The Keilwerth SX90R has been designed to be reminiscent of the legendary Conn and Buescher instruments of the 1940s and the result is a sax which is full and dark and very, very loud.
However, this sax is not all about looking backwards and it includes some unusual design features which set it apart from its competition. First and foremost are tonehole rings. These are brass rings which are soldered onto the pulled toneholes.
At first glance it appears that the pads are floating on top of the toneholes and I must admit to worrying about the pads sealing properly. This fear was immediately dispelled when playing though, and I would expect that the extra strength provided by the rings will help to prevent sealing problems in future due to mis-shaping of the toneholes. The rings are also intended to reduce wear on the Pisoni leather pads as they seal against a rounded surface rather than a sharp edge. The Keilwerth’s dark tone can also, in part, be attributed to the tonehole rings.
Another innovation is the G# rocker mechanism. One of the frequent irritations of saxophones, from student models up to expensive professional instruments, is sticking G# keys. This is due to the fact that the rest position of the G# key is closed and any sticky build-up on the pad works against the strength of the needle spring whose job it is to lift the pad when the key is pressed.
On the Keilwerth SX90R, when you press the G# key, a rocker mechanism actually lifts the pad from the tonehole rather than relying on a thin spring to push it up.
Other impressive features include the height-adjustable left-hand palm keys which allow the instrument to be set up to suit individual’s playing position. You get the impression that all these design features have been included entirely for the benefit of the player, rather than for the convenience of the manufacturer.
The Keilwerth SX90R is, as you would expect for a professional standard instrument of this price, versatile and responsive enough for any musical style, though its characteristic, big, dark tone make it especially suited to jazz and rock. Intonation and balance is excellent throughout the range and it is a real pleasure to play.
In summary, it is a well-crafted professional instrument which does everything you would expect of a sax of this price but, with some unusual and considerate touches, it offers something a little different to the equivalent Selmer and Yanagisawa saxes.
The Keilwerth SX90R sax comes as an outfit with a neat and attractively designed backpack style case with a large music pocket on the front, a quality mouthpiece, ligature and cap, a sling and a care kit.
