Saxophones Yamaha 475 soprano vs Trevor James the Horn soprano, has anyone tried both please?

[Tonehole]

I yield to you on your expertise and wealth of knowledge. 😎
My experience is limited to two personal saxophones and no expertise.

 

[the_eleven]

Regarding the one vs two piece neck question, I have an example of each: a Yany SW-020 and a recent Keilwerth SX90.

They could not be more different. While the two piece Yany has an easy and perfect intonation it feels almost too “locked” in which probably explains why classical players tend to like it. This may be the bore design but it feels “stiff” in the upper part if the bore.

The one piece Keilwerth has the redesigned bore that Benedikt Eppsheim and Dave Liebman came up with and there is no doubt in my mind, playing them side by side, that a one piece design has more resonance and tonal color.

 

[Stephen Howard]

I yield to you on your expertise and wealth of knowledge. 😎
My experience is limited to two personal saxophones and no expertise.

Well I wouldn't say that these issues should dissuade anyone from going for a sop with detachable crooks, but it's as well to be aware of them. And perhaps the big takeaway is to check that the crook(s) are a good snug fit before parting with your readies.

On the flip side...I see quite a few single-piece sops with pull-throughs stuck in them.

Swings 'n roundabouts.

 

[Nick Wyver]

I play (mostly) a Yanag 991. I find the 2 necks handy because it means I can fit them to 2 different mouthpieces where the shank sizes are different.

 

[Tonehole]

How would a SA 80 II stand up to a comparable Yani or Yami soprano?
Have a buddy who is shopping.

 

[Stephen Howard]

How would a SA 80 II stand up to a comparable Yani or Yami soprano?
Have a buddy who is shopping.

From a purely technical perspective I find that the build quality of Yani sops is top of the pile...with Yamaha very close behind.
That's quite a high benchmark.
Selmer are, I would say, the trailer in the pack. But they do make a good job of toneholes flatness.

The action on both the Yanis and Yamahas is superb. The Selmer is somewhat stodgy by comparision. Again, these are high benchmarks.

In playability terms it gets very subjective. Yanagisawa has a broad range of options - and I've always considered their horns to be a 'safe bet'. Yamahas have a bit more zip and zing. The Selmer is a solid performer but perhaps a little on the dull side.
That said, if I was going to buy a Selmer it would be the Series II rather than the III.

They're all very good instruments at the end of the day - and any of them would be a good choice if they fit the tone profile your friend is looking for. If that's not a concern then I'd say try a Yani first, then a Yamaha and then a Selmer.

 

[Mix O Lydian]

I tried to get on with my TJ soprano but it just didn't work out. Nothing against TJ saxes but for me it was not the right sound.

So... I found a second hand Yamaha 475 from a well known UK online music retailer. (Rhymes with "ear for music"). Excellent condition with a "it would be rude not to" price tag. I was hesitant because the photos showed the outside of the case was dirty and marked. But I went ahead because of the price (and their no quibble returns policy).

It arrived the next day (yesterday). As described this sax is in excellent condition, not a single mark on it, pads, corks look fresh, doesn't smell weird (a bonus). It's just like a brand new saxophone, considering the outside of the case was so dirty - as if it had been stored somewhere like a garage. The inside of the case was pristine. Anyway with a bit of cleaning, the case now looks fine.

It played beautifully straight out of the box. Maybe I'm more relaxed because I'm testing it at home. But it just felt easier to play than the one I tried in a shop a couple of months back

And I just love the way it sounds, so much more stable and rounded than my mad little TJ soprano. A quick enquiry through Yamaha, tells me this soprano was made in June 2014.

Anyway in the bag was a plastic 4C mouthpiece, a 6CM mouthpiece (which I already had anyway) and a Rovner Versa ligature. I currently use Rovner Dark. I'm not a ligature pedant, I only use Rovner because it has only one screw to faff around with.

So what's with this Versa and it's "flaps". Emperor's new clothes or no?

 

[Colin the Bear]

Try a Selmer one screw.

https://ebay.io/m/xnapFp

 

[skeller047]

I’m a ligature curmudgeon, I strongly dislike Rovner. For many reasons, not the least of which is the single screw design. An extra 5 seconds tightening a second screw does not qualify as a “faff” to me, especially considering it will take me 30 seconds or so to ensure that the reed is on straight.

Try a nice metal 2-screw, preferably inverted. The Rico by D’Addario is cheap and works very well. D’addario H ligature is also good. Bonade inverted is the best IMO, but you have to buy the cap separately.

Why do I feel this way? Experience with both kinds of ligatures (and many more esoteric types). A 2-screw will fit every reed and every mouthpiece, assuming it’s close to the correct size. A single screw ligature must be an exact fit to the mouthpiece, or it won’t apply clamping pressure evenly to the reed. A Rovner is even worse because it has a somewhat flexible makeup, and the “Dark” sound they are so happy about is caused by the ligature allowing the reed to lift slightly off the table when playing.

And yes, the flaps are a marketing ploy. They turned a bug (poor performance) into a feature.

All that said, good news on the soprano front!!!! And if the mouthpiece and ligature work for you, ignore everything I just wrote 🙂

 

[Tonehole]

I agree with Skeller on the dislike for pleather and fabric ligatures.
The inverted Bonade is a wise recommendation and the older 2 screw Selmer lig is also a fine lig.

Might be best to spend some quality time getting comfortable with the instrument before switching out ligs. It can become a deep and expensive rabbit hole to climb down! Then there are the potential mouthpiece upgrades! LOL

Good luck with the new horn. I have a II an early transition model and it is a rock steady performer.

 

[turf3]

And I totally disagree on Rovners.

I've been using Rovners as my preferred ligature since I bought the first one in 1978. I have never experienced them letting a reed lift up from the table. Of course if the reed back isn't flat, the Rovner won't force it flat (neither will any other ligature, short of a whacking great C clamp). The two bars on the Rovner can pivot a bit on the screw to accommodate different tapers (within reason, of course).

I basically am OK with the traditional two screw ligature, but of course when it's used inverted it chews up the top of the MP. Used with the screws against the reed, the corners tend to dig into the bark, which makes the reed tend to move into the same position every time, and can make it difficult to do tiny adjustments, especially side to side.

The fabric ligature has more range of adjustment than the two screw metal type.

I have a few of the "light" Rovners, with the rectangular cutout, and have never noticed a lick of difference in the playing, between them and the "dark" ones without the cutout. However, the two strips above and below the cutout need to be straightened out a bit sometimes, so I prefer the Rovner without the cutout, as it's just a wee bit simpler to install.

But as I've written many times, I tend toward a simple approach to equipment - one mouthpiece, one horn, play it with the neck that came with it, one brand and strength of reed, adjust them when you need to. Except for bass sax, I've been using my main mouthpieces since 1978 to 2006. Yes, the newest MP I use regularly is 20 years old. I use the Rovner ligature on everything (except for a few oddballs I hardly ever use), Vandoren 2 1/2 for everything, etc., etc.

 

[Tonehole]

Used an inverted Bonade for a decade or more on clarinet with no damage to the mouthpiece. I have them for SAT and no damage but not using them currently.

Used an Eddie Daniels Rovner for a few years way back when but moved on. The big advantage is they will fit just about any mouthpiece regardless of contour. I think I have about 20 types of them for different saxophones. Nice to have on hand when testing new pieces. They won't mark a trial piece so a big advantage.

But as I've written many times, I tend toward a simple approach to equipment - one mouthpiece, one horn, play it with the neck that came with it, one brand and strength of reed, adjust them when you need to. Except for bass sax, I've been using my main mouthpieces since 1978 to 2006. Yes, the newest MP I use regularly is 20 years old. I use the Rovner ligature on everything (except for a few oddballs I hardly ever use), Vandoren 2 1/2 for everything, etc., etc.

Last 5 years I have been changing up my style of play and my gear to get my sound where it has to be.
I had played the same SAT pieces for about 20+ years until then.

Ya play what works for ya, so each to their own.
Cheers