May 2009 Jazz Instrument News

Wednesday, 29 April 2009 13:09

Godin 5th Avenue ‘Kingpin’ Archtop Guitar

The Godin Kingpin pays homage to the post-war Gibson ES – 125 full-bodied archtop, with its single P90 pickup, body mounted tone, volume controls and tortoise pickguard. Instead of the laminated maple or mahogany body of the original, the Kingpin is made from laminated wild cherry. And whereas the 125 sported a traditional rosewood bridge with adjustable saddle, the Kingpin has been brought right up to date with the latest technology from Graphtec – an adjustable bridge which (they say) mimics the tonal characteristics of ebony. It’s a fine looking instrument with a 16-inch body and a nicely matched top table showing plenty of wood grain beneath the tobacco/sunburst stain. With an unbound rosewood fingerboard and 21 medium frets, the Kingpin is an excellent player with a typically Gibsonesque neck.

The intonation is spot on and the articulation and separation is excellent. Tonally it is warmer and smoother than its original buddy. But while the Godin branded P90 offers a typical single coil response, it does not have the bite, the punch or the power that you might expect from such a pick-up. I would suggest removing the cover and replacing it with something like the Wilkinson P90 ‘Pro’ model with Alnico 5 magnets that is wired to the original Gibson specs. This would then potentially give you that classic vibe both in sound and vision.

For more go to www.godinguitars.com

Howarths Chiltern Black Lacquer Alto Saxophone

Howarths of London have recently decided to source their own range of saxophones from Taiwan and if our sample from the first batch is anything to go by, they seem to have made all the right moves. The Chiltern is an extremely elegant alto horn, with pearloid buttons to the keys and plenty of decorative engraving that even runs on to the lip of the bell. The overall balance is excellent and the black lacquer on our sample was flawless. With very similar keywork to a Selmer series 2 and a really positive action together with double action bars on the bottom C, it’s a really comfortable player, particularly in the lower register.

Further up the stack, I liked the positioning of the palm keys and the table is super smooth and particularly easy to manipulate. With the house Rousseau mouthpiece fitted with a 2 1/2 Vandoren reed, the Chiltern produces a good, solid, edgy sound, with a big, powerful bottom end. Articulation and separation is excellent and the harmonics pop out effortlessly. There is a good dynamic range with exceptional clarity in the top register and when played softly, this instrument produces a beautiful sweet and smooth tone. The Chiltern would fit easily into most musical situations, be it a big band, small combo or a full classical orchestra. It ships in a snazzy, zippered hard shell, moulded, plush lined case with ‘D’ rings for a shoulder strap and a solid nylon grab handle. Highly recommended.

For more go to www.howarth.uk.com

Yamaha Specialist Sax Website

Yamaha have launched a dedicated specialist online resource for sax players in association with their award-winning Pro Custom Saxophone range. The new website showcases the instruments in a highly informative and intuitive online environment while offering a huge range of valuable general saxophone related information and exclusive video footage, top tips and interviews with many of Yamaha’s associated artists including Otis Murphy, George Shelby and Peter

Weniger, it also features saxophonerelated tour dates and breaking news with gig listings. These are complemented by a rare and in-depth insight into Yamaha’s saxophone history, design philosophy and manufacturing processes. The website also contains useful playing hints and tips from world class instrumentalists, a dealer locator and a range of helpful product downloads.

For more go to www.procustom.yamaha.com

Rotosound Nexus Coated Guitar Strings

String manufacturer Rotosound has come up with a new range of polymer coated strings they’ve dubbed the ‘Nexus’ collection. Available for electric, acoustic and bass guitars, the marketing blurb tells me that they offer protection from tonal degradation caused by sweat and dirt and by implication have a greater longevity. But perhaps most importantly, behind all this protection the strings retain the tone, clarity and sparkle synonymous with the Rotosound brand. We played through a sample set of electric 10s and while I can’t vouch for the longevity of the strings, it’s clear that the tonal characteristics, the brilliance and the clarity had not in any way been compromised by the black coating. They sang with a wonderfully warm, sweet full tone that jazz players love.

For more go to www.rotosound.co.uk

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