BORGANI JUBILEE VINTAGE TENOR SAX

Please note: Due to the high value on these Borgani saxophones, they are not stocked at SAX-CCESSORIES. Each is ordered with the Buyer's purchase and is non-returnable/non-refundable. Also - see large photo below.

METALS - ALLOYS - SOUNDS - VOICES

This is the Borgani idea. The Borgani innovation. The Borgani challenge. Here's the synthesis of our project turned to make a unique saxophone, the new alternative to the major and prestigious brands in the market. A modern technology, always devoted to the future, winks at the tradition, precious heritage of the past and our craftsmen create saxophones, exactly as a tailor creates made-to-measure clothes: careful selection of materials, high precision of the manufacture, extreme care in all details. The aim towards innovation is at the basis of our constant studies, research, and testing made to reach the highest quality standards. In this way our intuition came - precious metals giving life to the brass and creating different sonorous alloys.

Pearl Gold Finish: This alloy, along with Pearl Silver, embodies all the innovative values and concepts that the revolutionary project of elaborated sound is based on, with the creative rigor and technical know-how of Borgani Saxophones.

Unique and inimitable, the Pearl Gold Saxophone reproduces a powerful sound, vigorous and enveloping, thick and grainy, with a tonal balance that makes it immediately recognizable to the ear: uniform and dense in its sound, thrilling in the high register. In effect we are dealing with a sax able to fill us with emotion through its great roundness and sonorous agility.

It has a seamless balance that, even when pushing expressiveness to the limits, gives the reassurance of knowing that it always has an extra reserve of power if called upon.

The responsiveness is exceptional even with wide embouchures: the instrument always maintains a balance between air pressure and output, elegantly solving the problems of ‘stalling’ which are normally present. Designed specifically for the jazz musician, it is also widely appreciated in other musical genres.

Pearl Silver Finish: Technically the Pearl Silver differs from the Pearl Gold in that the silver is the last layer to be applied -the outside layer- rather than the 24K Gold: a difference that leaves virtually all the sound characteristics described for the Pearl Gold alloy unchanged, but simply enhances the enveloping effect of the propagation of the sound, which has a darker tone; an extremely complex feature to achieve and highly sought-after by saxophonists. This trait is the main reason why many contemporary artists have chosen this alloy, finding at last the emotion of that particular sound that they have always pursued.

Vintage Finish: The ultimate challenge - to reproduce with this sound alloy the rich and warm sound of the wonderful instruments of the 1950’s and to combine this with all the facilities brought about by ergonomic and agile mechanisms, which are exclusive to the best contemporary saxophones.

A perfect pitch, combined with a great homogeneity of timbre throughout the expressive range, puts the musician immediately at ease. The instrument humbly performs all the dynamics which are requested of it, giving the musician the pleasant feeling of being able to play easily any kind musical piece.

The Vintage has the easiest pressure/output ratio of the Borgani productions, without ever sacrificing the quality and richness of sound. Its refinement in the harmonics is superb, even on first impact.

The natural visual effect due to the gradual oxidation of the plate will eventually give the instrument a distinctive appearance, an individual instrument certainly destined to increase in value over time.

HISTORY: BORGANI ... since 1872!

We are a family, a company, a group of people who meet every day and each day share work and passion. We are still linked to our roots and still trying to make our tradition survive.

1872: In a small medieval village in Central Italy, Macerata, Augusto Borgani, driven by his passion for music and not content of just playing the trumpet in the town band, decided to undertake the production of musical instruments and set up a small workshop. His love for handicrafts, together with the attitude of a modern and farsighted entrepreneur, inspired Augusto challenging and innovating choices. He also sent his son Arturo to USA to work at the Conn, in Indiana and learn more advanced means of production and techniques of manufacture. This precious experience overseas was transferred to the workshop that in this way could reach the highest quality standards.

1920: On Augusto's death, the other son Orfeo, trained for study and graduated in Clarinet at the Conservatoire of Bologna, decided to interrupt his artistic career and follow in his father's steps. Gifted with an exceptional genius, he mainly devoted his activity to the technological development of the production, boosting studies and researches and concentrating on the manufacture of woodwinds. He took out several international patents of inventions, still in use nowadays (for example, a clarinet made to play both in Bb and in A tonality, through a simple extension of the central body). But beside this, Orfeo didn't fail to recognize the extraordinary qualities and the importance of the saxophone, the new instrument just appeared, and wanted to bet on this new line of production.

1950: After Orfeo's premature death, his third-born Giuseppe started the activity very young and his interest and efforts were totally devoted to the development of new marketing and trading strategies. Despite the difficult situation of International economy at that time, his ability in business and his knowledge of the market, allowed him to widen distribution and sales network, achieving the goal of exporting Borgani instruments all over the world.

1985: Giuseppe handed over to his only son Orfeo, the 4th generation currently leading the company. Thanks to Orfeo, Borgani can be considered today the last bulwark of fine handicrafts Made in Italy. Orfeo has chosen to reorganize the company structure and production system, focusing on professional saxophones. His new approach aims at a high flexibility and adaptability to the market but never losing sight of the old tradition. At this moment in Borgani history, Jubilee series has been created and together with it, the successful intuition of creating different sonorous alloys by the use of precious metals. The saxophone becomes extremely versatile in performances, sound and aesthetics, offering options for each kind of music, from classic to jazz to modern music.

1997: We celebrated our 125th anniversary of the foundation, with the creation of Jubilee: the new generation of professional saxophones. Our instruments come from the union of mathematics, physics, CAD, old tradition and a hint of instinct. Manufacture still follows those old methods, like, the hand hammering of body and bell, through which the brass plate gains incredible resonance. And the choice of non-lacquering instruments follows the same principle and goal. Particular care is devoted to the assembly of the mechanics, built straight inside each single body, in order to achieve the highest precision. We offer several technical options to be able to meet the specific player requests. So, instruments can be made with or without high F#, or with the bell welded to the body in order to let the sound spread easier in the middle low/low register. Mechanics can be adapted to be as much ergonomic as possible. Our saxophone is a product of the new millennium able to recreate the sound of the eternal instruments of the 1950's, letting that unforgettable sound survive through Borgani style and personality, with no purpose of imitation. Our main innovation is manufacturing saxophones in different precious alloys, obtained by a galvanic process. Each alloy gives birth to an individual sound, characteristic of each musical style.

AN (ALMOST) IMPOSSIBLE CHALLENGE ...

It is well-known by all those who know saxophones, that the most sought-after instruments, those with the richest, softest and most enveloping sound, are those which were constructed during the 1950’s and up to the early 1960's. In addition to their uncontested intrinsic qualities, there is the aura that these models have, an aura which has been built up to almost mythical proportions, because in those very decades they were being played by some of the greatest musicians of the twentieth century, musicians who have bequeathed us marvelous and unparalleled sound tracks.

The instruments made subsequent to this period, when the production processes changed from manual to mechanized means, had a less interesting sound quality, and so people continued to play (and look for) the sound that had been created earlier. With the passing of the years, this emotional divide widened more and more, as the Saxophones that were produced differed from the mythical model, and this had the effect of putting that category of instrument on top of every musician’s wish-list.

The manufacturers of professional instruments subsequently designed and marketed Saxophones which were increasingly more sophisticated mechanically and with a more refined intonation. Some of them have tried, by making the sound output easier, to make this aspect the user’s focus of interest. All this however has never fully convinced the hard-core of the world market, musicians who are fascinated and enraptured by vintage instruments and who are prepared, in some cases, to sacrifice both the ergonomic ease of the instrument and the homogeneity of its tuning, just to have that particular depth of sound.

In light of this, to imagine building an instrument which might even approach the vintage Sax of old, appeared not only over-ambitious, but also  visionary. This is especially given the fact that talented multinational companies with substantial financial resources and skills available to them, have been forced to set their sights on other characteristics, given the difficulty of closely reproducing the tonal qualities of past models.

The SOUND quality of the Borgani has never been a problem. From this premise, in the late 80's, Orfeo Borgani decided to embark on a project almost impossible to realize: to build professional Saxophones with a modern structure, but which nevertheless carry the unmistakable mark of those legendary times. In order to do this, it was necessary to return to the past, beating and shaping  the brass plates, using only the hammer and the experience of the human hand. Thanks to this intuition, the Borgani Company has been able to create instruments which are indeed able to reproduce the sound quality so highly sought-after. The unparalleled manufacturing process has enabled the metal to change for the better, with use and with the passage of time, in a continuous evolution, offering endless subtleties of truly unique sound.

Being constantly confronted with the demands of saxophonists from different musical styles has highlighted the need for a variety of tonal characteristics which offer the musician those features most useful to his or her particular musical style and interpretation. This has led the company to conceptualize and bring about another unique innovation: the sound alloys. Using precise combinations of precious metals, it has become  possible to give different timbres and tones to the different instruments.

The full satisfaction of all those musicians - from passionate amateurs to well-known and established professionals- who have chosen to play the Borgani Saxophones, is the greatest reward for having been able to bring to fruition an idea which was as original as it was unlikely-  the result of passion, courage and great talent.

OUR FRIENDS ...

Working at Borgani means constant and endless growth, rich in gratification and rewards, thanks also to the relationship with the player and the role he has. No longer the instrument leads the player, now the player can turn it to be a true means, able to express his art. During all these years, plenty of famous names in the history of jazz have chosen to play Borgani, starting from Gerry Mulligan and lots of prominent artists, Italian and International: Joe Lovano, Bob Berg, Tim Price, Will Vinson, Stefano Cantini, Pietro Tonolo just to name some ... and some more new rising stars. One special project has been the creation of the series 'Borgani Lovano', thanks to the lucky chance making Orfeo Borgani and Joe Lovano meet.

One of the most important elements for us is working in constant collaboration with players. Mutual esteem and respect are at the basis and so open dialogue and exchange of ideas are. We are here to listen to the player, try to meet their needs, and why not ... to try to realize their dreams!