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Saxophones Your thoughts please?

.I think my comments have been apropos, and my position valid - a mouthpiece can do some things, but as the OP clarified he wants to upgrade his horn, and there are better saxes than a 23....why not ?.
Yep, why not. I'm sure he'd want to come to it soon after a mouthpiece "upgrade" (or more suitable to him) if it was that way round. There are a raft of great mouthpieces for $160 or so though.
 
I tried around seven or eight different Saxophones with the same mouthpiece and reed before settling on a Buffet 400 - just because I loved the sound
 
Troy Roberts doesn't sound too shabby playing a Yamaha 21 series tenor at the Sydney Opera House no less...
Nothing shabby about a 21/23/25/26 etc whatsoever, they are popular for a reason....just not the horn to necessarily stick with if one wishes to explore dark-toned saxophones....
 
You really have to try some saxes to see what you like, which may be difficult at the moment.

Headwind in Bristol have a nice second-hand Martin Committee II alto. It’s priced above your budget, but you could try bargaining. The shop is closed, but I think they will send instruments out on trial.
Would you say a II is better than a III "The Martin" alto? Nice one for £575 but I'm keeping my money atm. I'd have to advise anyone to think carefully before splashing out right now.
 
My old (early run made in Japan) YAS 23 action and intonation are pretty close to my Keilwerth Black Shadow and tho the sound is a little different, IMO, mpce makes bigger difference.

I confess I used to be a gear head and succumb to GAS easily.
 
My old (early run made in Japan) YAS 23 action and intonation are pretty close to my Keilwerth Black Shadow and tho the sound is a little different, IMO, mpce makes bigger difference.

I confess I used to be a gear head and succumb to GAS easily.
Welcome to the club
 
Would you say a II is better than a III "The Martin" alto? Nice one for £575 but I'm keeping my money atm. I'd have to advise anyone to think carefully before splashing out right now.

I have briefly played the Committee II in Headwind and it's a nice sax. It has a pretty dark tone too, which was the point of the original post. One could use it for classical. I was surprised how refined it could sound - I had thought that Martins were more shouty. But I preferred the French sound of my Buffet-Crampon S1. I have read somewhere that the II altos have better ergonomics and intonation than the III's, but I have no idea if this is correct. I have never played a III.
 
I have briefly played the Committee II in Headwind and it's a nice sax. It has a pretty dark tone too, which was the point of the original post. One could use it for classical. I was surprised how refined it could sound - I had thought that Martins were more shouty. But I preferred the French sound of my Buffet-Crampon S1. I have read somewhere that the II altos have better ergonomics and intonation than the III's, but I have no idea if this is correct. I have never played a III.
I have a Martin Handcraft Comm II alto and a "The Martin Alto" (Comm III). It's so hard to decide if a sax is bright or dark? The tone on a Comm II is more centered, focused and piercing compare to a "The Martin Alto" which have a more spread voice. Some guys says a Comm II is louder? "Edge, focused, bright, piercing ...." = loud saxes? Martin Comm saxes are great saxes when it comes to playing the low tones. Are they darker because it's easier to play low tones? It's easier to use a modern mouthice on a "The Martin" compared to a Comm II. "The Martin" neck is longer which helps up if you want modern (longer) mouthpiece. You often hear that a Martin should have mouthpice with a "big round chamber". I think a mouthpiece with baffle and small chamber mpc brings out the character of a Martin better. I want my Martin to sound like a Martin!!!

I love my Martin Handcraft (Comm I). A good sax and I play a Rovner Deep-V 10 (high baffle, c .130") mouthpiece with plasticvover baritone reeds. IMO opinion a perfect Rock & Roll Saxophone with lots of power.

This is my personal opions. Other guys says it's rubbish. Some are sellers and maybe they have sold Martin saxes to be dark sounding saxes???

A Keilwerth wide bow tenor and a "10M" are darker than a The Martin". A Yam 23 is brighter than a The Martin. Again, thats what I think.

comm necks.JPG
A The Martin Alto neck to the left and Comm II neck on right.
cecil leeson.jpg
Cecil Leeson (classic saxophone player) played Comm II saxes. Picture from Saxophone Jounal.
 
My old (early run made in Japan) YAS 23 action and intonation are pretty close to my Keilwerth Black Shadow and tho the sound is a little different, IMO, mpce makes bigger difference.

I confess I used to be a gear head and succumb to GAS easily.
I have to say, having had three Vito altos (Yamaha 23) and sold two I've kept the third after comparing this model to maybe 60-70 other horns over the years. I've just had my '58 Superdynaction overhauled and it sounds superb but I'm not so sure it'll eclipse the Vito 23 when that's back up and running (needs 5 pads). Certainly the 23, for me, sounds better than my Buffet 400 did. The search for a mouthpiece ended with a PPT which works well on most modern horns.
I also favour the 23 to the later 275 but I can't say why particularly. Maybe more flexibility?
 
Not on a 4C though eh Greg?

No...looks like an Otto Link Super Tone Master with a non-standard ligature (maybe Selmer two screw?)...

interestingly in an early 2000s issue of Saxophone Journal magazine in an interview with Jay Beckenstein (of Spyro Gyra fame), Jay played a basic Yamaha mouthpiece on his Keilwerth SX90 soprano sax...I suppose the lesson here play a mouthpiece you feel comfortable with and sounds good to the player whatever the brand...
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Greg S.
 
No...looks like an Otto Link Super Tone Master with a non-standard ligature (maybe Selmer two screw?)...

interestingly in an early 2000s issue of Saxophone Journal magazine in an interview with Jay Beckenstein (of Spyro Gyra fame), Jay played a basic Yamaha mouthpiece on his Keilwerth SX90 soprano sax...I suppose the lesson here play a mouthpiece you feel comfortable with and sounds good to the player whatever the brand...
.
Greg S.
Agree. That’s interesting about Beckenstein. I knew he was a Yam guy but always thought he was a Meyer player. Horses mouth though...
 
Hi, as a former player of an old Yamaha 23, I can definately say that changing the mouthpiece on it makes worlds of difference, having tried several on it including an old Ideal "3" which I had kept for a vintage Martin, a Selmer "4", an unknown Vandoren which was my first ever, a Ricoh M9 (above my skill level), and the best of which I have to say was the trusted old Vandoren. Well I have just sold the old 23, and bought a "Lars Jensen" 80/2/SMS and plugged it into my TJ Signature which has really brought it to life, so absolutely and definately try every mouthpiece which comes your way, and every horn which anyone lets you play, so keep your favourite "spare" mouthpiece in your pocket just in case ...
The horn is the horn, but the mouthpiece is your connection to it.
 
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