If
you are thinking of upgrading your saxophone there has probably never been
a better time to consider a brand new model. I would argue that even within
the jazz saxophone fraternity the given that nothing beats a classic Selmer
Mk6 is quickly becoming a myth. The Mk6 was a great horn and there are still
some excellent examples but good ones are harder and harder to find, and
lets face it the saxophone did have its flaws. There are stuffy notes and
the mechanism can be hard to keep in adjustment. The latest instruments from
Selmer, Yanagisawa, Yamaha and Keilwerth plus the more obscure manufacturers
have smooth, dark sounds, effortless tuning, great ergonomics, they look
beautiful and they are robust.
So, to the latest offering from Keilwerth, the “Shadow”. Keilwerth
saxophones have never aimed to copy the Selmer pattern like Yamaha and Yanagisawa,
instead they have offered a slightly different and very rewarding experience,
something like a bespoke suit rather than one off the peg. First off, a pronunciation
check – Keilwerth...first syllable rhymes with “mile”, the
second say “VERT” with a hard “T” at the end – OK?
I have admit to being something of a Keilwerth fan, my SX90R tenor is fifteen
years old, my SX90 baritone twelve years old; call these long term tests and
I can tell you that in that time they have never needed an overhaul, just the
odd pad repair and the occasional ding knocked out and they still play out
of the case time after time. To put it in perspective, previous ownership has
been; on tenor, a Yamaha 62 and two different Mk6 tenors (both of which sounded
great but drove me nuts) and on baritone a Mk6 and a SA80 series II. My Keilwerths
are free-blowing with a clear but rich tone; grown-up instruments. My alto
for many years has been a classic 1940 Conn 6M (Ladyface), a beautiful saxophone
but I was very curious to discover if the new Keilwerth Shadow Alto could give
me the same experience I had had on tenor and baritone. I have been playing
it now for about three months and it is time to report in.
The “Shadow” becomes
Keilwerth's top of the range saxophone based around the SX90R tube design.
It comes in a very smart case with lots of room for bits and pieces that
can be carried backpack style. On opening it up one is immediately struck
by the finish. The tube is highly polished with black nickel plating and
extensive etching from bell to neckpipe. Extensive etching seems to be all
the rage again and for total amount of etching added the Shadow is only beaten
by the Yanagisawa - Pete King model. Once you pick it up you notice the large
bell flare and a wider diameter bottom bow, which along with the very individual
design on the neck-pipe octave mechanism makes you realise you are in very
different visual territory to a Selmer. 
There's
more, the finger touch pieces are set in black mother-of-pearl and the keywork
is silver-plated and you get rolled tone holes, a feature that my Conn Alto
had too. Altogether, a very distinctive look, a real head-turner.
Under the hands the instrument feels much smaller than I was expecting; my other two Keilwerths do suit large hands, a general criticism that has been levelled at the make in the past, but this model feels good straight away, perhaps not quite as immediately right as the Yamaha or Yani but it doesn't take long to adapt. The palm-keys are height adjustable and the touchpieces can also be angled to suit your hands, a great feature available on all the top Keilwerth models and it is really useful.
Perhaps the most significant feature of the saxophone is
the choice of material of the tube. Manufacturers are offering much more
choice now from bronze to solid silver each impacting on the sound. The whole
tube on the Keilwerth is nickel-silver and the company makes the following
claim... “It adapts to and conducts changing frequencies faster than
other materials, resulting in a very direct response, and a well centred
and extremely powerful sound. Other important advantages are reduced weight
and high stability. In combination with the black nickel plating, a completely
new sound spectrum is created.” One tends to take claims like these
with a healthy pinch of salt but I have to admit to being astonished when
I played the 
saxophone
for the first time; you know, they are absolutely right. It has the bizarre
but very pleasing effect of making you feel like you are playing faster.
The response is remarkably fast, there are no stuffy notes and the instrument
is, like all Keilwerths, really free blowing especially round the bottom
end. The large bow diameter really helps here and problems with fluttery
low C's just vanish. And it sails in to the altissimo register with remarkable
ease. All this with the excellent keywork makes for a fast saxophone. But
it not just a speed machine, I find the sound is rich, dark and focused right
down to pianissimo. It is a bit different to the Selmer sound; I find it
less buzzy, maybe something of my old Conn about it. It has a huge dynamic
range, indeed I found my Morgan Jazz M great for Big Band playing but just
too much for solo or chamber work and a swap to a Selmer Soloist helps keep
things under control. As for tuning, well again it is right up there with
all the modern saxophones, spot-on right up into the high register. I have
got so used to playing the Conn for the last twelve years that it has taken
me a while to stop fighting the Keilwerth. I have found that the less I do
the better, I just have to blow, keep the chops still and let the Shadow
do its thing. Before trying the Shadow I spent quite a lot of time with the
new Reference 54 alto. This too is a great saxophone with a strong individual
sound that I will happily rave about to anyone who will listen but for me
the Keilwerth just has the edge in focus of tone and projection.
I
really cannot recommend this saxophone highly enough; it definitely deserves
to be your short list of horns to try. A word of caution about trying out
any new saxophone; the only make I have ever found to play consistently well
in a shop or on trade stands are Yanagisawas. From a recent conversation
with my ace repairer (Gill Baker in Taunton; by the way, she is the best)
it seems that Yanagisawa spend a lot more time setting them up before they
leave the factory. I think partly this is why I see more students arrive
at Birmingham Conservatoire with a Yani than any other horn, but don't get
me wrong, they are a good manufacturer too. My Keilwerth took a good session
with Gill to get it playing really well and it is the same story with Selmers.
That part of the manufacturing process is expensive and I can understand
why the manufacturers let instruments leave the factory poorly set-up old
horns have been to the repairer numerous times so the action has been evened
out and all the leaks sorted so often we respond to a well set-up sax rather
than their real sonic merits. So take time over your choice, be demanding
of the shop, if they are good they will have done their best to sort out
leaks but if the horn feels stuffy don't be immediately put off, let the
shop try to sort it out.
Pros: Great sound, excellent build quality, best ergonomics
in a Keilwerth so far.
Cons: Hard to fault but may well need setting up with a good repairer if bought
new.
