Mauriat with oversized nickel silver key touches

[thomsax]

A couple a mounths ago I played for the first time a Mauriat w rolled tonholes and green "pearls". I saw that they have a new model:

" PMXT-66RX Influence ... with oversized nickel silver key touches to achieve an effortless ergonomic feel. The key touches are welded on to facilitate further natural vibration throughout the horn bringing you even more in touch with your sound"

Is it true?

Thomas

 

[Linky Lee]

Is it true that it "puts you more in touch with your sound"?

If you think the vibrations from the sax touch pieces going in to your fingertips and through your body contribute to your perception of the sax's sound you'd say True, if not false.

If you were to think that however, you'd probably also think that the difference would be incredibly marginal and you wouldn't be able to tell the difference.

I'm inclined to go down the "not true" route.

 

[daveysaxboy]

I think it's true.My Steve Goodson Curved Soprano had metal touch's on it and i felt you did feel more at one with the horn and i could feel the vibration's more when playing.Only slight ofcourse but i thought they felt much nicer than normal pearl's.It's one of them thing's you like or dont like but i loved them,felt more solid and safe in your hand's and the only way to know is try them.

 

[thomsax]

I'll try one as soon as I can. I don't know if we have the model here in Sweden yet.

Thomas

 

[young_col]

I tried an alto Influence last month. Because the key touches are slightly larger and indented I found my fingertips fitted quite snugly - more in them than on them. Nice but not essential. As to being more in touch with your sound, I didn't notice anything but then I'm not experienced enough to know.
I went for the XA67 in the end because I liked the look of the abalone keys more and it cost a bit less!

 

[old_git]

Help or hinder?
We are all aware of the 'head tone' difference between our perceived and actual voice, usually discovered the first time you hear a playback of yourself.
Wonder if, because of your intimate _____________(space left for funnies) contact with the instrument, your sax head sound is different to the actual sax sound and whether the added vibrations would colour that head sax tone?

 

[stephen_howard]

Bear in mind that some people will sweat buckets if their skin remains in contact with nickel silver for any length of time.
The reason a lot of people bemoaned Yamaha's change from real mother of pearl to plastic pearls on the 62 series was that their fingers would slip off the keys halfway through a gig.

The whole idea smacks of snake-oil - you have a dirty great lump of felt under each key cup and two great big squishy lumps of meat wrapped around the horn ( your hands ) and I very much doubt that the difference between a key pearl holder that's brazed on and fitted with a pearl is going to be noticeably less 'vibrant' than a bit of metal that's welded on.

Daft really, as the 66R is a very nice horn indeed - and that's really all they need to say about it.

Regards,