Which modern alto is your choice, and why?

[Charlie Parker]

Which modern alto is your choice, and why? I am more of a Selmer man. However many have their own opinions. Give a shout out people!

[katysax]

At the moment I actually own a Selmer Series II, a Keilwerth SX 90R and a Yanagisawa 991. I have also owned a Yamaha Custom.

They are all excellent. I wasn't wild about the particular Custom that I owned, but I've played others that are great and I'd be happy to play one of the new ones, especially the Z. IMHO the Selmers, Yamahas and Yanagisawas tend to sound very similar, the Keilwerth is a bit different.

They are all great horns. They all have their flaws. I'm pretty unimpressed by Selmer, Keilwerth and Yamaha quality control with Selmer at the bottom (but the horns are good after you pay someone to finish them, pretty much the same with Keilwerth). Yanagisawa has the best quality control. Yamaha has the best ergonomics. Selmer has tradition. Keilwerth has a unique sound. Even though I've bought a lot of horns, I know it's the player not the horn that 's really important and a good player will be fine with any modern horn, even a student horn.

See, even as one person I can't decide so people will be all over the map on this one.

[Tears June]

katysax

Have you compare your Yana A-991 with Series III (yes, III)? I don't think it has sound similar. Just want to know which has more Thick, Bright, brilliance & Rich tone?

If you never compare your A-991 with Series III, please compare with your Series II (I realize Series II sounds more dark?)

:cry:

[super20dan]

my current modern alto is a yani that was sold as a vito VSP. its as good as any horn i have ever played

[Gandalfe]

Believe it or not, my alto is a YAS Custom Z that I picked up overseas for $1980. Everyone that plays it wants it. :lol:

[puresaxman]

i play a yamaha 62 alto and a yamaha 62R soprano still can't find anything that will out play either horn. unfortunately I have never played a mark VI or balanced action yet.

[Saxaholic]

Cannonball Big Bell alto Nickle plated with Nickle Plated keys.
Meyer 5M Modern Mouthpiece
2.5 Rico Orange or 3M Unfiled RJS

I am completely baffled. I went to the dealer to test every single alto they had. The Cannonball blew every single one of them out of the water. I tried the Custom, Series II and III in three different finishes, and a few of the professional Yani's. This Cannonball simply sounded amazing. I had random customers coming up to the practicing room to hear me play, but that was only when I tested out the Cannonball. The vote was unanimous among customers AND employees: I sounded the best on the Cannonball. I knew the employees simply weren't saying this for a sale....because the other's were more expensive. With the Meyer 5M....the easy of playing is simply astounding. I could attempt to barely whisper in the instrument, and the tone would be there...totally in tune, full, but soft in voice. Or I can make it scream, and for a strange reason get a really "Charlie parker" tone.....(Listen to "Parker's Mood" to get an idea of the sound). Every single note speaks....the keywork was set and is perfect for me...the tone is great. It makes an excellent lead alto horn and really packs a punch without being incredibly bright. Pads are a bit sticky when you get them, but the newer production Big Bells have that problem corrected. I really want to set it up with some Prestini Black goatskins....but it depends on how much they cost. The Cannonball truly ranks up with the top 4...it all depends on the player. An unsuspecting horn and an unsuspecting mouthpiece...what a find. Unbelievable and amazing.

[Giles]

Your conclusion that the sales people weren't "just saying something" to make a sale because the other horns were more expensive is flawed. It's not about final cost. It's about dealer cost vs. consumer cost. The difference is the profit. I can tell you, there ain't much profit on Selmers, Yanis, and Yamahas. Cannonball is a different story. If people knew how much of a mark-up there is on thise horns, I think a lot would feel VERY ripped off.

[Saxaholic]

Nontheless, if so, I knew they weren't doing it to make the sale. These people truly cared about the customer satisfactions and gave their honest opinions, and even random customers that told I sounded best on it too. You can't fake those. Two of them were obviously experienced sax players, as I listened to them for awhile after my practice session in another room.

Not all companies or businesses are out for sheer profit. Some do care about the customer and want to provide the best service honestly available.

[Razzy]

A word to the wise! I also sometimes think that certain horns blow this horn out of the water and such and am amazed. But I wasn't fooled by the Cannonball. One day I walked in the local music store with my tenor and alto medium setups which I use for every style of music and played some horns. Tried Yamahas, Yanis, Selmers, vintage Selmers, Bueschers, and Cannonballs. In terms of sheer PLAYABILITY the Cannonball wiped them all out. The low end was perfect and fluid and big, the high end was nice and lush and the altissimo was cake. BUT after recording myself playing all of the horns on the same exact song and checking by ear which ones I preferred, I found the Cannonball was very low on the list (of altos). So the player and the listener, as always, may hear very different things.

First on my list was the Yamaha 62 and the Selmer series III was in 2nd. the vintage selmers (VI and Balanced action) were relatively low and the Yani was last! The Buescher was right behind the Custom which was right behind the 62. So naturally, I plan to buy a 62, also after having heard the lead alto in my jazz band/wind ensemble play one and get this gorgeous tone that was similar to my recorded one. The 1st alto in the state of New Jersey, which I have the pleasure of playing bari in a section with in this year's regional jazz band, also gets a very nice tone on this horn and plays almost my exact same alto setup otherwise.

Now it's just a matter of coming up with the funds :wink:

[Saxaholic]

Really? That's strange to hear, I recorded myself on the horns (and those other two guys too :wink: ) and found myself playing the best saxophone in my life on the Cannonball. I tested it out against a few of the same songs of R&B, some smooth jazz...a heavy swing piece, and a soft jazz ballad. On every single one of them the Cannonball sounded the best, both by my ear and my local tech. I told him to identify which sound he thought was best, and I didn't tell him the names of the horns until afterwards. He chose the Cannonball. I'm just very happy with this horn :D .

[Razzy]

Like they say, to each his own ;) I get a very warm, flexible sound on the Yamaha 62 that I prefer to all others. It's equally desirable in all forms of classical and jazz with my setup. The Selmers were a bit too bright to me, the Bueschers a bit too dark, and the Cannonball, just a bit too "big" I guess. The tone for me was very strident. It could very well be that the horn itself didn't really work with my mouthpiece, but that's not my concern; all I know is that I got my best sound out of the Yamaha :)

[alabamapinksax]

i have an Antigua Winds made of copper and i think that it plays every well :D

[Chris]

i want to buy : sx90r, b&s medusa, selmer ref.54
i have : conn ladyface

[kingsaxello]

I've been playing on a Yamaha Custom 875 for almost five years now and I love it still to this day. My viewpoint is that of a classical player, though, and I would not really recommend this horn to a jazz player.

[Big B]

Yeah most of you may think i'm crazy but my alto of choice is a Guardala Artist Series Silverplate model I own. Yes i was one of those kids who didn't start on a yamaha but on a King 660 ( with rounded tone holes ) and i needed an upgrade. I tried out both a Yamaha 62 and Custom models, a Jupiter Artist ( to me felt better then the custom ) and a Yanagisawa 901 my personal favorite at the time. Then my local saleman gave me insight into the guardala saxes and for a measly 2000 brand new it worked good for me. I never tried it before but more relied on my luck and hoping it came good from the factory. 6 years since I started and with this horn after 6 months i can say it is a beauty. It looks great and lots of focus and power in the sound. Excellent keywork noted by me and my teacher and Overall to me a A rated sax. I almost regret not tring out that Series II just to see what i was missing on but a 2000 to 3200 price difference the guardala was the way to go.

[phathorn]

Have been playing a YAS-875 for almost 13 years now. It's simply the best alto I've ever played. I've used it in classical settings as well as jazz and now rock. It's intonation,tone, and flexibility are amazing.

[Joseph Boucher]

Selmer 80SAIII Alto Sax. It's a SELMER! nuff said. Joe.

[CT]

I concur with Joe...Selmer III all the way. Chris.

[Jack W.]

My modern alto is also a Cannonball, "Silver Sonic style". I also really enjoy it with the stock mpc, which is basically a Meyer 5M as previously stated. I use it for church and pit orchestra playing, but my "concert alto" is a 342k Buescher Model 140 (postwar pre-Selmer non-TH&C non-"Big B" Aristocrat) with fresh silverplating from Anderson's. Scrumptious. :idea: :)

[SaxColuss]

8) Julius Keilwerth SX90R.... The most electrifying sax on earth. :twisted:
Sax on...y'all....

[Jeff Foster]

I play a Cannonball Wizard. When I bought it I was looking for a more expensive, professional line horn but this particular horn just reached out and grabbed me. I played several different makes in all different price ranges. Just happened to pick up the Wizard and it was an absolute tone monster! The store had 2 of them. I played the one they had on display and it wasn't very good. I asked them if they had any more and they said they had another one in the back. They brought it out and I played it and just fell head over heels in love. Hard to believe it's a "student/intermediate" line instrument. Every time I play it I just can't believe how good it sounds.

[Benny]

I played a Selmer SAII for most of my college degree, then I tried a YAS-62 and wondered why I wasted my time on the selmer. Two weeks later I tried a Yamaha 82-Z, 2 hours hours after that I bought it!! It is the most amazing horn I've ever played. Tuning, tonal flexibility, response are all fantastic. The only other horn I've played that beats it (for me) is a super balanced action, which ain't going to last as long as the Yamaha. It goes with my old YSS-62 sop and YANI 992 tneor really well also.

[Ritchie]

JK SX90R Anniversary 75. After playing several Selmers, Y's and other horns in a couple of music shops, it was the one with the sound that immediately appealed to me. It was the feeling to be sure your search for your horn is over!

[hodges1]

i have become convinced over time that it perhaps may not be the actual horn or model that makes the difference in our playing as importantly as is emphasized or as much importance as is always placed on it. the mouthpiece and reed are far more critical, and with that we can play anything well. also, what is more important than the actual horn and the model of the horn is the technique of the person playing the horn. we are the horn and the horn is a machine that is a vehicle for carrying our sound. the folks at these instrument companies do a great marketing job of promoting, marketing, and selling their products at outrageous prices and paying artists to promote their products.

[BobD]

Benny,

What was it about the 62 that was better than the Selmer? And how are you liking your T992? I'm seriously thinking of one of those or a YTS-82Z to replace my Mark VI. I'm looking for an easier horn to play.

[Gandalfe]

BobD, the nice things about the 82Z (ask Phil Woods who touts and plays one now) is great sound/intonation, excellent keywork, and super price. My brand new YAS 82Z cost $1980 plus shipping. It is a great sounding (I'm kinda an intonation freak) and good looking horn with a vintage honey lacquer and nice engraving.

My Couf Superba II has been handed down to my son, the mostly bari player.

[Joe Jazz]

I've played a Yamaha 62(old model), Guardala Artist Series, Selmer Series II, and my most recent acquisition, a Keilwerth SX90R. I consider the Keilwerth my favorite so far, followed by the Yamaha, then the Guardala, and then the Selmer.......but they were all adequate horns....

[Saxaholic]

Gandalfe, where did you get your 82Z for $1980??

[tyler_terlecki]

i studied classical music for several years, and during that time, i was leant a selmer sa80II which i liked,

the yas-62 i got this year(made in 1989) is much more natural for me, i sound the same on eevry horn ive played, but with this one, im just more confortable,
ive tried the seiresIII, but i find the keywork awkward, dont know why.

i just love yamaha, i have never played a horn that was as confortable to me as this one

[leonardA]

Superdan20 I have a Vito VSP tenor that I was told was made by Yanagisawa. It has a logo on it which looks like a music lyre and says "Japan." Do you know if the VSP models were made by Yani? How do you know your alto was?

[leonardA]

Not many have mentioned the Selmer Mark VI. Maybe that's because the question asked about "modern" altos. But I'm curious why so many professional and serious musicians like the VI. What is it about it? It seems to be the Buffet R-13 (clarinet) of saxes.

LeonardA

[rcwjd]

My theory on the VI is that when you got a good VI, it was as close to perfect as a horn could be - and the odds were higher that you would get a good VI than the odds were that you would get a good "name your brand." However, you could also get a not so good VI. I had one of the somewhat rarer low A alto Mark VIs and could not play it in tune to save my life. My Buffet SuperD blows away that VI and anything else I have tried since. So, I think it really boils down to the match between the player and the horn, and the VI just gave more players higher odds of finding that match than most any other brand at the time.

[UOPJohnny]

Personally, I love the Yanagisawa A9933. I tried other Yani's... the A991 and A992 we're great but didn't have any sort of fluid altissimo, and the A9937 was a little too jazzy to be versitile. And it didn't justify the price, IMO.

I got my alto after special ordering a matte silver Selmer SIII. It came, and it wasn't silver at all. Actually, it was brass. And it wasn't matte, it was brushed. It had this thick, plasticy lacquer all over it. The horn was stuffy and dead. And i didn't feel like overhauling it to see if it had a voice after waiting 3 months for it to come in from Paris.

Keilwerth horns are awesome! But I play a lot of classical music in my conservatory, so the Yani A9933 definitely takes the cake.

I found the Yamahas I tried pretty boring.

[alsdiego]

Here's my two cents on modern altos:

Any of the "Big 3" are excellent horns. However, I don't think you can accurately compare horns by trying them out in a shop. The reason is very basic. Saxophones are, by their very nature, very difficult to set up properly, and prone to leaks and other problems. Therefore, the real reason you may prefer one horn over another is because your favorite has ABSOLUTELY no leaks, pad height is properly adjusted, etc., while the others have small leaks, etc. The difference in perceived "resonance" and ease of playing of the horn can be absolutely astonishing to an experienced player.

Based on that, here's what I would do. Find a used pro horn with keywork that's comfortable for you. Or, just buy a King Super 20 because of the cool underslung octave mechanism :lol:

Then, take the pro horn to a master technician for a complete going-over. Make the tech your new best friend. Bond with him/her. Encourage him/her to "Play test" your horn for a week. Treat him/her like the saxophone equivalent of Yoda. Commiserate with him/her over the cruel injustice of having a true artiste spend most of their days repairing the results of mid-air collisions in marching band. In the end, you won't be sorry. IMHO, the setup is WAY more important than the brand/reputation of the horn, once you get to a certain level of quality. Then, as mentioned previously, find a good mpc/reed combination for that horn, and you're set.

[funky_sax]

i've heard enough of these things about brands...the sound and qualtiy depends on the person playing it....i have a vito alto that is worth about $200. on that saxophone i use cheap reeds and the pads are completely gone, and the mouthpiece is like $10...and that saxophone plays better than any mark VI alto i have ever played, or any Yamaha...it all depends on the saxophonist

my super action 80 serie II selmer paris is a better sound and deeper in tone, and has better hand postitions but for the price difference it's not that big a difference
and for all the anti-selmers out there...are you sure it was a selmer-PARIS or a selmer-USA because the PARIS are THE best no doubt

[Tim Wolfe]

funky-sax

you contradict yourself in the above post.

still, you make a valid point: we sound like ourselves pretty much regardless of the horn we're playing (assuming, of course, that we are playing a horn that is in adjusted).

i've played most every type of modern alto and many vintage horns, too. in general, i prefer modern horns. i find they have a better scale and the keyboard feels better to me, too.

get a good horn, the best you can afford. keep it in good playing condition, experiment until you find a mpc-reed setup you like, then practice, practice, practice, practice, practice, practice, and keep on practicing.

decent equipment is a necessary but not a sufficient condition for good sax playing. to be good, you have to spend countless hours in the woodshed.

[saxtub]

I just got a Selmer SA80III Alto a few months ago and it is my favorite modern sax because I sound good on it. Then again I like any sax that I can produce a good sound with. 8)

[funky_sax]

sax is my axe

yeah i did kinda contradict myself there..oops

but still pick the sax that is the best for you!

[Momeijheii]

pffft. I'm working with a used student Vito...
yeah...

But I can't really complain, I mean I've had it for over 6 years and it's been nothing but good to me
except the time when he decided to go crazy like Brittany Spears and quit working...right before a clinic tryout...(I'm not complaining, or anything)
....but now that i'm a 'big girl'
Chedda-bob (heh. that's my alto's name...) has been playing sharp.
(still not complaining.) (Even if I am a much better Bari player, imo)
I was informed that Vitos generally have a bright sound, and have seen
much better days *cough* *cough* 195o's *cough*4o's*cough* before I was alive *cough* *cough*

Chedda-Bob is a Vito built in Japan....

But I was looking into buying a Yani A9937.


Other than a little bit of playing time myself, I don't know too much about Yanis, cept that my BD keeps telling me that I need one; I played his and I'll admit I really dug the sound I got...and he did too...

It's to the point now, that whenever the stageband performs anywhere, I have to use Suede Wade's Yani, and leave Chedda Bob at the house. :cry:
(hey, still not complaining)

But when we come back to rehearsals...things, just seem...ionno, shrill, and cold...(don't tell Chedda I said that, or he might have a nervous breakdown again)
POINT BEING:
I really want a Yani now, and I was wondering If anyone has any more experience, or any complaints about how they perform? Would this endeavor be a waste of my time and my money?