When/why did the sax lose its promanence in rock and roll?

John Billings · Post by **John Billings** » 7 Aug 2010 11:55 am

Here's a wonderful performance by Wolf, that is messed up , at least IMHO, by the sax player. He can't seem to get the "Blue Notes" right!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xoEmB4m28LE

Michael Lee Allen · Post by **Michael Lee Allen** » 7 Aug 2010 12:50 pm

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John Billings · Post by **John Billings** » 7 Aug 2010 12:52 pm

MLA,
Somehow I just knew you'd know!
Thas my new favorite picture of The Wolf!
JB

Michael Lee Allen · Post by **Michael Lee Allen** » 7 Aug 2010 12:57 pm

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Michael Lee Allen · Post by **Michael Lee Allen** » 7 Aug 2010 12:58 pm

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Michael Lee Allen · Post by **Michael Lee Allen** » 7 Aug 2010 1:01 pm

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John Billings · Post by **John Billings** » 7 Aug 2010 1:06 pm

Love that Teisco stuff! Never ever saw anyone using a Varitone!

Michael Lee Allen · Post by **Michael Lee Allen** » 7 Aug 2010 1:19 pm

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John Billings · Post by **John Billings** » 7 Aug 2010 1:23 pm

I remember that there were also Condor units for woodwinds. I had one for guitar. Loved the sounds, but it really inhibited string bending. I had it mounted on my 1958 Flying V that was stolen.

Michael Lee Allen · Post by **Michael Lee Allen** » 7 Aug 2010 1:25 pm

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Michael Lee Allen · Post by **Michael Lee Allen** » 7 Aug 2010 1:27 pm

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Michael Lee Allen · Post by **Michael Lee Allen** » 7 Aug 2010 1:28 pm

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John Billings · Post by **John Billings** » 7 Aug 2010 1:28 pm

i was abdo-lutely in love with Keely! And Prima's band could rock!

Michael Lee Allen · Post by **Michael Lee Allen** » 7 Aug 2010 1:34 pm

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John Billings · Post by **John Billings** » 7 Aug 2010 1:51 pm

i guess the Condor for guitar was more complex, cuz it did a lot of different sounds. sitar, organ, sax, bassoon. bass, two string bass. piano, etc. It was pretty cool, and I wish I still had one or two. They'd be great for steel, if the string spacing was right.

John Billings · Post by **John Billings** » 7 Aug 2010 2:25 pm

I just did a net search for Condor for Guitar. Found nothing useful except a mention of it's name. They didn't last long on the market. The first one I borrowed had a pickup, and a box with organ tabs. Very Hammond! After the V was stolen,and about a year later I went down to CMI and inquired about getting another. The guy said, "I think we might still have some in the warehouse." So they'd obviously already been discontinued. I bought the pup and box for the ridiculous price of $125! Wish I'd bought ten of them!

Michael Lee Allen · Post by **Michael Lee Allen** » 7 Aug 2010 5:14 pm

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Michael Lee Allen · Post by **Michael Lee Allen** » 7 Aug 2010 5:17 pm

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Michael Lee Allen · Post by **Michael Lee Allen** » 7 Aug 2010 5:20 pm

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Michael Lee Allen · Post by **Michael Lee Allen** » 7 Aug 2010 5:22 pm

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Michael Lee Allen · Post by **Michael Lee Allen** » 7 Aug 2010 5:23 pm

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John Billings · Post by **John Billings** » 7 Aug 2010 5:50 pm

Buddy!
What can I say? You've never let me down! Just an amazing collection! I searched and couldn't find anything.

Leslie Ehrlich · Post by **Leslie Ehrlich** » 7 Aug 2010 9:01 pm

All those electronic attachments and organs remind me of the electronic accordions (e.g. Cordovox, Accorgan, Elkavox, Transicord, etc.) of the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s. Amplification and electronics just made the 120 bass piano accordion a nerdier instrument than it normally was.

Andy Volk · Post by **Andy Volk** » 8 Aug 2010 4:15 am

Astounding Michael. You're the one-man-library-of-congress of paper collectors!

Scott Shewbridge · Post by **Scott Shewbridge** » 8 Aug 2010 8:43 am

Neat photos, fun to see what folks were trying to sell. Looks like ads from about 1965 through 1975. Though pushed by manufacturers, from my experience here in Northern California, unlike amplification, distortion and synthesized/electronic effects for guitars, those products were not widely embraced by the saxophone playing community. In my experience, other than a few Tom Scott Lyricon solos (e.g., Introduction to "Peg" on Steely Dan's Aja), few if any of the signature saxophone tracks of the 70s, 80s and beyond used anything other than a straight mic'ed saxophone, typically played with a metal mouthpiece.

Unfortunately, in contrast to DM's observations, I do think saxophone is fading. Here in California, funding for music programs in Elementary and High schools is being slashed. I fear that absent school band programs, fewer players will have the opportunity to develop the tone and control necessary to play the saxophone well. IMHO, unlike guitar, saxophone does not lend itself well to learning from Youtube clips watched in the bedroom.

I know how much my life has benefitted from my school music experiences. I hope we can turn the educational funding trends around. Our kids deserve the same chances we had.