Here is where you can learn more than you ever wanted to know about my equipment. A lot of horn players are wedded to brand names because they're chic. Well, I'm wedded to one brand simply because it is the best thing out there, in my opinion the best thing ever made. I prefer Selmer saxophones, specifically Selmer Mark VI saxophones. I've played Conns, Kings, and other Selmers, all of which I liked, but the Mark VI is my nirvana. To each their own.

The horns that are currently in my arsenal include this Conn Transitional alto, which is the only horn to ever supplant the first saxophone I ever got, a Vito student model made by Yanagisawa. This horn was overhauled by Les Arbuckle, one of two technicians I trust with my horns; John Gill being the other.

This horn dates back to about 1933, and absolutely screams. It is an alto that plays like a tenor in the low register, but still sounds fat up high. You can also bend any note to taste. This thing is flat-out amazing, and because it's an alto, the whacky Conn ergos aren't that difficult to deal with.

The mouthpiece is an RPC 6B with Francois Louis Ultimate Ligature (which is what I play on all horns). It originally measured an .085" tip-opening, which Pete Gaylord opened to a .095" for me. I use Vandoren ZZ 3 tenor reeds. I've always been partial to Links, but lately I'm really diggin' the hard rubber, baffled pieces. This piece provides volume but not at the expense of fullness of tone.

Awhile back, I tried a P. Mauriat soprano. They're beautiful horns, tastefully finished with a brushed brash look. The ergonmics were nice, though the horn had a darker tonality than I expected. Unfortunately, it was also a half-step out of tune. I was heartbroken and returned it to the shop, resigned that I'd just gotten an odd lemon and determined to try another. It was during that search that I happened across an add for an L.A. Sax soprano and noted that the case, accessories and design were exactly the same as the P. Mauriat. The finish, as with all L.A. Sax horns, was much less tasteful, however the price tag was $500 more palatable.

Thus, I arrived at the decision to go with the horn pictured to the right. It's called the "Kamelion" [sic] because the color of the finish changes with the light. In the photo it appears green (my favorite of it's many shades) but at times may appear pink, purple, black, blue, or even gray. Regardless, the horn plays in tune, projects nicely, and has terrific ergonomics. There are those that shun the Taiwaniese horns, but given the price tag and the fact that I play very little soprano, I predict this horn will last a good, long time.

The horn is powered by my trusy Phil Barone .064"-opening hard rubber mouthpiece. This piece accomplishes the impossible; it actually makes playing the soprano somewhat easy. I'm currently using Vandoren ZZ 2.5 reeds, and going for that decidely warm Pharoah Sanders soprano sound.

A few years back, I messed up and sold my house for quite a profit (I'm no Donald Trump). To reward myself, I purchased a brand spanking new Selmer SerieIII black lacquered tenor sax, looked just like Billy Harper's (of course, Billy's was a SerieII, but it *looked* just like it!). Alas, I'm no Billy Harper and after struggling to break the thing in satifactorily (it was beautiful), I finally gave in and tried a Mark VI. Big error, because then I had to have one. So, through the magic of eBay, I purchased a 1969 Mark VI which had seen a lot of playing love, but not quite so much maintenance love. No matter, I have Les.

The horn played great, but needed repadding and such, so I took it to Les and he did it up right. Not before he offered to buy it from my for a profit, though. I've had some really good luck buying horns on eBay, as this marks the second horn that the tech has offered to buy from me, pre-overhaul, for more than I paid for it.

I played this horn side-by-side with my SerieIII (a pretty boss horn itself) for a friend of mine who plays trumpet and guitar, and he said, "Man... I hate to tell you... that horn [SerieIII] is a toy."

I finally settled on this RPC as my maine piece. It whispers a ballad, or peels the paint off the back wall on demand. The combination of this horn and mouthpiece is the most versatile I've ever encountered. I can 'break' any note at will and its opened some technique up that I didn't realize I possessed.

This model is a custom piece with a .120 opening and a high baffle. Its exterior size is a bit uncomfortable in my mouth, but it's been worth the adjustment time for what it's given me in terms of stylistic freedom. On tenor, I use Vandoren ZZ 3 reeds, with the occasional Rico Orange Box finding it's way into the mix.

This horn is not so pretty, the lacquer is rather ugly, and someone tried to "repair" some of the lacquer wear on the bell. The pearls are quite worn (you can see where I've epoxied a couple on the left hand) and it smells of its case. Another player told me he thinks the keys have been silver plated, and that's very possible. No matter, it would seem the dilemma is solved, as I really love the late 60s vintage of Mark VI. This horn really screams!

The last horn in the arsenal is the one that is arguably my main horn: A 1968 Mark VI baritone. I was playing a King Zephyr bari, which I loved. I've always loved the Zephyrs. If money is tight, go buy a Zephyr (1965 or before) and never play a Mark VI and you'll be happy for eternity. They have a great big sound, but terrible ergonomics. It was the ergos that were killing me, actually giving me symptoms of tendonitis, and lead me to search for a new horn. Chel Illingworth had me leaning Conn until I spoke to John Gill about my search.

Jeff Coffin provided me John's name. John is a Yamaha tech who used to work in their R & D division. He also, I later learned, was Mulligan's repair tech. I told John I was leaning towards a 12M, and he said, "Don't buy a 12M. Get a Mark VI. The 12M was a great horn until the VI came along." Now, this is Mulligan's guy, and Mulligan was pro-Conn, anti-Selmer. This meant a lot to me.

So, I took a chance on an eBay auction. For a sick price, I landed this beast and rewarded John for his info by having him perform a complete overhaul. It is sheer mintiness. I love the look, feel, smell, and sound of this horn. We're talking romance novel love here, folks.

Les Arbuckle has tweaked this horn after a spring let go during a gig. Please, do not hesitate to take a horn to Les, he is a marvel.

After an exhaustive mouthpiece search I've settled on this custom made RPC with a .125 tip opening and a high baffle. Ron made me a .110 high baffle piece which would've been my favorite had I not encountered this one. Getting used to the opening was a challenge, but now it's love. I felt vindicated in my struggles when Mr. Coffin tried this horn/mouthpiece and asked, "Does it come with its own oxygen tank?" It does not, but the rewards for the effort are amazing.

On bari, Rico Orange Box reeds are king for me. I play a fairly conservative 2-1/2 strength reed, but this setup whispers and barks. There are great baris out there, but this one plays with the ease of a tenor and has the feel of an alto.

For recording I use AKG condenser microphones and mostly a TASCAM US-428 mixer. Adobe Audition provides the virtual studio and mixdown capabilities. When recording live I use a Korg PXR4 (Pandora's Box) flash recorder. It is amazing. It possesses the finest quality internal condenser mic that I have encountered. If ever you have questions about my equipment, or seek an opinion on equipment, please feel free to drop me a line.