Walstein, Hanson or which tenor?

[koumou]

Hello,

I've been playing sax for six months. I have a YAS275with which I am pleased. I now want to buy a tenor, but I don't want to pay the price for the YTS275, so I started looking for alternatives. I read a lot of posts here and in SOTW, and I desided I was going to buy a Walstein Tenor. By the time I made my mind up they run out of them, and I was told that the next batch is due in late August, at a greater price but with better pads.

I am now concidering a Hanson ST5 which is about 200euros more expensive, but is also highly regarded in this forum.
I would like to hear your opinions on the foloowing:

Shall I get the Hanson, or should I wait for the Walstein, or maybe consider another Sax?

Buying a second hand is not an option as I don't know much about saxes and due to my place of residence I'll have to buy on line, so I consider it to much of a risk.

Thanks
Koumou

 

[TomMapfumo]

Wait for the Walstein - and pro-order one ASAP if you want the best option at the price, and can wait a few weeks!

Good luck, whatever you decide.
Tom

 

[Linky Lee]

I too would follow the advice above and opt for the Walstein.

I had an 8 series Hanson alto, which I've now replaced for a YAS62. But for the money based on the Walstein tenor I have, the walstein is leaps and bounds ahead.

The Hanson is also a very heavy horn. I wouldn't be surprised if the Walstein was lighter than the Hanson. The Hanson's also tend to balance funny on a sling.

 

[koumou]

I've got a feeling that I've got a long wait in front of me, till I get a tenor...

 

[Pete Thomas]

koumou wrote:
I've got a feeling that I've got a long wait in front of me, till I get a tenor...

I suggest you give Woodwind and Brass another call.

 

[TomMapfumo]

Hi koumou!

You could always play your alto sax while you are waiting, or set yourself a challenge to fill the gap - like get a new book of tunes or have a particular area of Sax play to master. After all, the tenor is only a sax which plays slightly lower than an alto, and is not completely unrelated.

Kind regards
Tom

 

[koumou]

I suggest you give Woodwind and Brass another call.
[/quote]

I spoke to Martin on last Tuesday and he said he expects them in end of August.

 

[ch_boogie]

I had to wait a couple of months for mine and I must admitt it was well worth the wait as a owner of a 4 week old one!!! although I know Hanson are also a pretty good make as my partner Col9 has an alto made by them which is good

:S

 

[koumou]

How do the Jupiter 789 and Trevor James compare to the Walsrein?

Anybody know anything about these?
www.johnpacker.co.uk

 

[koumou]

Oops... this is the right link:

http://www.johnpacker.co.uk/instruments/101602.htm

 

[Linky Lee]

Personally I find the Trevor James to be a reasonable horn, but still doesn't touch the walstein. Haven't played a Jupiter though.

 

[sparrow]

The Packer sops seem okay, but I'd say slightly lower quality than Walstein.

I would definitely wait for a Walstein.

(Which might well be their new advertising slogan.)

 

[peter_fitton]

Yes, but have you considerd a Jollysun?

Just kidding

Peter

 

[koumou]

OK Lets see what we have so far...

According to your posts

The Hanson is a good horn but Walstein is better,
John Pacher, good but quality not as good,
Walstein is better than Trevor James.

From further reading I understand that Gear4Music are good for the price, but the Walstein is better.

I got in touch with "rispoli" , who has posted his impressions of the Walstein, and he told me that he compared it to a friends Yamaha 23, and found the Walstein better. So I assume it compares favorably to the YTS275.

Can someone let us know how it compares to the Jupiter 789 ?

 

[TomMapfumo]

Hi koumou,

Given the tortuous process of review you seem to be going through the Walstein will soon be in stock. Given what has been said I'm thinking of getting rid of my Yani and also buying a Walstein!!


Kind regards
Tom

 

[TomMapfumo]

[No message]

 

[koumou]

Kind regards
Tom
[/quote]

 

[TomMapfumo]

Is that all?! You could pay that for a Ligature! I think I'll buy a "Wallysun" as a back up for my Yani.

Are you counting the days to "W-Day" yet?

All the best!
Tom

 

[blues142]

I recommend you buy this tenor -

The great secret is - the Blues 141 takes a selmer SA80 24.5mm crook directly and the tenor 142 takes a Yanagisawa YNT65 27.5mm - and takes off from there.

Walstein, Hanson and Yamaha were not for me, none felt as nice as a Yanagisawa T901 to play. People who bought my old saxes loved them, its a personal thing.
I wanted a Yani T901 or higher, but money was tight....

I cannot endorse the reviewer that says the T991 Yani is like a Walstein, its nothing like it. The Wally is slower responding, worse tuning, cheaper build quality. Murky tone, seems designed to play with a Link STM in it.

The Walstein is 90% of a T901 and better than a YTS62 completely. But a Packer Blues 142 and Yani 65 crook feels and sounds better than a T901.

The JP blues 141 alto is a cracker with the selmer crook on it - the C-D transition just isn't there. Low C#-Bb notes are easy. This sounds more classical than the tenor.


I did enquire about upgrading my Walstein tenor - its crook was huge at 28mm Keilwerth sized. No wonder it took so much air to play it.

 

[sparrow]

Very leftfield - and interesting - suggestion. And perhaps veering into claiming value judgments as objective facts.

Blues142, why not introduce yourself (just so we know your name doesn't begin with "J" and end "ohnPacker" 😉)?