Beginner Sax P mauriat le bravo (tenor) any experience of them?

[ChrisC]

Guys I quite like the sound of the le bravo, currently £1200 at sax.co.uk but it appears that they are not mentioned much on the forum. Is there a reason for this? Should I steer clear? The yamaha yts280 is currently my 2nd choice (for a minute) but I intend to look around for a little while longer before I make a decision.

Just looking for opinions 🙂

 

[Pete Thomas]

Guys I quite like the sound of the le bravo, currently £1200 at sax.co.uk but it appears that they are not mentioned much on the forum. Is there a reason for this? Should I steer clear? The yamaha yts280 is currently my 2nd choice (for a minute) but I intend to look around for a little while longer before I make a decision.

It's really down to what you prefer, if you like the sound of a le bravo compared with all other horns, then go for it. This can be very subjective. Try out as many as you can.

 

[ChrisC]

Thanks pete but this will be my first saxophone so I am a little worried that the guy playing the instrument was able to make it sound great but as a total beginner there may be quirks that I am unaware of or build quality may be questionable or or or or......

I don't know. I'm making this stuff up with no knowledge whatsoever.

Essentially I'm looking for a sax that sounds soft and mellow but I have never played one before so I can't try to produce the sounds myself. So I am looking for other people's view before I buy an instrument that I may regret.

Perhaps at this price level, I have gone beyond the "rubbish" threshold so they are all 'okay' but I don't want to rely on the views of a shop no matter how how trust worthy they may appear 🙂

views welcome.

 

[Pete Thomas]

Oh, I didn't realise you didn't play. Well in that case you certainly can't rely on the sound someone else gets.

My recommendation would be for a Bauhause walstein, I can't think of anything better at the price, starting about £600 and with a lovely warm sound. And about half your budget.

 

[MLoosemore]

Hi Chris,

In my limited experience whether or not a sax is mellow depends more on the player than the horn... Some days my BW Bronze is very mellow on other days it sounds worse than next doors cat.... although I agree with others the mouthpiece/reed combination hass a major impact on tone.

Just go for whatever you like the feel of. As for trusting salespeople, if the shop is well spoken of here chances are they will not want to wreck their reputation by selling you something bad.

I bought mine from Windblowers in Nottingham and they were very very helpful and in my opinion reliable.

... and if it matters to you the B&W was only a little over £800

 

[cloudsoarer]

I know this is a tad late - just wanted to say that I own a Le Bravo 200, and adore it 😀 Admittedly, it's my first tenor (switched from alto), so don't have all that much basis for comparison, but trying several out in the shop, I felt it had more control and projection potential that the TJs, Yanagisawas and Selmers, and has a warmer, more rounded sound too. Plus, I love the brushed gold finish. It's so pretty 😛 (I'm playing it with the Otto Link NY mouthpiece). Just my contribution!

EDIT: No idea how suitable it would be for a total beginner; I had already developed my embouchure some through alto playing, and playing my school's beginner level Jupiter. To be honest though, one of the reasons I picket the Mauriat over the others was that the low notes seemed to be easier to produce with the same mpc, especially compared to some of the Selmers.

 

[ChrisC]

Thanks in the end I fell for the P.Mauriat Vintage series System 76 which I am more than happy with. I have been playing for 2 months now and have leaned to sight read from middle C to high C albeit not quite as fast I would like but hey its only been 2 months but it does mean i can have a go at a few tunes 🙂

 

[Lair5984]

Thanks in the end I fell for the P.Mauriat Vintage series System 76 which I am more than happy with. I have been playing for 2 months now and have leaned to sight read from middle C to high C albeit not quite as fast I would like but hey its only been 2 months but it does mean i can have a go at a few tunes 🙂

Nine years on, how is the System 76 tenor holding up? I fell in love with one (2nd Ed.) at a local store, but am not ready to ante up. Heard from one person that they can be difficult to maintain.

 

[jonf]

Nine years on, how is the System 76 tenor holding up? I fell in love with one (2nd Ed.) at a local store, but am not ready to ante up. Heard from one person that they can be difficult to maintain.

I think it's unlikely you'll get a response, as the OP hasn't been seen on this forum since November 2013.

I had a blow on a Sytem 76 about ten years ago, and quite liked the way it played, but I remember being very unimpressed with the finishing. I bought a Yanagisawa instead.

 

[Lair5984]

I think it's unlikely you'll get a response, as the OP hasn't been seen on this forum since November 2013.

I had a blow on a Sytem 76 about ten years ago, and quite liked the way it played, but I remember being very unimpressed with the finishing. I bought a Yanagisawa instead.

Agree, that 'Dark Vintage' finish is ugly. It is apparently available in 'Unlacquered' and some sort of brass lacquered as well.

 

[jonf]

Agree, that 'Dark Vintage' finish is ugly. It is apparently available in 'Unlacquered' and some sort of brass lacquered as well.

The thing that really put me off was the crude nature of the engraving - more like scratching than engraving. It had been done through the finish, rather than before the final finish had been applied, so it was very sharp edged and scratchy to the touch. Not nice.