Klarinet Archive - Posting 000197.txt from 1998/05

From: "Edwin V. Lacy" <el2@-----.edu>
Subj: [kl] Re: Sax brands
Date: Tue, 5 May 1998 21:51:04 -0400

On Tue, 5 May 1998, Shouryu Nohe wrote:

> These days in clarinetting, there are a lot of fine brands out there
> that produce top quality horns, like Patricola, Rossi, and the like.
> Although these smaller name sticks are close to or just as good as
> Buffet and Leblanc, and often cheaper, we often stick to the big two,
> because they have a strong reputation for reliability.

Well, to begin with, I don't quite agree with the above assessment of the
current state of thinking in the clarinet world. I think your "big two"
should be a "big three," and that the one that is missing is Yamaha. In
fact, while I realize that this could start World War III, I would say
that the one of those three which is the new kid on the block is the
LeBlanc. What will be the case in a few years, I think no one knows.
What is happening in the case of clarinets, saxophones, and all the other
woodwinds is that there is an explosion of new brands, new manufacturing
techniques, new models, a new awareness of marketing and market research
among instrument manufacturers, and changing concepts of instrumental tone
quality. Thus far, all this is working to the advantage of players,
although buying a new instrument can be a daunting task, especially to
less experienced players.

> I have been told by quite a few people that if you do both classical and
> jazz playing, the big two where saxophones come in are Selmer Paris and
> Yanigasawa - primarily because the Paris has well rounded, focused tone
> that is flexible, and the Yani primarily for classical, since it has a
> naturally dark tone (metal mpcs make it jazzworthy, I've been told).

Again, I think the basic premise is a little off the mark. I agree that
there is a "big two" of saxophones, but these two, in my opinion, are
Selmer and Yamaha. Even this is subject to change daily, because Selmer
has begun the process of introducing their new model, which will be called
the "Series III." The soprano has been out for a while, the tenor was
introduced a few months ago, and the alto, which was scheduled to be
released by now, has been delayed until late 1998 or early 1999, according
to a representative of a big national dealer in saxes. No one knows what
the new instruments will be like, whether they might be the best thing
since round wheels, or a bomb like the Mark VII was.

I would say that most of the saxophonists I know think of the Yanigasawa
as more of a jazz horn than a classical one, but that the Yani. soprano is
more highly valued than the others. The problem is that if you play
mostly classical, or "legit," the influence of the Selmer is so great and
their reputation is so overpowering, that many players tend to think that
is their only choice. In my case, I play all types of music, but
predominately classical, and like many other players I have recently
converted from Selmer to Yamaha. Why? Because even after 40 years of
being a Selmer advocate, I think Yamaha has produced a superior instrument
in the Custom Series models.

> If you do strictly jazz, then there's Guardala, Yamaha, and Keilworth.
> But there are small name companies that claim to produce 'professional'
> level saxes that are SIGNIFICANTLY cheaper than any of the prior brands
> I've mentioned. I've seen in the WWBW catalogues brands such as Amati,
> LA Sax, and Vespro all claim to be pro line horns, but the prices don't
> reflect it.

If you are referring to the Yamaha model 52, or to a lesser degree the 62,
then I might agree with the characterization of them as being "bright,"
but the Custom is about as far from that quality as you can get. As far
as the others are concerned, anyone can claim to make a professional
quality instrument, but as the saying goes, the proof is in the pudding.

Someone might want to correct me on this, but as far as I know, LA Sax
doesn't manufacture saxophones. I was told by someone who was supposed to
know that they buy instruments made by someone else and put various kinds
of glitzy lacquer on them, so in order to know what you are getting, you
have to compare them to other instruments made by the same manufacturer.
I have never played on either Amati or Vespro, but I haven't heard anyone
rate them as highly as the others listed here.

For the past few years, my students have been split just about right down
the middle between Selmer and Yamaha, and I haven't found any good reason
to recommend any other instrument to any of them.

Ed Lacy
*****************************************************************
Dr. Edwin Lacy University of Evansville
Professor of Music 1800 Lincoln Avenue
Evansville, IN 47722
el2@-----.edu (812)479-2754
*****************************************************************

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