Trane’s Electronic Saxophone…
May 2, 2004 in Articles
Saxy Beast writes “I recently read somewhere that later on in his life, John Coltrane played on an early EWI type of sax. He used it to play two notes at once, kind of like multiphonics. I was just wondering if anyone knew anymore about this instrument, i.e. who made it and if he ever recorded with it.”
Hmm, I don’t know a thing about this. And looking on the net doesn’t seem to turn up anything. Perhaps he dabbled on a prototype Lyricon? Though ‘Trane died in 1967, so, I don’t think that would be it (Lyricons were a 70s thing).
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palealeartie said on May 3, 2004
In Lewis Porter’s excellent biography, “John Coltrane, His Life and Music”, it is written that Coltrane did own a Selmer “Varitone” electric saxophone attatchment and amplifier. Although he commercially endorsed the device, he only practiced with it at home and never rcorded with it or used it in a live performance. Porter’s book is the most recent biography available and definitely the most thoroughly researched.
In J.C. Thomas’s book, “Chasin’ the Trane”, a photograph made by Tony Rulli is shown where Coltrane is practicing at home on his Varitone. The credit for the photo said it was “Courtesy of the Selmer Division of the Magnavox Company”. I assume this was the publicity/ endorsement photo Selmer used to show ‘Trane being a Varitone user. Again, no real mention of Coltrane using it in performance or the studio.
I know that Coltrane often recorded himself practicing on a portable tape recorder and listened back for tone and phrasing and the like, but he often used the same tape and recorded over his previous practice. He could have taped his use of the Varitone, but only a member of the Coltrane family would know it’s whereabouts.
The Varitone was used extensively by the amazing Eddie Harris, and to a lesser degree by Sonny Stitt and others. Harris’ recordings would be the ones I would recommend to check out this neat attatchment (“Plug Me In” is one that comes to mind). The Varitone used a box which had the artificial instrument sounds of flute, clarinet, and bassoon (and maybe something else) that would play-along with the saxophone’s natural sound “doubling the output”. Sounds an octave below where often used to thicken the tone of the woodwind instrument. It attatched to the sax or clarinet by means of a pick-up and the p-up was then plugged into the Varitone sound box. All of it was ran through an amp or plugged into a sound system. There’s definitely more info on the web about it, just do some research if further interested, and definitely purchase some Eddie Harris!! Good Luck-Art Edmaiston
Saxy Beast said on May 3, 2004
Wow. I was able to find out more about this. Thank you very much for the response… Seems like kind of a weird way to mic a sax, and I guess it wasn’t too well rrecieved. I read that most people bought it and then ripped off the Varitone unit to get a good Selmer. On a slightly different note, does anyone know what effects the Varitone can handle (I read that Selmer had around 60 for it)?
wersax said on May 10, 2004
I believe it was the Selmer Varitone Sax, which was a MK VI equipped with a microphone built into the neck and controls for volume, tone and an octave doubler near the right hand keys. It plugged into a Varitone amp, I believe. There’s a blurb and a picture of Trane with the sax in the biography, “Chasin’ the Trane”. I know if no recordings of Coltrane using one…..