Keilwerth Saxophones: the Best of the Best?
When it comes to saxophones, there are a few brands that stand out as industry leaders from the rest.
Keilwerth, Yanagisawa, Selmer, and Yamaha, are all well-known by jazz musicians for their high-quality instruments.
But of these three, is Keilwerth brand the best?
In this blog post, we'll take a look at the Keilwerth SX90R Alto sax to see what sets it apart from other horns.
Keilwerth Shadow SX90R Alto Sax
I've been playing the saxophone for almost 20 years now, and in that time, I’ve played my Keilwerth Shadow SX90R Alto Sax for 15 of those years.
I've always loved my Keilwerth Shadow and it has set me apart with its distinct Keilwerth sound.
Throughout grade school I nicknamed my instrument my “Shadow” because of how much practice I would put in.
It’s simply because my saxophone could be frequently found in my own shadow.
I was always drawn to this instrument to which I owe much of my musical success.
I believe that I excelled in my musical journey directly from using this enhanced professional horn.
In this blog post, I'll break down some of the features that make this sax so special to me.
Fashion
First and foremost, the Keilwerth Shadow SX90R just looks stunning.
The attention to detail in the engravings is absolutely second-to-none; when you look at this sax, you can tell that it was crafted with care and precision.
The initials “JK” for Julius Keilwerth are cleverly and elegantly engraved as one letter as you can see.
In band class I remember making jokes and pointing out to the initials “JK” to convey to my band mates that I was “just kidding.” Ha!
The hand engraved flowering all over the horn is signature to the SX90R.
I am drawn to all of the tiny details I can never get tired of looking at that make this sax a work of art.
Each of the note pads has a different color than traditional saxophones.
Instead of orange pads the Keilwerth Shadow has black pads to match the German nickel silver and black nickel on this model.
This horns’ bell is notable because it is relatively larger than other horns.
Just take a look at the size difference and you will notice that the sx90r shadow has a larger presence when it comes to horn size.
The dark pearl keys give an enhanced feel to the saxophone.
If you pay attention closely you can feel the texture of the pearls on some of the keys.
They are not as smooth as glass like many other horns which adds a feeling of genuine quality.
The nickel silver plated bell makes this saxophone stand out. Many people, including myself, are drawn to this aesthetic.
The black nickel features are perhaps how this saxophone earned its name “shadow.”
The finish is robust and is not as susceptible to scratches as I thought when I first became the owner of this brand.
The blued steel springs are one of the tiny details that is an elegant touch that may not be noticed early on, but after hours of getting lost in the engravings it is a small notable feature that demonstrates the attention to detail at Keilwerth.
The Shadow is a SX90R design with the major change of the material used in the neck, body, and bell.
Instead of brass, the Shadow Alto is made from solid nickel-silver.
Nickel-silver is an alloy made up of 60% copper, 20% nickel & 20% zinc (brass is 70% copper and 30% zinc).
The name “nickel-silver” is due to the lighter color than nickel but not quite as light as silver.
As a matter of fashion, those concerned with getting attention from the design of this horn will not be disappointed.
Often I will have a musicians stop all focus just to checkout the silver plated bell, the pearl keys, the adjustable palm keys, or other design details not found on other woodwinds.
Why Keilwerth?
I chose the Keilwerth Shadow SX90R over other brands for a few reasons.
First off, it was an upgrade from my previous saxophone.
I owned a Conn Alto Saxophone that after a certain point in practicing, I was limited in the way that the horn functioned.
There was simply not enough practicing I could do to overcome some of the performance issues as a beginner saxophone player.
Secondly, at the time, playing through the keilwerth on some of the most extreme ranges of the saxophone seemed effortless even all the way down to low Bb.
Lastly, its price point was unbeatable for what you got in terms of quality and features.
At the time I was a student and was fortunate enough to have received a student discount and supporting Mom & Dad to make it all possible. (Thanks Mom & Dad!!)
Even today, the Keilwerth Shadow SX90R holds up well against competitive models from other brands like Yanagisawa.
It has truly been a timeless piece of craftsmanship that any saxophonist would be proud to own.
This alto sax is a workhorse instrument; it's durable, has a great tone quality, and is just overall a joy to play.
Quality craftsmanship
One of the things that sets Keilwerth saxes apart from other brands is their quality craftsmanship.
Every Keilwerth saxophone is hand-crafted with care and attention to detail.
This ensures that each instrument is of the highest quality and will last for many years to come.
The tone quality of the instrument is unlike most other horns. It’s got a rich, dark sound that can really fill up a room with its power.
The rolled tone holes seal the tone holes better than straight tone holes.
The tone hole rings are smooth and rounded on a Julius Keilwerth sx90r shadow which makes the build design of this historic brand elegant.
Finally, the build quality is outstanding; this thing is built like a tank!
I've had mine for over 15 years now and every once in a while I will get it tuned up by a sax repair professional and it will play like new.
A rich history
Another thing that sets Keilwerth apart is their rich history.
The company was founded in 1925 by Julius Keilwerth in Germany and began as a stencil company.
Meaning they would completely build out new saxophones and allow other companies to put their own name on the instrument.
They have been making professional alto saxophones ever since these early years.
The company grew into one of the largest saxophone manufacturers in Europe at the beginning of WWII, with roughly 150 workers.
This long history of excellence means that you can trust Keilwerth to provide you with an exceptional, long-lasting instrument.
Mouthpieces
In terms of mouthpieces, I've got two that I use depending on the style of music I'm playing.
Generally however, I only use a Vandoren V16 A5 mouthpiece as it is versatile for jazz musicians.
It is by far my favorite saxophone setup I have ever owned.
For classical pieces, I would use a C star S 80 Selmer mouthpiece made in France.
It provided a pure tone quality suitable for classical saxophone pieces.
Both mouthpieces work great with the Keilwerth Shadow SX90R and help give me with the flexibility I need to play any type of music.
Conclusion
If you're in the market for a new alto saxophone, I highly recommend checking out the Keilwerth Shadow SX90R.
This is an instrument that ticks all the boxes: great tone quality, beautiful design, impeccable build quality, and unbeatable value for money.
It's suited for any style of music you might want to play, and it will provide you with years of trouble-free enjoyment.
Thanks for reading!
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