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Trip to Crowborough

Halfers

Halfers

Finger Flapper
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Hampshire
I'm staying for a weeks hols in East Sussex this week, which is very handily placed for a trip to Sax.Co.Uk, so I packed my new Kanee mouthpiece, a few reeds and a lig and popped in this morning, hoping to have a toot on a few saxes a little further up the pecking order than my YTS-280.

Luckily the place wasn't rammed with people, so I plucked up the courage to test out a Yam 62, and a Yani TW01, plus a P Mauriat PMXT-66R as a comparison. I faced the wall in the playing booth so no one could see my fingers flapping through the glass and I tried my best to noodle away for a fair bit, doing my very best to sound like I knew what I was doing, I'm not sure I succeeded, but I had a good time nonetheless.

It's a bit early in my playing career to even think about moving on from my 280, but it is interesting to get an idea as to what is available as you go up the ladder. I could detect some overall tonal differences between the Yamaha and the Yani and enjoyed playing both. I quite enjoyed the sound of the Mauriat, but not the feel in my hands. The aged finish also wasn't really to my liking. I think I prefer the shiny lacquered finish and a bit more weight in a horn.

No GAS urges, so I guess that's a good indication of how good a 'starter' horn the 280 is.
 
I am thinking of passing by there this summer.
On our way from dover to Wales, I'll be passing by their store (so to speak)....
Looking forward to trying out some of their bass saxes.
 
Wonko said:
I am thinking of passing by there this summer.
On our way from dover to Wales, I'll be passing by their store (so to speak)....
Looking forward to trying out some of their bass saxes.
Click to expand...

I haven't been there for quite a few years, but can highly recommend it. They are friendly and have LOTS of saxophones, all inside the same building. Basically, it's saxophone heaven. If you're on holiday, take a mouthpiece plus a few reeds. This video should give a good idea of what it's like there:-

 
i was thinking about upgrading my yas480, by choosing either one of these three saxophones

[BGCOLOR=transparent]Selmer Paris Seles Axos Alto Saxophone - Sax.co.uk - The Worlds Leading Saxophone Specialist[/BGCOLOR]
[BGCOLOR=transparent]Yamaha YAS-62 04 - Alto Saxophone - Gold Lacquer - Sax.co.uk - The Worlds Leading Saxophone Specialist[/BGCOLOR]
[BGCOLOR=transparent]Yanagisawa AWO1 Alto Saxophone - Gold Lacquer - Sax.co.uk - The Worlds Leading Saxophone Specialist[/BGCOLOR]
my teacher told me, from having tried all three, and listening to students playing on all three sax’s
[BGCOLOR=transparent]1) the yamaha’s are very bright sounding instruments[/BGCOLOR]
2) the yani’s are very dark sounding instruments
3) the selmar has slight tuning issues
His advice was i would do better by buying a second hand Pro sax, with the same cash.
i’ll stick with my 480
 
6182 said:
i was thinking about upgrading my yas480, by choosing either one of these three saxophones

[BGCOLOR=transparent]Selmer Paris Seles Axos Alto Saxophone - Sax.co.uk - The Worlds Leading Saxophone Specialist[/BGCOLOR]
[BGCOLOR=transparent]Yamaha YAS-62 04 - Alto Saxophone - Gold Lacquer - Sax.co.uk - The Worlds Leading Saxophone Specialist[/BGCOLOR]
[BGCOLOR=transparent]Yanagisawa AWO1 Alto Saxophone - Gold Lacquer - Sax.co.uk - The Worlds Leading Saxophone Specialist[/BGCOLOR]
my teacher told me, from having tried all three, and listening to students playing on all three sax’s
[BGCOLOR=transparent]1) the yamaha’s are very bright sounding instruments[/BGCOLOR]
2) the yani’s are very dark sounding instruments
3) the selmar has slight tuning issues
His advice was i would do better by buying a second hand Pro sax, with the same cash.
i’ll stick with my 480
Click to expand...

The best advice your teacher should be giving you is to try as many different saxophones as possible second hand and brand new before purchasing. To describe a saxophone as 'bright' or 'dark' sounding is more subjective than anything else. The sound of a saxophone can be changed by mouthpiece selection and one person's dark sounding sax might be somebody else's bright sounding sax.

Greg S.
 
6182 said:
i was thinking about upgrading my yas480, by choosing either one of these three saxophones

[BGCOLOR=transparent]Selmer Paris Seles Axos Alto Saxophone - Sax.co.uk - The Worlds Leading Saxophone Specialist[/BGCOLOR]
[BGCOLOR=transparent]Yamaha YAS-62 04 - Alto Saxophone - Gold Lacquer - Sax.co.uk - The Worlds Leading Saxophone Specialist[/BGCOLOR]
[BGCOLOR=transparent]Yanagisawa AWO1 Alto Saxophone - Gold Lacquer - Sax.co.uk - The Worlds Leading Saxophone Specialist[/BGCOLOR]
my teacher told me, from having tried all three, and listening to students playing on all three sax’s
[BGCOLOR=transparent]1) the yamaha’s are very bright sounding instruments[/BGCOLOR]
2) the yani’s are very dark sounding instruments
3) the selmar has slight tuning issues
His advice was i would do better by buying a second hand Pro sax, with the same cash.
i’ll stick with my 480
Click to expand...

You will get more for your money buying a second-hand sax than buying a new one. But your teacher is telling you about his preferences, which may be different from yours.

If I was considering buying a good quality alto sax, then I would take a serious look at the second-hand Sequoia that @aldevis has for sale in the Yardsale.
For Sale - Sequoia alto saxophone Silver Plated
 
6182 said:
i was thinking about upgrading my yas480, by choosing either one of these three saxophones

[BGCOLOR=transparent]Selmer Paris Seles Axos Alto Saxophone - Sax.co.uk - The Worlds Leading Saxophone Specialist[/BGCOLOR]
[BGCOLOR=transparent]Yamaha YAS-62 04 - Alto Saxophone - Gold Lacquer - Sax.co.uk - The Worlds Leading Saxophone Specialist[/BGCOLOR]
[BGCOLOR=transparent]Yanagisawa AWO1 Alto Saxophone - Gold Lacquer - Sax.co.uk - The Worlds Leading Saxophone Specialist[/BGCOLOR]
my teacher told me, from having tried all three, and listening to students playing on all three sax’s
[BGCOLOR=transparent]1) the yamaha’s are very bright sounding instruments[/BGCOLOR]
2) the yani’s are very dark sounding instruments
3) the selmar has slight tuning issues
His advice was i would do better by buying a second hand Pro sax, with the same cash.
i’ll stick with my 480
Click to expand...

Your teacher has given you good advice. So long as the professional-grade sax is in good condition, you'll get more for your money. A YAS-480 is a really good horn, so you can take your time and wait until something suitable comes up.
 
Tomasz said:
I haven't been there for quite a few years, but can highly recommend it. They are friendly and have LOTS of saxophones, all inside the same building. Basically, it's saxophone heaven. If you're on holiday, take a mouthpiece plus a few reeds. This video should give a good idea of what it's like there:-

Click to expand...
I've seen that video-tour on their website.
I was a bit dissapointed that seemingly they only have one Bass sax on display. Hoping they have at least one more model tucked away in the back somewhere..... I was thinking about sending them a mail a few weeks before we go there.
But I want to see that store with my own eyes anyway :banana:
 
Greg Strange said:
The best advice your teacher should be giving you is to try as many different saxophones as possible second hand and brand new before purchasing. To describe a saxophone as 'bright' or 'dark' sounding is more subjective than anything else. The sound of a saxophone can be changed by mouthpiece selection and one person's dark sounding sax might be somebody else's bright sounding sax.
Greg S.
Click to expand...

I noticed that when playing the Yani TWo1 yesterday, it was brighter sounding than the Yam, (to me), when played with the Yani mouthpiece (compared with my own mouthpiece). I found my 280 overly bright with a Vandoren V16 mouthpiece, but beautifully dark and smokey with my new Kanee piece. So from my own limited experience I agree with the above.

One of the most interesting things about yesterday is realising that the step up in sound and tone from a so called 'starter' sax to a so called 'intermediate' sax, isn't night and day by any means. I'm not yet at a sufficient skill level to push a saxophone to its limits, so this is probably why I couldn't tell a huge difference. It's probably as good a reason as any to firmly keep hold of what I've already got for the time being.
 
If I had known beforehand that the Yamaha horns are considered bright, I never would have bought one. I didn’t even try it, I ordered it straight off the website which is something that I would never do now either.
 
6182 said:
[BGCOLOR=transparent]1) the yamaha’s are very bright sounding instruments[/BGCOLOR]
2) the yani’s are very dark sounding instruments
Click to expand...

I don't agree with "very" in either of those statements. Maybe "very slightly brighter/darker" but even then you adjust that with the mouthpiece and embouchure if problematic. I haven't tried the Seles Axos, but I really doubt there are tuning issues, but who knows? (Someone who has played a few...)
 
I thought that the "brightness" and punchiness of the early Yamahas was exactly what many people liked about them, and that the present-day YAS-62 has been criticised for not being bright enough. My teacher has an early YAS-62 and he can make it sound fine in a classical quartet or playing lead alto in a big band, all with the same mouthpiece and reed.
 
Tomasz said:
Your teacher has given you good advice. So long as the professional-grade sax is in good condition, you'll get more for your money
Click to expand...

Yes, his advice has saved me a LOT of cash, as his views are more in the long term, looking further down the road, in terms of where you want and what style you want to be playing later on.

[BGCOLOR=transparent]For example, when it came to upgrading my 1st mouthpiece, that was based on taking the abrsm exams. For a beginner, picking a mouthpiece is a mine field, i tried out several mouthpieces in his presence, and the mouthpiece that sounded great to me and i would have bought, he advised me not to buy it, against my own judgement. So i bought the mouthpiece that he said sounded right for me, which to me sounded dull in comparison. Two months later, that mouthpiece was perfect for the abrsm.[/BGCOLOR]

[BGCOLOR=transparent]I’ve read comments from various sources, the three sax’s that i was looking at buying, quite a few people, have sold them and gone on to higher models for various reasons (probably outgrown them, or wanted something better?). I can’t afford to waste cash willy nilly, so i’m sticking to his advice.[/BGCOLOR]


When i bought my Sax, i was initially going to buy the student sax (280), but i also tried out the intermediate Sax (480) out of curiosity. When i played the 280, there were a couple of keys that sounded slightly off tune, when i played the 480 the exact same keys sounded a lot better in pitch, i double checked and plumped for the 480 (i wonder why). Could just have been that 280.

But i’m taking his advice about picking my next sax. I can’t argue with someone who has tried out hundreds of Sax’s in his lifetime, and probably twice as many mouthpieces.

Don’t shoot me...
 
The only advice I'm prepared to give:
The only person that can judge the sound of a sax is yourself. Nobody else has your ears.
The only person that can judge the ergonomics of a sax is yourself. Nobody else has your hands.
"Professional" (expensive) saxes are likely to need repairing/servicing less often than "student" (cheaper) ones.
"Professional" saxes are also more likely to have better intonation but all saxes can be played in tune.
If you believe the colour/finish/construction material makes a difference to the sound then it probably does - to you.
If you think your sax looks good then you'll play it better.
 
Alice said:
If I had known beforehand that the Yamaha horns are considered bright, I never would have bought one. I didn’t even try it, I ordered it straight off the website which is something that I would never do now either.
Click to expand...

Are you still of the opinion that it is too bright, Alice, or are you saying that having bought it, you like the sound?
 

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