I’m primarily a tenor player and needed a new alto. Bought a 52nd Street alto new off eBay for around $2700 3 years ago. Kind of thinking I’d use it until I found a good deal on a “better” horn. Ended up, I really like it. I have a preference for big bell saxes. Holding up well, some intonation issues. Really didn’t like the case but it fit well in a contour case from WW and BW. Some suggest they are an SA80 II knock off. I hand one in college. Couldn’t disagree more. Taiwan has gotten their act together in manufacturing decent saxes. Wish I could have stayed with Selmer, bought my first one back in ‘74 still have my 220 MK VI. But can’t justify the dough they want for a new one these days.
Scott, do you have thoughts on the Yanagisawa A-WO1? Also, as a general rule, is it a good idea to take a newly purchased saxophone to a technician? Seems like there's (more than I expected!) leaks, venting issues, etc.
It’s always a good idea to have it checked out. Typically Yanagisawas are set up really well out of the box so they usually don’t need much if anything. They’re great saxophones. It’s personal preference with that one.
52nd Street (Manhattan) - Wikipedia Jazz center The blocks of 52nd Street between Fifth and Seventh Avenues became renowned for the abundance of jazz clubs and lively street life. The street was convenient to musicians playing on Broadway and the 'legitimate' nightclubs and was also the site of a CBS studio.
I have a Tenor version. Nice tone and some nice touches like the adjustable arms. Mine does have a few intonation issues though. Can anything be done about that by a sax technician?
Nice! Sometimes intonation issues are brought by poor key venting or fighting leaks. Some technicians don’t understand key venting so be sure to ask around to find someone qualified to address the issues. Thanks for watching! Scott
Good afternoon l really like your content and l am a new regular viewer. I disagree with two things you said . You said adjustment screws are not neccessary l really have to diaagree . Similar to many who wouldn't buy a saxophone without high F sharp l wouldn't buy a saxophone without screws. You score of five for ease of adjustment also seems too low. However great video.
Good morning bro you contradicted yourself you admitted they are usefull yet you say they are not neccessary. Well then you should not use the electric start for your car . You should crank like the old days .You should light a candle not use a modern light. I think you get what l am saying now. We have to embrace improvements. The original sax did not have a side C .Come on accept improved mechanical ideas. Before becoming a musician l was a diesel mechanic. Adjustment screws are a brilliant innovation.
@@keithcampbell6806 I agree with you, I prefer to have them. But many/most awesome horns don't have them and they still play really well (Selmer, Yanagisawa, Keilwerth etc), so as useful and desirable as they are, they aren't necessary. In no way is anything I said an argument for not having them - I am 100% in favor of horns being as easy to adjust/regulate as possible. But the word NECESSARY is simply not accurate.
Thanks for the feedback. I’m trying to stay unbiased with my reviews, but I mainly play vintage saxophones and love the character and nostalgia those provide. Thanks for watching! Scott.
@@Scottsmusiccave thanks for your response and for your videos! Same here. My first horns i have played as a student were the amati, than the schagerl. Than, my parents bought me the yas 280 which is great. Than i bought the Lupifaro platinum which had a stuffy middle D. I also bought a "bad" mouthpiece - Pillinger NY 7 which was too big for me. So later i switched to very good Vandoren V16 S+ 5 and i bought the Selmer Mark VI from 1973 - fantastic horn - great tuning, condition with a huge sound. I paired it with vintage NY Meyer 5M from 50's because i did not like the Vandoren V16 "buzzy" feeling. Playing the BSS 3 silver label reeds and ligature. This is my dream setup. I think that the modern thaiwanese horns are overpriced for their sound, build quality and heaviness. I love the vintage Selmer horns. Also the Reference 54 is wonderful. You cant go wrong with big brands - Yamaha, Selmer, Keilwerth, Yanagisawa. They are great instruments and hold their price. Another key thing for me is the resell value. I know that my setup has encreasing its price so it is an investment. I dont want to buy modern equipment anymore because of that.
I’m not a fan of Taiwanese horns that are not an original design. These are effectively SA80II copies with a few cosmetic changes like the double arms. Yeah they play good because it’s a Selmer 😂. To me there is Selmer Paris, Yanagisawa, Yamaha then everyone else.
I've been told they are one of the few horns that is NOT a copy of a Selmer, that they are trying to go more in a Conn direction. I don't know if that's true, but playing one it did not feel Selmer-y at all to me. Small sample size, and I'm not a Selmer player but that's my .02 with these.
@@lukasalihein the only connish thing they did was a bigger bell flare and rolled tone holes the body is still a Selmer bore the bow and bell are bigger. There’re decent horns but they aren’t Selmer, Yanagisawa or Yamaha.
@@tboy5443 they’re not consistent enough when it comes to to quality control. I have seen a number of Keilwerths SX90r with very uneven tone holes and with Italian horns while I have seen a whole lot in the US I have not heard good things from my friends across the pond.
@@benhostetler268 They don't play like Selmers. The sound is much more spread, much more in the vibe of old american horns (Conn, King, Martin, etc...). Different than the "french" centered sound of the Selmers. I mean yeah, the keywork is pretty Selmer "inspired", but so are Yamahas, and all other modern horns for that matter. On top of that, add the really outrageously bad build quality of modern Selmers and their price tag out of most musician's reach, IMO Taiwan horns are becoming a strong contender for the pro players as the years go by.
i don't know. whenever you see pearls that aren't white that scares people off because they usually are associated with bad quality Chinese saxes. so that being said resell values just became nonexistent unless its under 500. like if they put those pearls on a vintage mark vi, or a super 20, people wouldn't touch it with a pole. i just don't think that it is worth the money.
52st was the jazz center of NYC back in the 40s/ 50s
Thank you! I knew someone would know!
I played a new one... and I really liked it.
I’m primarily a tenor player and needed a new alto. Bought a 52nd Street alto new off eBay for around $2700 3 years ago. Kind of thinking I’d use it until I found a good deal on a “better” horn. Ended up, I really like it. I have a preference for big bell saxes. Holding up well, some intonation issues. Really didn’t like the case but it fit well in a contour case from WW and BW. Some suggest they are an SA80 II knock off. I hand one in college. Couldn’t disagree more. Taiwan has gotten their act together in manufacturing decent saxes. Wish I could have stayed with Selmer, bought my first one back in ‘74 still have my 220 MK VI. But can’t justify the dough they want for a new one these days.
Great feedback! Thanks for watching, Scott
Scott, do you have thoughts on the Yanagisawa A-WO1? Also, as a general rule, is it a good idea to take a newly purchased saxophone to a technician? Seems like there's (more than I expected!) leaks, venting issues, etc.
It’s always a good idea to have it checked out. Typically Yanagisawas are set up really well out of the box so they usually don’t need much if anything. They’re great saxophones. It’s personal preference with that one.
52nd Street (Manhattan) - Wikipedia
Jazz center
The blocks of 52nd Street between Fifth and Seventh Avenues became renowned for the abundance of jazz clubs and lively street life. The street was convenient to musicians playing on Broadway and the 'legitimate' nightclubs and was also the site of a CBS studio.
Thanks, Becky! I should have googled it.
I have a Tenor version. Nice tone and some nice touches like the adjustable arms. Mine does have a few intonation issues though. Can anything be done about that by a sax technician?
Nice! Sometimes intonation issues are brought by poor key venting or fighting leaks. Some technicians don’t understand key venting so be sure to ask around to find someone qualified to address the issues. Thanks for watching! Scott
Good afternoon l really like your content and l am a new regular viewer. I disagree with two things you said . You said adjustment screws are not neccessary l really have to diaagree . Similar to many who wouldn't buy a saxophone without high F sharp l wouldn't buy a saxophone without screws. You score of five for ease of adjustment also seems too low. However great video.
Thanks Keith and thanks for your feedback. I appreciate it! Scott
As useful as they are, it is true that they aren't necessary. Many very good saxes don't have them (unfortunately).
Good morning bro the
Good morning bro you contradicted yourself you admitted they are usefull yet you say they are not neccessary. Well then you should not use the electric start for your car . You should crank like the old days .You should light a candle not use a modern light. I think you get what l am saying now. We have to embrace improvements. The original sax did not have a side C .Come on accept improved mechanical ideas. Before becoming a musician l was a diesel mechanic. Adjustment screws are a brilliant innovation.
@@keithcampbell6806 I agree with you, I prefer to have them. But many/most awesome horns don't have them and they still play really well (Selmer, Yanagisawa, Keilwerth etc), so as useful and desirable as they are, they aren't necessary. In no way is anything I said an argument for not having them - I am 100% in favor of horns being as easy to adjust/regulate as possible. But the word NECESSARY is simply not accurate.
Beautiful horn but im not a fan of the big bell design.
The engraving? Thanks for watching, Scott
I tried it. Not great, not terrible.
Thanks for the feedback. I’m trying to stay unbiased with my reviews, but I mainly play vintage saxophones and love the character and nostalgia those provide. Thanks for watching! Scott.
@@Scottsmusiccave thanks for your response and for your videos!
Same here. My first horns i have played as a student were the amati, than the schagerl. Than, my parents bought me the yas 280 which is great. Than i bought the Lupifaro platinum which had a stuffy middle D. I also bought a "bad" mouthpiece - Pillinger NY 7 which was too big for me. So later i switched to very good Vandoren V16 S+ 5 and i bought the Selmer Mark VI from 1973 - fantastic horn - great tuning, condition with a huge sound. I paired it with vintage NY Meyer 5M from 50's because i did not like the Vandoren V16 "buzzy" feeling. Playing the BSS 3 silver label reeds and ligature. This is my dream setup.
I think that the modern thaiwanese horns are overpriced for their sound, build quality and heaviness. I love the vintage Selmer horns. Also the Reference 54 is wonderful. You cant go wrong with big brands - Yamaha, Selmer, Keilwerth, Yanagisawa. They are great instruments and hold their price.
Another key thing for me is the resell value. I know that my setup has encreasing its price so it is an investment. I dont want to buy modern equipment anymore because of that.
I’m not a fan of Taiwanese horns that are not an original design. These are effectively SA80II copies with a few cosmetic changes like the double arms. Yeah they play good because it’s a Selmer 😂. To me there is Selmer Paris, Yanagisawa, Yamaha then everyone else.
I've been told they are one of the few horns that is NOT a copy of a Selmer, that they are trying to go more in a Conn direction. I don't know if that's true, but playing one it did not feel Selmer-y at all to me. Small sample size, and I'm not a Selmer player but that's my .02 with these.
@@lukasalihein the only connish thing they did was a bigger bell flare and rolled tone holes the body is still a Selmer bore the bow and bell are bigger. There’re decent horns but they aren’t Selmer, Yanagisawa or Yamaha.
@@benhostetler268Don't forget Keilwerth and maybe Rampone&Cazanni and Borganni. They belong in the list of today's Modern day great saxophone
@@tboy5443 they’re not consistent enough when it comes to to quality control. I have seen a number of Keilwerths SX90r with very uneven tone holes and with Italian horns while I have seen a whole lot in the US I have not heard good things from my friends across the pond.
@@benhostetler268 They don't play like Selmers. The sound is much more spread, much more in the vibe of old american horns (Conn, King, Martin, etc...). Different than the "french" centered sound of the Selmers. I mean yeah, the keywork is pretty Selmer "inspired", but so are Yamahas, and all other modern horns for that matter. On top of that, add the really outrageously bad build quality of modern Selmers and their price tag out of most musician's reach, IMO Taiwan horns are becoming a strong contender for the pro players as the years go by.
i don't know. whenever you see pearls that aren't white that scares people off because they usually are associated with bad quality Chinese saxes. so that being said resell values just became nonexistent unless its under 500. like if they put those pearls on a vintage mark vi, or a super 20, people wouldn't touch it with a pole. i just don't think that it is worth the money.
Exactly. What’s wrong with beautiful mother of pearl touch pieces?
@@Scottsmusiccave although you never know