Brand

Pierret

Selling a freshly repadded Low A bari sax made by Pierret, stenciled for Van Marle (French sax retailer) https://offerup.co/faYXKzQFnY?$deeplink_path=/redirect/ https://offerup.co/faYXKzQFnY?$deeplink_path=/redirect/ From everything I've been able to find online, this is an "Artiste" or "Super Artiste" model from the 1950's or 60's (serial # 1787), which were mostly made keyed to low Bb, but some were keyed to low A by adding a bell extension, much like a Conn 11M. I can honestly say this horn has the most beautiful tone of any low A bari I've ever played, simultaneously huge, mellow & projecting. The sound is darker/rounder/fatter than my Buffet-Crampon Super Dynaction, clearer and less airy/stuffy than a Conn 11M, and doesn't have the nasal/thin/closed-in quality of a lot of Yani's, Yamahas, and other modern horns that I've tried. All pads are brand new MusicMedic SoftFeel pads w/ domed metal resos (except one domed plastic), all sealing very well without excessive pressure. It has not been overhauled, but a couple dents near bell keys were removed to address tone holes that were not level, so all tone holes are now sufficiently level to enable good pad seals. There are a number of other purely cosmetic issues (all listed below), none of which affect playability. Like all vintage Low A bari's, it has some intonation quirks that will take some getting used to, specifically: - the low A itself is pretty sharp, lipping down can bring it in tune, can also be mitigated by attaching any material inside the bell (essentially making the low A "tone hole" smaller) - palm keys are a bit flat, not too far to lip up I created a pants guard out of moldable thermoplastic for the low A mechanism which curves around the left side of the horn. The plastic clips onto the post and deflects pressure away from the mechanism without impeding its movement at all. Doesn't look pretty, but works perfectly without making any permanent alterations to the horn, and isn't really visible when playing. I can include this as pictured or remove it if you prefer. (see photo) Additional detailed notes on current condition (see photos for all): - original lacquer - all action in good alignment - there is a small crack in the neck receiver right by the screw but the tenon fits tightly and has been tested by a technician and confirmed to be airtight, so the crack is cosmetic only - neck cork in great shape - all pinky key rollers freely moving - functional adjustment screws for low F# to bis & G# linkage - several minor dents here and there, nothing major that affects playability, decent dent in neck loop, dent in body tube from bell brace but nearby pads are sealing and body tube is straight - pearl missing from low C key guard - additional neck strap hook has been added to supplement the original hook that is partially worn through, farther down the body to balance the weight and prevent from swinging towards your mouth - alt F# keyguard has been resoldered; low Eb keyguard has had 2 screw posts resoldered and 1 post missing (spare screw included); low C keyguard needs 1 post resoldered; low Bb & A keyguards each have 1 post resoldered - low A keyguard has one broken screw w/ bottom half frozen stuck in the threads in the base; a thin felt has been added between screwhold and base to prevent rattling - case is structurally sound overall with a couple loose hinges Local pickup from Los Angeles