24pounds for Yamaha - Does it really "play"?

[juraj]

Hi guys!

Some months ago I was asking you for advice to choose among vandoren java, selmer 80 and jody jazz classic for tenor sax. I would like to thank you for your opinions.
Now I would like to ask about Yamaha. There are a lot of people writning about Yamaha here. I have been playing( not very intesively, only for my pleasure) for almost 3 years, so I found that this thing could be enough for my at this time. Certainly it is not truth that the more expansive the better, but Yamaha is really cheap. Of course that I am not complaining and I am not gonna offer more money to seller only because of my better feeling. Currently I ve got a crap metal piece and the qualities I expect from new thing should be: very good response in low register and thicker sound in high one, good playability, playability in altissimo and from time to time I use to growl. Is it in a power of Yamaha to give me that in to a degree? 😉
4C or 5C?
Is the thing better than for example laVoz?
and the last question - dark or light rovner ligature?

I am eager to buy it so do not let me wait for a long. I would like to read positeve answers but prefer real(true) ones. 8)

 

[Pete Thomas]

juraj wrote:
the qualities I expect from new thing should be: very good response in low register and thicker sound in high one, good playability, playability in altissimo and from time to time I use to growl. Is it in a power of Yamaha to give me that in to a degree? 😉
4C or 5C?
Is the thing better than for example laVoz?
and the last question - dark or light rovner ligature?

I am eager to buy it so do not let me wait for a long. I would like to read positeve answers but prefer real(true) ones. 8)

I haven't tried a lavoz, but yamaha and vandoren are good. If it was me I'd prefer a vandoren (Java A45) over a yamaha, but that's not to say it's better, it is quite subjective -- you need to try them

I can't tell the difference between a Rovner light and dark, I have a few of each and they seems to sound the same to me.

 

[juraj]

Thanks Pete for your advice. I also suppose the vandoren is better one,but yamaha is cheaper. I think Vandoren will be my next upgrade.
But I forgot one think to ask. Is there any esential difference between Yamaha Standard and Y. Custom except the first is only half of the price of the letter?

 

[Jules]

The Yamaha Standards are plastic and quite bright toned (they're good all rounders), Yamaha Customs are Ebonite and aimed at classical players- big, clean toned (good 'pieces but clearly designed for a specific type of sound).
Standard vs Vandoren- again, I'll go with Pete on this- neither's overall 'better' they're just slightly different (I certainly wouldn't regard Vandoren as the upgrade from a Yamaha).
Dark or light?.... beats me, they both stop your reed falling off, thats the only absolute....

 

[juraj]

Thank you guys, both of you. Pete and Nacho. I think I have just decided. I hope I have voted for the right one...

 

[Bobby G]

Both my alto and tenor came with Yamaha 4c's and they certainly do the job until you have a more definite idea of what sound you're after; indeed, some people use them forever and are quite happy with them, although as nachoman said they are on the bright side in terms of sound.

Rovner dark or light? Can't hear much difference myself, although others have their own preference when it comes to ligatures. To my ears, position of the reed in relation to the mouthpiece tip can make a lot of difference - try it with the reed flush with the tip, then try it with the reed set slightly back from the tip (or put another way, with the mpc tip slightly overlapping the end of the reed) and hear what a difference that makes.

Cheers, Bob