Hello everyone.
The "golden age" of Yamaha is the one from the point 0 up to "Purple Logo" era.
Which means any 21 or 23 will play a LOT better than any today's 275 or even 62ii or 62iii.
<personal opinion>
And why do I say that? Because Vitos kept being 21s long after 23 was introduced.
Vitos up to 1989 were 21s !
Relevant link :
http://www.doctorsax.biz/Yamaha_Vito_History.htm
Yamaha Vitos are the same horn, and for those that seek a 21 a vito, it is an easier find.
Yamaha Vitos are cheaper too!!!!
I have a "golden era" Yamaha tenor 23 that has unbelievable sound. ( the one in my avatar photo ) And got it for pennies.
Steven Howard must have had a similar one.
My tech who is the classic MK6 snobbist told me that he has stumbled upon early 23 yamahas and has found them brilliant, and a LOT better than their modern equivalents (2XX models).
I think it's a shame that many players quickly sold their beloved 80s student yamaha saxophone to get that "better" one at an early stage and didn't really spend the time to build their skills with these horns.
These horns have excellent tone, impeccable intonation, they are not just mouthpiece friendly ... ALL mouthpieces work well, they hold really well their regulation, all techs know how to fix them, parts are widely available, their lacquer quality is perfect etc etc etc ....
< By VITO please don't confuse Beaugnier VITOS (Excellent french sound, specials or duke are brighter, standards are darker - Better intonation than MK6,Couesnons or SMLs ) or Yanagisawa VITOS ( The VSP line is interesting especially the baris ) .... or Jupiter Vitos ( The reason why many people have connected VITO with entry level student saxes ) ... with Yammies. We're talking about Yamaha Vitos - made in Japan >
I may sound crazy but a good 23 is so much better than some Selmers without the bells n whistles of a pro horn ( and that includes the lower end MKVI , MKVII, - not all selmers are dream horns - ).
And so much cheaper of course.
Sometimes I feel that people on the "other" forums are really snob about "student" Yamahas because most of them are sellers of vintage horns and this information could impact their sales.
I love vintage saxophones for what they are what they do and the variation they offer. But with todays used price of Yamahas, a repadded 80s 23 at 400E is a steal.
stelios