Just Saxes New Retail Saxophones: Crescent, Crescent II and New Ol Skool – Just Saxes ~ Fine Vintage, New and Custom Saxophones

Just Saxes New Retail Saxophones: Crescent, Crescent II and New Ol Skool

THIS PAGE UNDER CONSTRUCTION! Post-Hostmonster debacle (wrecking of site), this area is just starting to be reworked and redone. It will take a while for all the updates to happen, but in the meantime most information is up to date. Please use the contact form to send any and all questions. Phone or text is good, too. If this note is still up, this page is may be in any stage of completion from barely begun to nearly finished (your experience of trying to use it will likely unveil which). Thank you for patience as the website is rebuilt!

New Ol Skool

Crescent, Crescent II and New Ol Skool soprano, alto, tenor and baritone saxophones — Just Saxes New Ol Skool (2 pc Soprano, Alto, Tenor, Low-A Baritone) – NOS altos and tenors are available at this time (12/23), sopranos and tenors are sold out. I have a number of cosmetic 2nds due to a factory lacquer snafu that are great opportunities to get the same performance as normal at a steep discount due to issues that are purely cosmetic.

Crescent I

Click here for original Just Saxes Crescent Line (est 2009 – Straight/Curved Sopranos, Low-A Baritones)

I have 1 baritone available (not yet serviced) but Crescent 1’s are otherwise sold out until further notice — altos are discontinued due to a tuning issue on Eb2 that I could not resolve. There are no
C1 altos with this flaw in circulation, so far as I’m aware (I gave away a couple, and none were sold).

Crescent II

Just Saxes Crescent II (Alto only) – This photo is a placeholder, and is the same as the Crescent I curved sop photo above — it is not of the Crescent II, which is sold out at the time of this notation (12/23).

December 5, 2024

Just Saxes is closed to all business until February, but sending best wishes for the holidays to all, past friends and future. If you would like to keep track of reopening, when I reopen I will begin posting updates again on Instagram, but not until then, so that is a way to get an alert if you would like one when work recommences. https://www.instagram.com/justsaxes/

January 22, 2023

***New Product for C-melody*** -- I'm coming out with a new mouthpiece specifically made for straightnecked Conn C-melody. It's the best I've played on my own Conn Chu C-melody, and I'm looking for test pilots to let me know what their findings are, and as well to test a raft of pieces I have been playing around with on my Conn Chu C-melody in the process. Buescher, Martin, King, and *curved neck* Conn -- for all these, I am very curious to know how the pieces I'm already familiar with play on them, and am planning to send some pieces around on a tour. If you have a C-melody, and this interests you, please get in touch with me (see "Contact" page).

January 25, 2022

It's a very good time to pick up a new "New Ol Skool" alto or tenor at a big discount. The first shipment of finalized NOS altos and tenors turned out to have lacquer that was not as sticky as I would like. Though they've corrected the problem at the factory in Taiwan, I have a few altos and tenors that are available discounted, where the flaw in the lacquer is likely only to express itself as premature lacquer wear in a few often contacted points, such as the strap ring and the top of the tenon, but these horns are $400+ off their standard pricing. They are EXCELLENT saxophones. I also have 1 Crescent bari in stock, as well as Crescent II altos, Crescent I sopranos (straight and curved) and one or two original Crescent 1 altos and tenors from before the line was discontinued.

July 1, 2020

Just Saxes "New Ol Skool" altos and tenors are now available and in stock, and new sopranos and baritone models are forthcoming. It's hard to find time to make the webpages for these, but they will be up when I can find time to make them.

July 1, 2020

New retail items in stock now:
- Crescent baritones, straight and curved sopranos
- Crescent II altos

August 2, 2018

Just Saxes Custom tenors are finalized -- this may very well be your holy grail, short of an SBA at $12,000, if your ideal tenor an SBA. $1795 in dark, vintage lacquer, $2545 with hand-selected Schucht neck. The tenor can be fine tuned to have a lighter, more lyrical response, like a Mark VI, or a heavier and broader core, like an SBA. These are classic-voiced, throaty saxophones, with a heavy core and modern brightness -- the alto is VI-like, the tenor SBA-like with a brighter edge and bright punch. Full info and details to come.

July 31, 2017

*Newly Available*: Crescent II altos -- more info to come. These are updates on the original Crescent alto conception with many small but meaningful changes. Available in dark, honeyed gold lacquer. I still have a few original Crescent altos, but will be replacing these with the Crescent II exclusively when those are gone. If you own an original Crescent, don't worry: I still have and will maintain plenty of extra replacement parts for the original Crescent altos.

May 24, 2017

*Now Available*: "JS Custom" Tenor and "JS Custom" necks. The JS Custom Tenor is a new offering made in Taiwan that, with a wide array of neck options -- including handmade necks by Tino Schucht -- may be the tenor you have been waiting for at a fraction of the price one normally expects to pay for a Dream Tenor. The necks are compatible with Crescent and Bauhaus Walstein tenors, offering a darker coloration and a more "bebop-and-beyond"-friendly tone, character and response -- a bit subtler and more jazz friendly than the original necks for both Crescent and BW. This new neck is available in both conventional "Mark VI style" templates and a template that has less upward tilt in its curvature; players who prefer the mouthpiece angle of old American saxophones (e.g. Conn & Buescher tenors) will like the changed entry angle of the mouthpiece with the latter style of "Crescent Custom." Available in a variety of finishes including silverplate and bare brass @ $229 + shipping. (more news and info coming soon)

July 11, 2016

Just Saxes has moved to a convenient new location (with plenty of on-site parking) on 17th Avenue in Live Oak and is open for service locally and internationally (receiving & mailing address remains 1840 41st Ave). Hours are now more flexible than in the past, with evening visits with playtesting possible past 9pm.

Currently available vintage saxophones:

- "Yanagisawa-ized" Buescher True-Tone Soprano (Very Custom)

- Classic Conn 6M (rolled toneholes, relacquered)

- Conn 6M, transitional with NY (overslung, no tuning barrel) neck. Very well preserved, gold lacquered, seems to be original lacquer. Plays well as is (with possibly original pads in lower stack), but next in shop line for full overhaul/restoration but with maxed-out set-up. No significant damage, no past-repair horrors hidden anywhere; very responsive, accurate player. This model is my personal favorite 6M, of all the incarnations. Better intonation than many NY neck 6Ms, registers are nicely in tune with each other, with bold, open, freeblowing voice. $1295 without overhaul / $1895 after overhaul.

- Conn 10M tenor (pre-war, rolled toneholes, very good intonation, overall "player's horn" condition, relaquered -- very good option for someone seeking a classic 10M playing well but not restored/overhauled) - price not yet determined. This 10M was originally purchased for full restoration, but with the current work backload it is available with normal servicing (plays very, very well, has cosmetic and mechanical imperfections). $1495

- SML Late series tenor, straight toneholes, very good condition, not overhauled but completely serviced, pads in very good condition. $2195 (may get updated/modernized LH table if time permits -- if so price will change quite a bit)

- more vintage stock is available (see list at bottom of this frame, below), but most saxes are awaiting restoration, customization, or both

Vintage saxophones in the works, and forthcoming:

- Buescher New Aristocrat alto with "01" neck. The serial number on this example is very close to Rascher's. Full restoration. I actually have a second Buescher "01" neck that I'll be testing for compatibility, and it will be an "ala carte" offering with sale if it matches well. The second neck was last owned by the venerable Kidd Jordan, and should be a good one.

- Conn 6M classic pre-war Ladyface alto. Very nicely preserved, rolled tone holes. Scheduled for full restoration.

- Buescher Aristocrat 'Big B' tenor. This may get an updated (modernized) lefthand pinky table, depending on workload.

- Buescher Aristocrat Alto - full restoration including hand refinish.

More Info »