Hi All,
Please have a read! I started a new post as the sax I borrowed for the pass around was a brand new one. I have used it for 2 weeks and sent it back today. Here are my findings based on my level of playing
I have been fortunate enough to be able to have the use of a brand new alto in standard gold lacquer with nickel plate keys. Upon arrival I was pleasantly surprised at the excellent finish of the sax, especially since it is direct from the factory with no prior adjustments before reaching me.
When I got the sax out of the case it felt very well made and looked like a horn that could easily be asking twice the price.
There is some machined engraving around the bell and the Jericho logo on the bell - this is all very neat and the lacquer appears to be finished to a very high standard and doesn't look thin as it can do on some value end horns. One thing I like that is different is the oval bell/body bracing. It's not the usual so stands out a bit more, it sets it apart and makes the horn more individual. Also the low C & Eb roller keys are of the rounded shape, which I really like as quite often Chinese & Taiwan horns have slightly more square shaped keys here (if this makes sense?!)
Under the fingers the keys closed nicely and made a good uniform 'popping' sound to indicate everything seemed to be sealing well, which it was!
So, for the first trial straight out of the box I played a few numbers with sax & keyboard just to get it warmed up. My initial thoughts were that the horn sounded bright but with a fuller tone than perhaps your average Arbiter or equivalent as technology & ergonomics are always moving forwards etc. I noticed after getting warmed up that the lower stack keys 'resisted' a little bit, but again I put this down to non adjustment and didn't consider it a real issue - I guess they will probably loosen up over time & use.
The intonation was consistent & didn't seem to wave too much. The m/piece that is provided with the sax isn't up to much and if the sax is for a beginner then I certainly wouldn't recommend the size 2.5 reeds that were included etc. With a little trial and error with 3 of my mouthpieces I found that my metal shark bite really gave it some punch and it could be pushed to the max. On solo work this would be great for rock & pop numbers as it has a contemporary sound to it. At this point I was beginning to compare the sound characteristics to my Yamaha 23 alto, ie: being good for pop numbers but it just had that little bit more being so much newer and more advanced. Look at a Yamaha 23 and they're quite basic in comparison with the keywork but sound wise on a good level.
I also had the opportunity to take the sax to band to see how it fared with big band music. I stuck with the shark bite m/piece set up for my ease of playing. The sax carried nicely across in the upper register & also blended very nicely in the Miller numbers too.
For the money I would recommend the sax to any standard of player. As far as Chinese horns go, these are pretty decent instruments for the money if you want consistency and reliability as well as an excellent looking sax. They are well built and well thought out - everything is there and from low Bb up to the top the notes speak freely as they should. If you're a student, team it up with an improved m/piece such as a Yamaha 4c and this will improve the sound greatly. And as recently discussed on the forum I too would have one of these over a 'Vibratosax' as they are what I consider a real horn that's considerate to your bank balance! If I didn't have 7 saxes already then I would express an interest in one. Who knows perhaps I may treat myself after xmas!
Thank you for reading and hope this was of some use
Please have a read! I started a new post as the sax I borrowed for the pass around was a brand new one. I have used it for 2 weeks and sent it back today. Here are my findings based on my level of playing
I have been fortunate enough to be able to have the use of a brand new alto in standard gold lacquer with nickel plate keys. Upon arrival I was pleasantly surprised at the excellent finish of the sax, especially since it is direct from the factory with no prior adjustments before reaching me.
When I got the sax out of the case it felt very well made and looked like a horn that could easily be asking twice the price.
There is some machined engraving around the bell and the Jericho logo on the bell - this is all very neat and the lacquer appears to be finished to a very high standard and doesn't look thin as it can do on some value end horns. One thing I like that is different is the oval bell/body bracing. It's not the usual so stands out a bit more, it sets it apart and makes the horn more individual. Also the low C & Eb roller keys are of the rounded shape, which I really like as quite often Chinese & Taiwan horns have slightly more square shaped keys here (if this makes sense?!)
Under the fingers the keys closed nicely and made a good uniform 'popping' sound to indicate everything seemed to be sealing well, which it was!
So, for the first trial straight out of the box I played a few numbers with sax & keyboard just to get it warmed up. My initial thoughts were that the horn sounded bright but with a fuller tone than perhaps your average Arbiter or equivalent as technology & ergonomics are always moving forwards etc. I noticed after getting warmed up that the lower stack keys 'resisted' a little bit, but again I put this down to non adjustment and didn't consider it a real issue - I guess they will probably loosen up over time & use.
The intonation was consistent & didn't seem to wave too much. The m/piece that is provided with the sax isn't up to much and if the sax is for a beginner then I certainly wouldn't recommend the size 2.5 reeds that were included etc. With a little trial and error with 3 of my mouthpieces I found that my metal shark bite really gave it some punch and it could be pushed to the max. On solo work this would be great for rock & pop numbers as it has a contemporary sound to it. At this point I was beginning to compare the sound characteristics to my Yamaha 23 alto, ie: being good for pop numbers but it just had that little bit more being so much newer and more advanced. Look at a Yamaha 23 and they're quite basic in comparison with the keywork but sound wise on a good level.
I also had the opportunity to take the sax to band to see how it fared with big band music. I stuck with the shark bite m/piece set up for my ease of playing. The sax carried nicely across in the upper register & also blended very nicely in the Miller numbers too.
For the money I would recommend the sax to any standard of player. As far as Chinese horns go, these are pretty decent instruments for the money if you want consistency and reliability as well as an excellent looking sax. They are well built and well thought out - everything is there and from low Bb up to the top the notes speak freely as they should. If you're a student, team it up with an improved m/piece such as a Yamaha 4c and this will improve the sound greatly. And as recently discussed on the forum I too would have one of these over a 'Vibratosax' as they are what I consider a real horn that's considerate to your bank balance! If I didn't have 7 saxes already then I would express an interest in one. Who knows perhaps I may treat myself after xmas!
Thank you for reading and hope this was of some use
