Yamaha Tenor sax 62 model?

[kornflakes]

Need some feed back on this model, my local brass repairer has told me that the Yamaha alto sax 62 is a special breed and really nice to play and work with however he felt the tenor version was not comparable, several other players have also said the 62 alto is a really nice horn but not so the tenor? Any of you guys played the tenor 62, what is your opinion, is it good/good like the alto or should i shop around?

[KingConn]

I tried all of the big names newer tenor's. The one I thought sounded
the best was the 62 that I bought. But, this 62 had something other
62's and customs I tried didn't have. It was the best one out of a
very serious lineup. 3 gold 62's, a black 875, Ref 36 & 54,
Guardala Silver plate artist & Earthtone, JKSX90RNS, JKSX90R Black,
I think there was one or two other's. I can't remember. I spent
about 5 hours playing and comparing. Had a friend along to
confirm or argue from a listener's point of view. I am soooooo
happy with this horn. Fast and light keywork. Awesome sound.
and I saved ALOT of money over my second favorite of the test,
the REF 54. Hope you find the one for you.

[kornflakes]

Thanks for that insight, i've heard a couple of other guys tell me no 2 horns are alike, even from the same batch, how horns are cut, soldered even the material can vary the tonal quality and feel. I guess i'm just wanting some general feedback about the 62 tenor, sounds like you got a good one, which is great. I'd prefer to buy a new model as older ones require more maintenance and you can't always be certain of replacement parts. Cheers, Andrew. :wink:

[Morry]

I'm in the middle of comparing the 62II, 875B Custom and a JK SX90R for the next several days. I'll let you know what I think.

[cmlow]

i tried a 62S before, wont say that it's really good. but it's worth for the price it is.

[Joey the Saint]

I've been playing a 62 tenor for 4 years, now. Slick keywork, great intonation, nice centered tone. I bought it for road work when I was signed to a record label and had a nice budget to buy a pro horn. I'd been playing a King Zephyr. IMO, the YTS-62 edged out the competition for three reasons.

1.) Versatility; specifically, responsiveness to mouthpiece and reed changes.

2.) Ease of repair & adjustment; the horn has adjusting screws all along the stacks. Saves a lot of time (and money.)

3.) Consistency from one horn to the next. I played three YTS-62's side by side and found the same intonation, even the same altissimo placement (and the same infuriating G#3-G3 gurgle) in each horn. I set it up with my insurance company and my record label so that if my 62 was lost, stolen, left behind at a gig by a drunken roadie, or if I fell into a mosh pit with it, I could buy another one at Joe's Music in West Nowhere and have zero learning curve.

Aside from all of that, the horn plays great and has been quite durable.

Downsides -- the palm keys speak weakly, G3 is very hard to hit, and the tone, IMO, lacks complexity and those all-important "b@lls." I have a Martin tenor whose tone and power I like much more, but it lacks the flexibility of the 62. The three major points I outlined above make the Martin my "bar gig" horn, not my "road" horn. Also, the keys themselves are not strong; I bend the keys, particularly the lower stack, when I get excited -- I am a table-dancing, bar-walking, honk 'n' screamer, though.

[kornflakes]

Thanks all! Looks like Yamaha seem to do ok with consistency, value and general reliability. I think for me at the moment they are the important factors rather than tonal quality. Any one know what the present price is on the 62 tenor, paid £1100 for my alto so i'm guessing about £1500 for the tenor? Andrew.

[DougR]

Kornflakes, see this.
http://www.musicalinstrumentmegastore.co.uk/itm00129.htm

And, if you've bought the YAS62 in the recent past, DO NOT LOOK.
http://www.musicalinstrumentmegastore.co.uk/itm00081.htm

[DougR]

N.B. if you are still in full time education, in the UK, it may be possible to avoid the dreaded VAT.

There is real value out there in the marketplace.

[kornflakes]

Wow! See the prices have really come down on these horns, guess it pays to shop around. :?

[SaxyAcoustician]

Wow!! How are they making any money (both Yamaha and the Musical Instrument Megastore)???

[Morry]

Volume! Like the First U.S. Change Bank. :)

[leehwd]

Can they sell Yamaha sax outside Europe like US?

[Morry]

Musical Instrument Mega Store has a note on their web site that they can't sell Yamaha horns to the U.S.