Soprano: Walstein, Antigua, Gear4Music...

[Janosax]

Hello : ))
I plan to buy two new instruments in the next months. A baritone, certainly the Gear4music's one 🙂 And a soprano. I create a topic on Walstein/Thomann sops similarities, but I'm not sure they're the sames. So in my first choice list are: the Walstein and the Antigua 590.
Very similar in prices. But what about sound and build quality... Antigua sop is often compared to Yanis for the sound, but no info on springs, screws etc... Walstein has got a good review, but has got "pseudo" type screws. It's a problem for me. I don't buy a sax to have an unusuable horn in a few years... I'm used to replace pads, and a pad set is about 50 ?, so it's not a problem for me to repad a sax and keep it many years. Do you think they are possibilities to upgrade these screws to good pointscrews ? Are they standard in diameter etc?
What do you think about Gear4music sop? As good as Walstein/Antigua? On their site they wrote "Stack adjusting screws", what "stack" means please? : ))
Before, I played during 5 years a Yani Elimona sop. But I was forced to sell it : ((( So I don't want a too cheap sax with poor sound.... If you see what I mean 😉
Thanks for answers.
Good sax 😉
Jean, from France

 

[Bobby G]

Hi Jean, I had an older Antigua straight soprano for a while, it seemed well built, the intonation was good, the sound was very nice and the action was very free and light. The only problem I had was balancing it to play - I found the straight instrument quite uncomfortable after 15-20 minutes. I'm sure this was caused by the straight crook, which couldn't be removed as it was in effect part of the body tube, which meant that the sling snagged on the octave mechanism. Things may be different now, I believe many straight sopranos come with a slightly curved crook, some even offer a straight and a curved crook as part of the package.

I now have an Artemis curved soprano which I like - sound, intonation and action are all fine; although the action is a little heavier than the Antigua, it's still very comfortable. There seems to be a number of clones of the Artemis, Jambo has one that looks identical apart from the engraving.

Having said that, and from what I've heard about Gear4music and Walsteins, you'll probably get something from them that's at least as good as my Antigua was, and quite a bit cheaper maybe.

Good luck with your search, let us know what you get - are you going curved or straight?

 

[Janosax]

Thanks for your answers : )
I want a straight sop, with two necks. I love the Antigua in black chrome finish 8) But the Gear4music is really less expensive... So I continue investigations 😉

 

[Janosax]

I found this Curved sop here, which looks very pretty : ))) Are saxes of this site good? It's got tempered springs and hand seated Italian pads. But the right hand keys have got really strange positions....:S

 

[Janosax]

Ooops UK shipping only for the curved sop : ((

 

[Pjonah]

I would tend to think of the G4M as a disposable intrument. They are well made but can't expect them to go on forever. I have an alto G4M and whilst everything is okay right now, I doubt that will be the case in five to ten years time. I'll just trash it and get another, who knows in five to ten years there could be another brand even cheaper and better by then!

 

[Janosax]

I understand this point of view 😉

 

[rhysonsax]

Janosax wrote:
I found this Curved sop here, which looks very pretty : ))) Are saxes of this site good? It's got tempered springs and hand seated Italian pads. But the right hand keys have got really strange positions....:S

That Academy curved soprano looks very like my Yanagisawa SC991 which is a lovely instrument - it's probably a Chinese-sourced copy. The case looks identical to my Walstein's and that is really nice instrument. The right hand keys on the Yanagisawa are a little different from my alto and tenor, but very comfortable once you are used to the layout.

The sound samples on the website are sweet-sounding (if they really are on that instrument) and at ?179 incl, VAT it would be an incredible deal.

I'm almost tempted myself, to save the Yanagisawa from risks on the bandstand.

Rhys

 

[Jules]

Just spotted their pro musician quote. I'm playing a gig with Tim Herman this Saturday, i'll have a chat to see what he's got to say about them....

 

[Janosax]

I mailed SMS and they ship the curved sop to France 🙂
I haven't found another curved at this price, with good r?putation, italian pads, tempered springs, 21 days trial policy.
I'm very tempted 8)

 

[Jules]

Tim Herman he say good sax, intonation "as good as any other student horn", a bargain for ?180! By the way- any ska fans- check out his band- Los albertos- www.losalbertos.co.uk - great outfit!

 

[Janosax]

It' very cool 🙂

I still have doubts about the right hand keys, particularly E key.
Do you think this strange design can be an ergonomic problem? Yani sop is very different.

 

[visionari1]

Hi Janosax,

I'm very interested in your soprano options as I'm looking to get a Soprano for travelling and busking..... I had my heart set on a straight one, however maybe space wise a curved one would be better for travelling?(I'm told there's little or no difference in sound between the two?)....I'll keep an eye on your options and research....Thanks allot, you're asking very good questions

Cheers 🙂

 

[Bobby G]

From my limited experience there's not a great deal of difference in the sound between curved and straight; curved ones are possibly a ttle 'sweeter'. The advantages (for me) of curved are the small case if you're going to travel with it and the way the sound comes up at you from the bell. Also, I find a curved soprano much more comfortable to play.

 

[visionari1]

Thanks for that Bob, yeah I've travelled allot with my old Naked lady,

not easy with a back pack, although I have had her up a few mountain tops, the blow from the top is always worth it!

Ps what's with the Rapid change in Avatars....blown the socks of the last avatar Eh!