Largo Australia

[Bernards20040]

Anyone have any experience with these
obviously Chinese but they seem to have sold hundreds and have very good feedback and a 14 day return policy.
It's almost no risk especially at the price.

here's a link
http://stores.ebay.com.au/Largo-Aust...QQftidZ2QQtZkm

I am in no way associated with them and am considering getting a tenor to try

[Twombles62]

Please give a review if you do

[stefank]

I haven't personally played one, but one of the alto players (has a Yani alto) in the concert band I play with recently bought one of the sops (I think it cost her AU$300 or so), and she is extremely pleased with it.

[Bernards20040]

I have ordered a Tenor and which should be here in a day or two.
I will write a review when i get it.

[Bernards20040]

Ok Because of the number of PM's i am getting here are my first impressons

I have the tenor and my first impressions are that it is very good for the money. it was very well packed and the keys where held closed with small pieces of soft foam (Not wedges)
it did have some problems like loose pivot screws and the engraving is very basic and not well done at all in fact a child could probably do better. Some of the springs are not curved but have sharp bends instead.
But it has no leaks and plays well straight out of the box.
the pad seating is not very deep (A good thing) It is heavy and the keywork is solid and i don't think it will bend easily (the neck octave vent opening needed to be adjusted and i had to bend the octave lever on the neck and that was not easy and required a lot of force).
in general a well made solid instrument.
I will post a full review after i have spent some more time with the horn ( I am an Alto player). i don't think it is fair to do a revue until I have got used to it.


Cheers
Bernie

[echozero]

Hey all, I just bought a Largo alto off eBay to replace my old cheap one which I lent to my younger sister (subsequently took a trip over a second story balcony at her school and now resembles a silver banana... lessons learned).

I checked this for a review on the Largo, and thought I'd add my two cents.

I'm a tenor player, have a JK SX-90 Series II, but like having an alto there just to muck around on - hence the old (and absolutely crappy) Chinese knockoff I had that I lent to my sister. That one had many an air leak straight out of the box.

The new Largo alto arrived this morning, so here are my first impressions after a couple hours playing.

First of all, I was impressed with the case. I was expecting one of those cheap cases that come with most cheap ones (you know, the eggshell-thin plastic that half the time is already broken?). The Largo came with a half decent zip-up one with backpack straps, much to my surprise.

Opening the case, everything was wrapped up nicely. Pulled the body out of its bag and noticed, as Bernards above did, that the keys were held closed with the soft foam. Pulled all of that out and had a good look over it.

First of all, the lacquer is complete and looks good, unlike some others I've seen which are quite patchy. The engraving looks fine, basic but not bad. The serial number stamped on the back appears to have a small amount of tarnish or even rust just around the numbers, but I suppose I can live with that.

Checked the springs after reading the post above but mine all appear to be curved as they should.

The horn itself is nice and heavy, feels quite sturdy. Has a good action, no air leaks, and I get a good response throughout the entire range.

No complaints with the sound, and it is fine to play - not outstanding, not disappointing, it's just... fine.

Comes with cork grease, cleaning cloth, handling gloves, neckstrap, backpack straps, lightsaber, and a couple reeds.

For AUD$389, I'm happy enough.

As time goes on I'll be sure to post some more - namely if it self-destructs or has any other problems; or on the other hand, if it turns out to be a good little horn I'll let you know.

At this early stage, I can recommend this if you're just looking for a second horn to muck around on.

Cam

[marton]

thanks for these reviews. i was considering buying one myself - tenor - and after reading these i'm glad i didn't.

they sure are cheap though.

[echozero]

Hey Marton, it really depends what you want your horn for. I'm glad I've got a pro model tenor as my primary instrument, and a few days on I'm still enjoying the Largo alto just for a toy. Provided it doesn't self-destruct it'll last me and be a good player for the odd chart.

Put it this way - I've had worse knockoffs, but it can't hold a candle to the Keilwerth! (not that it was ever in the same league)

[marton]

yeah no offence man. just that i'm pretty well just a beginner and was looking for a decent axe to learn with and nearly bought a largo. being all ignorant and **** ya know? so yeah, there but for the grace of god etc.

[Giroro]

I am a novice alto player (6 months) on a Yanagisawa. After watching a few performers on tenors I wanted a cheap one to experiment with.

Narrowly missed out on a used Grassi on ebay, and decided to give the $450 horn a try. Customer service was not bad and their mailed the saxophone almost straight away. Will post my experiences after a few days with it.

Slightly off topic - I started biting my lower lip playing high notes during the last fortnight. I couldn't figure out how it started and I couldn't get rid of it. Any help/advice would be appreciated.

I suspect messing around on a cheap tenor sax won't improve things

[SaxPunter]

Slightly off topic - I started biting my lower lip playing high notes during the last fortnight. I couldn't figure out how it started and I couldn't get rid of it. Any help/advice would be appreciated.

I suspect messing around on a cheap tenor sax won't improve things

Maybe try a half strength reed higher than what you are on now. Also force yourself to play d2 then palm d and take not not to change anything in your embouchure or breath support/velocity. Go backwards and forwards constantly while maintaining focus on what you are physically doing. This exercise has helped me a lot as your mind is focused and not thinking about timing, notes, reading etc.

HTH

[Giroro]

This is a little odd - I entered my previous post on the 3rd but it only appeared yesterday.

Anyhow, the Largo tenor arrived. My impressions are the same as Bernards20040. The sax plays without major problems, but the quality is not comparable to the branded saxes (well, it's 10-20% the price), and some springs have obviously been bent by the manufacturer for increased tension. The keys are a little uneven, some are a touch stiff and I can feel myself compensating when playing.

As for the tone, The low notes are nice and bright but the high ones needing the octave key sound muffled. The two supplied reeds are unmarked but they feel soft, probably no harder than 1.5. There is no engraving, the Largo logo is painted on. The interior body is unpolished and feels a little sticky.

I would recommend it as a secondary instrument only, and I dread the day I take it for service/repair ("Why did you buy this????" demanded the repairman)...

[Bernards20040]

Some of my keys where also a little stiff but some oil and playing soon sorted them out.
Odd that your upper register is muffled mine plays great except middle D but it is middle D
Mine has engraving, the inside of the bell is polished and the logo is laser engraved
Hmm different horns from different factories Probably.

OK so we can now say that Largo horns cannot be trusted to be consistent there's a surprise

My advice to anyone getting one of these is check it out thoroughly and take advantage of the return policy.

Mine has developed a problem with the octave mechanism which i am pretty sure is an easy fix (cork fell of i think)

I still think they are good for the money, my tenor was less than $400

I might alert Largo to this thread in the hope they improve the consistency.

[HowardJones]

I bought a Largo Tenor in November 2007. I am just a beginner - a late in life beginner, I'm 43 - so take this review for what it's worth.

I already play several instruments but no woodwind. I bought the Largo because I wanted to try saxophone, and didn't want to spend too much in case I didn't stick with it. Nearly 3 months later, I enjoy playing it more than ever and will keep on learning sax.

I agree with most of what Bernard's review said - except with mine there were a few minor leaks which my teacher fixed without much fuss. Within an hour of playing it one of the rollers for the low C/Eb keys actually fell out, the screw must have been loose. Luckily I found the screw, re-inserted and tightened it (and all the other roller screws) and since then haven't had a problem so this must be down to either poor work in the factory or loosening during transit from China.

It was much easier to play once I replaced the "mouthpiece" and reeds that came with it with a selmer C*, and Rico Royal 2 1/2 reeds. Since I'm only a new student I don't feel I'm qualified to talk much about the sound of the sax except to say that with practice I am getting better and better tone, and when my teacher plays it (with his mouthpiece) it sounds great. Yes, middle D is slightly stuffy sounding but from what I hear this is common with many saxes. There are times when it doesn't sound stuffy so it must be down to my playing. I do love the sound lower down, it's really quite punchy.

Overall finish is good, the only area that lets it down as Bernard says is the engraving, and the "Largo" logo is laser engraved in a yukky font. They would be better off leaving it plain.

The action feels good now that I've worn it in a bit. I'm not sure though how much of that is due to me getting used to it and/or compensating.

Overall, considering I paid $460 AU for it, a good deal. If Largo improve the quality *slightly* and are consistent then as a beginner's instrument it seems OK. Certainly for the money you wouldn't complain about the quality, but if like me you don't understand much about saxes it would be best to get a tech to go over it if you buy one. If anything bad happens with it over time though, I will update this review.

And yet despite all the fun I'm having with it, I am saving for a better instrument. Until I get something better (and several times more expensive) the Largo is keeping me happy, I play it at least one hour each day and can't wait to pick it up the next day.

cheers!

[chewbecca]

Hi all.

I bought a Largo soprano sax off ebay a few weeks ago, and so far am thoroughly impressed with it. It has a really nice silver plate, two necks, and only cost me $200.

No foam was used to hold the keys shut, but maybe that was just because it was only getting shipped within Melbourne. It was however, still wrapped up within the case with little fabric bags. After pulling it out of the bags, I found two bent springs, one loose cork and an excellent surface finish. Also, despite claiming it had a high G key, I am yet to find it. lol.

Being an alto player (about to sit my grade 6 sax exam) and never having played a soprano before, I had no soprano reeds lying around at home, so tried the no-name brand reeds that came with the sax. The ligature on the mouthpiece is terrible, and sort of mangled the reeds when tightening it. It mean, the reeds were still playable, but using the mouthpiece and reeds it came with sounded quite disgusting, and prevented me from playing notes lower than E or higher than the high D. I could hit from B-flat to high F# when replacing the reeds with Rico Royals, but it still didn't sound very pleasant.

Last week I tried a friends Selmer Paris C80 F mouthpiece, which sounded pleasant, but did make it hard to go back to my Meyer 6M on my alto. Today I have been playing with a Meyer 7M on my soprano, and that also sounds nice.

When I took the sax into my lesson, my teacher was a little alarmed to hear I had just bought a soprano sax off ebay. However, after hearing it with the Selmer C80 F mouthpiece, he was impressed with the tone and intonation, but mostly impressed with the price.

So my summary of these saxophones are, they are great for the price, but do not expect to buy one and use the mouthpiece/ligature/reed setup it comes with. So far I like the Meyer 7M best as a mouthpiece it has by far the clearest notes in the upper register (middle D is a little stuffy though).

Hope this helps someone!

[windjammer]

Hi all,
I'm new to the forum but have been a sax player for 30 odd years and was a teacher for 15 odd years. Most importantly to this thread is the fact that I own a number of Largo instruments and also sell them through a small business that I run in the Dandenongs east of Melbourne. In the last year I have played/tested a couple of hundred of these instruments direct from the importer so i guess that enables me to speak with some authority on this forum.

First off let me say that selling instruments is NOT my main gig - I am an IT consultant who has a active interest in all things musical and got into selling instruments after I had a very positive experience with the Largo instruments - I purchased a baritone, tenor and soprano as second instruments in 2006 and was blown away by the quality and intonation. I was so impressed that I even went back and got any Alto to use while I had my Yamaha 62 re-padded.


As a former teacher I was constantly frustrated at
a) the quality of student instruments, other than a Yamaha, that was available to a beginner
b) the price that one had to pay to buy an instrument for a student starting out.

I know from first hand experience that the cost of a cheap alto (around $1000 AUD) put many parents off starting their children on sax because of the risk that they might not stick at it, and that the horn would see out its days as a door stop or a decoration in the corner of a bedroom somewhere.
The fact that a Largo horn can be purchased for around $500 AUD means that more kids are going to get the opportunity to play sax and as a parent of 2 teenage girls, i feel that anything that helps get kids into doing something as positive as making music is a good thing.

Like others in this forum, I ended up replacing the mouthpieces - I now use a Lakey 6*3 for the Alto, A meyer 7M for the soprano, A otto link 8* for the Tenor and Jody Jazz 6 for the Baritone. With a good mouthpiece these horns really perform and it was a good 2 months before the guys in the big band I play in realised that my alto had changed from the Yamaha to a Chinese one.

To me the Largo horns represent a cheaper alternative that is of reasonable quality and, most importantly, that plays in tune and is fairly robust. At a price approximately half that of its nearest rivals the decision for me to start selling them was a bit of a no brainer.

So far I have had no major problems with my own instruments, despite playing them weekly so I can vouch for the reliability - so far http://www.saxontheweb.net/vbulletin...lies/smile.gif


I do agree with the comments in this forum and I am realistic about the instruments and what they offer. I also appreciate that a Largo sax is not for everyone and that some people will have had a negative experience with them.
I have spent considerable time with the supplier over the last year trying to improve the horns without pushing the cost up. As some of you will no doubt appreciate, getting Chinese manufacturers to understand the concept of quality and consistency in a communist run country is an exercise in patience. http://www.saxontheweb.net/vbulletin...milies/mad.gif

Butg we are slowly getting our point across.........

Largo Australia have recently brought out a pro level Largo alto for under $1000 that is fully adjustable, has blue steel springs and looks like a YAS82Z.
Not to the extent that a current supplier on EBAy has gone with replicating the Yamaha logo and name, but a close resemblance never the less.

If you havn't tried a Largo and get the opportunity then can I suggest you give it a go - you may be pleasantly surprised. But don't expect an instrument of the quality of your Yamaha or Selmer because you might be disapointed.


Cheers!!
http://www.saxontheweb.net/vbulletin...cons/icon6.gif
Cool

[Stephen Howard]

I have a Largo tenor in the workshop at the moment that I'm doing a review on ( to be published soon ).So far I'm very impressed with it. I've had them in before, but never had the time to do a complete review - but they made it onto my list of recommendations some time back.

Like most Ultra Cheap horns it has a few niggles, but nothing that would stop the horn dead in its tracks. Given the price, and the distance it came I'm really rather pleased with its performance.
Out of the box they're a decent beginners horn, but if you spent a few quid having a couple of minor tweaks done they're more than capable of seeing service as a backup horn for a pro.

Regards,

[SuperAction80]

Not to threadjack, but is there any chance that the Largo horns come from the same factory as the Bently horns? http://www.bentlymusic.com/range.php

I have one of the latter, and it looks very similiar to what I'm seeing in the Largo auctions on eBay. If they are in fact the same, then the Largo is a very good bargain.

[Stephen Howard]

Not to threadjack, but is there any chance that the Largo horns come from the same factory as the Bently horns? http://www.bentlymusic.com/range.php

I have one of the latter, and it looks very similiar to what I'm seeing in the Largo auctions on eBay. If they are in fact the same, then the Largo is a very good bargain.

Trouble is, if you walk around a tradeshow where all the Chinese manufacturers are exhibiting you'll notice that most of the horns look the same. It's possible to buy two horns from one or more manufacturers that look identical and yet they'll be very different in terms of build quality.

The devil is in the detail, so to speak.

Regards,

[windjammer]

I have a Largo tenor in the workshop at the moment that I'm doing a review on ( to be published soon ).So far I'm very impressed with it. I've had them in before, but never had the time to do a complete review - but they made it onto my list of recommendations some time back.

Like most Ultra Cheap horns it has a few niggles, but nothing that would stop the horn dead in its tracks. Given the price, and the distance it came I'm really rather pleased with its performance.
Out of the box they're a decent beginners horn, but if you spent a few quid having a couple of minor tweaks done they're more than capable of seeing service as a backup horn for a pro.

Regards,

Stephen,
I actually test played that horn before it was sent to you for review, so I'm glad it seems to be working out.
Cheers