 The Clarinet BBoard
|
Author: SVSorna05
Date: 2003-07-30 03:57
hey there for all you Sax players out there ar the Evette and Shaeffer Saxaphones considered to be good, mediocre or just junk thanks for the info.
-dain-
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Terry Horlick
Date: 2003-07-30 04:29
My experience is they fall half way between "mediocre" and "just junk". Decent used horns are plentiful and inexpensive. Have someone go to the store with you to play the horn and pass judgement on it. If you buy off E-bay it is best to plan on $300-$600 for an overhaul... almost all of them need it! In other words a bargain on e-bay may not be a bargain. Lots of folks on e-Bay do not know what type of horn they are selling so you have to be sure before you bid. Some of the folks do know what they have and mislead "accidently" to dump poor horns. Note some C melody horns look like a Bb tenor. Be aware that a lot of repair shops will not work on the cheap import Taiwaneese saxophones.
E and E&S horns are at best student horns. They are ok to learn on, but I am really in favor of getting a good horn. Crummy student horns usually turn you off from sax playing since they often are incapable of producing pleasing sounds. You will need to replace the horn if you progress... but if you start with a good horn you get better faster, don't have to replace the horn and as a bonus have a chance of making a sound similar to real saxophone playing!
IMHO Terry.... I am not a professional player, but have played Sax for over 40 years.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Mark Pinner
Date: 2003-07-30 22:19
There are some vintage E & S saxophones with special patented keywork. These I believe are French or German made. They have extra keywork between the left hand fingers connected to the low Bb, B and C# allowing quick fingering of these notes without using the pinky table. These are from the early 1900's and are collectors items. The later Evette Schaeffer horns actually have made in ROC, ie. Taiwan Republic of China. They are light weight crap with soft keywork. I wouldn't touch one with a 20 foot pole nor would I do any repair work. They are very similar to the earliest Jupiters and it wouldn't surprise me if they came out of the same factory. If you are going to buy Taiwanese buy new and accept the limited life. Don't stuff around buying this sort of thing off E-Bay or the like.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: David Spiegelthal ★2017
Date: 2003-07-31 14:08
Mark Pinner wrote: "If you are going to buy Taiwanese buy new and accept the limited life." Let me relate a little personal anecdote: In December of 2001 I was looking for a relatively low-priced low-A baritone sax, and found one of the new Buescher BU-6 horns at a local music store. This instrument is made in Taiwan and distributed by Selmer USA, and appearance-wise it's a very good copy of a (French) Selmer Super Action 80. I played it, liked it, and bought it.
At my very first big-band rehearsal with the horn, the neck socket popped off---- poor solder joint and not enough surface area available to even make a good joint --- I repaired it myself using (don't laugh!) epoxy and pop-rivets. Two weeks later, the neck crook brace post popped off -- another bad solder joint. Also, the keywork on the horn was so soft the levers were bending as I played, so I had to make felt/cork bump stops for many of the keys/levers to limit their travel. Bottom line: A good design, poorly assembled from cheap materials (though nicely finished!). I sold it after a year and haven't missed it a bit. Beware of even new, modern Taiwanese instruments with reputable name brands!
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Don Berger
Date: 2003-07-31 14:58
An interesting, sad but valuable story, Dave!! A month or so ago, my bari sax "cohort"showed up at comm. band with a brand new Yamaha low A , beautiful horn, and is sure playing better [and softer] so I can hear my B C most of the time. [Good Lungs, his!] Said he [only] paid some $2600 for it!! Tonite, I'll look at it more carefully for maker info, and ask about problems, we're good friends! Do we need a sax BB, Mark? Don
Thanx, Mark, Don
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: David Spiegelthal ★2017
Date: 2003-07-31 18:31
Don,
Yamahas are made by Yamaha! They're not my favorites, but are generally pretty good saxes and they hardly ever make a real stinker. I find them to be a bit on the lightweight/flimsy side, but still considerably sturdier than the Taiwanese horns I've seen.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: JMcAulay
Date: 2003-08-01 00:25
Hey Dave, I have a Vito alto that, except for the lacquer color and engraving, is exactly like a YAS-23. My tech says the YAS-23 and the low-end Vitos are made by Yanagisawa. Is he all wet?
Regards,
John
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: David Spiegelthal ★2017
Date: 2003-08-01 14:07
JMc, I don't have the details, but there was a period when Leblanc Vito and Yanagisawa (now owned by Leblanc) saxes were both made in Japan by Yanagisawa --- there was also an interrelationship between Leblanc Vito and Yamaha, at least on the clarinet side --- for a few years Yamaha bass clarinets (and possibly soprano clarinets?) were made in Kenosha, Wisconsin in the Vito factory, and I believe it went the other way around too (that is, both Vito and Yamahas made in Japan). So it's entirely possible that the Yamaha YAS-23 and the Vito alto saxes, depending on the year, were made by Yanigasawa. Hopefully someone more knowledgeable will fill us in with the correct story.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
The Clarinet Pages
|
 |
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
