Saxophones Sopranino recommendations?

[DHM]

I'm being tempted by a Yanagisawa SN-981, but wondered if others here had "you really must try one of these before you choose" recommendations?

 

[Ads]

Intonation is at its trickiest on Sopraninos , obviously a Yani would be as good as they get but it still could be fun .

The biggest isse for me is where would I use it to warrant even buying a Chinese Sax.co one let alone a Yani . I couldn`t even justify keeping the Pro Yam 62 Alto as it would never be gigged and I struggle to see where a 'nino would fit in especially with it also being in Eb - but that`s just my personal situation , YMMV . it`s another thing to think about before splashing out on a Yani .

So - would the intonation business drive you nuts - remember there are far less mouthpiece choices for 'nino - would you actually play the thing after the novelty wore off .....

 

[jonf]

I'd recommend not buying one. I think they sound horrible. 😀

 

[jazzdoh]

Ive got the Yani,really nice horn,intonation is fine,but as with all higher keyed saxes needs a lot of work to get right,most of the intonation problems with nino's are with the player,i have taken mine on a gig a couple of times and done a couple of numbers with it,but be prepared if you own one to put that work in otherwise you won't get the best out of it.
Mouthpiece is also critical with these,I've found the metal yani mpc to be the best.

 

[rhysonsax]

The great Art Themen plays fine jazz sopranino as well as tenor and soprano. I think he plays a Selmer.

My 'nino is a curved Osri that is cute, but hard work. Steve Howard reviewed it and didn't like it much: http://www.shwoodwind.co.uk/Reviews/Saxes/Sop/Orsi_sopranino.htm

If you can't play it you can always smoke it.

I have never played another 'nino and the Orsi doesn't come out of its case very often.

For mouthpieces the Yanagisawa metal is very good and I also use a Pillinger in bronzite, with a soprano facing on it.

Rhys

 

[Jules]

I'd recommend not buying one. I think they sound horrible. 😀

on some levels agree with you- but, if you are going to get one, get the Yani- its the best we've come across by miles...

 

[milandro]

IF one has the cash to spend the best thing out there has to be the Rampone & Cazzani curved sopranino
http://www.sax.co.uk/acatalog/Rampone---Cazzani-Curved-Sopranino---Special-Order-226143330.html

 

[ProfJames]

IF one has the cash to spend the best thing out there has to be the Rampone & Cazzani curved sopranino
http://www.sax.co.uk/acatalog/Rampone---Cazzani-Curved-Sopranino---Special-Order-226143330.html

They do make some beautiful saxophones

 

[milandro]

...and they are bound to make even more special things.
I know that they were working on the idea of having a Bass and a Contrabass, but it is going to take some time before we see any of that.

The Rampone & Cazzani curved sopranino ( and the semicurved one too) are rather unique instruments way ahead of the Orsi curved sopranino

Here Attilio Berni plays the Rampone curved nino
I am not sure that the audio does justice to this horn and I am fairly confident that it could be played better by someone who is a specialist rather than a collector and generalist like Attilio Berni (with all due respect) but there you go.

Compare to the Orsi

 

[Ivan]

The great Art Themen plays fine jazz sopranino ...

Well I never!

I saw Art Themen when I was a vapid youth in the mid 80's (The Bull in Barnes I think) and as youths do I had estimated him to be at least 100 years old so by that reckoning he ought to be dead by now

It's very pleasing to know that my younger self was an eejit and that Art is still going strong

I'll raise a glass to him tonight

In penance y'understand

 

[Colin the Bear]

What about cheap and cheerful as a tester

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Gold-Brass-...ltDomain_0&hash=item1e86d11e03#ht_6769wt_1120

 

[Targa]

The biggest isse for me is where would I use it

Crufts.

 

[milandro]

The main reason the majority of the players ever buys a sopranino is because they want to play a high sounding horn and they are used to a horn pitched in Eb and don’t want to play a horn pitched in Bb.

In all honesty, few people if any play a sopranino because of its sound identity.

Also what would be the repertoire that requires the use of the sopranino in both classical or jazz music?

There are many who buy a sopranino (or 3), try it for a while...........and then sell it again. I did.

If one really wants to seek the extremes then the soprillo is also a viable, although perhaps even crazier, option and you can actually buy one for less than many sopraninos of a top quality brand.

 

[aldevis]

The main reason the majority of the players ever buys a sopranino is because they want to play a high sounding horn and they are used to a horn pitched in Eb and don’t want to play a horn pitched in Bb.

In all honesty, few people if any play a sopranino because of its sound identity.

http://youtu.be/As-Vy7zdqGE?t=6m19s

Saucy!

 

[milandro]

there seems to be a problem with youtube (now) is this the video where he says that Ravel wrote something for a Soprano sax in F? ( and that he played the piece with a regular soprano all the same 🙂 ?)

 

[Jeanette]

there seems to be a problem with youtube (now) is this the video where he says that Ravel wrote something for a Soprano sax in F?

Yes 🙂 just watched it, your turn now

Jx

 

[milandro]

Cheers, I knew the video already 🙂 Ravel must have got mixed up because the Sopranino in F didn’t exist (and as far as I know never existed), perhaps he was thinking of the Sopranino Recorder which does exist in F. After all this is the problem with composers who write for instruments which they don’t play and often only know in theory

 

[ProfJames]

MIlandro - what is a soprillo please?

 

[jazzdoh]

Here is one of my favourite sopranino clips and one of the reasons i bought a nino.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3yrbIk8hwe0

 

[milandro]

MIlandro - what is a soprillo please?

My Dear Professor, I am not sure whether you are making fun of me 🙂 but just in case that you aren’t and simply have never heard of the soprillo (I have posted a link to a nice youtube film before showing plenty of close ups) I will post some more images and youtube films