Kessler Custom Handmade Tenor Sax – Antiqued Lacquer

3 reviews for Kessler Custom Handmade Tenor Sax – Antiqued Lacquer

1. 

   Rated 5 out of 5

   dadvest (verified owner) – January 14, 2017

   I’m a “vintage ” horn player. From Selmer to Martin to my favorite 1929 Buescher True Tone. I play jazz in a big band to funk, rock and R&B. I’ve read things about these horns on some of the sax sites and decided to give it a spin. I played this for the first time last night. Wow, the tone is incredible!

   It rings and cuts through the electric instruments with ease bout sound guy said that my single was hot and he had no trouble blending me in. The timber of my sound matched the lead singer to complement each song. It cuts through to be heard but still has that big bossy tenor sax core. Very complex sound.

   The key work is so smooth and fluid. I was able to play the licks and patterns that I hear in my head as never before. I’m looking forward to more gigs and learning what else I didn’t know that I knew how to play. We have a busy schedule this year and I can go in feeling confident. This is well built and feels able to hold up to the demands.

   Thanks Mr Kessler for a fine professional horn! Well worth the price point. The only horn that I can compare the sound to was a rare Mark VI that was priced at $15000.

2. 

   Rated 5 out of 5

   Micah – November 13, 2019

   I had been looking for a saxophone of my own for the longest time, then a good friend mentioned this website to me. At first I was looking at the Selmer Mark 6’s, reference 54, and the Yamaha custom Z. But then I happen to scroll back up the list and see that Kessler and sons make their own saxophones, which I thought was pretty cool, and this saxophone caught my eye. After I did some research I decided that I should take a chance and order one.
   When it came in pretty excited and the saxophone lived up to what the Kessler has been saying about it. Every sound that comes out of the horn is clear and crisp the sub tones are outstanding, and the high range is in tune which made me really. After about a week I let my instructor try it out and he was utterly impressed saying its as good as his own Selmer series 2 super action 80 that he spent $7000 dollars on.
   It was a big step up from the cannonball I had been playing on for the past 3 years , which the average price for one is over $3000 dollars. I was treated very well by Kessler and Sons, after a few days they emailed checking to see if I liked what I got, which I do, and everything that comes with the horn makes it all worth the buy.
   I highly recommend.

3. 

   Rated 5 out of 5

   aaronmartin (verified owner) – September 20, 2022

   I’ve had the Custom tenor in the brushed matte finish for just over a month now. Right from the first session (from the first several notes, to be honest), I knew that my trusty Yamaha YTS-62iii was going to be getting less playing time. Even my wife stuck her head in our “music room” to say how full the sound was—and this is coming from a piano fan, rather than a woodwind lover. I LOVE the extended palm D key; it is so much more ergonomic than my Yamaha’s. The engraving is absolutely gorgeous, and the horn itself feels lighter than my Yamaha (I’m sure the lack of lacquer has something to do with that; whatever the reason, I love that it’s lighter). As I said, the sound is huge (maybe it’s the metal resonators, maybe not…in any case, it is my first horn with metal resonators), and it is simply a blast to play! It may just end up becoming my primary horn, thereby displacing my YTS-62 to the “backup” position. The ONLY thing that I like better on the Yamaha is the left handy pinky key layout and the response at the extremer low end of the horn; I find I’m having to work a bit harder to get the Ben Webster-esque subtone that I love that comes easily on the YTS-62. Finally, I really like the GL case. It’s aesthetically pleasing, functional, and has sufficient storage space for some essentials (for a flight case). Moreover, there’s no question about the GL case offering ample protection for the horn.

   The ONLY thing that I can say that I didn’t love was the fact that the neck tenon was not tight enough. I actually had to get this adjusted by a local repair tech a week or so after receiving the horn so that the neck would not swivel (even with a fully tightened neck screw) while I played. This is not uncommon, however, as I had to do the same with the neck of my YTS-62.

   On the whole, this is a monster of a saxophone at a fantastic price! How Kessler & Sons is able to offer such a quality horn (with phenomenal accessories at no extra charge, or potential upgrades at greatly reduced prices) at such an affordable price is beyond me! The setup was great, too; the tenor was truly ready to play right out of the shipping box. I wish I’d known about Kessler & Sons before I’d bought my YAS-62 (used) and my YTS-62 (brand new from an online retailer, but without an initial setup, which of course I paid for later at my local music store!), but better late than never.

   Thank you, Kessler & Sons!

   • 

     David Kessler – September 20, 2022

     Glad to please Aaron! Thanks for the note on the neck fit, I will make sure that I bring that up with the shop. We do leave them a hair on the loose side so that students do not struggle, and players who want them tighter can get that done fairly easily. Let me know if you need anything else! – Dave