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Saxophones Yamaha YTS 275 or Jupiter JTS 565

audsnire

Member
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15
Locality
Wicklow, Ireland
Hi there,

I've been playing alto sax now for a year and a half or thereabouts. I love my alto sax (a yanagisawa A902) but would love to try tenor too. I'm five foot tall, with small hands. Does anybody think this should be a problem?

I've my eye on two tenors at the moment, one a Yamaha YTS 275 and the other a Jupiter JTS 565. Does anyone have any avice to offer on what would be the better option for me. I won't have a chance to try either as they are both in the UK and I'm based in Ireland. There are very few second hand saxes available here.

Also, I'm using the Yanagisawa No. 6 ebonite mouthpiece with V16 (size 2 - 2.5 reeds). What kind of setup would I need if switching to tenor? Any ideas and advice welcome!

Thanks in advance,
Audrey
 
Hi Audrey
I am very new to sax (been playing just over a year), I started on Alto and also now play Tenor and occasionaly soprano (not very well though!). I am 5foot 5 and whilst I found the tenor quite large and cumbersome at first I soon got used to it and once I start playing I forget all about the size! I don't find the pinky keys any more of a reach than my alto, in fact my straight soprano seems to have the longest reach to the bottom b flat key!
I can't compare Yamaha and Jupiter I'm afraid, I have never played Jupiter, but I just bought a second hand Yamaha 62 Tenor and I love it to bits :) I think Yamaha is definately more popular.
Sorry I can't really give you any advice about mouthpieces and reeds as I am just finding my own way! Hopefully someone will give you some good advice soon :)
Happy Playing!
Jo :)
 
Hi Audrey!

I would recommend that there are better saxes around than the two that you mention, but it depends on your budget. For saxes under £1000 you should look at Bauhaus Walstein, John Packer, Buffet Crampon T400, and earlier Yamaha models such as a YTS 21, or 23. The Jupiters have been succeeded by other Taiwanese horns of better quality, and I think that the Yamaha YTS 275 is rather overpriced for a beginner instrument. Saxophone Heaven (based in Oxford have 2 Bauhaus Walstein Tenors for sale at £450 (S/H) and £595 (New) respectively. http://www.saxophoneheaven.com/ That would be my recommendation if I was buying one now, no question - will sound much better than the two you mention IMHO.

Hope this helps.
Tom
 
Hi Audrey!

I would recommend that there are better saxes around than the two that you mention, but it depends on your budget. For saxes under £1000 you should look at Bauhaus Walstein, John Packer, Buffet Crampon T400, and earlier Yamaha models such as a YTS 21, or 23. The Jupiters have been succeeded by other Taiwanese horns of better quality, and I think that the Yamaha YTS 275 is rather overpriced for a beginner instrument. Saxophone Heaven (based in Oxford have 2 Bauhaus Walstein Tenors for sale at £450 (S/H) and £595 (New) respectively. http://www.saxophoneheaven.com/ That would be my recommendation if I was buying one now, no question - will sound much better than the two you mention IMHO.

Hope this helps.
Tom

I can vouch for the second hand BW at £450, it is mine, they are selling it on my behalf, only a year old and immaculate :) Bought my Yamaha from them last week.
I don't think they will post though Tom?
 
As far as I am aware Roger does ship things. Someone who was after a Yamaha YTS32 was pointed in this direction by myself (they were in Aberdeen) and were happy to have found the sax. I assume it was delivered and that said person did not travel that far south to pick it up. I've emailed Roger to get a direct answer to the question, and will post as soon as I know!
 
Thanks to everyone for their thoughts and advice thus far. Does one think the Bauhaus Weinstein Phospor Bronze sounds in any way superior to the TS -Y (Brass) model? My yanagisawa alto is the bronze model (A902) and i have to say I love the look of it!! Does the bronze Bauhaus warrant the difference in price, do ye think, or is it purely cosmetic?

Regards,
 
Get a Yamaha.Plenty used about.Better than all mentioned above.Holds its price much better if and when you upgraded.Better build,intonation,ergonomics and SOUND.Roger will post but he hates the hassle and most times wont.I know as he told me so face to face.He did post a selmer to me once but it was touch and go on that.
 
Hi Audrey!
I'm 5'3" with small hands and when I tried a Yamaha I found it just too big for them. I never even blew it, I could tell straight away. I can see it would be difficult for you but I think you need to try one first.
I tried a Yani as well and that was a lovely fit but I didn't buy it as I wasn't keen on the sound. Hope that's helpful ...
 
Thanks to everyone for their thoughts and advice thus far. Does one think the Bauhaus Weinstein Phospor Bronze sounds in any way superior to the TS -Y (Brass) model? My yanagisawa alto is the bronze model (A902) and i have to say I love the look of it!! Does the bronze Bauhaus warrant the difference in price, do ye think, or is it purely cosmetic?

Regards,

The sound is the same. The Bronze is more attractive - I have two bronze sopranos and they are really nice looking as well as excellent sound. My sax tech - Richard Hamer could sort you out a BW Bronze tenor if you contact him on your website: http://www.woodwindsalesandrepairs.com/main/page_home.html One thing you notice about BW saxes is that they are very rarely available second hand and the saxes in your title are commonly more widely available. I can't imagine ever wanting to sell my BW sopranos - too good!
 
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Hi Audrey!
I'm 5'3" with small hands and when I tried a Yamaha I found it just too big for them. I never even blew it, I could tell straight away. I can see it would be difficult for you but I think you need to try one first.
I tried a Yani as well and that was a lovely fit but I didn't buy it as I wasn't keen on the sound. Hope that's helpful ...

Yamaha keywork is based on the Selmer MKVI which has the closest snug fast ergonomics going.There nearly the same.If you think yamaha has large keywork you got no chance with the other brands.A ex student of mine has a gold lac BW horn and a System 54 horn,tenors and he liked the feel much more on the 54 but when he tryed my Z he was in love the keywork and the ease of blowing it.In a different class.I have played or owned most of the major brands and lots of lesser brands including BW and all there keywork is larger with more stretching of the hands,for me yamaha has the most close snug fast ergonomics going.We can all give our advice ,opinion etc but its what suits you so try and test as many as you can.
 
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Hi Audrey!
I'm 5'3" with small hands and when I tried a Yamaha I found it just too big for them. I never even blew it, I could tell straight away. I can see it would be difficult for you but I think you need to try one first.
I tried a Yani as well and that was a lovely fit but I didn't buy it as I wasn't keen on the sound. Hope that's helpful ...

As the BW is based on the design of a Yani, what conclusion should we draw about its suitability for small hands?

It is also nice to know that the Yamaha 82Z has lovely keywork - at £3000+ I would expect it, compared to a £600 BW. If you are happy with your Yani alto then getting a tenor sax which is a copy of a Yani tenor should be fine. It has been recommended that you test as many saxes as you can before choosing, which is great, but then it sounds like you are potentially very limited in what you can test before buying. My soprano, alto and tenor sax mouthpieces are all custom made in the States. None of them are available to test in the UK, and all of them are absolutely fantastic. At the end of the day if I just bought what I had tested and liked in the UK I would not have any of the actual mouthpieces that I actually prefer.

Good luck.
Tom:thumb:
 
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As the BW is based on the design of a Yani, what conclusion should we draw about its suitability for small hands?

It is also nice to know that the Yamaha 82Z has lovely keywork - at £3000+ I would expect it, compared to a £600 BW. If you are happy with your Yani alto then getting a tenor sax which is a copy of a Yani tenor should be fine. It has been recommended that you test as many saxes as you can before choosing, which is great, but then it sounds like you are potentially very limited in what you can test before buying. My soprano, alto and tenor sax mouthpieces are all custom made in the States. None of them are available to test in the UK, and all of them are absolutely fantastic. At the end of the day if I just bought what I had tested and liked in the UK I would not have any of the actual mouthpieces that I actually prefer.

Good luck.
Tom:thumb:

We are talking tenors here Tom right ??? Well any of the range of yamaha are in that MKVI type close keywork, YTS 21 to the custom models and all are super slick.Going from a student yamaha to a pro yamaha theres hardly any difference in keywork,feel.Yamaha are world famous for this.As for BW based on the Yani 991/992 yes there alto and sopranos are very close but there BW tenor is a different design.Its more like a selmer super action design to me.Apart from the low C/Eb keys and double arms on low notes the rest is just normal rather spread out keywork.There tenors are like tanks i think.I have owned the curved/straight and alto BW and there very good for there price but there tenor is there weak spot which also is Yanagisawas down fall to many,me included.Yes its all down to what suits you sir.Some like Marmite ,many dont.
 
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I am certainly talking tenors! http://www.shwoodwind.co.uk/Reviews/Saxes/Tenor/Walstein_tenor.htm When above says that she finds the Yani keywork better for her than the Yamaha keywork I thought that it was worth making the point that Steve Howard does focus on the similarity of the BW Tenor to the Yani Tenor (I used to play a Yani T901 and thought the keywork was great for small hands - just did not like the tone, which was quite thin and bright to my ears). My beef about the YTS 275 is that I don't rate its sound that highly, and think it is expensive at over £1000 - no comparison to the similarly priced Buffet Crampon T400, or the cheaper BW Tenors.

So, I'm glad that the keywork on the Yamahas are good, but the sound is very important also, which is where I think that the YTS 275 suffers. It would be good to hear from any small handed BW Tenor Sax owners for their actual experiences!

I quite like Marmite, but generally only use Patum Paperium on my toast!
 
You see Tom i hate Marmite.But if we all liked the same life would be not worth living and this forum would not be going.If it were my cash and its not i would be jumping a used minty 62 yamaha tenor.I still think the BW tenor and Yani tenor are worlds apart.Sounds the best option is get a good used yani and then keywork for hands is sorted.Plus for the sound any top horn is fantastic at there thing and yes a great made mp,right reed combo all play a big part in the sound but the hard part is the fleshy thing at the end blowing it.The human factor is the 1 that money cant buy.You got to work on every note,every inhale/exhale.Plus a good set of ears.We are atad brain washed these days with choice and the words VINTAGE TONE/SOUND/LOOK.
 
Ok, so I've been browsing and came across this. What do ye think?

http://www.gumtree.com/p/for-sale/b...age-matt-finish-tenor-saxophone-sax/103641505

What's the keywork like on the buffet crampon saxes. Would it suit my small hands?

Regards,

Still trying to get my head round the small hand thing.Any Asian/Chinese horn have normal sized keywork mostly in the Selmer Super action serie II mould which i dont like.Many i blew seem to have a big stretch for low Bb and in the end you get what you payed for.The buffet you seen well i not blown 1 but the alto version had some nice reviews but not so much the tenor so i would not touch it.But thats me.You wont find better close snug fast light keywork than yanagiawa and yamaha.To save you wasting your cash you should check out a bunch at a good shop then you will know.
 
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