Looking for Nice Bari...

[plewjay87]

Hi! I'm a sophomore in high school approaching my junior year. I play the bari sax in the top jazz group and top band at my school, and I'm looking for a higher quality bari - I need to ditch my age-old Bundy saxophone after a good 6 years of experience. I play a Yamaha pro-model instrument at my school, and I really like the way it plays. It also seems to be extremely durable. I'm looking for suggestions as to what make/model of saxophone I should purchase, and if this Yamaha (most likely a YBS-62) is a reputable instrument worth the cost. Feel free to email me at JAPlews@comcast.net. I'd appreciate your suggestions! Thanks!

[LBAjazz]

If you get another Bari and want to sell the Bundy please let me know....LBAjazz@aol.com Thanks and good luck on the search.

[vick]

i'm also in highschool. i just scrolled ebay and the forsale ads to see what popped up and i managed to score myself a 600 dollar vintage martin, a great sounding horn. if you just wait and see what shows up you can get a much better deal than a new horn.

[Storamin]

My parents bought me a Jupiter 893SG Artist Series low A bari. This horn is awesome, and I'm loving every second of it. However, I'm not planing to major in music or play profesionally, so I could go for an intermediate as opposed to a profesional. If you're going to pursue music profesionally, another Bari might be better. My friend picked up a Mark VI low A silver plated bari out of Ukraine, and it's awesome. Like the other person said, vintage horns are wonderful. However, they can be crap.

[Bootman]

You must factor in repair costs with any viontage sax purchase, mor eso with bari saxes as they have usually been abused in the past by cheap nasty repairs and in school bands. A good vintage Bari that has been restored will cost as much as a new horn but it will have the sound that a new horn can't match.

[vick]

the cost can also depend on the tech. the martin i picked up for 600 had a bent body tube, so i had my tech rebend it, resolder most of the posts, and adjust the action, and it still came in at about 300 dollars. a vintage horn for 900 is not bad, especially on a highschooler's budget. but very often these old school horns can have a lot more damage, so like Bootman said, watch out. i just got lucky.

[shmuelyosef]

the cost can also depend on the tech. the martin i picked up for 600 had a bent body tube, so i had my tech rebend it, resolder most of the posts, and adjust the action, and it still came in at about 300 dollars. a vintage horn for 900 is not bad, especially on a highschooler's budget. but very often these old school horns can have a lot more damage, so like Bootman said, watch out. i just got lucky.

that doesn't sound all that lucky to me, but you got a lot of work for $300!!

[Big Nick]

Much as I respect Bootman's opinion, don't forget that you can also say that modern horns have a sound that vintage ones can't match :wink:

It's what YOU like that counts.

And, since no one else has mentioned it, the Yamaha 62 is a reputable instrument.

[bari_sax_diva]

Hi, plewjay,

I was in your position a couple of years ago, so after playing a few horns and considering how much I liked my Yamaha Custom alto, I scraped together all my available cash and got a new YBS-62 baritone. Here are my reasons:

1. The key layout of the Yamaha is second to absolutely nothing I've played, and the action is FAST! The rods on these instruments are long and move some huge heys, so they've got to be well-designed and work flawlessly. In fact, I found the key placement on my baritone to be even better than a friend's Selmer _alto_. This is especially cool for a chick player with skinny pinkies!

2. Intonation is rock solid throughout the range. I may consider a mouthpiece change someday to help me lay into altissimo notes more easily (though, I don't really obsess about wanting to play bari in the alto range), but overall I'm very happy with how in tune I can play--whether with a section or soloing.

3. Reliability was a key issue with me. Baris, as you probably already know, are tempermental--especially when you carry them around 4-5 days a week. My repairman strongly recommended the Yamaha for this reason. I only take my horn in for adjustments about every 9-12 months, and I have little trouble with it in between.

In an nutshell, I'm still thrilled, two years later, and I wouldn't trade this horn for anything on the market. I might also add that the product manager at the Yamaha HQ in Grand Rapids, Kurt Witt, was a perfect gentleman and actually let me try one when I was in Michigan on business. These people take pride in their work, and it shows. It's a choice you won't be disappointed with.

Good luck!
-Leanne

P.S. I should also add that I sold my vintage Buescher baritone immediately after getting this one!

[Bootman]

Big Nick,
You said it mate.

It is what you like that matters and being able to be heard too.

[JPrince]

Well, if you don't have a lot of cash, and want a great Bari, get a "The Martin". I am a senior and used to play my schools Yamaha (BTW, your's most likely is a -52 intermediate, not a -62 pro, if its a school horn anyway) and wanted my own bari. So my paarents got me a 1958 Martin, and she is so very sweet. SOunds, plays, and even looks good. You'll need a goot MPC though, or the upper octave will be really sharp. I use a MArtin with an Otto Link 7* Custom, and it works fine. Just my $.02.