Saxophones Polycarbonate sax?

[C_Claudemonster]

Hi All, I'm very interested in buying myself one of those new Vibrato polycarbonate saxes. Does anyone own one and what do you think of these? I have watched a few you tube videos of these and they sound very nice but look very much like a toy! so I'm undecided at the moment.
Opinions welcome 🙂
Many thanks

 

[Saxlicker]

I think they look funky.
I think the video's you mention sound fine.
Major retailers have taken them on board so I treat that as a small endorsement.
I want one.

On the other hand,
Some people have tried them and expected better quality.
I can only imagine the set up to be a bit unreliable and need a constant eye on adjustment (just a feeling).
You can get a decent brass one for similar money.

 

[milandro]

the one I received belonged to the first batch ever and I sent it back. Later on they seem to have corrected some of the most blatant problems but I am still happy that I didn't buy one.

In my view the novelty aspect is not enough to justify buying one of this things.

this is a technician's overview

on the other hand some people managed to get some good playing sound out of it

In my view, unless the fact that this saxophones weighs 1 Kg ( just a little more than 2 Lb) there is no reason to risk your money on one.

 

[Clivey]

Re the comparison "clip". I actually prefered the more "Vintage" tone of the Vibrato Sax.

I know Milandro was very supportive of the whole concept from Way back, and was also disappointed at the high relatave price when compared to a metal horn.

I think I would have bought 2 almost straight off if they had been around the £200 mark which is about right IMHO.

 

[milandro]

well, I wasn't only disappointed at the price which, in my view, puts the horn in a completely different market that it was originally envisaged by the maker.

I was disappointed at the actual quality of what I was delivered and I would have been disappointed about that regardless of the price paid.

My horn had a neck octave key operating erratically. Two coil springs of the palm keys jumped out as I attempted to operate them (because the glue had crystallised at the base of the spring, where a black plastic disk is supposed to make contact with the body of the horn). Several other keys were not closing well one wasn't doing so on account of a rod that wasn't turning as it was supposed to because it wasn't straight.

I was then told to watch out because the fixed needle springs (again if anyone would ever need replacing one I would be most interested in hearing how they would do that because they are sort of melted in the body of the sax!) had been coated with vegetable oil which was incompatible with the Bayer plastic.

The left hand table (which has been redesigned afterward) was so bendy because the plastic had not structural resistance.

Frankly speaking, I saw no reason to be happy about it so I returned it and obtained a full refund.

I have then , at Frankfurt, seen their improved version they were indeed better but I had lost trust in the project altogether.

 

[jazzdoh]

I had actually thought about getting one of these,i suffer from a serious back problem that has more or less stopped me from playing tenor and straight soprano but i couldn't move past the problems i saw with them.
1 The quality is not yet proven,although as Milandro says they have improved their design.
2 It looks like a toy that you would give your kids at xmas.
3 I prefer to be understated rather than stick out of a crowd.
4 Priced too high.

I think the concept is good especially where the light weight comes in,maybe a tenor and baritone version might just see me going for the wallet and risking the wraith of the other half.

Brian

 

[milandro]

any of the problems would rise exponentially by upscaling this saxophone. I can just imagine what would happen to a Baritone with too flexible rods and plastic bits.

I like standing out....... 🙂..........but with something that works

 

[TomMapfumo]

If you want something plastic,musical and funky then buy a pBone (polycarbonate trombone for £89.95 inc. Shipping) in Green or Yellow. Many fewer moving parts, half the weight of a trombone (about 500g) and officially endorsed by Jiggs Whigham.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JSVadDgaKG0&feature=related

 

[milandro]

Yes that's another interesting story, in the beginning de Pbone was a lot cheaper and then they gave the distribution right to a large corporation.......

 

[jazzdoh]

any of the problems would rise exponentially by upscaling this saxophone. I can just imagine what would happen to a Baritone with too flexible rods and plastic bits.

I like standing out....... 🙂..........but with something that works

Yes i would have thought this to be the case.
Vibrato website did at one stage mention a tenor but had no further details once you clicked on the link.

Brian

 

[jazzdoh]

If you want something plastic,musical and funky then buy a pBone (polycarbonate trombone for £89.95 inc. Shipping) in Green or Yellow. Many fewer moving parts, half the weight of a trombone (about 500g) and officially endorsed by Jiggs Whigham.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JSVadDgaKG0&feature=related

Tom i have enough problems with the sax without trying a trombone😀

 

[jonf]

If you want something plastic,musical and funky then buy a pBone (polycarbonate trombone for £89.95 inc. Shipping) in Green or Yellow. Many fewer moving parts, half the weight of a trombone (about 500g) and officially endorsed by Jiggs Whigham.

It does have one massive down side, though. It's a trombone.🙂))

 

[C_Claudemonster]

hi all, thanks for the views on the polycarbonate sax. I haven't made a purchase and after some thought and having the money there I don't feel I want to splash out on one really - I watched a comparison vid yesterday and when I minimised my screen (cos I was in the office supposed to be drawing!) there was no contest with that and a brass sax. The brass sax sounded so much more full and responsive and yes, I agree that they look like a toy that you would give to a kid at xmas. I had a toy sax when I was about 5 so don't really want to regress! Oh and trombone, lol! I tried trumpet once and don't think it's a good idea for my to try the trombone. They remind me of the cellos of the brass world 😉

 

[milandro]

lots of people seem to have a good reason to buy a Vibratosax and yes, why shouldn't they if they want to?

In my view, unless you are looking for a collector's item (which I bet it will become because my prediction is that at a certain point this thing will loose momentum and ground to a halt) or have a specific need for a saxophone weighing less than 1 Kg, there is no good reason to prefer a Vibratosax to a traditional brass saxophone.

Of course specific need ( like playing under the shower) might apply but my guess is that they are not widely shared by the saxophone population and large.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XkXAgvaGU0k

 

[jazzdoh]

lots of people seem to have a good reason to buy a Vibratosax and yes, why shouldn't they if they want to?

In my view, unless you are looking for a collector's item (which I bet it will become because my prediction is that at a certain point this thing will loose momentum and ground to a halt) or have a specific need for a saxophone weighing less than 1 Kg, there is no good reason to prefer a Vibratosax to a traditional brass saxophone.

Of course specific need ( like playing under the shower) might apply but my guess is that they are not widely shared by the saxophone population and large.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XkXAgvaGU0k

Went swimming this morning,knew i should have taken my sax with me.

 

[milandro]

yes, once George Harrison when visiting a friend gave him a ukulele and played all day with him ukulele , when he was going away he told his friend that he had a few more ukuleles for him in the booth of his car, he opened it and there there were dozens of ukuleles and he told his friend that he always had a fe with him: " Because you never know when you need one! "

Never be caught short! Take a saxophone with you at all times....

 

[TomMapfumo]

It does have one massive down side, though. It's a trombone.🙂))

Not enough buttons then..............

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PMIBEpWD1Mg&feature=related

 

[picconose]

It does have one massive down side, though. It's a trombone.🙂))

The old joke is that the only difference between a dead snake in the road and a trombone player is that the snake was on his way to a gig.

 

[TomMapfumo]

The old joke is that the only difference between a dead snake in the road and a trombone player is that the snake was on his way to a gig.

At least in the UK it is easier to get a gig if you play a trombone than if you play sax...............:shocked:;}

 

[milandro]

true enough anywhere, I think, there is never shortage of people whom blow into saxophones (saxophone players.... that’s a different thing) but trombonists (especially good ones) are difficult to find.