Klarinet Archive - Posting 000214.txt from 1998/05
From: Shouryu Nohe <jnohe@-----.edu>
Subj: Re: [kl] Re: Sax brands
Date: Wed, 6 May 1998 02:58:19 -0400
Dr. Lacy:
> 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 most conversations that I hold either with visible people, or in
Internet Chat, I have never had anyone endorse a Yamaha clarinet. I
occasionally hear about them here. As far as I can tell, from whom I've
met, the first two companies jumped to are Buffet and LeBlanc. But I will
admit - my youth has limited my exposure.
> 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.
My exposure to sax people is even more limited - I speak primarily to our
majors here. But they range from all over, so our sax majors have been
around more than most of our clarinet majors. According to them, they
generally agree that the usual Yamaha is bright (not frickin' bright
though). I get my analysis on the Yani by the fact that EVERYONE tells me
that the Yani is characteristically darker than just about anything else,
to the point where if you know saxophone, you can tell if a person is
playing a Yani after hearing two notes. I've been told that the black
Yani is even darker in quality. And from what I gather, in classical
playing, a dark sound is more preferred to the bright, cutting sound you
generally generate for jazz.
> 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.
I don't know models all that well...I just kind of go by word of
mouth...this brand plays generally this way, this that way, etc.
> 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.
Yeah, and this time, none of my friends know a thing about any of these
companies. The WWBW catalogue says they are pro quality, though. But I
personally prefer to hear it from the mouth (or the keyboard, as it were)
of someone I know...
Thanks for your input...
(I often need to be reminded why I'm a clar/bass major, and not a sax
major, and it's the fact that I'm pretty clueless about this stuff is like
a post-it note on the forehead...)
Shouryu Nohe
Professor of SCSM102, New Mexico State Univ.
http://web.nmsu.edu/~jnohe; ICQ 6771552
Coffee Drinker, Musician, Otaku, Jesus Freak, Admirer of Women
(Not necessarily in that order)
--------------------------------------------------------------
"I, um, I have to se my father tomorrow. What should I talk to him
about, Rei?" - Ikari Shinji
"I don't understand. Why are you asking me?"
"Um, because I've seen you talking with my father, and actually
_enjoying_ it."
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