Can't find any reviews on Yamaha YAS-855 Alto Sax what's up?

[maulk42]

Getting ready to purchase a used sax. currently have a yas-23 student, looking at yas61 or 62 and This YAS-855 is going to be available for 1,500.00 Has anyone played a 855 or 875? Is this the horn I should get? Have a budget of 1,500, any other recemendations on which horn to get? . thanks Kim :roll:

[Morry]

The new 62II model alto has the improved G1 neck, and is an excellent bargain. It should fall right at your budgeted amount.

[singlereed]

Have a look at the 'sax tests' on the saxophones.co.uk website. Its pretty objective. That horn for $1500 is a good buy as long as its condition is good.

[jp3]

From what I have read, the 855 was a variant of the 875 custom. My understanding is that it was sold mostly in europe. I believe it was designed with a slightly smaller bore than the 875 and was meant to approximate the tonal qualities of a Mark VI. They're recently out of production, but saxophones.co.uk has a few that they're selling at a discount price of about 1,250 GBP - which would put it at about $2K USD plus another $100 or so shipping to USA (I've made an assumption that you're a US resident - apologies if I'm wrong). Definitely a high end horn and if its in great condition, its bargain at $1500. If its not in great shape, the YAS-62II can be purchased new for about that money --and you don't seem to need to go to europe to get great prices any more. I was quoted $1,580, by a local dealer a couple of weeks ago.

[SaxyAcoustician]

I recently bought an 855 alto in black lacquer. I ordered it through Saxofoonwinkel a year ago and it took 6 months to get it because Yamaha had to make it! (My silverplated Yamaha 62 bari took 6 months to get too.) I had been playing an 875 for 12 years prior to that. When I got my 855 I measured the circumference of the tube near the bow and lo and behold the 855's tube was smaller than the 875's. I wish I could say that the differences were huge but the differences in playing are subtle at best. The sound was a tad leaner on the 855, if anything, which was what I was going for. It still doesn't match my recently acquired 1937 Balanced Action which has a nice lean sound and feel.

Let me tell you though what did make a huge difference. I was extremely unhappy with the stock neck it came with (G1) and I had it replaced (with another G1). I had been comparing the G1 neck that came with it with the G1 neck I had for my 875. That made a world of difference. Necks can make or break the horn.

Hope this helps.
Dr Ben

[MM]

I recently got a used 855 for a backup horn for my wife and myself. I've noticed it plays much better with a 62 neck than the M1 it came with. I plan to buy a G1 for it soon. I've also tried a friend's 855 and it played about the same and his M1 neck made no difference.

From a suggestion I got, I also tried a few Mk VI necks on it. One was a serialized stock neck and the other a Selmer replacement neck. They really opened up the sound however the intonation got worse.

SaxyAcoustician, how did you find the intonation of the 855 with the G1 necks?

[MM]

BTW both the Customs 855 and the 62's are good horns but I noticed some significant differences.

The 62 has more of the Yamaha prettiness in its sound. Its intonation is quite good with less favoring required. Because it's hard to sound bad on this sax it would be a good choice for a doubler who plays alto only once in a while.

The 855 has a bit more grittiness to its sound. When you really push it, it can be played louder than the 62 and it develops a bit more edge and projects more. Playing in tune is a little more work than with the 62. In short, it's about halfway between the 62 and a Mk VI.

[SaxyAcoustician]

MM, I've never really had a problem with any Custom neck I've tried with regards to intonation, be it G1 or M1, on either the 875 or 855. Response and "feel" have been the only issues already mentioned above. I've always been a stickler when it comes to pitch and intonation so maybe it's just a subconscious and automatic thing for me to adjust via embouchure which is maybe why I never noticed. Or maybe I just never blame the horn, just myself. Lord knows that a mere reed can make a few notes on the horn go awry.

The only 'real' problems I've had with any of my horns is my own playing. :lol: But those problems tend to go away the more time I spend in the shed.

[MM]

Thanks, S.A. I suspect the 855/875, G1/M1 are close enough that there's not a big intonation difference. Great. Intonation took some work when going back to my VI after playing the 62 for a while, since the VI needs a lot more favoring of the pitch, for example at middle C# and the palm keys. On some necks that were unsuited to the horn it was tough to find a mpc position that would let me get both the low notes and the high notes in tune. It's tough to lip the low notes very far up and on the Mk VI I can't flatten the palm key notes very much without losing the note. Some other horns are more tolerant or more flexible up there.

[rockinsage]

This is an old thread, but I've been playing on an 855 for 14 years now, love it. Where can one find the various custom Yamaha necks (like G1, etc.)? I've searched, but cannot find where to buy. I'm still playing on the stock M1 neck. Thanks!!

[MM]

Weiner Music carries them. There's some confusion in their catalog over the numbers, prices and finish so it's best to call.