Anyone ever tried Oleg saxophones?

[UOPJohnny]

I remember reading something somewhere about Oleg saxophones, but I can't remember what.

I found them recently at www.olegproducts.com . They're crazy pricy! Like... as much, if not more, than a Selmer or Yani. Finding this absurd, I came here to ask all of you if anyone knows if they're worth the price? Does anyone know where they're made? How do they compare to Selmer, Yanagisawa, Yamaha, or anything other horn they compare to?

:mrgreen: Thanks for all your help! I'm interested in purchasing a soprano within the next 12-16 months, so I have a particular interest in these.

[Lomar Manx]

I played an alto at the NAMM show. It's a very nice instrument, well made and very good intonation. Oleg is a controversial genius, and while he has his detractors, Oleg has some really great products. I don't think there is anything crazy about his prices. Play one of the horns before you make judgement. He's been on the cutting edge of saxophone technology for a while, and these horns are a logical extension of where he has been heading for years.

[UOPJohnny]

I'm definitely reserving my judgement until I'm able to try one for myself.

I just have to find a dealer that carries them. I'm really excited to try one out! Although I don't personally use any, all Oleg products I've tried have been wonderful.

The only thing I found crazy about the horns was the pricing. They're pretty steep for a relatively unheard of saxophone. With the internet market being such a huge force, I'd think he'd want to undercut "the big 4."

[Lomar Manx]

Johnny:
Oleg has been around for a long time, and is definately not a new kid on the block. I don't think it's fair to charecterize him as an "unknown". When I looked at his alto, he didn't mention any other dealers besides his own store selling them, and given that many horns are bought online these days, who needs a dealer network?

Just a few thoughts on the "big 4" that you mentioned:

Those guys have not done anything really new and different for years. There have been some variations in finishes, but how different is a Selmer III from a II or a 54 or a 36? Not very. Most of the parts are interchangable. Yamaha's Z horn, by their own admission, is a 62 model tube, bell, and bow with a slightly different neck taper and the brass alloy from the 875. Yanigasawa has been making essentially the same horns for years. Keilwerth has been making essentially the same horns for years. Where's the innovation? Looks to me like the big 4 have decided that innovation and improvement are not a priority. Maintaining the status quo is. They could bring innovation and improvements to the marketplace, but they choose not to do so. As long as people keep buying the same old horns, they have no real incentive to change or progress the state of the saxophone making art. Just my opinion.

[Big Nick]

So what's innovative about the Oleg saxes? Apart from the price, that is. The web site tells you nothing.
Taiwanese again?

I don't think it's necessarily the manufacturers being conservative. It's mostly the players. You must have noticed the collective howling on this forum about such ultra-modern innovations as the top F# key. Imagine what they'd say if you did something really radical.

[UOPJohnny]

I'm sorry, I still don't understand the innovations to these horns. And the pictures aren't detailed enough to see anything different. Can you tell me what was different about the alto you played than any other alto you've ever played?

I'm not saying that Oleg is unknown whatsoever. My sax teacher at school actually had his Mark VI customized by Oleg in '63. It's kinda cool... but didn't really do much but add key risers. But anyway, his horns are very unknown. No one really has anything to say about them. It seems like it'd be prudent to sent out horns to different retail stores so people could try before they buy.

I know his ligs, mouthpieces and necks are really sweet. I'd love to try his horns, but I'm not about to order one just to see what it's like.

[PrinceII]

After listening to the audio clip on Oleg website, I am still not convinced that either his saxophones or the necks are better than the others.

Especially, the neck comparison, I reckon that the standard Selmer neck sounds better the pricey Oleg.