Reverse GAS

Ivan

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Peeblesshire
I've only ever played one tenor and I don't know what I'm missing in the big wide world. As a keen reader of all that is said about hardware in this forum I formed the opinion I need to escape the closet

Popped into sax.co this week and c/o of a very helpful Gallic sounding gent (Québécois would be my guess?) I had a go on Yamaha Custom Z, Yam 875 and a Yanagisawa T901, tenors all

I used my own mouthpieces

I was hoping for an epiphany either in sound or ergonomics

Nada

Not a sausage

All good instruments but I couldn't find much to distinguish them from each other and no feature preferable to my old horn

I return to my Selmer SA80II happy that it is an alright sax and I don't need to covet another, though I probably ought to be disappointed that I'm simply not expert enough to discern or produce significant differences on other good saxes

(I do however have a mild mouthpiece GAS affliction so the bank balance isn't entirely safe)
 
Peeblesshire to Sax.co seems quite a journey, supports my thoughts that when reading a forum you are missing something..... seems a worthwhile itch to scratch!
I was itchy but I was down for work and nipped out for a flying visit to the shop

You're right it was a much needed scratch
 
I had a similar experience when I used to drive a Rolls Royce. I used to test drive lots of other cars but they didn't make me as happy as the roller.
 
To say its greed is way too simplifying the issue - It's not just caused by greed (though it can be) , It`s also the want to try and search out something different or better - I went through it with squeezeboxes and it gets a grip of you ...

Some get it because they can`t find they`re getting what they want from what they have (and often end up back where they started - Witness Davey and the 82Z) .
others again get it because they want to try something different and/or are interested in the actual instruments themselves as much or more than making music (DaveUK ? / Prof ?) this is where collectors come in also .

Trying to get a handle on the kind of sound you want by swapping and changing horns or mouthpieces is pretty common and when something is settled on , it`ll last . sometimes this takes quite a while.. people who live within commuter distance of sax.co take being able to try stuff for granted but there are many of us who haven`t a sax shop of that level within 200 miles return trip so going through a few horns and seeing what sticks and what doesn`t is a good way , also a quick dem in Sax.co isn`t going to tell all , living with an instrument for a few weeks at least is needed (witness DavidUK and the Purp-vs-SDA thread) with mouthpieces even more so hence the 1 week trial time on the Passrounds.

I`ve thankfully not been afflicted with Real GAS Sax wise, Yup - I`ve tried a few Altos (being new adding Alto and sop) but the Budget end RAT and Sakkusu lasted nearly a year until upgraded to the current Purp-62 & Step - and tried a battered Conn along the way, had two Sops , the Elky-300 and the YSS475-II but Tenor wise, it went MkVII to 62-Silver to 61/32 in 30 years ! . as for Mouthpieces I absolutely hate that ratrace and have avoided it as much as possible ....... Others have needed more horns per annum to reach their goal

Sorry Kev but To write it off point blank across the board as sheer unadulterated GREED is disingenuous . every case is different, some of it maybe greed but to many its a search - I know this from my Squeezebox days - I have only two now, I found them after a long search and have had them nearly 3 years with no interest to change .
 
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Mind you, a Selmer SA80 ii is quite a nice instrument in the first place 🙂
GAS isn't only about having the best. It's greed, based on wanting something you haven't got. It's not rational, it's emotional.

Last century, I took years to replace my SA80II (that I hated) and I tried several MkVIs before finding the good one.
One more mouthpiece never hurts...
 
people who live within commuter distance of sax.co take being able to try stuff for granted but there are many of us who haven`t a sax shop of that level within 200 miles return trip so going through a few horns and seeing what sticks and what doesn`t is a good way .

Don't forget we also have Howarth's and a few more shops. >:)
Last time I popped in a shop, I left £100 (deductible) lighter but I am still not sure what I bought.

I don't see buying/selling to get something that works for you as gas.

Denial phase...
 
I don't see buying/selling to get something that works for you as gas.
But when you keep the rejects without a good reason. Or want another mouthpiece/sax just because...

Thanks for Clarifying that Kev and I agree - some here however think that GAS is having owned more than three saxophones of the same size in a lifetime even if only one or two were kept ..
 
Just because you can afford it is why you buy it! I don't see anything at all wrong in it. It is nice to own nice things. I have four bedrooms but I don't need them all..! Probably have thirty mouthpieces, it gives me some fun to try out on my horns, I appreciate them, I learn new things from them as they are all different and I enjoy having them to hand.
 
Maybe its time for one of those Facebook Quizzes where an applet decides which Disney character you are or who you are most like from Pirates of the caribbean etc - LOL .

Are you a REAL Sax GAS ? ..

A Mouthpiece Addict ? ..

Merely a Searcher after the perfect sound ? ..

....... or a stingey frump who even only buys a new reed when the old one is too short to fit under the lig and needs removing with a Stanley knife, thinks that dedicated Saxophone pads are optional and has weird circles cut out of the sofa , thinks that having a recognisable name on the horn is snobbery and money is for betting on the GeeGees and keeping breweries in business ......
 
But you didn't try a great one such as a Yanni t992 in bronze

Meanie

Anyroad I didn't try anything I'll never afford...no other Selmers f'rinstance

I'm not magpie enough to be attracted to brands with bling skin deep features such as let's-be-honest-not-precious-touch-pieces or variegated finishes
 
On most of the horns that I have played since I started my journey I just tend to sound the same, very subtle differences in sound, ease of playing and amount of effort required also. Mouthpieces and reeds seem to have more effect but I still reckon I just sound pretty much the same.

The Yanagisawa I have just bought is a doddle to play but doesn't have "paint stripper" power of my 10m which is also very good ergonomically, do I need the power of the Conn? I may have a decision to make!
 
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I've only ever played one tenor and I don't know what I'm missing in the big wide world. As a keen reader of all that is said about hardware in this forum I formed the opinion I need to escape the closet

Popped into sax.co this week and c/o of a very helpful Gallic sounding gent (Québécois would be my guess?) I had a go on Yamaha Custom Z, Yam 875 and a Yanagisawa T901, tenors all

I used my own mouthpieces

I was hoping for an epiphany either in sound or ergonomics

Nada

Not a sausage

All good instruments but I couldn't find much to distinguish them from each other and no feature preferable to my old horn

I return to my Selmer SA80II happy that it is an alright sax and I don't need to covet another, though I probably ought to be disappointed that I'm simply not expert enough to discern or produce significant differences on other good saxes

(I do however have a mild mouthpiece GAS affliction so the bank balance isn't entirely safe)


you are indeed blessed to be gas immune.
 

Similar threads... or are they? Maybe not but they could be worth reading anyway 😀

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