Yanagisawa T-9937 vs. Keilwerth SX90R... Pros and Cons

[dhl28]

I am new to this forum. I am interested in buying Keilwerth SX90R Black nickel or Yanagisawa T-9937 tenors; however, I can't decide which one to buy. Since I am in college, I can't exactly go test all the sax I want to buy.

I've heard very good things about these and I am wondering what you guys think I should buy. I've also heard JK take more maintanence, has sticky pads and etc... where as Yanagisawa is more reliable, but doesn't have dark sound like JK.
--Could you list some Pros and Cons of each sax?
--What are the benefits of having solid Silver body as apposed to JK's construction?
--Also, which sax has darker, fuller sound?

Lastly, does anyone know where I can find some reliable reviews on these two sax? Thanks alot.

[Silscio]

Well, I own a Yanagisawa Y-990, and when I went to purchase it, it was between that and an equal level Keilworth Tenor. After testing both, I concluded that the Yanagisawa was much superior, I found the Keilworth unresponsive, uncomfortable, blocky and stiff, compared to the fluid and balanced quick action of the Yanagisawa. True, the Yanagisawa does have a generally brighter tone, the Keilworth was much darker. But, whatever that you would prefer, I just completely prefer Yanagisawas to Keilworths.

[Silscio]

Sorry, I own a Yanagisawa T-990 tenor :oops:

[CU399333]

I am too searching for a tenor. How does Yani T-9937 compare to Keilwerth SX90R Silverplated? Which one has fuller, deeper sound? Which one do you prefer? Anything I should be aware of before I buy one of them?

[Tears June]

Do you know how much of T-9937 is more than SX-90R ??? A lot! You may want to consider your budget first (sorry to say this but it's a matter of practical thing). Also, Yana horn is more fit for small hand player but SX-90R require BIG hand...

:cry:

[singlereed]

My 9 year old daughter plays my Keilwerth and she has very little hands. The keys on a Keilwerth certainly do have a 'chunkier' feel to them, but you do not need large hands, my own are quite small too.

These saxophones are an important expensive purchase and you really should either try them both first, or at the very least buy one on approval, so that you can return it if you don't like it. Have a look at the saxophones.co.uk 'sax tests' for some comparisons of the pros and cons of these instruments.

If you want a dark sound and the reliability of the Yanagisawa, I would say go for the T992 in bronze. The JKs are well-made but their set up and finish can vary and it is essential you buy only from a dealer who will set it up for you. I'd buy a Yanagisawa unsealed from the factory on the other hand.

[Morry]

When it comes to their sound and feel, these horns are on opposite ends of the spectrum. I wouldn't consider one good and the other bad, just different. If you are at a point in your search where you are considering both of these, I would guess that you haven't played either of them. Doing so is a MUST.

[BobD]

dhl28,

JK's have a great big sound and I agree with one of the posters that the keywork is "blocky". It's a perfect description. It's not really bad keywork it just has a less fluid feel to it. The Yani's that I tried(991/992) were great horns. The keywork is fantastic and the sound is good. More refined than a JK. Good intonation and great response. If I were you I would check out the T992. Having said that, if I had the money to spend on a 9937 I would put it into a mint condition Mark VI and a good mouthpiece. You'd have a much better setup going that route. But if you can't play test, then I would order a Yani T992 from a place like USAHorn. That way you get a great price and you can return it if you don't like it.

[Metro Gnome]

I auditioned the T992 and the SX90R I also listened to the various incarnations of silver & plate horns from both & other manufactures.

To my ears, I found the more silver in the horn, the more 'in your face' or 'harsh' the sound. Now if you like that, then that's fine.
Personally, I do not. So it came down to a straight race between the SX90R & the T992.

I picked the T992 in the end although I believe I would equally have been happy with either. So why the 992?
Well bottom line is that to my ear at least it had an ever so slightly smokier and darker richer tone to it than the SX90R. Which I like – I prefer more subtle sounds in music that you learn to appreciate and you develop your ear to as opposed to having it thrust at you which I find after a while to be trying as it kind of beats on you…. (I’m a laid back kinda dude :lol: )

You have to hear both one after the other to appreciate the difference.

However, the silver type stuff is a different sound all together. If you like it then there are a host of makes/models to choose from. I'm not sure (for me at least) that there is a comparison between the silver and bronze models :)

[averageschmoe]

well, the 9937 is absolutely perfect, but costs as much as three of the keilwerth which is a damn fine horn. might i also recommend you look into a yamaha custom or selmer series III? both also good horns and worth a look. not to mention the plethora of vintage french and american horns...

[Saxaholic]

Is there anyone who's actually sat down and really played on one of these 9937 horns? I mean any of them..........alto or tenor..........I'm just curious if theres a real break down of the horn and what they have. Tone-wise, intonation, keywork etc etc. Just curious.

Saxaholic

[caves]

I have a Yanagisawa 9935 alto sax. It is like the 9937, but the bow of the instrument is made out of brass, like a regular sax, and not solid silver. The rest of the instrument is solid silver, like the 9937.

This horn rocks! All Yanis I've played have a very nice color, but this one has the most beautiful color of them all. I believe that the solid silver gives the horn this special color. I describe it as mid-bright, with a darkish velvet edge (descriptions are so subjective...but for a lack of anything better...).

The scale is as good as on the 990 and 991 Yani altos I've owned in the past. The Yani ergonomics , I believe, are well know and appreciated by most, I think.

I haven't played the 9937 and can't comment on the difference that the solid silver bow might make, if any. Actually, I bought this horn thinking that it was a good thing to have a brass bow, because it might add more body to the lower register notes. This is only a theory, since I haven't played the 9937, like I said.

At the same time that I bought the 9935 I also bought a Selmer Mark VI alto sax (original lacquer, SN 131,XXX). When I received the Selmer It had leaks and played a bit stuffy. I decided to sell it and played the Yani for a couple of weeks. At this time I had a technician take a look at the MK VI , In order to get it ready for sale.

I went home and played the Yani for awhile. I then took out the MK VI and as soon as I played a few notes I knew that this was a much better horn than I had thought. That afternoon I played both horns back to back without reaching a verdict. I did the same for the next couple af days.

When I played the Yani It felt just perfect. It has such a wonderful color that you really enjoy playing this machine. Then, when I switched to the MK VI, I found that it has such a powerful center that I also really enjoyed playing it.

At the end my conclusion was that both are wonderful instruments in their own right. It's just a matter of taste and of what you're looking for in a horn , in terms of color, sound, scale, resistance, etc.

Since I can't afford to keep both horns I have decided to sell the Yani. Still, If I didn't have the MK VI, I would be a perfectly happy camper with the silver Yani. I'm sure that the 9937 must be a wonderful instrument as well.

[Saxaholic]

What are you asking for the A-9935?

[caves]

Saxaholic,

I'm asking $3,500 or best offer. I have received a couple of offers. Since I have a business trip from the 20th to the 27th , I guess that I will make up my mind after the 27th, unless something is agreed upon before my trip. Thanks for asking.

[caves]

By the way, my e-mail address is jimmy@johnnyrullan.com in case that anyone may want to drop me a private note.