-26-04

Steve,

I received the sax yesterday. Thank you for such prompt shipping. The packaging was the best I’ve ever seen. I appreciate the care you took to secure the keys.

I gave it a good workout last night. I must say that your work exceeded my expectations. The action on this sax is silky smooth and even. I played it against a chromatic tuner and intonation is spot on. I was a little surprised that even the palm key notes didn’t tend to go a little sharp. The G# key is a little sticky, but that’s to be expected. I put some gig dust on it and its fine. I’m thrilled at how free blowing this sax is, especially at the bottom end. Since I play Bueschers, I know enough to keep up air stream on low D and not wimp out. I played back and forth between my older Aristocrat and this one. While there are subtle differences, both horns have that lush gorgeous Buescher tone. I’m going to enjoy this Big B immensely, thanks to your outstanding service. My modern horn is a Yanagisawa, which I really like-no complaints, but as I was playing the Bueschers last night, I kept thinking “why would anyone not want to play these great vintage horns?” We hear all about ergonomic advantages of newer horns, but these Aristocrats are very comfortable to play. And who can argue about the tone? Thanks again for the great service. You are a true professional. I look forward to working with you again.

Jay Stover jstover@faziomarketing.com Jay Stover jstover@faziomarketing.com

I just rebuilt Dave's Keilwerth SX90R BG for him, with a Premium Saxgourmet style rebuild:

Well Sarge... I received my horn this morning at about 9:30am cst, and I CAN'T STOP PLAYING HER!

I have to admit, you read remarks from customers and you think, it can't really be this great. But WOW, it is so quiet and responsive. Even on the low notes below 'C'. I'm using the same metal mouthpiece I had been and I can't believe this horn.

I can't say thank you enough. You've definitely got my business!!

Now I'm trying to talk my wife into an early birthday, father's day, x-mas present and send you that mark VI.

I'll be in touch soon...

Thank for EVERYTHING!

Dave rsmith5914@cox.net 3-13-04

Joakim, who lives in Sweden just purchased a very nice MK VI baritone and here's what he says:

Hi Steve! Terrific baritone! Sounds really good! You´ve done a nice work on the instrument! The sax arrived safely. Of course I keep it. It´s been a pleasure!
It´s allright to use my name as a reference, with contacts through my email address: joakimnordahl10@hotmail.com.
regards Joakim N

Justin just rebuilt a really nice silver Aristo tenor and sent it to Victoria B.C., here is what the proud new owner had to say:

Hi,

I finally got the saxophone from my university office today. The saxophone is great; I especially love the dark tone this baby has.

I feel really excited and ready to get a mouthpiece to match this great sax.

Thank you very much. In the future, I am looking forward to get a soprano sax from you. One more time, thank you.

Steve, alto_alto@hotmail.com 1-5-04

This is the third or fourth horn I've rebuilt for Jack, he sure has some beauties:

Sarge,

Horn arrived today. It is beautiful and sounds terrific. I have played a lot of modern soprano saxophones and have never liked the tone. The Martin is just as advertised and so much fun to play. Amazing how a horn made in 1927 can sound so much better than a modern instrument. I have been very lucky to find a craftsman with your skills that is dedicated to rebuilding vintage saxophones.

Thanks so much for all your very dedicated and skillful work. The vintage horns I sent you were not always the easiest to get back into playing condition.

Best regards, jack 10-03

Another great American vintage sax finds a happy home in Japan:

Hi Steve,

I want to let you know the MARTIN alto arrived here yesterday( Sunday morning) .

No damage in appearance was found with having been safely travelled to Japan.

I tried to play it and hear its sound ...... Higher keys are easy to blow but lowers not.

I think it takes more time for me to be familliar with this new comer sax.

The instrument looks beautiful for its age. I am satisfied with it.

Thanks for your polishing, repadding and rebuilding work for it.

It's nice to meet you again.

Cheers, Itaru 10-03

Jacques just received his beautiful gold plated "Chu" alto in his home in France, here's what he had to say:

Hello steve ,

I'm in receipt of the conn .

It is a fantastic horn . It is a good match with my meyer bros.

It is the first time that i have an artist model in hand and i never seen a such engraving work , simply stunning!

The conn workers was truly artists and the chu model was

the best model at this time. And even today ... why they don't make horn like this today ?????

Could you supply a tenor???

Jacques. coadou.trefeil@wanadoo.fr

Chris just received his rare martin troubador bari:

hi steve

the martin bari arrived today at 10.30 am in almost perfect shape.
i immediately played it with the martin mpc and it sounds great, makes the
walls trembling

I definitely appreciated to get in contact with you and very, very happy
that the whole transaction-transportation worked out that good --- but the
most important: THE SAX PLAYS GREAT AND IS VERY WELL IN TUNE (for such an
old instrument) AND HAS A WONDERFUL RICH SOUND --- it's just as you
described it... and i think your very good craftsmanship to rebuild vintage
horns

thank you very much for your kind support on the phone (what you played for
me) and your presence as a very nice person!!

i will use the sax on a live gig for the first time this sunday and will
email you about how it came out

thanks a lot from Austria and i don't forget: hasta la vista baby

chris chris.gonsior@i-one.at (christian gonsior)

Yohann just purchased our King super 20 bari, here is his email:

Hey,
Just to say thanks you again. Given the circumstances (UPS problems), you've showed great professionalism and kindness, which I greatly appreciated. I knew it was gonna be a thrill from the very first scale I played and then it kept getting better. The custom without the spoiler has a nice, almost vintage sound but the spoiler gives it a lot more edge and the intonation is still there. I tried different reeds and the fibracell seems to be the best so far. The high notes are easy to blow and the tone is just as you described, rich and bright for a bari. I had never experienced this kind of set up (pads and resos) and cannot really compare but I like it as it is. The only (minor) drawbacks I can see are in the key layout, the low Bb is far and the octave key is somewhat oddly shaped: it's pretty but I need to bend my thumb in an uncomfortable position when I play the highest notes.

Anyway, I'm finishing my PhD this summer and will be able to spend more time on the sax, harp and organ, maybe get a band together. I will keep in touch and will warmly recommend your business whenever I have a chance to. Maybe I'll stop by and get to meet you someday, I'd really like to check out Washington! Anyhow, I'm sure

Thanks again Steve and it's been a pleasure to deal with you.

Take good care.

Yohann

We have some new friends in Australia, who just bought a Buffet alto:

Dear Steve

Thank you for saxophone Buffet. It is grate! It give us what we expected!

Also thank you for packaging.

It was pleasure to have a business with you.

We hope it not a last. We think to buy Buffet Super Dynaction Tenor as soon as we save some money.

Thank you once again! Zeal & Margarita

Karen and her son just purchased one of my favorites, a Martin Magna Alto:

Steve
Just wanted you to know we received the Martin Magna
Elkhart Saxaphone and my son is thrilled with it.
THANKS!
Karen Grossman KGrossman5@aol.com

Sebastian lives up in Toronto and just bought a 1949 Super 20 with a Premium Repad. That thing is a work of art... full pearls and engraving on the bell keys, sterling silver neck... wow!

Sarge,

Sorry it's taken me so long to get back to you, but I've been too busy
playing my FAT Super 20.

To begin with, I was extremely impressed with the way you meticulously
packed the horn up. Superior attention to detail! Factories don't even
take that much time on their packaging. By the time I got home (I had UPS
change the delivery location to my workplace), I couldn't decide how I could
spend equal time looking at the horn and harnessing its mighty power. I
decided to practice in front of a full-length mirror!

Full-points for the action - it's as taught and fast as my Series III Alto.

This horn is so strong that it laughs at me if I even try to play softly.
It's like trying to drive a Porsche in first gear on the Autobahn!

As for the Personaline, ay yi yi. Power like that could easily be used for
evil instead of good.

Thank you so much,

Sebastian Knox
Toronto, Canada

p.s. Thank you also for the tips on 'breaking-in' the newly repadded horn.
I think that in a month or so those pads will be fully conditioned and ready
to go.

Dennis just bought a terrific New King soprano and had it shipped to him in Canada.

Hi Sarge,

Sax arrived on Thursday last. Beautiful work! My recommendation to anyone that wants professional craftsmanship with excellent service to boot. Will send you a note (no pun intended) a year from now to let you know how I'm doing. Will be taking lessons initially to accelerate the memory recall (what's left of it) from forty years ago.

All the best and thanks again for the encouragement.

Ancient Den

John just purchased a beautiful Buescher Top Hat and Cane Tenor... here's his comment:

Steve...

It is all that I had expected, GORGEOUS, truly a fine instrument. My playing ability is really minimal at this time, but should move rapidly with lessons and practice. I can't imagine owning another Horn.

I'll be looking for an Alto for my daughter in the near future and hope to find something equally exquisite...There were some horns produced in the late '30s ( I think) possibly Martin that had some great "Art Deco"... Airplanes, city skylines etc. engraving on them that were reputed to be good instruments I think that one of these may suit the the situation... Any Ideas?

Thanks,

John Popel

Thanks for the nice email Glen:

Hi, I would just like all who may do business with
World Wide Sax that I live in the area and visited the
shop the day before Christmas. I called ahead as he
recommends and I visited the shop shortly afterward.
This guy has amazing talent in fixing damaged horns, I
witnessed his efforts on the horn he was fixing at
Christmas time and I was amazed it could have even
been fixed. If that wasn't enough I looked at a horn
and he even played it for me while I was there. He
offered to let me play it as well. I will be buying a
vintage horn from World Wide Sax soon in the
confidence it was refurbished by the hands of a true
Master of saxophones.
All the Best,
Glenn Oaks
glenn_oaks@yahoo.com

Another new country heard from!

Hi Steve,

Thank you very much for the mouthpiece. It was a true
pleasure to do business with you. The mouthpiece plays
great! Now you can add Sweden to your list of countries
with satisfied customers. I will not hesitate doing
business with you again.

Thanks, and happy new year!

Regards,
Joakim Ekström

I hope everyone got a chance to see Randall's Buescher Top Hat tenor, while I was featuring it. If not it's on the finest works page now. Here is his comment, after the TH&C finally found it's way home to Japan after a near 6 month long restoration, including silver plating at Anderson and massive custom engraving. It is a stunning horn and a true one of a kind:

Hi Steve,
        I have been meaning to write about the Buescher 400 tenor, but with work demands being high, I haven't had enough time to sit down and write.
   The Buescher 400 TH&C you restored for me was foolishly traded two years ago for a soprano. After trading I regretted it and always vowed to try to get another horn just like it. I was astounded when, after owning the horn for about a year, the guy who bought it was interested in trading it for a copper Keilwerth SX90RC tenor I had. I jumped at the chance and got my old flame back. It wasn't in as good a condition as before and it wreaked of cigarettes too. I decided that I if I could, I would make this horn shine again and turn it into the ONE horn I would always want to keep from first, a playing standpoint and secondly, from an aesthetic standpoint.
   That's when I found you and WWS.
   Steve, this horn is just exactly that....it is the ONE horn I will always keep and play because it is as near perfect as a sax can get. Of course it is a complete knockout looks-wise....EVERYONE who sees it is literally gate-mouthed ....even DRUMMERS! One Japanese guy who plays who saw it on your homepage said that, " ...when I look at it I feel faint!" The sound is equally incredible, especially with the resonators, and the action is better than any Selmer I have ever played.
   In short, it and the straight alto you did for me have become just what I envisioned- my dream horns. They are, in one word, superlative. I am so incredibly happy with them and I will definitely be back. I still have those two SML silver plate Coleman Hawkins horns to restore in the near future!
Many many heartfelt thanks to you!
Randall Pennington 10-02

Junichi lives in Japan and just purchased a beautiful Conn curved soprano:

Dear Steve.
Saxophone is arrived at 10:30 a.m. JST. It is very beautiful and a pitch is also good. Since I had you pack up severely, there was no trouble. Since your homepage is seen from now on, and if there is a good musical instrument, I will need your help well. Thank you very much.
From Junichi Miyazaki

Wibo is living in Berlin Russia and just got a great playing Brillhart tonalin alto piece:

Hello Steve, I finally got the mouthpiece. German customs held her back because I had to pay some taxes. So I went to them yesterday when they informed me. Beautiful mouthpiece - quite different from the mp's I have. I have to look for strong reeds to adjust her to my saxes but I think that will work out fine. Thanks again for your service and I think we will stay in touch. You always have interesting saxophones + mp's to offer... so i might contact you some time again...

Many greetings from Berlin, Wibo Wierda. wibowierda@yahoo.com

Richard Booth is a huge vintage buff and a Buescher aficionado, from "down under" in Australia. He got a Big old "Pickle" mpce for his bass sax, now if he just had time to play it...

Sarge,

Yes, I got the Bass mpc which arrived on Friday. Sorry, I have been flat out gigging and teaching so I haven't been doing very much else at the moment.

Looks good. Later
God Bless
Bootman
Richard Booth
www.bootmanmusic.com

Mikko plays a the Martin Bari and got an authentic martin mouthpiece for it:

Hi,
I got the mouthpiece today. I already tried it and it feels great.
Just what I wanted. Thanks.
Mikko. Helsinki, Finland

Randall has had Premium rebuilds done on three of his saxes now, the first a buescher bari that was in such rough shape I tried to convince him to send it back, but it turned out to be a fantastic playing sax, after some work... here is what he had to say after a restoation of his Keilwerth Stritch (that is featured on our new Works, Past and Present page:

Hi Steve,
IT'S HERE!
And yes, the key arrived with the horn.
I got home late yesterday from the university, had meetings all day...and I
had just long enough to take a peek at it before I had to go to band
practice. I was reminded of my ex-girlfriend, the stripper, who had
42dd's....it was HARD to concentrate on driving with her in the car!
I loaded it up and took it....
When I opened the case at practice, everyone was just stunned!
Even the brass players were drooling! The Japanese players were commenting,
"treasure" "heirloom" "piece of art" "unreal" and the sound brought even
more comments, "deep" "beautiful" and "tenor-like". My tenor player, who is
NOT an alto fan at all, says he could come to like the alto if he could get
that kind of sound.
I uncorked it put he piece on it and it just wailed! It seems to play a bit
crisper that it did before; but I noticed no big tonal differences, which
makes me happy. I think the resos also make it respond better.
Sarge, you've done it again!
This horn is 100 times better, both mechanically and cosmetically than
before....and the sound, well ahhhhhh!
Please put my response in your letters section....this horn is just out and
out superb.
Many thanks!
Randall ranran@gol.com (Dr. Randall Pennington Jr.)

The Frazier family just got a beautiful Buffet alto for their daughter and had this to say:

Steve.
We received Buffet 1952 SA Alto in great condition. It's absolutely
fantastic. My daughter only had a short time to try it out, with her
previous hard rubber mouthpiece. The sound was just beautiful - the
sound she was after. Your advice was perfect. She's at Dad's house
now, hopefully she can email you herself. She can't wait to try out
the new mouthpieces.
Thank you, thank you, thank you
Beth Frazier, grateful mom
---------------------------------------------------------------
Beth Frazier e-mail frazier@wuchem.wustl.edu & sbfrazier@mindspring.com 8-02

Thanks for your kind words Jerry:

Hi Steve,

Just a quick thank you for your knowledge and integrity and the quality your work on the two saxes I purchased from you. Two years ago I purchased a Conn 6M VIII silver alto - vintage 1936. It plays and sounds like a dream. Just a few months ago, I returned to purchase a straight silver Martin soprano - vintage 1927. It also plays so easy and sounds wonderful, just right for our Dixieland group, Special Session. Because I live a couple of hours south of you, it was a snap to jump in the car and drive to Everett to check these two horns out prior to purchase.

You totally restored both instruments. They were exactly as advertised and just what I was looking for. It would be hard to believe that I could have found saxes better suited to my needs than these two. I don't know where you find these vintage horns, but you really do know how to restore them to perfect condition. Thanks again.

Jerry Hendricks, Olympia, Washington: 7-02

Randall bought a Big B bari, which needed everything fixed and he also ordered a premium rebuild. It took some work, but came out sounding just great. We shipped it to Japan for him and here's his comment:

Hi Steve,
I wanted to give you a report on the bari. After it arrived it seemed just
fine on a look over, but played a little quirky (I know this is par for the
course on a shipped bari...I have NEVER shipped a bari that didn't need
adjustment when it arrived) so I took it in to get it adjusted and well, I
have to say that you did an absolutely FANTASTIC rebuild! This horn plays
like a million bucks and although it was originally purchased to be my back
up, I can easily see it becoming my MAIN gigging horn (at least when there
is no need for low A!)- it sounds THAT nice!
My repairman looked at your work and gave his hard-to-get "thumbs up" and
when he heard the sound of this horn his eyes went wide, as did all the
others who heard it.
The intonation is spot on, and the entire range plays effortlessly.
    I honestly didn't expect this horn to ever play THIS nicely.
I have decided to call it "Lazarus". You certainly raised it from the dead!
If you'd like to put my email in your customer comments area, go right
ahead...I am happy to let anyone know what you can do!
    Many thanks,
Randall     7-02

Another country heard from... we just sent a brillhart bari mpce to Holland:

Goodmorning Steve,

I got it just before the weekend, so I had time to practise on it. I like it very much. I think it's better than the Selmer I play on untill now, but I have to get used to it and study on it.

I still want to find a Tonalin Baritone mouthpiece, but these are very hard to find.

Thank you for sending,

Ferdi.

Jason just purchased a N.Y. Meyer #10 tenor mpce, it was a good one.

hello, thanks for everything, I am very, very, happy with the mouthpiece. It plays just like my 10* hard rubber link that I love so much, just a couple sizes smaller in the tip. I think I'll use this mouthpiece when I have a long gig, since the 10* requires so much effort. If you come across anything else like this, especially something larger than the .106mm opening, I would be very interested. Thanks again.

Jason Hassenstab. jasonhassenstab@yahoo.com 7-5-02

Here is a super nice letter from a rebuild customer:

jimreed@jazzatnite.com writes:

Steve,

It’s here!!! And, does it ever sound beautiful. I’d
never know it’s the same horn, with the liquid ease of
the keywork and mellow, yet powerful, sound that comes
out of it now. Along with the new life your total
rebuild gave my Conn 6M VIII, the Runyon Custom SR
mouthpiece makes it all just perfect. I tried my old
Runyon standard, an old Chedeville I like, and few
others around the house but kept coming back to the
hot red one you sent. The horn was packed extremely
well and came out of the box sounding fabulous. I
blew some old favorites until my chops were spongy,
serenaded my wife with love songs when she got home
from work, then sat down to let you know what a
marvelous gift of sound your rebuild has given my
alto.

May your life be as full of beauty and joy as you have
made mine,
Jim 6-02

Joe bought a beautiful Silver Plated Conn "Chu" Portrait model, a couple years ago and he keeps in touch... we like that!

Hi Steve, How are things in WA.? Doing good here. I had my Chu Alto in for
a few adjustments. I took it to the same friend that adjusted my tenor, he
took one look at the alto and said " we often get older sax's in for
repair, but never in this good of condition" He was quite impressed with
the horn and the rebuild you did. I had some leak in the low notes so he
fixed it for me. In an email he said it plays superbly now!

Take care, Joe joseph.podmostko@verizon.com

Matt just bought our Keilwerth stencil bari...that one sure had a big sound:

Steve,

I just thought I'd let you know how thrilled I am with the bari. This is my first experience with anything better than a student horn, and I'm amazed at the difference. The horn seems to come alive in my hands, and it has tremendous power. At a rehearsal with my R&B band, the guitarist, keyboard player and drummer were all able to hear me without a mike.

Your premium rebuild is superb - key action is very fast and smooth, and the intonation is nearly flawless throughout the range.

So as you can probably tell, I'll be keeping the horn. Thanks again!

-- Matt Quinley mattquinley@mindspring.com 4-02

Silvio is living in Germany now and we just sent him a The Martin Tenor:

Steve,
today your package arrived in perfect shape. Well, what can I say - I'm in love with the horn! It's a beauty (well, to me, it is!) with a wonderful sound. Right up to now I only had a Thomann, which is a german student's horn line (I only started out last year after I had learned trumpet and french horn as a child), so I might be more easily impressed, but also my
Sax- and Jazz-Teacher (who happens to be from the U.S.) likes it a lot. Thanks for a great job on that horn! Should I ever feel the urge to have a bari, I guess I know where I have to look first! :)
Kind regards,
Silvio Peters silviopeter@gmx.de 4-02

Steven W just finally got his SML bari back from a 3 month total overhaul, with silver plate and Premium Pad job...so pretty I'll include some pics below:

Well this redone SML bari is getting me barked at a wee bit - first it is so
pretty as to distract - you'd think I had brought a stripper in rather than
a Bari Sax - and then as tribute to your rework - it is truely a thunder
horn!

Absolutely room filling in presence! The tonal qualities are so full to
somehow seem to fill up the soundspace even when not being played loud.

Given a good push and it becomes a virtural assult-weapon of Bari saxes.

Had Big Band Trumpet Players in mass with thumbs-up after playing some the
nice grunty-licks! Director is muttering about a damn lead bari player.....
Maybe I should have taken the spoiler out, eh?

Blew-up my first fibracell reed as well - the thing suddenly went all fuzzy!

Now how do I get a matching Bass Sax that howls??!! Steve abesgang@yahoo.com look! 3-02

Here's a note from a local customer, who is enjoying his vintage buescher soprano:

albright@whidbey.net writes:

Hi Steve,

I just wanted to send an update on my beautiful sax. I am having a great time discovering this wonderful horn. I am starting to master the "octave on the D-G keys" problem that we talked about in previous emails. I surprised myself the other day while I was walking through the house blowing tunes. I reached a spot in the house that had an incredible acoustic reverb thing going on and just stood there blowing. The old tonal quality had returned and for a few minutes I just stood there basking in the rich, mellow sounds from this marvelous old horn. I can't say enough about the horn, the service, your advice...the whole experience of buying the old girl and making her mine. Thanks.

I have a friend who is searching for a vintage Buffet wood clarinet. I know you specialize in saxes, but do you have a source for this one?

Have a great day.
Dustin Albright

Bill just took advantage of our three day trial on mouthpieces to purchase a vintage M.C. Gregory alto piece:

Steve - I tried it out for 4 hours yesterday, and I'm very satisfied. Its a great mouthpiece. I also appreciate the 3 day trial policy, as well as your quick delivery and advertising accuracy. I'll recommend you to my friends.
Thanks,
Bill wm7850@msn.com

Pete just had a SML alto sent to him in Canada and he loves it:

peter.gose@sk.sympatico.ca writes:

Dear Steve, The SML alto arrived safe and sound today, and I've been having a great time with it. What a sound! Love the action and even the smell! This horn is going to be a lot of fun and an inspiration to practice. Thanks for a great transaction and I look forward to another some day.

all the best, Peter Gose

Stuart has come here for three sax's in total now, here are his feelings: 12-01

Steve: I'm very happy with all three of my Martin saxes! Alto+Tenor Handcraft Silver-plated models, but the real sleeper was the Martin
Typewriter Silver-plated Soprano! It takes a little getting used to-with
its different style of keys-but after that it plays and sounds
great! Also I bought the best Tenor mouthpiece I've ever heard. A Runyon SR
Custom #9 for less than $80.00!!! Steve, you are VERY easy to work
with! You get 5 stars from me, Stuart blue25saturn@webtv.net

10-15-01, David just had his 10m totally rebuilt:
Hi Steve,
My Conn tenor arrived back home safely yesterday and I hardly recognized it!
Wow Steve, what a great rebuild job- it looks and sounds beautiful! It even
smells good :>) My Great Uncle Bob would be very happy to know that his old
Conn lives on! I'd be more than happy to serve as a reference for your
rebuild skills.
Thanks!
David MorrisD@rpi.com (Morrissey, David)

James has just purchased a beautiful silver plated Conn 12M Baritone.

jbrady@tidalwave.net (James W Brady Jr.)

Steve:

Last night I brought the Naked Lady bari home and played her until late into the night. What a wonderful and extraordinary horn!

She jumped alive in my hands with absolutely no hesitation, like she was waiting for me to pick her up all these years. I had no idea that a vintage bari could play so easily. She handles like a new pro alto, but so much bassier and with such character. The lowest notes ring out with awesome tones and just a slight puff on my part. Up the register and back down again the action works so fluidly, she seems to want to play herself. I do not doubt that she actually plays better now than the day that she left the Conn factory over 50 years ago. Great work Steve!

The silver plate is excellent just like you said, and polished beautifully and those black Prestini pads are very cool. To top it all off, the Steelay 1926 pickle mouthpiece that you picked out is exactly right for this vintage bari. The tonal qualities are delicious!

Holding this old gal by my side swells me with pride. I look forward to spending many, many happy hours together exploring her tones. Don't tell my wife ... but I have fallen in love again

Thanks very much!

James

Roger just purchased one of our most vintage horns, a beautiful Tenor C-Melody. i was surprised with the beautiful sound these horns offer and the much maligned intonation was really quite good.

Dear Steve, 8/01

The C-Melody arrived yesterday and I absolutely love it. It's a keeper! I'll be happy to recommend your work to anyone, at any time.

One thing that's remarkable about a vintage saxophone, such as my 1919 Conn, is how it feels to the touch. It's difficult to put this in words. It has a completely different feeling than when one holds a new Selmer. In addition, there is a sense of respect about an instrument such as this -- that it has seen close to the entire history of jazz in it's 82 years -- that is missing from using a new horn. It's like being in the presence of a wise Elder.

I look forward to doing business with you again in the near future. As we discussed, please keep your eye out for a C Soprano.

Best Regards,

Roger Aldridge

Olney, Maryland nancyandrog@earthlink.net

Tim

Thanks Steve,
I greatly appreciate all the help you gave me. I'd recommend you to anyone. Truly a person who enjoys his profession. Thank you very much.

-Tim

Mark Vinci is a fantastic N.Y. city player, he plays Carnegie Hall and nationally, he sent me his C.D. and I loved it. Great modern, yet traditional style, solid jazz, powerful playing:

Steve !!                                                                    5-16-01
How are you? I got the (6M VIII) alto yesterday (Wed). You did a magnificent job on the overhaul, as I knew you would. Somehow it doesn't feel like a new overhaul. It feels as though the horn is already totally solid and settled !!
    I've never experienced that before Steve. It's been my experience that it takes a month or more to get that "feeling" of settledness and solidness. Really amazing !!
      I'm so sorry to say that I don't think this alto will be good fit for
me. It plays with a big fat sound all over, but it would take a lot of time
to get used to the spacing of the notes in the upper register (especially in
the left hand).    I would love you to use my name for endorsing you and your premium overhaul. I believe that sometime in the next year I'll be wanting to have one of my superbalanced altos goldplated with your premium overhaul and (re-picked or engraved more - if possible).
Would you consider doing this?
      I'm coming out to the coast at the end of June and it's possible I
may be up in your area. Maybe I could stop by and we could play some duets !!
I hope to see you. Thank you so much and again I'm so sorry that the alto didn't fit. All the Best,
Mark

Paul finally got that sweet Selmer B.A. tenor I know you were all looking at, after a "bit of a tussle" with his postal service.

Hi Steve

After its tour of central & south England the BA arrived today safe and sound thanks to your excellent packing. I have just been road testing it and... wow . it is a fantastic horn with great tone colour and plays real easy & in tune. I just hitched it up and we connected straight away. It is BETTER than you described I think - the set up seems real good , the rods are straight and it is generally very tight.... the few repairs you noted are indeed hardly noticeable. The "joe henderson" played look it has is simply fantastic - it sure has character in both sound & looks. I guess you can tell I like it!! Well i have packed away my favourite Mk VI for now and am off out to gig tonight with my new BA .

Thanks for your great service- shame the UK postal service are not quite so good!

But the wait has indeed been well worth it in the end!

Best Regards

Paul

Andrea lives in Verona Italy, and loved her Selmer Soloist C**,

Dear Steve,

the selmer soloist has arrived today in very good conditions, it plays very good, thanx!

ps If you will have in the next future a HR Tenor Link Early Babbitt or an older one, please let me know!

all my best

Andrea andreagiaco@tin.it

Vic, a very nice chap in the UK, had this to say when he played his Buescher Big B tenor, with the Premium Pad Job:

Steve,
        After a cock-up by the local delivery service, I went and picked her
up from the depot myself. She arrived safely, very well packed, and is
exactly as you described, but how does she play?
        She plays like an Angel! - she speaks so easy, in all registers and
has a wonderful warmth that doesn't coarsen if you play loud or fast, she
just gets stronger. But the most surprising thing, and something that you
didn't mention, is that she is full of tunes! I've been blowing away for
over an hour before writing this, and she just keeps on showing me new
things. Wonderful! Thank you very much for a superb professional service,
and a horn that I'll treasure. Feel free to use this commendation on your
website, if you wish,
        Very best Regards,
                    Vic               Vic.Hibbert@btinternet.com

Gene just got his Silver plated King Zephyr Baritone Sax, boy was it a beauty...

Steve- Hope you got my last message. The bari is great. An incredible find
and exactly as described. I appreciated both the way you kept me updated as
the rebuild progressed, and the craftsmanship that went into it.

Gene hickey okrmwel@hotmail.com

3-12-01

Joe liked the aristo...

Steve,
My '47 Aristocrat did, in fact, just arrive. And I thank you for striving to
get it out to me quickly (and packaging it so carefully). It's lovely, and (I
can already tell) full of beautiful ghosts that it will be my pleasure to
learn to release back into the world.

Joe Henry

Julie lives in Australia and just received her vintage soprano sax:

Thanks Steve,

Its lunch time January 11th and it just arrived at my door. It's unreal sounds just what I wanted. Got held up at customs, they got me for GST 10% and a small customs fee, but no worries I can claim that back. This has been a long anticipated arrival, and one worth waiting for. Thanks very much for all your help. This was my first time at buying something off the net. I love the sax, it's going to be great for recording. I'll keep in touch via your site. See ya, A very happy Julie A.

Frank just purchased a Vintage Otto Link Baritone mpce...we think he liked it: Steve,

WOW !!!!

The sound is Thick ,Dark, and Rich. It plays even throughout the range of the horn and the pitch is incredible.

Thank you

Here's an unsolicited note from Ray Davidson, about the Selmer Mk VI alto he just bought:

Dear Steve,

The Mark VI alto I purchased from you looked and played exactly as you
described it. What a great horn! The action was really smooth and the
sound was just beautiful! Your technical understanding, follow up and
assistance with my questions was greatly appreciated. It is refreshing
to do business with someone that truly understands the lost art of good
customer service. This was my first major purchase over the internet
and unsure of how business like this transacts. Everything went
smoothly and no problems. Thanks again for all your help. I will
certainly do business with you again in the future.

Sincerely,
Ray Davidson <raydavid@swbell.net>

We sold Tatsuya in Japan, an otto link mpce and worked on one of his own pieces for him:

Dear Mr. Stransky.

Mouthpieces arrive today safely.

Lyle became little bit better, and Link is excellent!

Thanks for took care of me.

Sincerely yours,

Tatsuya Tamai

http://re-gonz@ss.iij4u.or.jp

I bet you think every deal works out smoothly, here's a buyer that tried a bari sax, but didn't care for it and returned it:

Hi, Steve!

Hope your Christmas was a good one!
I just got home from Colorado and your checks were in my mailbox. Thanks so much.

Have a very Happy New Year!!!

I'm sorry that this horn didn't work out for me, but I think It should find a fine home.

I appreciate all your time and help. You have been great to deal with, and I would recommend your shop Highly.

Theodore Stevens

bigvs@pacbell.net

We have sent quite a few horns to Japan, here is one customers comment:

Steve,
I played the martin ,
It has very worm fat sound.
great horn. I'm so happy, thank you.
Masakuni first purchased a Martin tenor and then a SML alto.

Dave who attends College in Canada, got himself a Dolnet Tenor. These fine French saxes are greatly under appreciated, except by Dave, now...

From: "David" <8dlr@qlink.queensu.ca>
Hi Steve,

I finally got the tenor sax you sent my parents. I've been playing it the
past few days and I'm extremely satisfied - the action is smooth, it sounds
great, and it's a joy to play. Thank you again for your work in
refurbishing it. I'll enjoy playing it for years to come.

Thanks again,

Dave Reid

Shane just got one of our totally rebuilt Martin alto's and has decided his 6m just has to go in the closet for a while.

Steve,
I wanted to personally thank you for the wonderful Martin! It is more than
I expected it to be, it is in great condition for it's age and you did
excellent work on it. The beauty of the sound from this horn is like none
other that I have heard and I think my Conn will now be spending a lot more
time in the case! You did a great job describing the horn to me and you
conduct business the way that it should be conducted. I will look no
further than World Wide Sax when I have future saxophone needs.

Again, thank you Steve.
9-17-00
Shane < ukblue2@worldnet.att.net >

James just purchased a Couesnon Baritone sax, and was pleased:

Greetings Steve,
Sorry for the delay. The Couesnon arrived on schedule Sept 13. I haven't
been able to put it down, hence the negligence about writing. The sax
sounds great. Certainly it would sound even better in more capable hands,
but I am thoroughly enjoying it. Your restoration work is superb. While I
hope not to need to, do you restore saxes on a contract basis? I have a
Selmer Mark VI alto, Varitone that is in good shape but should it ever
need work I'd hope to send it to someone who would treat it as well as you have the sax I bought from you. Once again. The Couesnon sounds superb. You've done an extremely masterful job with repadding and recorking it as needed. The sax stays in tune wonderfully across its entire range, and altissimo fingerings are also easily reached. It has a nice fat sound at the low end, and I haven't
needed to adjust the left-hand table mechanism, since it is already easy
to move between them
Sincerely,
James

Susan P. and her son Nico, just purchased a MK VI Baritone at one of our ebay auctions, and were pleased enough to write this nice unsolicited letter:

Steve-it looks as if Nico beat me to the feedback forum. I think his message was even better than what I had composed "Great dealer; very knowledgeable; would definitely do business again; super horn". Please let me know if you ever need a more direct recommendation. (and thank you for your positive feedback!)

I am going to check with our homeowners' insurance company--a copy of the auction is a good idea-they won't have to take my word for the worth.

Nico had opened the box and played the sax for his dad before I arrived Friday, so he showed it to me later on in the evening when I got home. Nico got out the case, opened it, and just gazed at the bari. Then said, when asked what he thought (after all that anticipation), very quietly, "It's great." It takes a lot to awe a teenager. I think he really, really likes it. The sound is wonderful-a beaurtiful voice.

Thank you once again for your patience--and for the personal feedback when we called. One of the factors that made us want to buy this saxophone was the strong, competent impression your website made over the months we have been "window shopping" online, starting long before he aspired to a Mark VI. (in fact, when Nico first saw the bari on eBay, he said with some dismay, "they've put my bari up for auction!"). It's not the same as looking at a sax with descriptions such as "sold as is, since I really don't know anything about saxophones and the little doohickey on the curved part is broken off, but I think all the parts are there-but it's a pretty shiny gold color, etc, etc...."

Thanks again--and have a great week.-Susan 8-27-00

Robert has just purchased a favorite of mine, The Martin Magna. He says quality horns will no longer be a problem to get in Germany:

Hello Steve,

FINALLY, I got the sax today. It is really beautiful:-)))
The look is perfect, better than the pictures, ding-free, very good
mechanical condition, almost no repairs, just the right patina and laquer
colour. Just perfect for the collector...
It also plays very nice, I spontanously packed in my VI (which is a good
one), what I played the whole time now. The Martins are much underrated, most, players would chose the Selmer, but I don't know, I always loved the Martins.
My first professional horn was an Martin, which I choosed against an SBA.
I assume, that you have done the overhaul for yourself. It is a good job, the
horn blows really good. Do you flattened the tone holes?
Also, the Teflon Thing is useful, I will keep it, Thanks for that.
After all, I am really happy with it. I've got a number of horns now from the U.S:, and not always the stuff comes in a good quality, in mechanical/optical or even playing point of view. I know, this was not the cheapest Magna, I can get from there, but a good horn has no price, has it?
The MPC is also very nice. I will keep playing my 8 big throat Lawton,
because it sounds just more open, but the Tibbs has an really, really nice
sound...For me, it's the ideal thing to put it out occasionally and trying
new things.
Last, I want to thank you for the nice problem-free transaction and the
good packing job.
Best regards and greetings from Germany, I will visit your site from time to
time again, maybe we're again in business one day...
Robert
Dolnet@aol.com

Tamera just had her silver Buescher Truetone completely restored/repadded The restoration included removing a very old clear coat of lacquer that had become downright ugly and wasn't stopping the silver from tarnishing anyway:

Date: Fri, 30 Jun 2000

I received the saxophone this afternoon.
It looks and sounds GREAT! It looks beautiful!!! I did get a chance to
play it and I love the way it sounds. I didn't have any problems with the
lower end of the sax( that was the true test for me). I'm still amazed at
how wonderful it looks and sounds!! I am very happy with your work and I
will DEFINITELY recommend your services. I really appreciate all the work
you've done, the contact you've had with me during the process and the
results.

Thank you again......
Tamara A.

Greg just purchased a vintage curved soprano sax:
It reached me in great shape and was well packed. I love the way it plays. As a vintage horn it is a little more challenging to keep in tune but it's unique tone and sound more than make up for it.

Thanks,

Greg Paulus <Alechri_Properties@email.msn.com>

Funniest reply: Mark purchased a curved soprano sax ;~)

Steve - It actually got here yesterday. It looks great. I started getting
used to it last night. No one complained so we can assume the neighbors were all out at the time. Thanks again -- Mark White

Sean purchased a matched pair of Vintage Couesnon Alto and Tenor Saxes.

Hi Steve,
I am very happy with the saxes, they are all I had hoped they would be.
The service I received from World Wide Sax has been exceptional and I have
enjoyed doing business with you.   I will be seeking at least one more
mouthpiece for the alto in the near future, and I will be checking your
online inventory, hoping to do business with you again.

Thanks,
Sean Martin<Terexguy@aol.com>

Mikes one of the enthusiastic players of a newly rebuilt SML tenor:

Mike Barks <ruffsax@jobe.net>

Hey People,
     My name is Mike Barks, and I just bought an SML tenor from Sarge,
here at World Wide Sax. I'm a sax player for the U.S. Army, so my budget
was not that large, but I needed a tenor for private gigging. I have a
Mark VI alto, and wanted something comparable in a tenor, but just don't
have the funds that people are asking for a Mark VI. I saw the SML on
the website, and emailed my questions about the sax. I had never even
heard of this make of instrument. Within half an hour Sarge answered my
questions completely and honestly.
     I ordered the sax on the trial basis, and it was everything that I
was promised it would be. The repair technician that worked on the sax
was top notch--Brad Wherry. Kudos to Brad as well. What a huge sound
from a great playing horn! I did have one issue with the horn,
concerning the left hand pinky cluster, but I posted an email and again
received a response in well under an hour. My concerns were addressed to my satisfaction, and I now own a great vintage tenor sax.
     I can't say enough about my experience purchasing an instrument from this first rate organization. The products are represented accurately, and any questions or concerns will be handled in the blink of an eye! I swear it's taken me longer to boot up my computer than it took me to get responses from Sarge. Doing business with World Wide Sax was a pleasure. I'll be glad to do it again in the future.

                                            "Jammin' with the Big Dog"
                                                       Mike Barks   <ruffsax@jobe.net>

Don just purchased a sweet Martin Magna Tenor and plans to "relearn" to play sax after a 15 year layoff.

March 14th, 2000

Hi Steve,

    Thanks for everything. Ho yes, I will enjoy this sax. Thanks for
doing such a wonderful job on overhauling this horn. I can't wait to start
playing it.
     What would be your choice of a mouthpiece for this horn? With me
just starting to play after 15 years of not practicing I could not go
to a music store and make a good choice. Do you have one that I can
purchase.

Thanks,
   Don Mc Bee mcbeed@megsinet.net

Debbie and her son are happy with their new tenor:

Dear Steve, I am pleased to let you know that the sax arrived in what seems like perfect condition yesterday afternoon. Andrew is very happy with it. It's bigger and heavier than the "student" model he used to play on but he says he can handle it (he's almost 14). It sounds really nice, too. We especially like the low notes. He was also excited about that high F#! It looks like a keeper. Thank you for a successful transaction. The horn will be well used. Andrew is a good player and his feel for jazz improv is great! Good luck with all your musical endeavors.

Sincerely, Debbie Crotty

Here's a letter from a happy customer in Italy concerning his newly rebuilt gold plated Martin alto sax, just purchased from Worldwidesax, July 1999.

Steve,

I received the alto saxophone some minutes ago: it's in excellent conditions
and I'm very happy for this purchase.

Thank you very much for your politeness, honesty and let me know if in
future You'll locate some collectable or very interesting saxophones...

Ciao,

Attilio

From: Attilio Berni <saxop@iol.it> 5-99

Mark just purchased a 190's 6m, Oct. '99... and then in Nov. a vintage mouthpiece.

Hi Steve,
I recieved the 6M today. WOW! That
is one great playing horn. All of my other altos are stuffy and just
don't have the action that this horn has. I finally enjoy playing on
alto! (I'm normally a tenor player)...
Like I told you before, this is a bit like a dream come true. I've had
this thing about Conns for a while.
Thanks so much,
Mark <elspando@juno.com>

Tony in Brunei (somewhere over by Viet Nam), purchased a nice Conn Chu. I had to look up where Brunei was, before I shipped to him, just to get an idea.

Hi Sarge

Today I received a beautiful Conn Sax that seems to have made the journey without any serious incidents. Many thanks for all your help.

I'm a veterinarian currently responsible for the Polo ponies of His Majesty the Sultan of Brunei although I originally arrived in Brunei just over 2 years ago to set up a small animal clinic. Initially we were going to do the horses through the clinic in town but my then employers couldn't agree on the terms so I ended up just doing the horses. My time here is almost up and we'll be moving on shortly. Not sure where to at this stage - I have been asked to attend an interview for a similar position with the Sultan of Oman and there's also a position going at the Singapore Turf Club. If the "exotics" don't work out then I guess we'll head back to our property in Australia. Figured it was a good way to see different parts of the world while the kids are still young (1 and 3) so that schooling is not a major problem. After 10 years in my own clinic I decided it was time for a break and hence the move to Brunei. Life as an "ex-pat" in another country sure is interesting but only for a short while. After a while the language and cultural differences become quite frustrating especially for Adriana who is stuck at home with a very limited amount of choice both in friends and activities.

Anyway many thanks for all your help. I'll keep in touch and let you know how the sax playing works out.

Regards

Tony 3-99

Here's a reply from an exceptionally nice ebayer:

Steve,
I wanted to let you know the tenor sax arrived
today. I thank you very much for including the
leather strap too. I appreciate it being packed so
carefully. My son, Corey, will be over the moon with
it. That's all I've heard him talk about was wanting
a tenor sax.
The owner of the saxophone (World Wide Sax) was right on the mark with his shipping dates. He was very forthright and honest through out the transaction. He comforted a nervous, impatient
mother while she awaited the Christmas gift.
Thank you.
Diane 11-98
<angelwings012358@yahoo.com>