LA Sax... Good or junk?

[walkingstick]

Hey.. I would love any opinions and info concerning the american saxophone, LA Sax.. I have seen them, but have not played one personally. Would anyone recomend them? Thanx

[Gandalfe]

I've moved this post to the correct forum. Methinks if you start reading in this forum you will find some opinions. 8-)

[G-dawg]

I got to play on a couple of the sopranos at a convention last month. I only spent about a minute or 2 on each horn (so maybe 10 minutes total) but enjoyed how they played. Very free and open. I did not play with a tuner, but intonation seemed to be consistent across the range of the horn.

I still can't get past the colors - LOL - the traditionalist in me.

[Pannonia]

I have had a black LA-750 alto for over half a year. I bought it brand new from the distributor last year when they were cleaning out house, and it cost me less than half than what wwbw asks for them. The sax needed some setting up when it arrived, but that did not cost much with an honest tech.
You really have to try one and make up your mind. Different individuals have diferent impressions and a whole lot of different set of criteria for picking an instrument.
The sax has good intonation and I have not had any problems producing any notes in its range. The keywork is very modern and it is a real treat for someone like me who mostly plays vintage saxophones from the 20s through the 50s. When I play my Martin I often think it would be nice to have LA-Sax key setup.

Some things the tech noted when taking the sax apart:
1. Adhesive was used very sparingly on pads and pearls so you may have problems with things coming loose a bit. This is difficult to catch in the quality control department due to its hidden nature. I had only one pearl come loose I had to put back.
2. The key alloy does not seem as hard as one may desire. This is not to say that the keys feel like playdough, on the contrary. This may be more of an impression and it is not supported by any measurement whatsoever.

This is a really easy to play saxophone though. It will take all sorts of mouthpieces you jam on it. Try to use a different mouthpiece than the one coming with it when you try it out. That one does not do justice for the horn. The tone is something you like or you don't, but this is why we have so many choices so you can pick the one you like. If you like pushing the horn this one can take it.

So be prepared to have to do some adjustments after you get the instrument. Even so these saxes represent very good value especially if you don't mind getting last years model. I would not say they are junk, but they are not on the same level as the Japanese instruments yet. They are a good alternative to more expensive counterparts. I do not know how it will hold up on the long run, but there have been LA-Sax instruments on the market for a number of years. Someone with a longer experience will have to chime in.

I believe that with a little more attention at assembly LA-Sax could make their instruments knock the socks off any prospective buyer.


Cheers,
tom

[goodsax]

As you can see by my signature below, and the avatar photo, I'm a bit partial to LA Sax models. During the past six or seven years when I came back to enjoying my sax-playing interest with a vengeance, I've been all over the map trying different SATB saxes bought from eBay and SOTW members, and the result is the LA Sax collection listed below. I'm finally and honestly satisfied with my horns. They satisfy my weekend warrior needs and I've received a lot of compliments on them - although some of them were cancelled by Asian-phobes who discovered I was playing a Taiwanese horn.

The best thing for anyone to do when deciding on saxes like this, as others have stated, is to try them. It's a personal choice because different players have different needs. I may have made some compromises before settling on this collection, but mostly they were about how much to spend without losing too much construction and performance quality. I don't envision myself playing with top pro's anytime soon, or landing a big recording contract with any label, so that's my rationalization for not going for the pricier big four (or six) sax brands.

My first LA Sax was the LA-750 alto. I liked the looks, feel and playability of it so much I immediately added an LA-850 tenor. When an LA-900 baritone became available from a private party at a bargain basement price, I jumped on it and wasn't disappointed in the least. I play it every week in a local 17-piece swing band and it never lets me down. Although I had no problems with my Antigua Winds 590LQ sop and enjoyed playing it very much, I wound up selling it so I could complete my LA Sax collection with an LA-650 sop. I played it just last night with a local concert band performing the Perthshire Majesty sop solo and it did me proud.

Try them. I don't know about earlier models, or the new ones for that matter, but the 650, 750 and 850 (SAT) models are excellent buys with solid construction, good looks, with intonation as good as any sax I've tried (and I've tried dozens), and they are proving to be quite durable as I play each of them every week quite hard with no problems so far.

[BayviewSax]

LA Sax... Good or junk?

At the risk of offending many, good junk. I have an LA Sax soprano, which is probably as good as any of the intermediate horns out there. I like it better than a CB or a Mauriat, though it's case/packaging would suggest it may come off the same line as the PM. For me the difference is: the LA plays in tune.

The older LA Sax models are fairly awful in my experience, but the newer ones rank with the better Taiwaniese horns. Don't expect Mark VI/10M quality and you probably won't be disappointed. They do have very nice ergos.

[goodsax]

At the risk of offending many, good junk...No offense taken here. I realize I don't have the best the sax industry has to offer, but I think LA Sax is hard to beat for the money, to cite an apologist's cliche. I agree with your comments.

[sycc]

PLayed a 850??(tenor)in red lacquer at USA horn. Felt decent and had a neutral tone-not bright or dark. Ended up w/ a ex 90 II tenor for my daughter. EX 90 was darker and fuller sounding.

[walkingstick]

Thanks again for all the replys.. It is nice too find a page I could get real answers from....Thanks again....

[jacobeid]

I have an LA sax 650 soprano and well..it plays great. I bought it for $600 shipped and it just needed some adjustments, about $30 worth. It plays wonderfully. Obviously, with all sopranos, intonation is a constant problem. I sat down with a tuner for months working everything out, but for the most part, it played very well. Better than anything I could have asked for for $630. Would a professional yani or selmer be all around a better horn? Most likely yes. But then again, they cost a lot more. For the money, I believe they are (basing my opinion that all other LA's play roughly the same as mine) very nice horns with a cheap price tag. I would suggest one to any beginner, intermediate, or someone looking for a back up horn.