Buffet Crampon Senzo Saxophone – London Arrival at Howarth of London
Howarth of London have had the privilege of seeing the growth of a new saxophone from one of the most established instrument makers in the world: Buffet Crampon.
In June 2012, Howarth of London hosted the exclusive launch of the Buffet Crampon Divine Clarinet, & Orfeo Oboe. Buffet Crampon took this opportunity to show, the saxophone specialists here at Howarth of London, the working prototype of their newly designed instrument made from the tooling that was used to manufacture the Buffet S1 Saxophone. It was very exciting to see the prototype as it promised great things to come; it was immediately obvious that the Senzo Saxophone, with minor developments, would continue the school of classical playing centred on the old S1 model.
At that stage in the development, it was a great opportunity to hear feed back from professional saxophonists. Simon Harem, Bradley Grant, Gerard McChrystal and Christian Forshaw attended the exclusive preview to play the new copper bodied saxophone with Grégory Demailly and Lyndon Chapman from Buffet Group.
Launching the Senzo…
Since the exclusive preview at Howarth in June 2012, the next time we saw the Senzo was at the Frankfurt Musikmesse 2013 in a completely new light! The Senzo was launched in 4 finishes: Red Copper, Yellow Brass, Silverplated Copper and Brushed Copper along with two types of option necks.
Olivia Wild – Single Reed Specialist at Howarth of London was one of the first to try these saxophones and found that they all have different characteristics:
“All three models have a great response in the lower register, they are effortless notes to control and quiet dynamics are a joy. The Brushed Copper has a lovely warmth about it whilst the Silver Plate finish has a more direct response”
“…the necks also offer a flexible options in the set-up, the resonance cavity does open up the sound particularly on the Gold Lacquer model however I prefer the standard neck on the Red Copper Senzo”
Arriving in the UK…
After the official launch at the Frankfurt Musikmesse this year, it was now time for the saxophone to be available at UK retailers. To celebrate, we held a ‘London Arrival’ event here at the Howarth of London showrooms where prospective customers, students, teachers and professional saxophonists were able to try out the variety of finishes and discuss the design with Grégory Demailly and Lyndon Chapman from Buffet Group.
“I am exceptionally happy with the Senzo Saxophone. It offers our customers an exceptionally well made and dedicated option for classical saxophone whilst maintaining the expressive style of playing fostered in many of the UK’s top musical institutions” Stuart James – Saxophone Manger, Howarth of London
Throughout the day, students from various Conservatoires and Music Colleges came to Howarth to test play the new models. They had the opportunity to spend time talking to the people behind the manufacture and design of the instruments they play every day.
It was very apparent to us that every player had a different preference in finish; the four finishes add appeal to the Senzo as it allows you to further tailor the response to you.
Now that the instrument is fully developed, Buffet invited back professional saxophonists Gerard McChrystal and Christian Forshaw, who currently play on the Buffet S1 model to the event to offer their feedback.
It was interesting to hear their thoughts on how the Senzo both reflects and contrasts with the older S1 saxophone whilst small nuances of the design have resulted in a fresh and exciting saxophone for classical musicians. The optional neck with the resonance cavity also extends it’s appeal to players who like a broader response which compliments the excellent resonance of the lower notes.
“It feels like coming home… “
Overall, both Gerard and Christian were happy with the outcome of the design and development from Buffet Crampon, both classical saxophonists expressed a different taste in finish and option neck, reiterating the point that the design caters for everybody.
The ‘London Arrival’ was fantastic day for all, and the saxophone specialists here at Howarth look forward to showing the Senzo to those who couldn’t make it on the day. This is a highly recommended saxophone to consider on your next instrument selection.
The Buffet Senzo Saxophones are now available at Howarth of London and can be found on our website here.
Gerard McChrystal, Grégory Demailly, Christian Forshaw and Lyndon Chapman at Howarth of London Saxophone Showroom
View the full set of photographs of the day on our
Howarth of London have had the privilege of seeing the growth of a new saxophone from one of the most established instrument makers in the world: Buffet Crampon.
