plastic or metal resonators

[RobD]

I've noticed at school that my yamaha has plastic resonators and all the selmers have metal ones?

is there something that makes yamahas work better with plastic resonators and selmers work better with metal ones??

[Sigmund451]

Actually many selmers have plastic. There is only minor differences between plastic and metal until you go to the specialty metal resonators that are custom. As long as there is a resonator its fine. Some people, more along the classical line, will set up with no resonators. It presents very mellow which can be pleasant but also limiting...all that pad eats a lot of edge.

[deblcooper]

Along the topic of metal resonators.....

Do they attract rust easily? How do you prevent it, even a with careful drying routine?

Would switching them out to just pads loose a lot of the bright edgy sound?

deb

[Sigmund451]

I have not had any rust on the metal ones but thats not to say its not possible under poor conditions...or poor quality metal. Yes, switching to pad only would or at least could dramatically alter the tone of the sax ....edge would be eaten by leather and felt. Just regular good maintence practices should take care of problems.

[shmuelyosef]

The older resonators were plain steel and did tend to rust, you don't see those new any more much. Most of the new resonators are either stainless steel, aluminum (like MusicMedic Noyeks) or more exotic rust-free materials like plated brass, silver, etc...plastic ones do not rust, obviously, which may be why Selmer started using them...anyone know more about that??