Unison 300 alto experience

[bradshawm]

I bought a gold satin plated Unison 300 about 5 months ago, and just wanted to share my experiences for anyone who may be looking to purchase one.

Playability and tone: One of the reasons I bought it was because it played so easy up and down the scale for me compared to others I tested. I was totally inexperienced on the alto and yet I was able without much effort to make it sound good from top to bottom. It definitely has a different tone quality than any other horn I played. My instructor does not like the tone quality, but I like it and it has a sound that blends well, and that is what I was after.

Quality of construction: I have been dissappointed with the quality of the horn. The plating has been fine on the satin finish itself, but what appears to be laquer on the keys started wearing off within a month. That is especially true on the right hand pinky keys. The lacquer on the key cups scratches very easily, and I am very gentle and careful with the horn,but scratches keep showing up.

I have had a major problem with the pads sticking on the keys under my left hand, especially G, G#, B and Bb. If they are dry, they are fine, but if I play for very long, they get damp and stick so bad that it almost becomes unplayable. I don't know what kind of pads come on the horn, but I am looking at having those pads replaced if I cannot find a good solution.

The left hand palm keys are placed so that it is difficult to hit a couple of them without risers. I was having trouble with them, and finally my instructor played it, and stated they were set in to where it was very difficult to reach them. I have played other instruments, and the palm keys are much better placed, at least for me.

From a novices standpoint, the action is fine (when the pads aren't sticking). Beyond that, I am probably not good enough to make an evaluation.

Overall, it is a beautiful looking horn with a unique sound. When I bought the horn, the biggest issue was playability, and it fit that bill.

Marshall

[Dave Dolson]

Marshall: I had a new matte-gold Unison 300 alto for a while. It was a very nice horn and I had no problems with mine. It is now with Rob "goodsax" Fleming and as far as I know, he is enjoying it, too. I have heard of no finish-problems with that instrument. DAVE

[goodsax]

That's correct, Dave. I'm having a great time with the satin-gold Unison 300 alto. I've received many compliments for its looks and sound since getting it from you. A recent example was at last night's community band rehearsal when the conductor asked after rehearsal if it was a new sax and commented as to its excellent appearance - and he's a trumpet man.

The keywork is very responsive, intonation as good as any alto I've played (and I've played a lot of them), and from pianissimo low Bb to high F#, the playability is second to none. It doesn't have the deeply resonant tonal fabric characteristic of vintage horns like Buescher Tru Tones, Conn Chu's and King Zephyrs, but it holds its own in an ensemble or larger music group as with the 18-piece big band in which I sat in for a friend who couldn't make the gig and came away with an offer to become a regular member - and it was the Unison satin-gold beauty that motivated that, I'm sure.
8)

[goodsax]

<skipped some good stuff>
Quality of construction: I have been dissappointed with the quality of the horn. The plating has been fine on the satin finish itself, but what appears to be laquer on the keys started wearing off within a month. That is especially true on the right hand pinky keys. The lacquer on the key cups scratches very easily, and I am very gentle and careful with the horn,but scratches keep showing up.

I have had a major problem with the pads sticking on the keys under my left hand, especially G, G#, B and Bb. If they are dry, they are fine, but if I play for very long, they get damp and stick so bad that it almost becomes unplayable. I don't know what kind of pads come on the horn, but I am looking at having those pads replaced if I cannot find a good solution.

The left hand palm keys are placed so that it is difficult to hit a couple of them without risers. I was having trouble with them, and finally my instructor played it, and stated they were set in to where it was very difficult to reach them. I have played other instruments, and the palm keys are much better placed, at least for me.
<skipped some other good stuff>

I wanted to compare my Unison satin-gold alto experience one-on-one with these comments: I had more "mystery" scratches show up on my much more expensive Yamaha Custom 82Z alto than what I've seen with my Unison.

I've had absolutely no key sticking problems at all. I play this sax a lot, in two concert bands and one dance band with a lot of practice sessions in between, and I run a swab through the body and neck at least three times after each session. Result? no sticking pads.

I bought and installed Runyon risers on two of the left hand palm keys, but I also had to do that on a Selmer SA Series III and the Yamaha Custom 82Z alto I owned just prior to acquiring the Unison. I don't have any problem using the Runion risers. On the contrary, I'd probably feel like something was missing if I played an alto without them. OTOH, I don't need risers for my Prestini tenor, Kohlert sop, or vintage Conn bari.

When I read of your problems with the Unison satin-gold alto, I was stunned as I was set to read another glowing tribute to this fine horn. What a disappointment to read just the opposite, especially when I've had good luck with not just one, but three Unisons: my current alto, another S300 I owned a few years back, and an S100GG soprano that was a fine player with durable construction.

I hope you are able to have the adjustments made that are necessary for your expectations to be met or exceeded and that you are able to enjoy your Unison as much as I'm enjoying mine.

[bradshawm]

Hey, thanks guys for your feedback. I am having five pads replaced, and I am hoping that it will fix my pad sticking problems. I didn't mean to give the impression that I don't like the horn, because I do. I went on a mouthpiece hunt to find a sound that pleased my instructor, but have gotton off that kick now, and have settled on a Meyer 6M. The looks were not an issue to me and I probably would have been happy with any finish(although I do think it is a great looking instrument). The biggest thing I was looking for was something that played well, and would last.

Goodsax, what kind of music do you use it for, and what are you using for a mouthpiece and lig?

Marshall

[goodsax]

<skip>
Goodsax, what kind of music do you use it for, and what are you using for a mouthpiece and lig?
Marshall

Interesting you should ask. I bounce back and forth between a Meyer 6M, like the one you mentioned, a Selmer Soloist E and a vintage Selmer metal C**. I'm currently playing in two community concert bands and one big (18 piece) dance band (subset of a third concert band). For reeds I use mostly Vandoren standard (blue box) or Rico Royal 2-1/2's and Fibracell Med or Med Soft, depending on the mouthpiece. I use standard 2-screw ligs, a Rovner dark on my alto sometimes and an FL at others. I just use one combination or the other of the above as the spirit moves and the sound dictates during the warm-up before each practice or gig.

The Meyer 6M with Rovner lig and Fibracell Med Strong, or Vandoren 2-1/2 is the old standby I find myself frequently resorting to with the Selmer Soloist E being a little more powerful for dance band use. The Selmer C** metal is the most recent piece in my collection and I'm not quite used to it yet, but I can get a pleasing sound out of it, even for concert band use, although concert band directors (and sax section leaders) tend to frown on the use of metal mpc's and synthetic reeds.

Bottom line is that I'm never quite satisfied with one setup, so find myself continuously looking for something better.

[altoist]

Just another datapoint. I've had a black S300 for about six months now. No scratches, and
no pad sticking any worse than any other horn (every new horn I've tried get's a sticky G#)
however, I've just had two key pearls fall out in the last week. No biggie, I glued them back in with some powerful glue, but this is pathetic for a $1K item. The adhesive they use is like rubber cement, very weak!

A shame really, because the horn does have a unique tone, and one that I like.

[bradshawm]

I tried the powders and papers, and finally took it in this week to have 5 pads replaced. The tech said the initial seating on the pads was too deep, and when it would get wet, the grooves would swell. I had the same problem with some of the pearls coming out. I thought the same thing - Just like rubber cement. Just cleaned them off, and reglued with stronger stuff. Even with the above, I like the horn alot, and have no intention of getting rid of it.

[altoist]

I ended up taking preemptive action an pulling out two more key pearls
and using real glue.

I have no intention of selling mine either. Taiwan made horns don't command a lot of resale value, and I suspect that the entire saxophone industry is in for a
gigantic period of change anyways as the Taiwan and Red China markets mature.