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Saxophones Best value baritone?

Saxodent

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After a Baritone Sax
I probably won’t use it that much though if I am being honest.
Which is the best value or most popular brand or model rather than just the cheapest one?
 
Happy with my Bauhaus-Walstein, but it's a bit old now so I don't know what their recent ones are like.
 
This has saved me asking similar question.
 
I got a gear 4 music one - pretty cheap, but it did need a bit of adjusting by a tech to get it properly playable.
 
In my opinion the bari that will give you the "most bang for your buck" is a used YBS-52 in good condition. The link below gives an example. Of course you would want to spend a few hundred to have it gone through by a reputable tech.

YBS-52 Used
 
Yeah, if what you wanna do is maximize the buying power of your dollar or pound, used is the way to go as one can find a good, reputable brand with a good track record for about the same as a new cheapie.

Yamahas will have the highest pricetag, but still relatively cheap considering what you get (IMHO the asking price of the one JBT linked to is...optimistic of the seller....particularly considering there's a patch in the upper crook....and as noted it will likely need a few hours of servicing at least; but he does take offers ~ so assuming there's no other significant body issues, perhaps £1600 is a fairer offer, then put maybe £300ish into servicing, etc);

Other used possibilities = Yanagisawa stencils (Vito, Whitehall, etc), J. Keilwerth stencils (King Tempo, Couf, etc), a B&S or Weltklang, (they made GOOD Baritones) a Jupiter made after '99, or even a Conn 11M are all good choices, typically reasonable market prices, and usually pretty common on the used market if one can be patient over a month or so....speaking of Low A's here....
 
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I had a John Packer JP044.
It was cheap (£800 on Gumtree, never blown!)

It seemed OK, until I got my Yamaha YBS62! Then I realised that there was a dramatic difference - in tuning, response, ergonomics etc.

A Yamaha (maybe a 32) would definitely be a good horn. A very cheap horn will have less than perfect tuning, IME.
 
Happy with my Bauhaus-Walstein, but it's a bit old now so I don't know what their recent ones are like.
I've had a recent version for 3 to 4 years now: BS-YD

No complaints
 
I tried a Bauhaus-Walstein about 3 years ago and it sounded very good. The John Packer Cadence (their Taiwanese model) was also good. But I preferred a used Yamaha YBS-32 to either.
 
I've had four cheapo baritones in over the last week - an old Gear4Music, a John Packer JP044 (mkII), a Rosedale (AKA a new Gear4music) and an old Bauhaus Walstein.

It's pretty clear that the build quality has improved on the newer horns. It's still not perfect by any means but on the Rosedale I had to go looking for the faults rather than having them jump out and smack me in the eye.. It's actually pretty good, and with a £140 setup it'll be a rather respectable horn for the money (it being a YBS62 copy).

They all blow reasonably well; the old Gear4music is very punchy, the Rosedale rather less so, the JP is sort of middling in a good way...but there's really no doubt that the old BW blows them all into a corner. It's got that 'slap you round the face' punch and feels much more adept and punctuated.

In terms of sound I'd give first place to the BW (I haven't seen a recent one), second place to the JP and third to the old G4m - the Rosedale needs a tweak before I can ascertain its true character.
For build quality it looks like the Rosedale might steal the crown from the BW, with the JP running up behind and the G4M bringing up the rear.

I'll be reviewing the Rosedale in due course.
 
I have a client who has one - a pro - and he's over the moon with it, Might even be the chap who posted the review. Haven't seen the horn yet.
 
... sold out

That particular model appears to be on request but usually with Thomann after a few days they have an estimated due date for new arrivals of that particular model, but other models are available. My posting was merely to highlight the positive review of that particular range of baritones...

Greg S. .
 
I have a client who has one - a pro - and he's over the moon with it, Might even be the chap who posted the review. Haven't seen the horn yet.

Thanks Stephen. I was thinking of buying one myself - and only NZD85.00 shipping costs to the South Pacific and all up costs probably half the cost of a YBS 32 here in New Zealand - land of the long white ripoff...

Greg S.
 
That particular model appears to be on request but usually with Thomann after a few days they have an estimated due date for new arrivals of that particular model, but other models are available. My posting was merely to highlight the positive review of that particular range of baritones...

Greg S. .
Fairy 'nuff

Yours is an interesting insight into how commerce works with China
 
- land of the long white ripoff
...land of a remote corner of the world.

And if it costs more to ship to Inverness instead of Edinburgh, is anyone surprised Aoteoroa commands premium postage?
 
...land of a remote corner of the world.

And if it costs more to ship to Inverness instead of Edinburgh, is anyone surprised Aoteoroa commands premium postage?

But it is the 21st century - why does a student model alto sax made in Indonesia cost over NZD3,000.00 in NZ and the same instrument retails in the UK for GBP900.00...

Greg S.
 
But it is the 21st century - why does a student model alto sax made in Indonesia cost over NZD3,000.00 in NZ and the same instrument retails in the UK for GBP900.00...

Greg S.
Good point

I would feel victimised too
 
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