My first bass saxophone was a 1921 Selmer NY "stencil" saxophone made by Conn (photo). After I'd played it enough to know that I enjoyed playing bass saxophone, but wanted one with modern intonation and keywork, I made the decision to buy a new bass saxophone in early 2001.

I contacted my dealer and told them I was interested in ordering a new Selmer Super Action 80 Series II Bass Saxophone. They warned me that it could take a very long time before it would be delivered.  I thanked them for the advice, gave them my down payment, and they placed my order.

I drove my dealer crazy calling them every 3 or 4 months to find out the status of my order. Each time I called, they reminded me that it could take a very long time before I would receive my new Selmer bass sax. And their answer was always the same: "No news."

Nearly one and a half years later, I called my dealer again for status and was told: "No news." I requested they contact Selmer directly and find out if there is an estimated production date for my new horn. A day or two later, I called my dealer again and was told they were unsuccessful in getting any kind of production status information from Selmer regarding my order.

After canceling my order with my dealer, I found another dealer and told them of my experience trying to order a new Selmer bass saxophone. They suggested I try Keilwerth. I requested they contact Keilwerth and get an estimate of how quickly they could build a new bass saxophone and ship it to me. My dealer contacted me a couple of days later and said Keilwerth would very much like to build me a bass saxophone and would need between three to six months to deliver it.

In late November of 2002, I placed my down payment for a new Keilwerth and waited. My new dealer contacted me every couple of weeks to let me know that the order was on-schedule. In early March 2003, my Keilwerth SX-90 bass sax arrived at my office directly from Germany and in flawless condition (a photo of me with the new Keilwerth, taken a year later on March 28, 2004, is on this page).

The guys at my office loading dock wouldn't let me take it to my office until I played a few notes for them. They were really amazed at the size of the horn and the deep bass it produced. I stopped by my supervisor's office and he insisted I play a few notes as well. Unable to think of anything off-hand to play, he suggested "When the Saints Go Marching In." So, at 10:30AM, many people at my office unexpectedly heard a bass saxophone play "When The Saints Go Marching In". A few people were wandering around wondering where the sound was coming from and commented they'd never heard a saxophone play that low. A "Kodak moment" to be sure. Hopefully, I didn't interrupt too many meetings on that morning.

My first performance with the new Keilwerth was just a few weeks later at the Dallas Meyerson Symphony Center for a special Easter Service (photo). I was very pleased with how the horn responded.

In late 2004/early 2005, I sold the Keilwerth. It was a wonderful experience having this horn, even if for only two years. To see more photo's of the Keilwerth bass, click here.

If you're wondering what happened to my vintage 1921 bass sax, I sold it on e-Bay for nearly as much money as I originally paid for it.

To hear how the Keilwerth SX-90 sounds, click here to visit my personal songs page.