Very few, if any, well known players played and recorded with only one set-up over the course of their careers.  Players who came up through the big band era, for example, and played through the bebop & hard bop eras, generally can be found to have played Conn, Buescher, or Martin (even all 3, in some cases, such as Charlie Parker's) in the 20s, or 30s, and to have often switched over to Selmer or King (and modern keywork) later in their careers.  Coleman Hawkins, Gene Ammons, Dexter Gordon, Jackie McLean, John Coltrane, Sonny Rollins -- all these players played vintage American horns at some point, and often more than one point in their careers, changing to more modern French designs later in their careers.  Some are best known for the sound they developed when playing a particular horn.  Dexter, for example, is probably best known for the sound he developed in the early 60s, when he was playing (from all indications) a 10M with Bobby Dukoff "Hollywood" mouthpiece.

Certain players, of course, changed horns more often than others -- e.g. Bird, Gene Ammons and Jackie McLean -- and the record that exists (in photographs, particularly) of what any given player recorded with may not be entirely accurate in the conclusions it supports.  Sonny Rollins, for example, is rumored to have often recorded with an older, Buescher-styled Bundy, while playing Mark VIs publicly.  Players whose horns were often in hock..."for a whatever reasons"...can be found being photographed & recorded with a vast array of horns.  Bird, for example, can be seen playing Conn, Buescher, Martin, Grafton, King and Selmer horns, in various photographs, of all manner of vintage and mechanical design.

The following list is not intended to be exhaustive, and is based on personal observations, from photographs, as well as on readings of oral & written records.  It is also intended more to provide some hints as to what horns were played on particular recordings, and during given periods in artists' careers (as opposed to as a statement of what horn any given player last played, or plays at present).

Lots of dependable information on players' best known, or current (sometimes not the same as best known), set-ups can be found at:  http://www.saxlessons.com/playerssetups.htm and http://www.mouthpieceheaven.com.

If there's a player whose set-up is missing here, but is documented elsewhere, and you'd like to see the info included -- or if you feel any information here is in error -- please feel welcome to write and let me know.
 
 

Julian "Cannonball" Adderley
King Super 20
- mpcs:  New York era HR Meyer -
(sources:  public record, "Coast to Coast")
 

Lee Allen
Buescher 400 "Top Hat & Cane," MKVI (most likely)
- mpcs:  HR Berg Larsen, stock Selmer, Brilhart Ebolin -
(source:  anecdotes, Pete Thomas & John Laughter, alt.music.saxophone)
 

Gene Ammons
Dolnet
Martin Handcraft (sans front F!)
Conn
Selmer Mark VI
- mpcs:  Brilhart Ebolin -
(sources: "Gentle Jug", "Goodbye," Preachin," photos, oral history, public record)
 

Albert Ayler
Buffet Crampon SuperDynaction
(sources:  album photos)
 

Gary Bartz
Selmer Mark VI
- mpcs:  Selmer short shank Soloist? -
(sources:  "Goodbye")
 

Don Byas
Conn 10M
Also seems to be seen with King and Selmer in later photos
- mpcs:  Otto Link, Bob Dukoff? -
(sources:  http://www.apoloybaco.com/donbyasbiografia.htm
http://members.tripod.com/~hardbop/images/byas.jpg
http://art.towerrecords.com/coverart.asp?S=1352343&X=178&Y=178)

James Carter
Very custom silverplated Conn "Chu Berry," with altered keywork & 30M neck?
Yamaha Custom
(sources:  "Conversin' with the Elders," live performance NYC, ~2001)
 

Clarence Clemmons
King Super 20
(sources:  "Born to Run")
 

Ornette Coleman
Grafton (plastic)
"a Selmer that goes down to a low Concert C" (with Berg or Bundy mpc)
(sources:  "Shape of Jazz to Come," public record, http://user.chollian.net/~silvmoon/patm/article/db53.html,
http://www.freep.com/entertainment/music/oless19_20040319.htm)
 

John Coltrane
Selmer Balanced Action (tenor)
- mpcs:  Otto Link Tonemaster and HR Otto Link -
(sources:  public record) 

Junior Cook
Selmer Mark VI
(source:  http://www.spun.com/amgcover/music/large/d2/55/d25518hsll8.jpg)
 

Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis
Selmer Balanced Action?
- mpcs:  metal Otto Link? -
(sources:  photos)
 

Jesse Davis
Conn 6M or 26M
(rare neck, double-socketed w/topside octave key)
King Zephyr Special
King Super 20
(sources: photo:  http://www.hopper-management.com/hires/jd_1cl.jpg, http://jazz.music.com, http://www.vh1.com/artists/az/davis_jesse_jazz_/235098/album.jhtml)
 

Eric Dolphy
Selmer Mark VI
- mpcs:  Brilhart Personaline? -
(sources:  "Other Aspects" [LP])
 

Chico Freeman
Selmer Mark VII?
(sources:  "Tangents")
 

Stan Getz
Selmer Mark VI
- mpcs:  HR Otto Link, HR Meyer -
(sources:  public record, photos, http://www.du.edu/lamont/Getz.html)
 

Benny Golson
Selmer Mark VI
- mpcs:  Otto Link "Tonemaster" -
(sources:  "...and The Philadelphians," "Moanin'")
 

Dexter Gordon
Conn "Chu Berry"? (see, "Rides again?")
Conn 30M (early career, late '40s -- see "Settin' the Pace")
Conn 10M (1960s)
Selmer Mark VI (1970s & later)
- mpcs:  Bob Dukoff BD Hollywood, metal Otto Link -
(sources:  public record, photos, album covers)
 

Wardell Gray
Conn "Chu Berry" and/or 10M
King Super 20
mpcs:  HR Otto Link (New York era), more
(sources:  "Wardell Gray/Stan Hasselgard," "Memorial," public record)
 

Johnny Griffin
King Super 20
Selmer Super Action 80 Series II
(source: "A Blowing Session" - photo, oral history)
 

Gigi Gryce
- mpcs:  metal Otto Link -
(sources:  "Clifford Brown Sextet in Paris")
 

Craig Handy
Selmer Mark VI
(sources:  "One")
 

Herbert Hardesty
Goldplated Selmer Mark VI
- mpcs:  Fla. Otto Link (silverplate) -
(source:  personal exp.)
 

Coleman Hawkins
Strasser Marigaux Lemaire "Coleman Hawkins" model?
Selmer Balanced Action
- mpcs:  metal Otto Link -
(sources:  SML advertisements, public record)
 

Joe Henderson
Selmer Mark VI
- mpcs:  Selmer Short Shank Soloist -
(source:  interviews, photos, public record)
 

Vincent Herring
Yanagisawa
(sources:  live performance, NYC, 2000)
 

Johnny Hodges
Conn 6M or 26M
Buescher 400
Martin Committee
- mpcs:   Brilhart Tonalin? -
(sources:  photos, "...and His Alto Sax," public record)
 

Reggie Houston
Selmer Series III (ts, as, sop)
- mpcs:  metal Vandoren, JVW Meyer, Bari -
(sources:  personal exp.)
 

Illinois Jacquet
Selmer Balanced Action or SBA
- mpcs:  Otto Link Tonemaster? -
(sources:  "How High the Moon")
 

Clarence Johnson III
Yamaha Custom
- mpcs:  Otto Link SuperTonemaster -
(sources:  live performance, New Orleans)

Louis Jordan
Selmer Balance Action or SBA*
- mpcs:  Brilhart Tonalin -
(sources:  "Rock 'N Roll Call," "Just Say Moe!")
*Note:  Jordan was a Martin endorser, but I've not seen a photograph of him with a Martin.
 

Harold Land
Conn 10M
Conn 30M
- mpcs:  metal Berg Larsen? -
(sources:  "Brown & Roach Incorporated," "West Coast Blues")
 

Roger Lewis
Silverplated Selmer Mark VI (baritone)
- mpcs:  HR Berg Larsen (baritone) -
(sources:  personal exp.)
 

Charles Lloyd
Goldplated Conn "Chu" or "Pre-Chu" tenor
Powell C flute
Haynes alto flute
Artley bass flute
- set-up:  Otto Link 7*, Hemke #3 -
(sources: Downbeat article by Tom Conrad, April 1994, p. 34-37)
Thanks to "theFredX" for this one!
 

Branford Marsalis
Selmer Mark VI or SBA
- mpcs:  Otto Link, Guardala -
(sources:  "Renaissance," http://www.saxlessons.com/playerssetups.htm)

 

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