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Saxophones Yas-275 Mint vs Beaugnier Special Overhauled.

ellinas

Well-Known Member
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Athens, Greece
Hello
I have a dilemma.
I'm a tenor player but I would like to play the alto too!
I'm at a beginner to intermediate level.

I've found a yas 275 in absolutely mint condition for 450E locally I saw it and it's as good as it can be,
and a really reputable local tech but from a city 500km away can send me a Beaugnier Special that he recently overhauled at the same price that according to a fellow friend that tried plays sweet.

Is the Beaugnier considered a pro horn? Or should I stick to the "Toyota Corolla" of saxophones? instead of buying something that could be better but "strange"?

Thank you in advance.

s.
 
Aha... I maybe can help here, having had a YAS-275 and a Beaugnier Vito at the same time.
See: http://cafesaxophone.com/showthread.php?9290-Any-info-on-VITO-saxophone-Photos
and also http://cafesaxophone.com/showthread.php?9503-Academy-Jericho-J6-beginner-s-review-vs-others)

Both myself and my sax tutor played the YAS-275 side by side with the Beaugnier and agreed the French horn had the better sound. The Yamaha had excellent build quality but was not as versatile as the Beaugnier.

Do you want the Toyota or the TVR?
 
Aha... I maybe can help here, having had a YAS-275 and a Beaugnier Vito at the same time.
See: http://cafesaxophone.com/showthread.php?9290-Any-info-on-VITO-saxophone-Photos
and also http://cafesaxophone.com/showthread.php?9503-Academy-Jericho-J6-beginner-s-review-vs-others)

Both myself and my sax tutor played the YAS-275 side by side with the Beaugnier and agreed the French horn had the better sound. The Yamaha had excellent build quality but was not as versatile as the Beaugnier.

Do you want the Toyota or the TVR?

Oh man....
so it's a TVR....

I see.

How about its ergonomics? Yamaha are so easy to play.

Your threads were really informative :)

Thanks

s.
 
Oh man....
so it's a TVR....

I see.

How about its ergonomics? Yamaha are so easy to play.

Your threads were really informative :)

Thanks

s.
My Beaugnier is 50-60 years old, the Yamaha under 10. I didn't find any difficulty playing the French horn (unlike the Russian Tenor I bought recently!!) but I'm a beginner so some of the keys are yet to be used by me.

My sax tech said the Beaugnier was well built, with ribbed construction, yes, a pro horn, just needed some adjustment. I think the Yamaha will be less trouble over the years but if you want to feel that you have something special you have to put up with a little fettling from time to time as with the TVR!

Don't forget, you've tried the Yamaha but you're relying on others opinions with the Beaugnier and might not like it. Can you return it if that happens?
 
It's probably a case of the head saying Yamaha and heart saying Beaugnier!
If you already play a "modern" style sax, then the Beaugnier left hand little keys may need some getting used to, also check out the value of Beaugnier/Vito saxes on the web, they certainly don't go up!
As suggested above, if possible get the Beaugnier on approval for a week and see how you get on, even paying the shipping costs will be worth it rather than being lumbered with something you'll find difficult getting to grips with.
Cheers,
M.
 
OK, now a serious point. Both are good, I've had both YAS2** series saxes and a Beaugnier. On balance I'd probably just about edge towards the Beaugnier. But don't be seduced by the idea that any one sax is massively superior to another. Once you cross a certain quality threshold (which both of these saxes comfortably exceed) the sax ceases to be the most significant part of the playing equation. The most important part is the player, then the next biggest impact comes from the mouthpiece/reed combination. The sax comes in third. So, although it's true that saxes do sound and feel different, you get the biggest proportionate result from investing in the bit with the biggest impact - the player.
 
Now the Mouthpiece and Reed discussion begins. Get a Windcraft Etude Ebonite mouthpiece and a pack of 5 Marca Jazz reeds!

That was easy enough! :thumb:
 
After a while having the sax I have to say that it has a really distinct & special character.
It's sound is really spread and French-like. Obviously it's not a Selmer Mk6 but I don't find a reason to buy a Mk6 ever. It's sound is delicate and certainly not dark.

The horn responds great to my chops, has stood the test of a loud gig setups where yamahas excel because of their brightness, and it's really mouthpiece friendly.

Jonf's remark about how much role a sax plays in the chain : player->MP-reed->Sax is really true.

I don't know if the comparison is a TRT vs Corolla is valid for these two horns but, a Japanese YAS-23 that was freshly setup from my tech was to my ears and hands really soft and elegant. And it's very strange that it felt really superior to the 275. I found it more inspiring. Yamahas win at the comfortness department which sometimes can be equally important to the colour of sound.

So for me the obvious "winner" is the Beaugnier. But a well taken care of Japanese 80s yas-23 can come really close for me. A different tonal approach, a different key mechanism but overall a suprisingly good sax. (that can be had for less than 500 dollars, pounds or euros).
 
I do not think that the YAS 275 is that good - overpriced at around the £1000 mark, though lots of people get rid of them so are available used at £500 or so. Older Yamaha's do seem to sopund much better in the "2" series.
 
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