Yamaha or Antigua

[madsax]

Well...im really close to getting a YSS-475...after reading about Antigua Saxophones in a thread...they sound very, very appealing. I heard that Yanagisawa makes some of the best soprano saxes...and that Antigua saxes are almost the same...would I be better off going with the pro Antigua soprano sax or the YSS-475...how does the Antigua sax compare to the YSS-675 or the Selmer Series III even? :\

Help...its so confusing...

[Dave Dolson]

madsax: I have not tried the Antigua line, but I have owned Yamahas, Selmers, and Yanagisawas. I suppose there are players who love their Antiguas (as there are those who love their Brand X sopranos), but if it were my money, I'd lay it down for a Yanagisawa (or a nice vintage soprano from someone like Gayle Fredenburgh).

And if you can't afford that, my advice would be to dig a little deeper. True, there may be a Yamaha or Serie III (or even an Antigua) out there that will outplay my S992 or SC902, but I could spend many years searching for it - and never come across it.

Few dealers these days stock the higher-end sopranos, and those that do have but a few - hardly enough to make an intelligent selection among the various brands. If you find one of any of those brands that plays well, you might as well buy it on the spot.

The other alternative is to do the mail-order thing (like I did with all of my new horns). When you take that risk, I believe Yanagisawa is the best choice - most of them come playable right out of the case. Few of us can say the same about the other brands, especially Selmer (oh I know, some of you probably got a good Selmer right out of the box, but I sure didn't - and many others will say the same thing). DAVE

[DaveKessler]

Madsax,

if its only between the Yamaha 475 and the Antigua, (of course) I will recommend the Antigua. Now if you were also considering the actual Yanagisawa's, then buy the Yani. They are more but they are the BEST sopranos on the market.

Should you decide to try the Antigua, I send them out on a risk free trial. If you dont love it, I will pay for all the postage (to & from) and refund everything (outside of any Air shipping postage, only regular ground shipping).

I would recommend e-mailing the various people on the threads that have bought and liked the Antiguas.

[jgill2000]

If your choice is between the Antigua and the 475 only, this one is simple. I'll agree with Dave Kessler on this (okay, so I bought my Antigua from him, so I'm already biased on this). My Antigua 590 is better than the Yamaha 475's that I tried. Not just better for the price, but better outright. I love my 590. And the money I saved let me spring for a couple of sweet Runyon MPCs without busting my bank account.

On the other hand, if you can stretch a little and spring $1795 for a Yani S901, do that. They're the best - and a heck of a deal for that price. It just wasn't in my budget.

But, like I said, if it's between Antigua and Yamaha 475, get the Antigua. Be sure to read all of the other threads on the Antigua - I bought the black nickel 590 - but you don't mind having a traditional laquer/brass finish, save the $75. And if you don't care about having two necks or a high 'G' key (like anyone ever really needs a high 'G'), then get the 582. At just under 7 bills, it's a crazy good deal.

[Fred]

The 475 is a well respected intermediate level soprano. But notice the niche Yamaha put it into . . . intermediate. Yamaha did that - that's not just reader opinion. Mind you, it's plenty good enough that many doublers find it completely acceptable for their purposes. Wish someone would just give me one. Nothing ugly to say about the 475.

But considering that you can get the Antigua that is modeled after the top pro sopranos on the market . . . and considering that you can get the Antigua WAY WAY cheaper than the 475 . . . and considering that you can try it without risk from Dave Kessler, I wouldn't consider the 475 until I'd given the Antigua a whirl.

Then again, if your choice isn't limited by $$$, you can get a Yani and know that you've got the best (unless you're overcome with anxiety over the higher priced Yani that you didn't get.)

[SuiZen]

I purchased an Antigua 586LQ from Dave Kessler a couple of weeks ago. I'm very, very satisfied with it.

I tried the Yamaha 475, and it is decent.

Even if they were both the same price, I'd go with the Antigua. Considering that the 475 is about double the price of the 586LQ, no way I'd pick the 475 over the 586LQ.

Bill

[SammyPeralta]

Try the antigua 582lq from Dave Kessler. At $625 it is a monster deal. You won't be sorry. Its one of the best horns I ever played.

[Biff]

Hey dave K, do you ship to canada?

[DaveKessler]

Hey dave K, do you ship to canada?

Sure, you just pay the shipping costs plus whatever import fees.

[JfW]

Well...im really close to getting a YSS-475...after reading about Antigua Saxophones in a thread...they sound very, very appealing. I heard that Yanagisawa makes some of the best soprano saxes...and that Antigua saxes are almost the same...would I be better off going with the pro Antigua soprano sax or the YSS-475...how does the Antigua sax compare to the YSS-675 or the Selmer Series III even? :\

Help...its so confusing...

Well, I own a Yani Alto, and I've recently played an Antiqua Alto that is a Yani copy (except it was in black nickle plate). The Antiqua was surprisingly good and I would have chosen it against the Jupiter Artist Silver Alto, and the Yamaha YAS 475 I also played that day based on performance, quality, appearance, and cost.

However, it aint no Yanagisawa despite being a virtual copy. The tone wasn't as full bodied, the quality wasn't as good to casual observation, and the action wasn't as good. If that's true for altos, I'd imagine it would be true for sopranos as well.

[DaveKessler]

Well, I own a Yani Alto, and I've recently played an Antiqua Alto that is a Yani copy (except it was in black nickle plate). The Antiqua was surprisingly good and I would have chosen it against the Jupiter Artist Silver Alto, and the Yamaha YAS 475 I also played that day based on performance, quality, appearance, and cost.

However, it aint no Yanagisawa despite being a virtual copy. The tone wasn't as full bodied, the quality wasn't as good to casual observation, and the action wasn't as good. If that's true for altos, I'd imagine it would be true for sopranos as well.

actually, antigua does not do a Yani copy alto. their altos are selmer clones.

[MB-913]

1) Antigua = Where it is made in? I know it's a American company but is it really made in U.S.A ?

2) What is their price for top model soprano (Model A590-SPC ?) ?

3) It look like Yana but I think you better to test it side by side with a Yana.

4) A well made horn not only look nice but also sounds good & play well. Duration & reliability is also important. You may spend a little bit more than Yana (sorry, may be a lot since I don't know the Antigua price) but you don't worry about too much. Can save a lot money for repair work.

I'm lucky & very glad my first horn is a Yana (A-901). It never give me any trouble. I have a YSS-675 Silver soprano as well, I would say if I can make my choice again. Most likely I will get a S-902 Bronze or S-992 Bronze but silver plated. I'm not saying Yamaha is not good, it sound nice & has smooth keywork (may be faster than a Yana compare). It never give me problem also but it still lack of certain tone color/character that I want.

If you are not sure how much you really like saxophone + how long you will like this thing. I'll suggest you to rent a soprano fro a month or two. After this, the choice is yours.

[DaveKessler]

1) Antigua = Where it is made in? I know it's a American company but is it really made in U.S.A ?

2) What is their price for top model soprano (Model A590-SPC ?) ?

3) It look like Yana but I think you better to test it side by side with a Yana.


1) The horns are made in Taiwan.

2) Price will vary but I sell the 590SPC (silver plated) at $995 or in lacquer at $895. There are dealers who charge in the range of $1500+

3) Agreed. I personally hear a difference between the two horns. The difference that I hear is that the Yani's are a little richer tone... not by much though. There are some people on this board that found no difference what-so-ever. The only way to know is to try.

If money isnt the issue, then this is a no-brainer, the Yanagisawa. But for many people, money is an issue.

[SaxComposer]

i play an `ntigua alto and i love it, it has a great sound and moves smooth and everything so between yamaha and antigua i would choose an antigua

[saxboy]

There are a lot of good saxes out there. I would say Antigua is really not one of them.
Stick with a name that would play great and have re-sell-ability too.

Get a Yamaha.

SAXBOY

[DaveKessler]

There are a lot of good saxes out there. I would say Antigua is really not one of them.
Stick with a name that would play great and have re-sell-ability too.


What do you base this comment on? Have you even tried the model of Antigua that everyone is referring to?

[sl richard]

My daughter has done very well with her alto sax for 4 years.She wants to try the soprano.Our school district does not have one nor does the local instrument rental firm offer one. I see a lot of web offers for low end horns and have seen your reviews of such..What advice would you have on getting a horn.Are there vendors that do rent sopranos or is the purchase the only route?
What were the reviews of the Antigua in relation to a beginner ?
Thanks to all.

[SuiZen]

I think the Antigua soprano is an excellent choice for a beginner. I'd go with Kessler Music for several reasons; price, service, and they make sure it's setup properly prior to shipment.

Selection of mouthpiece is a consideration for any make/model/size saxophone.

I found rentals searching the internet. Generally, whether to buy or rent any musical instrument is dependent on a number of factors, and could be a lengthy discussion.

Bill

[madsax]

My god...I got my Antigua-590 in today and the thing is amazing. Thank you so much Dave!!! lol...I accidently ordered harder reeds than I should have (they make my head hurt...lol) and even with those the thing sings. Its really good...wow...the keywork, tone, and intonation are great. I love it!!!

[DaveKessler]

Glad to hear you like it. Let me know if you need anything else (aka softer reeds! )

[madsax]

"like" it...??? No, no...you have got that all wrong. I -love- the thing. :D

[Mike Ruhl]

There are a lot of good saxes out there. I would say Antigua is really not one of them.
Stick with a name that would play great and have re-sell-ability too.

Get a Yamaha.

SAXBOYSpoken like a true Yamaha endorsing artist. Just because you're unaware of the Antigua line doesn't mean they're junk, boy.

If the choice is between one of the top-of-the-line Antiguas and a Yamaha 475, I'd vote for the Antigua. I've tried both. The keywork on the Yamaha 475 is rather heavy. The Antigua, as a Yanagisawa clone, has much smoother and more ergonomic keywork. The 675 and Custom models are a little better than the 475 in that regard, but not much.

I guess the bottom line is that it depends on how much you want to spend. For the money, the Antiguas are excellent. If you're willing to spend the bucks for a 675 or Custom, then I'd say get a Yanagisawa. I'm personally not fond of any of the Yamahas. The keywork just feels over-designed, and the response is uneven across the range of the horn.

[saxboy]

One size fits all.

I endorse what I use, bought with real money, and played 20+ years.

Now I realize you are the guy to copy.

Clone...

I'm sure I will be much improved after I clone whatever you think is right.

SAXBOY

standing at the zerox machine right now...

[Jazzsums]

Whoa!
Biting and somewhat negative.
I picked up the Antigua 590 black lacquer from Dave Kessler last Decemberish.
I use a Yani 7 mouthpiece with Vandoren Blues.
I spent 20 + years with my mark VI in a wide variety of playing environments. The Antigua really is a well made responsive little squeaker!
I have great respect for the Yamaha line of saxes; and their endorsers.
That litte Antigua really did outshine the 475 (FOR ME) when I went head to head trying them out.
Everyone remember, our personal dental structure, oral cavity, breathing technique, sinuses, mouthpiece/ reed combos all play a factor in how a horn responds to our individual bodies and personal concepts. It's also why we all sound different from one another.
That all said, I love that Antigua! Thanks Dave
Gotta go now, I'm fortunate enough to be openning for Ramsy Lewis this evening.
If you folks get a chance, check out www.jazzeast.net
Peace,
Dave Summers 8)

[mrjazz]

I switched to an Antigua sop a couple of year ago from a Yanagisawa sop. I have a Yani Bari that I love but the Antigua sop beat the Yani sop hands down in two ways.
The intonation is better and the high notes come out easier. The altissimo is incredible!! Couldn't get it on the Yani but they pop right out on the Antigua. You can't go wrong with the Antigua.
I play a super balanced action Selmer Tenor (about a 1947) but also have an Antigua Tenor. I have noticed That the Antigua is a more mellow sound on the Tenor that the Selmer. But the Antigua Sop is the best of all the sops I've owned including a Selmer VI sop.

[SaxyAcoustician]

That says a lot right there. The Antigua sops are that good.