Saxophones at last but ?

[berniesax]

after looking at all the possibilities regarding the purchase of my new sax. the bauhaus looks like the best all rounder ! but do i buy the prosper bronze model at just under £500 or the professional level entry model at just under £1000.
please bauhaus walstein owners club members can send me your thoughts on the matter
thanx

 

[Rogerb]

I think it's very much a case of "You pays your money & takes your choice".....and IMO essential that you try before you buy.
The cheaper ones I tried were...probably due to inadequate set-up....markedly inferior, IMO, to my Hanson SA-5 (which I realise, was originally dearer....), while the one I bought, which had just had the Stephen Howard treatment was streets better....but at a price.
The cheapest one was actually, for me, unplayable, and the next one just about OK.
Just my experience.

 

[Lloyd]

I bought my Bronze BW tenor from Woodwind and Brass and have had no trouble at all; it was very well set up. As for comparisons to others, I was swayed by comprehesive test by Stephen Howard (I think), which you can find on the old forum. He concluded that there was minimal difference between the BW and the equivalent Yanigasawa, and in the end it comes down to personal preference.

The other thing to consider is if you buy the cheaper model then this gives you extra pennies to consider a seriously good mouthpiece, which many say makes a greater difference than the sax itself.

Anyway, it's fun hunting around. Good luck with your choice.

 

[Col9]

Janes bronze tenor is a joy to play. Had a small problem after a bump in transit but great ever since. It has a warm rich sometimes smokey sound depending on reed/mouthpiece choice. I havnt seen the £1000 walstein sax but we are more than happy with janes tenor and my baritone (both bronze)
Part of me says get the best sax you can, while the other says get the cheaper one its a great sax and you can a great mouthpiece with the change. You can get a mouthpiece anytime, upgrading a sax is more costly.
If money isn't an issue then perhaps go for the more expensive one.

Col.

 

[berniesax]

thank you col
i have been playing with a otto link tone master 5* and rico royal 3 reeds for years ! so i,m happy with my mouthpiece set up.
my hearts telling me to go for the prospher one but it just seems to much of a bargain
many thanx

 

[Kumimajava]

i've not tried the 'expensive' BW, but the 'phosphor bronze' alto that I bought for my girlfriend as a 'beginner sax' plays very well, for the money. the build is very robust, intonation is fine, etc. as with any other sax, a lot of variation in tone can be done by switching mouthpieces.

I did actually speak with Martin (of WW&B) about comparing the PB and the 'pro' (tenor sax) models when buying the alto (just out of curiosity), and his opinion was that the old PB horns are tougher & so should withstand minor knocks more easily. The 'finishing' on the pro horns is supposedly superior, but I've not have any functional issues with the PB horn either.

in a side-by-side with a YAS62, the BW sounded less bright, and perhaps a bit less refined. but certainly it's a sax i'd've been happy with, when starting out.

perhaps it would also help if you told us what you're currently playing & whether you're looking at an Alto or Tenor. If it's a Tenor, I think WW&B may still have a few of the 'old chinese pads' horns left, which are priced around 350 and at that price, quite a bargain. the pads are indeed rather sticky to begin with, but that problem goes away quickly.

finally, if you've not already spoken to Martin at WW&B, give him a call - he's a great guy to talk to & very helpful and honest about his products. (in my case, he gave me some advice on choosing a soprano & actually advised me against the more expensive of two horns i was considering, since he said it wouldn't suit my needs as well as the cheaper one... )

Hope this helps 😉

 

[daveysaxboy]

Hi, i have owned many top horn's,MK6's included over the year's and am now playing on the BW Bronze alto and sraight soprano and am still shocked how good these are for the money.Build,Ergo's,feel,Tuning and Sound are all fantastic for what you pay and would advise anyone on trying them out.If i was to win the Lotto i would upgrade again but for now and a long while more i am realy happy with these 2 Horn's.They can hold there own against many top line sax's.

 

[stephanie]

finally, if you've not already spoken to Martin at WW&B, give him a call - he's a great guy to talk to & very helpful and honest about his products. (in my case, he gave me some advice on choosing a soprano & actually advised me against the more expensive of two horns i was considering, since he said it wouldn't suit my needs as well as the cheaper one... )

Hope this helps 😉

I've got a BW bronze phosphor sopranino, and love it - although I've never played another one, so can;t really compare it. What I really wanted to say was to second, third and fourth chatting to Martin.