From all the sax reviewers, I've seen so far, you seem like the most genuine and trustworthy to me. No BS, no fancy schmancy waffling. A greybeard (well he's shaved...but you get the point) doing the servicing. Making an explicit point about relatively low wear. Still recommending new saxes for a newbie. Not getting hung up on 'vintage' stuff or 'new saxophone feel'. Very believable. Caveat emptor remains, of course, but, I am definetely putting you into my list of highest considerations for advice in the future.
@@GetYourSaxTogether Lol, well, you know I"m just a random person to an established teacher. But to me it's a bit the other way around. A lot of people wanting in on the action and I gotta decide who to join that. I've seen flat out pretty women (well singular...) in quasi revealing clothes, showcasing yamaha pricing tier saxes, for example, advertising for a store, and lo and behold, the more expensive the magically she got better. And even though I enjoy looking at women quite a bit...couldn't help but feel like there was a liiiiiiiiiiiiiiiitttttle bit of bias there. But if what she said was true, then altissimo and co magically flies out of the thing and becomes part of your body. But only on the premium model.
My first teacher told me : don't buy cheap Chinese horns, you'll waste your money, I didn't listen to him. Now I regret , I should have bought a second hand better sax
Nice video, I started out on a Yamaha YTS21 in my teens and two years ago I bought a Mark 7 tenor. I am very happy with both horns now. They are both great and have their own sound (because I use different mouthpiece and reed on both, the difference is quite clear).
Thanks Jamie. I totally agree with buying and fixing used saxes. Not only can you get unique and awesome sax sounds (my 1930 Transitional Conn alto) but we are saving resources and keeping skilled repaires in jobs. Great video topic as usual.
Being in nz finding 2nd hand instruments is a little harder as there are not so many around, but I took my time and was lucky enough to come across a mark 6, that had been left behind by someone when they went back to the USA, due to covid. The house owner where it was left didn't know what it was, and I picked it up for.... Nz $250 (about £125!!) changed the mouth piece and checked it for leaks etc but it was all pretty good.... Think I got the bargain of the century!
Hmmph lucky, I struggled to find anything decent. Until I came upon a Yanagisawa T901-II for 3.995 plays like a dream although it isn't a selmer mark vi 😅
I really enjoyed your informative video. I am thinking of getting a YTS 23 OR 275. I am however a little confused; how important is having a F# key on a tenor sax?. If not is it difficult for a beginner to achieve? Thank you John
I bought a Yamaha 32 Tenor from 1990 on OLX, from 1/3 of the price to a new sax , and its a great yorn, better metal and sound a new one But my realy good sax, are the Selmers used on OLX, from 1980, too 2006 realy good from 1/3 price, and more quality meyal too the 2021 ones.
Jamie would you go for a yamaha 23 or the 275. Seen at similar price other than the 275 has a crease and small dent/ding. Which would you say is the better option. Thanks for your fantastic videos. Cheers.
Can"t here the differents, so its more aboout the players skills and musicality. You"l sond dam"d good on any sax that is o.k (working.) Got a mark 6 from 61 and a yamaha first pro model and the difference sondvice is"t that big. Anyway can you make a video about yousing tritone subs. and maybe some drills ? (maybe you have already done that ? Anyway thanks for you!r great channelOlaf Copenhagen Denmark
Thanks Olaf. Look in my technique playlist on my channel for drills, and the harmony playlist for theory stuff. Can’t remember if I’ve done tritone subs specifically though.
I bought a second hand Trevor James The Horn Alto from a music shop a number of years ago. It's still going strong and I've been very happy with it. Thanks for the video, your repair guy has done an amazing job.
im looking for an used jamaha tenor saxophone, most of the times they are pretty overpriced, because made in japan and vintage reputation...don't know how worth is to get it 500 eur cheaper than the new one..
A big plus 1 from me on Yamaha's quality, I managed to find a YTS 61 which I have as my second tenor,built like a tank and seriously great sounding, I'll have to be honest, I could find little difference in your playtest comparison, but id put that down to you Jamie 😉 great advice to any sax shoppers out there 👏👏
Not much of a difference to be honest. You might notice a difference as the player in a room. But an audience listening to you play with a band would not notice a bit of difference. I’m willing to bet that if you played behind a curtain even most sax players could not tell you which horn is which.
No discernable difference on either. Both sound like you. However if the selmer feels better you'll play more freely, improvise more etc. So the listener gets more
I think that’s probably one of the best videos on tube ever. Your frankness, honestly and sense of humour when talking about an unfortunate purchase is uplifting. The section involving the examination by your sax tech was gold. You don’t see much of this and I’m always fascinated when a knowledgeable person looks over an instrument
I thought both saxes were identical in sound, the Selmer maybe a tad darker in tone while the Yamaha slightly brighter. The old Yamaha saxophones are really good value second hand market as they were made in Japan, now they are made in Indonesia where IMO the quality isn't as good.
I saw this sax at a pawn shop. I liked it because it was blue and brass. I took it to the Oberlin conservatory in hope that i could get some one to use their mouthpiece and blow it to determine if it was good or needed serviced. However no one was willing to do that. It is a Lazaro
Hi I took a chance earlier this year and bought a second hand Yamaha yas 280 From ebay. Paid £700 All works great :-) I think the trick is research the more you look the better feeling and price aware you become. If it's to cheap beware Next year I fancy a Yamaha yas 62 or a yana and I would buy second hand online again. Cheers
I'm seriously considering a YTS - 25 tenor from an ex woodwind teacher. I've not been playing long, but I've not got a huge budget. What do you think of this horn?
Hi thx for the vid this week, for Christmas im trying to persuade someone to buy me a tenor or bari sax but i dont know which one to ask for, any ideas??
Thanks Jamie! In the play test I could hear a slight difference (but definitely not a 10 X better difference). The Yamaha sounds good, but has a slightly muffled sound compared to the Mark VI. I learned on a Conn alto that I borrowed, then bought a Mark VI, which got stolen a few years later. I bought an Italian made horn (don't remember the brand), which also got stolen 2 years later. (Both incidents are long stories -- over 40+ years ago). 25 years ago I bought a used Amati (1980 model) for $200 in Ukraine (after the collapse of the Soviet Union everyone was selling things to dollars as the local currency was crashing). It needed to be overhauled, but I found a technician who did it for $100. More recently, when visiting the States I rented a YAS-23, which was nice to play, the action was good, but the tone felt a bit muffled compared to my Amati.
Well, in April i bought a 1989 Yamaha YTS62 purple logo. It was in optical good condition, but has many leaks and a few damages. So I got it overhauled for €750,-. Now it is nearly mint and plays fantastic. I am a beginner and very happy to have that horn as my first. Tomorrow will be a first lesson at a music school.
Hi Jamie, I'm a beginner in the tenor saxophone, in comparison with you of course, and I want to know something I hope you can answer me and help me. I have a Conn Shooting stars from the 60's and I want to change this one for a Conn 20M, or maybe a Yamaha 23, do you think this change it's considerably better for me as beginner? Sounds better one or other? I think the key of F# on the 20M probably can help me to practice the higher scale, or maybe the entonation of the yamaha can help me to up grade my skills. I really appreciate your comments please, I from Mexico and apologize for my bad English. Cheers and great chanel, I subscribe 😎🙌👏👍
Thanks for your comment! I've only played the Yamaha 23 out of the horns you said, so I'm afraid I can't comment. A modern horn MIGHT be easier for a beginner as opposed to a vintage Conn though? Better sound with a Conn though I'd wager!
Hey! If you were able to get a YAS-23 in excellent condition, first, congratulations. Second, either, the previous owner didn't play it so much or got a serious overhaul. I also have a YAS-23. It's still a great horn, but it needs a serious overhaul. I just have to keep looking around because in my area (Japan) for the same price of the overhaul, I could get a new YAS-28, which my oldest daughter has, and it's also a great horn. Congratulations!
Really hard to say, if new od used. New cheap can be worse than old pro horn (Better Sax video). I have surely not second but maybe fifth hand yanagisawa t5. Maybe not perfect, but surely has 50 years old spirit! Sound nicer than new yamaha yts 280, I cannot compare with cheap saxes. Web is full of new second hand cheap saxophones and nobody wants them. For child is probably better new cheap, for adult surely older quality brand.
Hi there. Thanks for the video. I was really lucky with my YTS-23. I’ve bought it about a year ago, but i spent a lot of time (months) finding one that matches my expectations and budget. I still consider myself a beginner/intermediate player but this is my third sax so i had some ideas what to look out for. So after a loads of research I went on e-bay and found one which as the seller described it it was some kind of inheritance and it wasn’t played for nearly a year and as he said the mouthpiece that comes with (Otto Link) might need a replacement (as I’ve seen the pictures of it I would have thought so too). After a lot of discussion we made a deal and a few days later I’ve received my YTS-23 for £400 and I had a chance to have a closer look on the mouthpiece as well. That was the time when I realised that the seller probably didn’t really know what value he has given up on for a few hundred quids. The mouthpiece did have some discolouration which is perfectly fine given that how vintage it is. After a bit of cleaning and disinfecting and getting it looked at turned out that now I have perfectly good condition Early Babbit Otto Link Tone Edge 8* whit it’s original facing and nicely flat table which i found amazing to play and i just simply love it. On the sax luckily I did not have to get any major repair done except few little tweaks on some of the low keys as they were bent a tiny bit due to posting probably but it looked like it had an overhaul in the last few years. I have never tried any high end professional saxophone and I know that this was called a student sax back in time but i have to tell this is amazingly free blowing and really fun to play.
That MK VI sounds GREAT. The YTS 23 is not bad. Your vid. other than making your point reinforces how great the MK Vi is. Anyway I'm John who makes Reso-Tech resonators. You've probably heard of them. Let me know if you ever want to try out a set. They will blow your mind! for real. Love ..Hank Mobley .
Musician's Repair Service Akron is one of the best places to get a used sax imo. I just got one from them on Friday actually. I live near Sirvalorsax and he is also having them look for a bari for him I guess. They're cheap and give you a 1 year warranty on it. I just got a "Cleveland" King Super 20 bari. It's from 1959 and it has some wear, but nothing majorly wrong with it. Has the original silver neck (but someone lacquered over it like a goon lol). I didn't play it ahead of time (bc of COVID) but I know about the mechanics of a sax so I just visually gave it a go over. This is the third day I've had it so I'm going to finally play test today. Saw some minor stuff when looking it over close at home that I'll have them fix for free on Monday (mostly just want some old bits of cork replaced with synthetic cork). The pads he used on the horn are really cool. They have resonators that aren't domed, but conical--and sharp enough to cut myself on lol. Got a Berg Larsen (105/2 SMS) mouthpiece to play on it, and a Legere Signature (they don't make the American Cut in bari yet. Wanted to try one). Best advice I can give bc I've bought about half a dozen used horns at this point: learn the mechanics of the horn so you can spot problems, and repairs before playing it. Second best advice is: check pawn shops. I got a Selmer AS600 (alto) from a local pawn shop for $330 that was in mint condition, also found a great playing Bundy I alto at a pawn for $189 with a really nice aftermarket case and all it needed fixed was the one of the posts that protect the octave mechanism was bent and touching it (5 seconds with some cloth-wrapped needle nose plyers). Hope any of this was helpful. Love all the videos Jamie, after learning altissimo from your one video you made I am already up to double G#. Having all these extra notes is so much fun. Cheers!
Hi Jmie I am a new player and started on a Selmer AS300 in very good condition was on loan by a church member friend and then I bought a almost new AS400 Jean Paul in like new condition from a pro player and then my church member gave me the Selmer as300. Bought 6 or 7 mouthpieces all 3 and 4 size. 1.5 and 2.0 reeds My playing is going very well like I was a natural. Also play Guitar 30+ years and Violin 15+ years keyboards too. Love your videos the most of the few I follow Better sax ok and McGill is ok too. You are the best of the 5 or 6 I follow.
Jamie. Ive done every thing you have said do not do. Although my Yanagisawa 992 Tenor is not the issue it was bought second-hand some 7yrs ago through a London music store. As I was/am an amateur my tutor at the time, was on hand which was helpful. However, I have since move to Cornwall and wanted to buy a second -hand Alto saxophone and made a purchase just as Covid19 hit us. Thro' the internet and purchased a Alto WO37 Silver Yanagisawa, Stamped Silver Made in Japan, from China for around £250. I know they sell in the UK for in excess of £2000. On inspection the quality of the finish does not match that of my Tenor. The strap mount is bent the mouth piece I'm sure is not ebonite, there is no stop-end, is it silver? Is it a knock off? but for £250!!! On the plus side the case is substantial and although my tutor has only heard me play it via Skype, says it sounds in tune (but cannot wait to get his hands on it) My advice to others is, do not buy thro' these outlets; stick with Jamie's comments and you will be in a safer place should you require help.
Last night I bought a 1959 Conn director 14m alto. In decent condition. Pads have been replaced recently. I'm brand new to playing the sax. And brand new to music in general. Hope I can learn this.
Hey Jamie, First thing, thanks so much for all your great content - it's really helping me learn sax from scratch. I started clarinet in grade school (like you) but that was almost 60 years ago! I play guitar mostly and can read music and understand a lot of music theory. My journey with sax began on a whim just a couple of months ago when I saw a YAS-23 at an 2nd hand shop, asked if there were any problems they were aware of, and the owner pointed out a broken neck screw. I bought it for $200 and ordered a new Yamaha mouthpiece, reeds and a neck screw. I was able to easily remove the broken screw with a dremel and with the help of your website and a few others I was playing. The YAS-23 seemed pretty tight, but I took it to a music shop and had it tuned for $125, some pads replaced and adjustments. I started realizing how much I love saxophone and bought a new Jean Paul TS-400SP silver plated tenor. Your videos and supporting pdfs have helped me a lot and I'm making steady progress. Thanks for sharing your gift with us.
My first horn was a YAS-23 Yamaha alto from a pawn shop. The pads looked good but some were out of alignment, making it play out of tune. Not knowing any better I palmed it off on someone else. Now I play vintage Martins and Kings off eBay, which all needed work, some damage happened during shipping. If you buy off eBay MAKE SURE they have a neck plug, or the octave mechanism will be messed up when you receive the horn. Your Yami sounded great, as did the Mark VI. The player and the mouthpiece affect the sound a lot.
Thanks for the comment Fred. I agree about the end plug, although the octave mechanism on those Yamaha horns doesn’t stick out very much which is good.
Thanks Jamie this is good advice. I am thinking of buying a YTS-23 from a music shop here in Israel. They are asking for around $1400 for a vintage YTS-23 which was serviced by them (with 2 year shop warranty) but looks pretty bad cosmetically (peeling lacquer spots). Is this a reasonable deal in your opinion or should I look elsewhere? BTW same shop is trying to sell me a YTS-62 which they claim is 20 years old but looks brand new for around $3000. any advice would be appreciated
I play a killer yts 23 - made in Japan- had it overhauled! Trouble is im always being told to upgrade ?? To what ... my sax cost me $1500 ( aust ) i gig with it .. its great, not fussed that its not a vintage
Couldn’t agree more. If somebody tells you to upgrade, play them by back to back test with my mark 6 and see if they can tell much difference blindfold.
damn.. The guy who sold u the yamaha must be thanking his lucky stars he got rid of that piece of junk! But having said that, your repair guy did an absolutely fantastic job getting it back to playing condition. Especially with that botched job! Good lord... Also, yes it's pretty clear that the Mark VI sounds that much fuller in tone and body, with the Yamahas always notorious for sounding thin. But as you said, it's not 10 times worse than the Mark VI. Again, great testament to ur guy Geoff and also your playing of course! :)
Hi Jamie, Great video thanks. Your Yamaha is quite an early one perhaps 1970's. Have you tried any of the newer Yamaha 23's or 275 or the like? are they as good as the earlier ones?
For anyone with a limited budget looking to upgrade from their beginner level Chinese sax, I always recommend a used Yamaha (any model from the 21 upwards) if they can find one as well as telling them to expect to have it either fully serviced if the majority of the pads are good, or if most of the pads are shot, to factor in the cost of a full overhaul and to justify it as fairly often that and the cost of the used sax is often way below the cost of a brand new one. New or used, I haven't seen a duff Yamaha yet and I've been repairing for over 30 years. It's getting people to understand the difference between the PURCHASE PRICE and the VALUE which some people have trouble with - the usual argument being "I can buy this brand new student model for more than this used pro level model" when they're not really upgrading, only they seem to think spending more for a shiny new lower level model is better, just because it happens to be new and costs more than a used one including the cost of a full overhaul. Also a fully overhauled sax will have far more time and effort spent on it than a brand new one that had much less bench time when being finished and only passed quality control, when one that's been fully overhauled SHOULD have been done more thoroughly and correcting all the faults that were overlooked when it was originally finished at the factory so it could pass quality control and get shipped out. Another thing some people are hung up over the purchase price is they seem to think that limits how much they're prepared to spend on any repair work, thinking as they only spent X amount means it's only worth X amount and they then in their minds can't justify spending XX amount on a full overhaul as it only cost them X amount without understanding the value of what they have exceeds the purchase price. I had someone moan that the price I was charging for a service was 10% of the cost of their Yanagisawa. If I based the price of a service as 10% the purchase price of a sax that was bought for a couple of hundred, then the cost of parts alone would exceed the cost of a service going solely by that misguided reckoning. Yamaha's quality control and finishing on their saxes is definitely far better than the other big name makes and even the fit and finish on their 20/200 series puts many pro level saxes from the other big name companies to shame. There have been some problems more recently with the stainless steel used for their rod screws rusting which I can only assume is where they source their stainless steel from which could be a problem going right back to the foundry. I haven't seen this on older Yamahas (from the '70s through to the mid '90s), but have seen some rust on the small (2mm) diameter rod screws (rollers, crook key and tilting low Bb spatula) on some saxes from the '90s onwards.
I honk on a second hand YTS-23 and have to say they are excellent (it's the second one I've owned) . Never drop a saxophone, of course, but a YTS-23 it's even worse because of the "soft" metal. The trade off is that they are lightweight. I am looking to save up for a YTS-62 iii, but I don't have the budget for it, yet. So for now, I am extremely happy with the 23. They are bright sounding horns, so the sound, at least for me is that it slants more Rollins and less Coltrane ( but, also that could be me). Great review! Okay, Jamie even though I am saving up for a 62, I can wait a few seconds more and buy you a hot cuppa! Thanks again for reviewing my model horn so favorably! I knew it was a great horn for the price and until now I never heard anyone come out and say it. Thanks!
Bought a Yanagisawa T901-II, it's a later model of the T901 and earlier model than the current TW01 plays like a dream got it for around 3,995 local right after it had been serviced.
Well for what it’s worth, unlike one of your other commenters,I am genuinely totally blind, and one of the horns sounded a little brighter than the other. I couldn’t tell which sax you were playing, but someone else has already said that they thought that the Yamaha was duller and muddier. I bought A soprano from Amazon a few months ago. It was new and unbranded for £175. I sent it back the same day as I received it. It was totally unplayable and when I licked a few of the pads they tasted as though they were made out of wool, not leathery like they normally are. I remember doing a gig in Chelmsford in the late 80s.
Hi Jamie, itss reaaly helpful to see you videos, im a begginer sax player. Dont have any teacher, just practice everything from your videos. I got a teacher for one month but for me he wasnt good for me, I played one easy song for every lesson in month, so I sad Goodbye . What is the normal lesson plan ? 5-10 minutes practice long tunes, another 10 minutes practic scale, another 10 minutes practis improvising , another 10 minutes ???
Go and check out my masterclass here www.getyoursaxtogether.com/masterclass and this video ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-GqQZHfvCEfs.html
I personally could not tell the difference. I took a gamble and bought a secondhand Yamaha student sax from e bay as I am a beginner/Intermediate and could not afford a Selmer or any pro sax. , I am very happy with it. Plays the low notes well.
I bought a YTS-475 used. I took it to my tech to have some minor tweaks done to it that I knew about before buying the sax. He had a Mark VI in his shop that was on consignment. He told me my YTS-475 ($800.00) was much easier to play because it was free-er flowing sax compared to the Mark VI ($5,000.00). I've been very happy with it and wouldn't hesitate to buy another Yamaha used.
Just purchased a YTS-23 inspired on your video. Ordering it online I only saw photos and videos from the seller. It's currently being serviced and already have a new Strap, Mouthpiece and Case ready for it.
You can definitely tell there is a difference but no way it’s a £5000 difference ... my first Sax that I am using was from Amazon via gear4you and cost me £430, it didn’t need any rework for it and lucky too ! Keep it up and look forward to the next video too !
Hi Jamie... really liked your 'Second hand Sax' video! Just bought a 2nd-hand ST90 Series II Keilworth Soprano sax (made in Germany mid-1990s) from a local Brass & Woodwind shop. Paid $AU1200 (approx £600). Their tech did an excellent service on it (£300) and replaced all the pads, and did a major fix-up of the keyworks. Really happy with it... sounds great!
Hi like the your playing....these are one of my favourite horns...i got a tenor for sale... Best pound for pound sax...still.. First sax i play in the 80ts....
Yeah this is a very interesting video ... because I have been driving myself around the bend over the last few months. I want to buy a Tenor to play pub gigs with a guitar based band ... (when we can again). I haven’t bought a sax for many many years ... I play a MK6 alto that I have had forever. So the thing I have found is most new saxes are made in China and although the quality is improving it’s still not up with the French or Japanese. So I keep flip flopping over spending a lot of money for something that is a so called pro sax or less second hand for an intermediate one. But what you have just demonstrated is that for the ordinance I’m likely to play for with the sound set up we will have ... it’s very unlikely anyone will notice the difference. I did buy a cheap £400 SML sax but didn’t like it and sent it back. Seemed to lack something in the mid range. I do want to try a Hanson. But maybe I’ll have a look at the Yamaha too as it will save me a fortune even after the Tech has given it the once over. Brilliant stuff Jamie thanks a lot. Martin
Half a dozen years ago I owned both a YTS-21 and a Mark VI. I preferred the 21, and sold the Six. The 21 was stolen. I replaced it with a new-old-stock Japanese Vito, which was made from the same parts as a 23, in the same factory. The pads were soft and were installed with tiny dots of hot-melt glue. Not good. The octave lever was badly manufactured, and it required difficult bending. Many hours of DIY repair later, it plays great and still looks new.
You sound "killer" on both and I hear no difference at all, on my earphones. The fact that both horns sound much the same; may owe it to the player's dexterity. Rather than the audience hearing any difference, it would be more pertinent to ask you about how both horns felt. How different were the horns in the way they resisted to you, which one yielded in a pleasurable way, which one did let you get what you wanted out of the horn more easily? Great video! Thumbs up!
I've had a YAS-23 for over 15 years and just started to play it again. Made in Japan and it's in mint condition not even a scratch. I feel so honored to have kept this tucked away and now I treat it like a baby. It's good to know I should never need to get another sax since this one from what I've heard is quaity :) The 4c mouth piece could be upgraded maybe a new ligature? any suggestions? I know nothing.
I got almost a year ago a Henri Selmer Paris SA-80 2nd edition (silver edition). I got an expert to review it and he said it was in good shape, although later on I found that I needed to replace the cork on the neck, and to add some missing corks in the mechanism since the metal kept knocking on the metal. Nevertheless, I love this horn, although the low notes sometimes get messed up. I hope it's because of me and not the horn. I used to play a Conn 16M which I still keep and is in great shape, however, I wanted to upgrade, hence this 2nd hand horn. Another bad experience was that I got a shitty case and decided to buy an original one which was quite expensive, and I would have gotten for free had I bought a new saxophone.
Thanks for your videos Jaimi, there is not so much difference in sound (surely your merit) I have a yamaha 23 high used since 92, I played again 5 years ago and 2 years ago I passed the tenor with a Buescher destroyed in appearance but that sounds (for me) Very good, now that I decided to move forward so I bought a Yamaha tenor 31 which is a gem, easier to emit the sound and powerful, the defect is that it is heavier and I have to be taking care of it more. Big hug from Bs As.
Impressively, the Yamaha has a slight bit more presence in character, but a live audience would never tell the difference at a gig. I've been performing since 1966 and owned a great deal of horns. I currently own 5 tenors, 3 altos and a soprano. All, except the Chinese soprano (remarkable copy of a Yani) are vintage horns. Except for my 1960 Buescher Aristocrat Tenor, all of my vintage Ebay horns required pad work. They have all been great sonic and monetary investments - especially, the Buffet SDA tenor, Conn New Wonder tenor; and Buescher Aristocrat tenor and altos. They each have a unique character, that I don't hear in new horns. Ergonomics does not mean that much to me, but I am very fortunate to live near St Louis, where the master repairman at Saxquest skillfully lowered the stock high action of my Conn NW tenor down to a much more modern feel. Sage advice to set aside a bunch of bucks ahead of time for repairs. I bought my 1918 silver Conn for $400 and spent $800 on a complete overhaul - but its a wonderful, big bore horn and one of the best tenors I have ever played. I would never give it up. Thx
I don't think the comparison did the Selmer any favors. I don't think one necessarily sounded better than the other, just very slightly different. As a thought experiment, if you would have switched the audio, would people still have "preferred" the Selmer? However, what the audience hears is not as important as the feeling the player gets behind the horn. The number one criteria should be how much the horn inspires you to play and makes playing fun.
Wow, there was not a lot of difference in the sound. Perhaps if you had played something slower and repeated the exact same passage on each horn there might be more of a difference but still, I can't imagine it would be that much. Makes me want to forget about upgrading from my 23 tenor.
Most of the sound quality comes from your vocal tract (throat and mouth), then the mouthpiece and reed, then the neck, and finally the horn. The horn is the least impactful on quality of sound!
Wow Jamie! This video came in the right time for me! I’m buying a second hand alto sax (I play tenor), and your suggestions are great. The one I’m buying is a 1974 Vito sax. Those saxes were built by Yamaha, so it is actually a YAS-23 but “Vito” branded. A local luthier is overhauling it, so he told me it’s going to be like brand new (except for the lacquer and small scratches that won’t affect sound or intonation). When I get it I’ll let you know how it went. Thanks!
Great video. I was just wondering about whether I may get a cheap sax while I am overseas. Cant take alto and tenor. I had wondered about a cheap Chinese horn. But I had also thought about these Yamahas and you make a very good case. How does it feel under the fingers?
My Yamaha YTS 23 seems to work okay for the first two or three songs. Then it gets water logged and I can't reach the high notes. So how do the pros keep from getting too much spit into it? Or is there a problem with the sax?
Hey fella. Great vid and totally agree. Bought a YTS21 for Gleneagles regular gig and simply not having to lug a horn from the car park and through the hotel every time has a culminate effect on reducing hassle 👍
Perfect! Hey do you remember my first tenor? That was a yammy, and I bet you anything it was a 23. Should’ve kept it! Although we used to think it was fun to clash our bells together. *cringe* 😂 That stopped when I got my 6!
Thanks for the comment Mike. I think if I had to put my money on a difference the mark six sounds a little bit brighter and the Yamaha is a little bit more boxy but very minimal difference considering the difference in price.
@@GetYourSaxTogether agreed, I have a VI and an Eastman 52nd St tenor. The VI is just a little better tone wise (at least to my ears) but it doesn’t have the punch of the Eastman. In a recording I prefer playing the VI, in a live performance I love the broader punch of the Eastman. It’s great having these options in very reasonably priced horns.
I would like to hear the comparison with a tradiotional mouthpiece like an Otto link ... The sound is so bright .... That said I totally respect and love yts-23 for what they are. I built my technique on one :)
Damn! This video was worth watching just for the hank Mobley solo! I think I’ll lift it from your video first before the original because it’s so clear. P.s I got a made in Japan Vito tenor and read that it’s a Yamaha stencil. Seems to be a good horn, except need to fix the bent octave key. Like you said, budget for repairs. Need to fix my Rhodes too. Now that’s another story... a few broken tines, sticking notes, etc.
wow - hardly could make out any difference. I bought a second hand yamaha and replaced with a good mouthpiece. Have the option to change neck in future. Good enough for me!Thought the Selmer resonates better on the harmonics (2nd, 3rd etc) while the Yamaha dampens them more and preserves the fundamental - suspect it is the characteristics of the alloy used
@@GetYourSaxTogether had a look at the spectral composition - definitely interesting. From that it appears as though you had to work harder on the Yamaha to get the right sound
