Paul Coats visit with Steve Goodson:
STEVE
GOODSON Model Line: Alto and
Tenor--altissimo key!!! To borrow from
someone else's TV ad, an "easy button" for
altissimo! To clear up a problem in the
upper end, a speaker key between A and Bis
(a small pad about 14mm dia); keywork to
high G. With this, Steve and L. A. Sax are
setting a new standard of what is expected
on professional instruments. Other
manufacturers will either follow, or have to
get out of the way.
If you look at your sax you will see that
you can't just pull another tone hole above
the high F#. It would be right in the tenon.
This is not a simple add-on! Not a
modification of previous instruments, it
required a redesign of the sax. So, the
body tube is made longer, neck shortened and
recontoured to make room. Also, special low
mounted bell to body brace lets whole end of
bell vibrate; heavily hand engraved on bell,
body, neck, and bow; Saxgourmet Kangaroo
pads with solid brass Noyeks (as he has done
on his premium overhauls for some time);
Saxgourmet thumbrest; Finishes: Florentine
gold with bright gold highlights, bright
silver, black anodized nickel with black
nickel keywork. LIST price on alto $2850,
tenor $2950.
Bari--undecided, will be out later in the
year. Soprano--may or may not happen in
this series. Sopranino: Keyed to high E,
Saxgourmet Kangaroo pads with solid brass
Noyeks, three ring strap hook, Saxgourmet
thumbrest. VERY even scale and superb
intonation. LIST price around $2200.
I spent about 15 min with the 'nino. I was
getting good octaves in no time with very
little effort. I could have used a better
reed, but still, it played well for me. A
nice sand blasted silver finish on the body,
with gold lacquered keys.
SAXGOURMET SERIES: Alto and Tenor--VERY
high copper content body, bell, bow, and
neck. Finish (only this finish is available)
is bright copper with clearcoat. Abalone
key touches instead of pearls. This sax
looks ABSOLUTELY STUNNING!!! I mean a head
turner! Most heavily engraved horn on the
market (bell, bell flare, body tube, neck)
all hand engraved. Saxgourmet pads and solid
brass resonators (of course!). Extra arms on
low C and low B.
Optional solid silver neck, nickel silver
neck.
Largest bell available on any saxophone.
Again, the wide Saxgourmet thumbrest. Great
fit and finish, as good as any I have ever
seen.
"Sounds like the best Mk VI you ever played,
BUT IN TUNE WITH ITSELF".
Keywork to high F#. This is the standard by
which all other horns will be judged. LIST
PRICE tenor $6150, alto $6050. Nothing
matches this horn for projection and
complexity of tone.
Soprano: "Saxello style", aka "semicurved".
Keywork to high G, SOLID SILVER BELL (extra
large) AND NECK STANDARD. Other than that,
same as above.
Price not set at present
Bari: Coming this summer. All of the above
(alto and tenor). Prototype "feels like a
tenor with ultra fast keywork".
