P Mauriat PMXT-66R DK Tenor Saxophone - Vintage Finish

BC3097

Staff Review

For myself, and many other players, the holy grail of saxophones is a sax which has a vintage sound but the ease of playing and robustness of a modern instrument. There are a few candidates for this, but none that possesses as authentically vintage tone as the P Mauriat 66R. Yes, bronze bodied Yanagisawa's may very well be more versatile, but if its the sound of old American style horns you're after- you won't do better. This is the sound of everyone from Lester Young to the R&B honkers of the 1950s - warm & rich but, when pushed, it has an enormous amount of power behind it.

The tone of the 66R is enormous and darker than any other horn currently available (or, at least, any that I've encountered). This is most noticeable in the lower register where the notes, even subtoned, have a room filling resonance. Compared with real vintage horns (and a fair few modern ones too!) hitting the altissimo comes cleanly and easily. In the words of some American reviewer- "so easy to play you might be fooled into thinking you're a better player than you actually are" or words to that effect. Basically these are saxes that play easily- free blowing, easy action, no obvious weak points throughout the registers- leaving the player to get on with the important stuff- like what to play next!

Yes, Mauriat are a new company and questions inevitably get asked about build quality and reliability. The good news is that, from our experience, & some thorough checking over in our workshop, these saxes are certainly as well made as their competitors. Another interesting fact appears to be the fact that Mauriat bodies are made from a noticeably harder metal than other brands- good news for anyone in the habit of knocking their horn off its stand.

Anyone looking for a horn for older style jazz, blues or rock & roll should certainly consider a 66R as a viable option. Anyone who's idea what a sax should sound like is- well, at one extreme Lionel Hampton or Count Basie's saxmen through to the players who used to back Little Richard or Big Joe Turner- Once you've tried the Mauriat, you'll probably find nothing else quite fits the bill. Jules@sax.co.uk

Jazzwise Magazine Review

Imported direct from Taiwan and a superb overall build quality, it looks (and feels) like a million dollars before you even get to play a note. Look more closely and you’ll see that the instrument has hand made rolled tone holes that come straight out of the body – there’s no soldering. The bell has also been enlarged from the standard size, and this gives some indication of what you might expect from the instrument. And boy, does this live up to all those expectations! Handling is not dissimilar to a Reference 54, with a very positive keywork and a relatively close action. The rolled tone holes help to give a certain feel of solidity and offer optimum contact to the pads, while the palm key action is a sheer delight to play through the positioning is near on perfect and those top notes really do ‘pop’. Intonation on our sample was exceptional, with a positive dynamic range that is not too overpowering, even allowing for the large bell, which gives the instrument a big, beefy bottom end. Tonally the 66 has a really distinctive, dark centered tone that reminds you of the Selmers of the late 40’s and early 50’s. The mouthpiece supplied was a generic ‘C’, which we understand will be shortly upgraded, although we did try a metal piece, which naturally gave a brighter sound, with an interestingly different palette of tonal textures. The 66 is clearly a horn with a big personality, and if you’re looking for that full, big rich sound of the likes of Ben Webster or Don Byas – then the 66 comes with our unreserved recommendation.

All of our instruments are fully checked and set-up by our experienced technicians. Regardless of size or price - all saxophones go through the same process.   Here at Sax.co.uk we know that when you buy a sax, our pro set up is absolutley essential to ensure the instrument you're purchasing is playing to it's optimum peformance. 

In addition, all new saxophones purchased from us can be returned within a year for a FREE checkover to make sure your saxophone continues to perform its best. 

Our 12-Step Checkover:

• All transit packing and corks from the manufacturer are removed.
• Thorough visual check for any imperfections in the finish, includes unlacquered saxophones.
• All pads checked for quality. 
• All pad seatings checked using leak lights and traditional feeler paper methods.
• Regulation checked and adjusted.
• All key corks and felts checked, adjusted to set vent heights.
• All spring tensions checked and adjusted to create an even feel across the instrument.
• Neck fitting checked.
• Crook cork checked for cork quality and provided mouthpiece fits.
• Thorough playtest from top to bottom, including alternate fingerings.
• Case inspected for quality, instrument fit and accessories.
• Instrument cleaned and carefully repacked.

• Free 1st Class Delivery on all orders over £100 to UK MAINLAND
• Free Next Working day Delivery on all Saxophones to UK MAINLAND (excluding hire saxophones)
• Competitive International Shipping Rates
  
  

Delivery Schedule

We deliver your order right away. Orders received before 2pm are normally shipped the same day. International orders are generally received in under 7 days.

We have a massive selection of goods, although If your item is not in stock, we will back order it for you. You will always be emailed with the option to choose an alternative or cancel your order if you would rather not wait.

Postage Prices Outside of the UK

Simply add your desired products to the shopping cart, choose your shipping destination and the website will automatically assign your postage to the shopping cart.

UK Shipping Guide

Listed below is a guide to our UK Mainland shipping charges.

Postage Within The UK

Royal Mail First Class (Default Shipping)

First Class Delivery aims to deliver within 1 to 3 days of postage but do bear in mind larger items are likely to need hand delivery (sax stands don't fit through letter boxes).

If your order is placed before 2pm and is in stock we promise to deliver next day. If an Item is not in stock we will refund your additional postage costs and deliver as soon as the goods are available. Over 2kg we use a mixture of regular post (low value items such as bags and heavier stands) & various couriers (usually DPD or UPS) depending on location and value.

Postage Within The EU

Anything under 2kg ships with Royal Mail. Orders amounting to over about £50 ship using a signed for and, if necessary, insured postal service. Orders over 2kg ship with various courier services- again, usually UPS or Fedex. 

Rest Of The World

Any order under 2kg ships in the regular mail (unless otherwise requested at time of ordering). Higher value shipments are sent using a signed for and, if necessary, insured postal service. Heavier items ship by courier - again, we tend to use UPS or Fedex. Please note that, should you want smaller orders by courier (an advisable security measure in some countries) please specify clearly when ordering. This will often incur a higher shipping price which we may have to cover by sending a paypal invoice.

For any order which has shipped with tracking: the full tracking information can be checked using the "my orders" section on our website (a link is on your initial order confirmation). 

If you're based overseas and would like more information on shipping including customs duty, please read our Based Overseas guide located here.

If you wish to return products purchased on our website please follow the guidance below.

Goods purchased online from www.sax.co.uk can be returned within 14 days of receipt. This does not apply to products where hygiene is concerned and product seals have been broken (Reeds, mouthpieces etc). Goods purchased through our website cannot be returned to our retail stores.
Please print and complete returns document found here: Return Document and include it inside your package.

1. You must obtain a receipt with tracking information from the Post Office or chosen courier service. This can be used to track the item(s) that you are returning. We cannot accept liability for returned goods that we don’t receive or for those that get damaged in transit on their return.
2. In all cases, (except where an item is faulty) the item(s) returned must be in its original and saleable condition. This includes all original packaging that must be undamaged and intact.
3. All goods will be inspected on return. Where we have to make reductions in price to facilitate re-sale, you will be notified and the cost will be deducted from your refund.
4. Goods are your responsibility until they reach our warehouse, so please ensure you package them up well to prevent any damage or loss during shipping.
5. The initial postage and packaging charge is non refundable.

We aim process refunds 24 hours of receipt. If you do not see your original payment method credited within ten days please contact us.

Please send all returns to the following address:

SAX.CO.UK RETURNS DEPARTMENT
BROOKLANDS PARK
FARNINGHAM ROAD
CROWBOROUGH
EAST SUSSEX
TN6 2JD

If you have any difficulty or have any other queries regarding our returns policy, our customer services will be able to assist at help@sax.co.uk or 01892662533.