There are so many saxophones out there in the world that all look different, yet they all claim the same great intonation, great performance, responsive high register, etc. When looking to buy a new instrument, everyone’s first question is what makes this one special and unique?
The Wilmington Alto is the product of a lot of travel and visits to factories by the owner of MusicMedic, and years of direct communication and development with this factory. When we set out to create The Wilmington line, we wanted to make a great instrument that plays with ease and can be used by a wide range of people who play different styles. Something mechanically sound that will last for years and is repairable.
The Wilmington series has never been marketed in a hyperbolic style, and that’s because we’re repair techs and tool makers and hyperbola is not our style. We like to keep it simple.
Our flagship alto has gone through a lot of improvements since we first began selling them, which may be their greatest feature. We continue to purchase them in small batches from the factory so we can make improvements and have them quickly implemented. In fact, for the first 50 we sold, we were ordering in quantities of just 5. We called the factory with specific changes and they made them.
The features we love about The Wilmington Alto
Stainless Steel Screws: rusted pivot screws is an age old problem, and these pivot screws will not rust or corrode.
Side Key Contacts: we put these on nearly any horn that comes through the Sax ProShop, and now they’re on The Wilmington. Side Bb, C, and E often get out of alignment, techs bend them back, and the metal eventually becomes brittle and work-hardened adding unnecessary torque and wear on the mechanism as well. Side Key Contacts give the key a solid feel and prevent the key from bending further than it needs to during operation.
Rigid G Key Contact: similar to the side keys, the G Key has a long arm that often gets bent from use, and the contact gives it a solid feel with no flex.
No-Bounce Low C# Key Foot: bounce in the Low C# key is a problem on nearly every modern style saxophone, and this foot makes solid contact with the body without bouncing.
Lowered Octave Stem: the octave stem is one of the most commonly damaged mechanisms on the saxophone because it sticks out past the top of the body. We’ve modified the octave mechanism so the stem is flush with the top of receiver.
Raising the Palm Keys: palm keys are often awkward to navigate and many players add risers in order to alleviate the issue. Solving the problem at the source, we simply raised and reoriented the palm key touch pieces for comfortable ergonomics.
Body Modifications: We had the final say about the body tube and tone hole placement. We made sure the bore is set up to play with a great tone and great intonation.
Solid Nickel Body: one of the most unique and outrageous features is that the body and neck are made from solid nickel. We’ve always felt that the body tube itself shouldn’t vibrate, so we made it out of thicker than standard solid nickel. What you get is a rigid body with no flex in the bell which yields a big rich sound. Bent bodies are incredibly common from general use and especially from shipping, but these body tubes stay straight far better than saxophones with brass bodies. This keeps the instrument out of the shop and very consistent. The neck is also made from solid nickel, which resists dents and dings and being “pulled down”.
Pro Set Up: every single saxophone in the Wilmington line is set-up by the pros in the Sax ProShop. Each instrument is gone through and set-up by technicians who spend their days working on the highest level horns, and they give this line the same respect and diligence. This is also where improvements are dreamed up, executed, and passed back to the factory for implementation.
High Tech Materials: currently the instruments are set-up with a mix of natural and synthetic materials, but we’re moving in the direction of adding more synthetics to increase the longevity of the set-up.
Simplicity: When it comes down to it, we think a simple and solid saxophone will stand the test of time. Nothing extraneous, and everything to increase its durability and longevity.
We think all of these things, plus whatever we dream up in the future, makes The Wilmington Alto a great instrument that keeps getter better because we’re never done striving for improvement. The fluid evolution of this line of saxophones make them simply unique.
JUST ANNOUNCED: Free with every The Wilmington Alto Saxophone Purchase – Two Months of Helping Musicians
Anyone who purchases a The Wilmington Alto from now through May 15 will receive 8 free weeks of saxophone lessons!
We know it’s important to get good instruction, and we also know it’s important to support musicians who just lost all of their gigs for the foreseeable future. Many of these skilled players are offering music lessons online, and we want to help you and them!
You will receive vouchers for 8 free* online saxophone lessons from either your current saxophone instructor or we will help you find one. We’ve got a lot of talented folks already lined up that you can choose from based on the style you would like to learn.
If you would prefer to skip the lessons, you can choose to donate your vouchers and we’ll help find player who can use them. Together, we can elevate the level of saxophone and keep musicians employed!
*we will reimburse up to $50/ lesson
Click HERE to learn more & order today!