Selmer Varitone

For a typical vintage saxophone, finding a suitable performer is not a problem. There are plenty of jazz virtuosos in Japan who are experienced in handling vintage instruments. However, this instrument is not typical. Moreover, there are probably no players in Japan who have ever played a fully functional Varitone. Keeping in mind the characteristics, potential, and limitations of this instrument, I sought a performer who could meet several conditions.

FirstEffectorBeing skilled in handling analog. Naturally, this is essential.EffectorYou have to control its inherently ambiguous responses, and the effects themselves are rather idyllic compared to digital effects. In short, the response is generally sluggish. Incorporating this troublesome function into actual performance requires a high level of experience and a good sense for effects.
Photo: Next, it possesses diverse musicality. Whenever I listened to jazz players using this system, I realized that the true value of this electric saxophone is best appreciated when it transcends the boundaries of jazz. When it comes to performances that adhere to the formats of bebop or modern jazz, it ends with a simple "Ah, I see."

The real appeal of the Varitone lies in the blend of live and effected sounds. I dreamt of a genre-less "improvisational performance," where I would weave phrases while being inspired by the changes in sound.

Lastly, although not an absolute requirement, the player must not use an American Selmer Mark VI as their main instrument. Ideally, they should be a formidable player who doesn't find Selmer in general particularly appealing.

The Varitone system is an oddity (a bizarre thing) that takes a renowned American Selmer Mark VI and attaches wiring tubes that deliberately dampen the resonance, and drills holes in the precious neck. If you're a fan of the Mark VI, you'll undoubtedly be disappointed the moment you see this instrument. Moreover, if you highly value the original sound of the Mark VI, you'll be disappointed from the start, thinking, "Why would anyone bother to run electricity through such a well-maintained Mark VI?" That's a problem.

In fact, I have announced to a few players, "Actually, we have something like this in our shop," to gauge their reactions, and as expected, they said things like, "Oh, I know that, it's a shame to throw it away," or "But,EffectorSometimes I would get cold responses like, "You're just plugging it in, aren't you?" I felt that it would be difficult to reflect the charm of this instrument in the playing unless the musician was 100% interested in it.

The results are as you can see. A few days after that fateful encounter, Mr. Tanaka came to the shop. All I asked was, "No bebop, please (laughs), I'll leave the rest up to you," that's it. Immediately after a rehearsal that lasted less than 10 minutes, including checking the equipment, this demo performance was a live, impromptu performance.
The location was our store's 3rd floor sales floor, a cramped space in front of the counter at the entrance. You can't tell from the screen, but the intense heat beam from the spotlight was directly shining on him. Despite such poor conditions, he delivered a fantastic performance that exceeded expectations.

Never before has the Selmer Varitone been played to its full potential. If we went back to 1965 and showed this demo to the developer, what would their reaction have been? This recording will undoubtedly be featured countless times in the future as a sound recording of this instrument.

*The controller box is located on the key guard below the saxophone body. The knobs for adjusting the depth (DEPTH) and speed (SPEED) of the tremolo amplitude are located on the front of the amplifier. The player must switch these knobs while playing the saxophone, but in past performances, players would decide on the controller settings beforehand and simply switch the NORMAL switch ON/OFF at key points. In this demo performance, in order to make the most of Varitone's full potential, various settings are combined within a single song. In the video, you can see Mr. Tanaka instantly adjusting the knobs without interrupting his phrasing. Watching the demo performance while observing the changes in sound and these actions offers a new kind of enjoyment.

It all started when I happened to meet Mr. Mizumoto of THE Used Musical Instruments Shop on the streets of Okubo one day.
"Oh, it's been a while," I said. "It has been a while, hasn't it? Oh, by the way, Tanaka-san, I have something I'd like to talk to you about, or rather, a favor to ask..." he began, and after taking care of my errands, I visited the store again. That was the first time I heard the word "varitone," and I thought, "Huh?" When the actual product was brought in front of me, I couldn't help but exclaim, "Wow!!!"

A sparkling MK6 and an amplifier with the Selmer logo on it for some reason... what could this be? Thanks to Mr. Mizumoto's detailed explanation, I learned that it was an analog effects system developed to meet the demands of the electric era, and my eyes were glued to the "electric" modifications added to the saxophone itself. The neck with a piezo microphone attached, the "piping" running along the body for the wiring, and the apologetic-looking Mark 6 engraving next to it... it's a truly rare item!

First, try playing the saxophone itself...A self-proclaimed and widely recognized non-Selmer playerAnd I am a Mark 6!NewThe fact that it felt almost brand new and easy to play was very impressive.

Then we moved on to testing the guitar with the power on, which was incredibly interesting. First, the echo had that classic electric guitar echo of that era. The octaver didn't work unless you put some breath into it, or rather, vibrated the body of the instrument with a sound containing a lot of harmonics. The tremolo, on the other hand, vibrated mercilessly like an artificial heart, and combined with the overall inefficiency and awkwardness, I found it to be a truly endearing system.
Actually, there was a time when I was quite into effects, and I used to love using digital/analog delays, loops, envelope filters/auto-wahs, whammy pedals, octavers, and so on (I still use them occasionally).

While Varitone doesn't have that sharp, responsive feel of digital pedals, considering the music of the era in which it was created, it's clear they were aiming for a pretty hip sound. The sensation of a sound completely different from live reverberation "electrically" flowing through your body must have been a refreshing experience that we, born in an age where effects are commonplace, can't fully comprehend. I imagine the electric guitar staff were full of enthusiasm, but I can picture the saxophone makers scratching their heads and wondering, "Why are we doing this?" while connecting the pipes according to the specifications (laughs).

I don't know how many of these systems were actually made, but I suspect they weren't widely available on the market. The manufacturing costs were probably high, and it inevitably faced competition from Barcusbury's piezo microphones, so perhaps it got overlooked. There are actual recordings of it by Eddie Harris and Sonny Stitt (which I haven't listened to myself), but when I was asked to record the sound samples for this post, I was only asked to play something that wasn't just bebop with effects applied (laughs). And that's how this rather unappealing sample was created. I didn't have enough time to fully understand the system when recording these samples, so I tried to do as much as I could on the spot, based on whatever came to mind at the time. In the future, I think it would be interesting to use it in a live performance, for example, and record a version 2 sample.
As an aside, I later saw an alto saxophone that had been part of a Varitone system in the workshop of a repairman I knew. It had been stripped of all its wiring and piping, leaving it as "just a regular alto saxophone." It was like seeing a defeated warrior, and a touch of sadness suddenly crossed my mind.

Kunikazu Tanaka's Profile

Born in 1966, he became devoted to jazz and pop music during his university years and has since taught himself the saxophone. With a sweet tone and a style described as having a broad perspective on music, he blends into any sound while exuding an original presence. In addition to his solo activities, including jazz, he participates in groups such as "sembello (a co-led band with Oki from Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra)," "Tokyo Chuteiiki (an ensemble of 11 baritone saxophonists)," "blackvelvets (a modern reinterpretation of mood music)," and "Tanaka Kunikazu Jazz Trio."
They have participated in numerous recordings and sessions, and have performed at festivals both in New York, London, Monterey, and other locations both domestically and internationally, further expanding their field of activity.

www.kuni-kuni.net

I recall my first encounter with the Selmer Varitone system. Prior to that, I had purchased a deadstock...NewSimilar item!! All I'd heard was that it was an American Selmer tenor saxophone in the 140,000 range. My heart was pounding. The moment I opened the case, I thought, "Hey, who's this?!"EffectorThey're still stuck in there together,NewThey're the same, I just can't believe it anymore. Huh? They're stuck together..."

To be honest, I was also disappointed. The more I looked at it, the more I sighed in disappointment. The neck and body were almost completely undamaged, without any damage. It was a Mark VI in deadstock condition. And yet...

I managed to pull myself together and looked into this product. Eddie Harris was listed as a player who used this equipment in the 60s. I listened to Harris's playing. It had been over twenty years since I last heard it. Memories of listening to the same record in my student days came flooding back. Ah, just as I thought. Amidst his consistently laid-back, funky playing, I could hear faint overlapping octaves. Even back then, I felt that the sound processing was rather shoddy, but I never imagined that this was a performance using an electric saxophone. So this is the sound of the Varitone. I was even more disappointed.

The turning point came when a part of the nearly dead system was restored. The neck pickup came back to life, so I decided to give it a try. I was taken aback by the octaver's power, though imperfect, and its sustained energy. It was on a completely different level from the thin octaves I'd heard on records. I was convinced this was going to be interesting.

Finally, I would like to thank Mr. Tomita and Mr. Sato for their efforts in adjusting this troublesome instrument.

Planning Manager: Mizumoto

*Finally, please enjoy this rehearsal take from just before the demo recording. Even though it's a rehearsal, it's a performance well worth listening to!