Pete's Tenor shootout

[Pete Thomas]

If it's any consolation to those hoping to guess them correctly, I don't think I could have done if I didn't already know the answers.

 

[Linky Lee]

Quite some interesting findings there.
I picked the Martin as my favorite (for it's great perfomance in the rockier numbers), and the Conn/Walstein as the ideal all round saxophone.

I also think the 901 being the only modern horn there, and the one I least preferred, gives me some support to my idea of it projecting 'more' as modern horns seem to be brighter and punchier like that. It certainly stood out quite significantly to the others.

The other thing is my two least favored tenors where the ones you borrowed (3 and 5), and maybe your slight unfamiliarity came across?

 

[Pete Thomas]

I wouldn't have expected to be uncomfortable with a MKVI, I played one for about 12 years. When I got this one it felt a bit like an old friend. No problems with that. I did find it didn't do too well when pushed hard, which I think is more the issue. The one that actually seemed most alien to me re: the ergonimics was the Walstein. I'm more used to a vintage key latout aso the Yana and Walstein were most new to me, and the 901 has an easier action round the RH pinky bits.

 

[Linky Lee]

Ok, thanks for the info Pete.
I do find that the Walstein is a bit tricky now and then on the old Eb to C move. But then it's something you learn to deal with and I have never found a sax that does it better by any significant amount (not another tenor anyway).
It's good to 'hear' these experiments and so forth, as I do feel there is too much emphasis placed on some saxophones being superior in tone. The MK VI is the obvious example.

 

[spike]

If I'd followed my first hunch that Pete would start with the Conn, I don't think I'd've got any of the rest right, perhaps the yani, but it just shows - it's not what you play it's how you play it. very interessante. looking forward to the mpc comparison. gruss - spike

 

[phil_edwards]

Phil Edwards wrote:
Haven't a clue which is which, but I prefer the lower numbered ones. Probably like 2 the best, 5 I'm not too keen on.

regards, Phil

Pete Thomas wrote:
Here they are:

1. Conn 10M
2. The Martin
3. Selmer MK VI
4. Walstein
5. Yanagisawa 901

Oh, yes, do I feel smug? Being a 'vintage fan', and in particular a lover of the Martin instruments, I seem to have stumbled across an answer that confirms what I thought I should have said (if you see what I mean).

regards, Phil

 

[Linky Lee]

Well done Phil! Though there is a possibility that on a different player you could prefer the modern horns to the vintage ones 😛

 

[TonyMoroney]

Pete Thomas wrote:
Here they are:

1. Conn 10M
2. The Martin
3. Selmer MK VI
4. Walstein
5. Yanagisawa 901

There is also a summary of my observations on the page.

Hi Pete,

A deluge of questions for you

Which Martin was it???
Is this your main squeeze??
Is it more "difficult" (action, leaks, etc) to play well than a modern horn would be??

Obviously I'm not going to dash out and buy one, since buying Vintage horns appears to be a black art in and of itself. But it's nice to know the best of the bunch (in my uninformed opinion) isn't the most expensive (I'm guessing a MkVI is considerably more than the Martin?)

Cheers

T.

 

[Pete Thomas]

No, the Conn & Martin together are my main tenors.

It's a "The Martin" (I believe it's called a Committee, but doesn't say that on the instrument).

See http://www.themartinstory.net/


There's a pic and another soundclip of it on my site under saxophone info.

 

[phil_edwards]

Linky_Lee wrote:
Well done Phil! Though there is a possibility that on a different player you could prefer the modern horns to the vintage ones 😛

Thanks Lee, just let me bask in my skill a moment longer, please!

Pete Thomas wrote:
No, the Conn & Martin together are my main tenors.

It's a "The Martin" (I believe it's called a Committee, but doesn't say that on the instrument).

See http://www.themartinstory.net/

Martin, I love them! And I notice Lee is hanging on to his - see yard sale - they take a hold on you, don't they?

regards, Phil

 

[Linky Lee]

I adore the Martin I have.
there really isn't much between the Hanson and the Martin, which is all credit to the Hanson as the Martins are fantastic, I believe.

It just has that character and charm of a vintage sax. It's also a beautiful ballad horn and I get a better response from it than the Hanson.

If you find a good one, I'm sure anyone would find it hard not to splash out.

 

[Bobby G]

Well, I've come to this whole thread a bit late really, but having had a listen, the sound which is closest in my head to the sound I'd like to make (if that makes sense) is emanating from the Conn, although they all sounded pretty good to me.


Any chance of an alto shootout?

Cheers, Bob

 

[greg_strange]

Any chance of an alto shootout?

You could be opening a large can of worms here. Next thing there will soprano sax shootouts, baritone sax shootouts, various flute shootouts, various clarinet shootouts, various mouthpiece shootouts...there goes the next few months...

Regards,
Greg Strange.

 

[TonyMoroney]

Pete,

I noticed on the Martin and The Conn that your altissimo (or was it overblowing) on the Blues Noddling track was much more clear and controlled, and all the other horns sounded like it was hard work to get up there.

Is this because you play these regularly and "know" them better, if you were to play any of the others on a regular basis would you also learn to control the high stuff on them in the same way, or is it a restriction of the horns?

T.

 

[Pete Thomas]

You may well be right. I tried not to really concentrate on anything, just blow. In order to be as objective as possoble.

Also, it could be that the other horns had not been set up for me in the usual way by my regular technician. OI doubt whether the altissimo is any worse overall on those instruments.

 

[mfox]

i have only just heard them properly , not having a good pair of headphones attached to my computer i was hard to judge.
but here are my thoughts.
horn 2 and 3 were by far the livelier sound and also the crispest on all the tunes..horn 3 did buzz a little on higher notes on bodyand soul.
horn 4 and 5 sounded a little dull.
horn 1 sounded nice but for some key noise (which i actually like to hear, a little like hearing fret noise on a guitar)

if i had to choose i would say horn 1 even though i play a mk6
2nd horn 3
3rd horn1
4th horn 4
5th horn 5

 

[peter_fitton]

I've just come back to this thread because I wanted to listen to the Walstein tenor again (possibly considering getting one).

Surprised to find, on listening again, that for me the Yanagisawa wins hands down on every tune. The sound just seems to have a certain quality to it that the other horns lack somehow, to the extent that it almost sounds like the Yani clips have been post-produced with a bit of reverb or something. NOT that I'm suggesting that's the case, by the way.


Mind you, nobody else seems to agree with me, so perhaps it's just a quirk of my not especially good PC speakers lol.

Peter

 

[Smiffy]

I believe Wind and brass do a 7 day return if you want to try the Walstein out yourself

Knowing which is which may have influenced you now, to me there is no marked difference in any off them, not to the point were any are really bad or outstandingly superior to the others

You could go out and buy the Yami only to find it plays different to Pete's

Each of those horns may prefer a different MP

While it's a good test, to many factors could be added in to change each

 

[Pete Thomas]

Peter Fitton wrote:
The sound just seems to have a certain quality to it that the other horns lack somehow, to the extent that it almost sounds like the Yani clips have been post-produced with a bit of reverb or something.

All the tracks had a bit of reverb, exactly the same.

 

[TonyMoroney]

Sorry to bring this up again from the bowels of the forum, I've revisited the shout recently at:

http://www.petethomas.co.uk/saxophone-comparisons.html

And for the life of me can't find any list of which order the soundfiles are in now, but I can find a reference to the fact that they're no longer in the order that they once were 8|

Am I being dumb and just not seeing where the sound files are labelled?

Cheers

T.