Steve Goodson Gourmet Alto Sax

It’s clearly well built, with a bottom table that feels really solid, double arm action on the low B and C, ’roo pads throughout and a useful triple eye for the strap hook. Put to work, you can glide through the full range with ease. This is a responsive horn and those palm keys are perfectly positioned. There’s good articulation, the intonation’s excellent and the Gourmet is really at home in the altissimo, which it delivers with consummate ease. However, the dynamic range seems a little limited and this horn really lacks that centred tone that I personally feel is an essential to the jazz line. There is a tonal edginess, but there’s nothing unique to the sound. I reckon that the Gourmet is a horn that would be ideal for a big band where there is a requirement for similar tonal and timbre characteristics. Conversely, miked up, that tonal edginess might suit a soul sound or a more driving, rock orientated outfit. It all comes in a shaped, padded, plush lined hard shell case with a shoulder strap and flexible rubberised nylon grab handle.

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