Yamaha 61 horns..

[puresaxman]

Does anyone have a yamaha 61 horn? I'm wanting to know the differences between the 61 and the 62. I know that the 61 has the high f3 just like the 62. The high f# key is pearl finished unlike the lacquer on the 62. I also know the keys are aligned alittle differently. Does it play any different? I'm looking at a 61 tenor for pretty resonable money and want to know will it hold its own with the 62's. Let me know you thoughts on this horn. The only thing that scares me is that the 62's have been around for over 25 years now. I don't think the 61's have that kind of track record. :shock:

[DougR]

from memory, the '61 s were in production from 74 to 78, the memory is not all it was so perhaps W. Minier can correct that.

The construction is post-on-flange rather than post-on-rib, and in good order they are very fine horns indeed.

Heavy, and rugged - they have character and a voice.

[danm]

Well for me I had a YTS-62 and a YTS-61 at the same time and I liked the sound of the 61 much better. It was darker and fuller almost like my MK VI sounds. The 62 I had was thinner and lighter sounding. They are both great horns. The intonation was great on both and the key-work was the best on both. The sound was the only difference in the two. Other than the retro look on the 61 which I liked too. Nice horns, both.

[Alexk]

Puresaxman, I picked up my YTS 61 in, oh dear, 1975. (Age is starting to show). It was second hand then. I still have it, and still use it. When I went sax shopping in 2001 I played a couple of 62's but I didn't think they had the voice of the 61. For me, a bit too bright, and a bit thin if I really pushed some volume through them. Nothing wrong with the build of the 61's, the 62 felt lighter and the rods seemed to flex a bit. They are still a nice sax though. I think I prefer the '61.

[Razzy]

I've played both regularly and found that I prefer the tone of the 62 somewhat. To me it sounds warmer and a bit more rich in overtones. Not bright and whiny like my Vito or some of the Selmers I've tried. The 61 didn't seem to project as much, but this is something I needed a faroff listener to test for.

[pknight]

My son plays a YAS-61. Excellent instrument. Most of these, being nearly 30-years old, look like hell, as the lacquer seems to come off of them with little trouble. However, if you want a good-sounding sax, the 61s should be considered.

[pknight]

I just bought another YAS-61 at a good price in a consignment sale. It appears to be in excellent condition. In fact, the photos are quite clear, and I have never seen a 61 with a finish this nice. I should get it early next week, and will post my impressions once I get to play it.

[pknight]

Well, I finally got the YAS-61 up and playing. It arrived last Thursday, and needed a few leaks fixed and the neck cork replaced. All of the pads except the octave pads were in excellent shape and did not need replacing. The octave vent pads were actually pieces of cork, so I had those replaced.

The former owner had been careful with the sax, as there are no dents at all, and relatively few scratches, even around the neck strap loop. There is a bit of the red rust-like stuff that all 61s seem to develop, but it is not extensive. I did have the tech clean sax thoroughly (requiring some disassembly) since it had developed some crud around the tone holes.

The tone is great, and the intonation is good, with one exception. A1 sounds stuffy and is about 30 cents flat compared to G1 or B1. A2 is not so bad. Does anyone have any suggestions about what could be causing this? I have not had time to look it over much, but it would seem that the height of the G key might be a prime suspect. I would appreciate any thoughts on this.

[sessionsax]

pknight,

I think that you are right on with the G key height, have it adjusted and while you are at it, double check the B and C and how the B interacts with the f# fingering.

[pknight]

Sure enough, the G key is only opening about half as far as the rest of the upper stack keys. It is being fixed, gratis, by my tech. I will have it back tomorrow, and it should be in great shape.

[sessionsax]

I would love to try one of the 61s -- I have a 62 that I like, but I sure have heard good things about the 61.

[Morry]

I love my old YAS-61. It is smooth and fluid. However, after getting the SX90R tenor, I found myself liking a little more "raw" sound. So, I ordered a SX90R alto from Stephan Boesken. I'll never sell my 61, but it may sit for a while.

[SuiZen]

I recently purchased a nice YAS-61 on eBay. I also have a Conn alto, which I recently purchased. And, I just got a Conn soprano. I want to get a Beuscher soprano, too, and plan to focus on soprano.

I know I can't get my money back on the Conn alto, so I was just about ready to put the YAS-61 up on eBay -too many horns :roll: . However, after playing it a bit, I just can't part with it.

Bill

[DD]

I got a 61 bari on ebay a year ago to be my Low-A horn. It is a fine player with a lot of bite when pushed, and is easy to play throughout the full range of the instrument with easy and flexible alt to D4. The construction is not as "solid" feeling as my 114xxx Mk VI tenor, or as the VI baris I've played in the past 40 years, but it is a really good performer with a vibrant voice. If you get a good one, you can't go wrong IMHO.

[pknight]

We all know how worthless Yamaha serial numbers are for dating the manufacture of their saxes. However, it seems that the engraving on 61s might provide a clue. There is a silver YAS-61 on eBay right now (from Singapore) that has "Yamaha" engraved on the bell, much like the most recent "classic" 62s. My son has a YAS-61, and I think that it has the silkscreened Yamaha logo on the bell. My 61, however, has nothing but the floral engraving on the bell.

I suspect that these different bell embellishments happened at different points in time during the relatively short run of 61s. The trick would be to find out when each of the several designs was used.

Those of you who have 61s, how is the bell decorated?

[Morry]

My 61 alto, now relacquered, originally had the brown silk screened YAMAHA in the middle of the engraving. My folks purchased it new in 1976.

[pknight]

Morry,

AHA! A relacquer. That would explain the lack of a logo on my 61. It does seem that at least the bell and bow of this sax may have been relacquered. The engraving, while distinct, is not as sharp as on my 62 tenor. Also, there seems to be a slight color difference between the bell and bow and the body tube and neck. Probably an effort to deal with the high-quality finish that 61s are known for. :wink:

That just leaves silkscreend vs. engraved to date 61s.

Thanks.

[Morry]

Yeah, the 61 lacquer wasn't that durable. Although mine surived fairly well for over 20 years before I had it relacquered. The original lacquer should have been a clear non-tinted lacquer. If your horn has a "golden" tone to it, it is a relacquer.

[pknight]

I have concluded that, for whatever reason, my YAS-61 had the bell and bow relacquered at some time. Aside from that, it is in very good shape.

My quick review of the 61, after playing it for a week, is very similar to what other people have been saying about them. The tone is fantastic. I have owned several altos, and I think that I will be keeping this one for quite a while. I still have a few slight adjustments to make to some key heights, and some mouthpiece/reed experimentation to conduct, but I could not be more pleased.

If you run across a 61 and have a chance to play it, do yourself a favor and give it a spin.