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2000-08-03

 
From: LeliaLoban
Date: Wed, 2 Aug 2000 19:56:04 EDT
Subject: [CB] Bass sax case
 

Ron Follas wrote,
>I recently bought a Conn bass sax which, besides being in bad shape, didn't
>have a case.  I am overhauling it and started looking for a case.  DEG has
>the standard wood case but professional sax players use fiberglass cases like
>the ones made by Walt Johnson.  They are going to start building the WJ case
>for bass sax in about a month.  It will be expensive, near $1,000, but a good
>Conn bass sax is an investment worth protecting.
>
>Roslyn at Walt Johnson told me that the new case will have wheels since the
>instrument is fairly heavy.  If any of you who own a bass sax are interested
>in a state of the art case you should contact them.  The web address is
>http://www.johnsoncases.com/

I think the wheels sound like a great feature.  My 1926 Conn bass sax has the
original hard case.  It's a heavy, wooden case with interior leather straps
to hold the instrument in place.  With some added bubble pack inside, I think
it would do a fine job of protecting the sax.  The price was right, since the
case was thrown in with the sax.  (Mine was damaged, too -- a mess.  Even
after a full overhaul, it still looks like the saxophonic equivalent of a
muttering, shambling old wino, but that's merely a clever disguise....)  The
combined weight of that wooden case with the heavy sax is a back-breaker.  If
I had to haul the old daddy to gigs, I'd need a luggage carrier.  Wheels
really make sense.

BTW, I spent the whole day in the Library of Congress today, and took a break
to go genuflect to Gerry Mulligan's 1926 Conn baritone sax.  It's on display
in a nice glass mausoleum, with other Mulligan memorabilia, in the lobby of
the Performing Arts Collection on the first floor of the Madison Building.
Mulligan's bari is a gold-plated beauty from the "Chu" period, with floral
engraving and the fingernail file G#.  It has keywork to F, with no front F.
I was interested in that because my bass, made the same year, has keywork
only to high Eb.  There's some "fair wear" of the gold plating, but otherwise
the sax is in great condition.

Lelia
(who didn't practice today...)
---------------------------------------------------------

Date: Wed, 2 Aug 2000 20:05:19 -0400
From: michael c grogg
Subject: [CB] Bass sax case

FWIW, most all of the new hard cases made for Tuba have the wheels
option.  Makes just too much sense.  I have added wheels to the bottom of
my Fender Bass amp (74 pounds).  The local music store sells an over
priced 4 wheel dolly for moving amps and speaker cabinets, but the wheels
are too small to negoitiate even small cracks in the sidewalk.  I went to
Home Depot and got about $15 worth of heavy duty swiveling casters and
screwed them to the bottom.  Work dandy.

Somthing you might consider in leiu of a luggage carrier: a golf bag
cart.  They fold nicely, and have much larger wheels which will even take
you across grass or other broken ground.  Use a couple of racheting nylon
furniture moving straps, and perhaps put a plywood platform on the bottom
bag holder to better support the end of your bass sax case.  Around here
at least the Goodwill and Salvation army stores have them for under $10.

Michael Grogg

> >Roslyn at Walt Johnson told me that the new case will have wheels
> since the instrument is fairly heavy.  If any of you who own a bass sax are

> I think the wheels sound like a great feature.  My 1926 Conn bass
> sax has the   original hard case.  It's a heavy, wooden case with interior leather
> straps to hold the instrument in place.  With some added bubble pack
> inside, I think it would do a fine job of protecting the sax.  The price was right,
> since the case was thrown in with the sax.  (Mine was damaged, too -- a mess.
> Even after a full overhaul, it still looks like the saxophonic equivalent
> of a muttering, shambling old wino, but that's merely a clever
> disguise....)  The combined weight of that wooden case with the heavy sax is a
> back-breaker.  If I had to haul the old daddy to gigs, I'd need a luggage carrier.
> Wheels really make sense.

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---------------------------------------------------------

Date: Wed, 02 Aug 2000 20:53:11 -0600
From: Gary Sherman
Subject: Re: [CB] bassoon duets

on 8/1/00 4:51 PM, BROCK IMISON

> Hi, just a quick message to ask if anyone out there knows of some
> sort of bassoon duet written rather recently. A longer piece would be
> preffered, and it would great if it was filled with crazy sounds. I
> hope such a piece exists.
>
> thanks for your help
> brock imison brisbane.

Hi,
 
    I'm presently writing some sort of longer bassoon duet.  Nearly all the
sounds are at least 'a little' crazy.  I was motivated by your query.  I'll
keep you posted.

        Gary Sherman

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