King Zephyr Special Tenor Full Pearls Original Lacquer Stohrer Overhaul!

Description

This is one of the best playing King tenors I have had in a long time! It is a gorgeous King Zephyr Special tenor with a fresh, high-end overhaul by Matt Stohrer. The whole thing just wants to play as soon as it takes any air. The solid silver neck gives the tone a density and richer overtones that perfectly melds with the dark wide core of the horn’s basic tone.

GetASax is where serious King players seem to come to get horns that are actually right. Probably because that’s the whole focus of the site, and because I really work hard (and pay good money) to find the best Kings. This is actually the first original lacquer, freshly overhauled Zephyr Special that has made it to the home page without being pre-sold to somebody. I have sold lots of these horns, but they always go so quickly that I don’t get around to listing them officially online! So here’s your chance if you have been searching. The ones on eBay are really crappy. I check every day.

This is one of the nicest, cleanest Zephyr Special tenors in the world. It still has the pink-hued factory lacquer on the silver neck, which is only found on the most pristine examples (resist the urge to polish it off – it’s a status symbol and adds value!). Aside from a few dings removed from the back of the body in the course of an overhaul, this horn has no past repairs serious or otherwise. It’s really really clean. No resolders, no damage to the neck or to the bell flare. The dark, chocolatey lacquer is even more beautiful in person. When I opened this case yesterday with a couple of guys in the shop, they both stopped and one said “Oh man…” and shook his head. With the pearls everywhere, extensive engraving, art deco design features, wire keyguards, and solid silver double socket neck, this is among the most deluxe saxophones ever made.

It is also among the best sounding! I play and collect Zephyr Specials myself, and if I ever get to help design a new saxophone, the bore will be based on the Zephyr Special.

There is nothing like a Zephyr Special – these horns have such a reserve of power that stays full and never thins out at higher volumes. It can rattle the walls and sound effortless at the same time. Low Bb is super easy to play in a saturated pianissimo. The whole thing is evenly responsive and not at all resistant. Matt Stohrer, a Zephyr Special fan himself, did a superb overhaul on this. There is a reason why Matt has a two year + wait to get in for an overhaul. He’s just meticulous and takes the time to get the whole horn right!. The pad work is great and feels ‘dry’ and snappy under the fingers. Everything is tight and fit like a new saxophone. Matt’s obsessiveness goes to the level of copying setups from the King factory on time capsule horns and recreating the voicing and pad feel to be based on factory specs on a new overhaul. “Nobody was ever here” is his repair philosophy – the horn looks like it literally just came from the factory, except the overhaul is new today.

If you want to know what the “King thing” is all about, this is the horn to get to find out. It’s easily one of the best King tenors that I have played. It comes with your choice of a new case among several BAM and Hiscox options.