[rocoloco]

Hello everyone,

I'm new to this forum and also new to the saxophone.

I'm buying my first sax and what I'm looking for is a sax which is very easy to play in all registers and freely- blowing for my easier learning.

I read that the P. Mauriats,Yanagisawas and Selmer III series should be easy to play.

Do you suggest andy particular models?

thanks in advance:bluewink:

Rok

 

[William Bua]

Hey Rok,
The Yamaha 52 and 62 blow easily too. I am selling M'Lady alto from tenor madness that blows easy as well. There are a lot of choices, but it all depends on what you want to spend. Are you looking for an alto or a tenor?

 

[HUTMO]

Hey Rok... welcome aboard. You really need to play a few of a particular sax that you like. You can play 5 different YTS 62's and they will all have a different feel. This way you can pick the one you like best.

Good luck
HUTMO

 

[MyMartinTenor]

"free blowing" does not necessarily make easier learning. A little resistance can be a very nice thing for a starter.

Apparently a limited budget is no problem for you -- so yeah, a high end modern horn like a Selmer or Yani or Yamaha 52 or 62 is a great choice.

 

[rocoloco]

i play alto and maybe I should experience a little resistancce =) i dont know. yes i believe that in the end all comes down to testing them but i'm just curious. i really don't have much chance here in Slovenia for testing lot of them because they're not so popular and buying it's mainly done through ordering them.

Is it true that gold plated are easier to blow/play?

 

[Woosax]

Oh Yes (and by that I mean NO).

 

[gary]

If you're in Slovenia, I would recommend checking out Keilwerths or B&Ss (only used are now available). Or you might be able to get some older Keilwerths as well as saxes like B&S made in the former DDR or Czeckoslovakia. The B&S is more focused than the Keilwerth and I would consider both free-blowing, as well as superb saxes. Since they are now both German horns, I suspect you might be more able to try them out than some others.

I just had a second thought. You might want to check wtih the German internet music store thomann.de. I would send them an email or telephone them and ask them for their opinions and recommendatoins. Their prices are very reasonable and I think (check on this, I'm not positive) they have a return policy if you don't like the sax.

 

[MyMartinTenor]

Is it true that gold plated are easier to blow/play?

No.

 

[rocoloco]

sure, I will consider that. What about P. Mauriats? Heard, I mean read a lot of good things about them.

First I will go check out our stores, maybe they have at least one piece of each model they're selling so I can try them out, if not, then it's all about the reviews and suggestions.

 

[Mikkeos]

'Easy blowing' is a function of the combination of embouchure, mouthpiece, reed and sax.

I am pretty new to the sax too, and I just took my axe into the shops and tested multiple mpc and reed cominations on it, recording them on a (cheap) recorder.
Then I decided and walked out with one of the cheapest mpc and a couple of reeds of the strength I felt matched my skill level and the rest of the setup best.

That's been half a year ago.
All I changed since then: I moved up half a strength in my choice of reeds.
I do a lot of long notes to begin my daily practice, and I guess that is the most important part of the equation.
Practice, practice, practice. (Or in the lingo of this forum: SUAP - Shut up and practice)
I feel comfortable with the mpc. My tone improves steadily. And I do not think it limits me yet.
I tend to overblow when playing ff and louder, but that is me missing the control. (It certainly is easier on some of the other pieces for sure, but learning control is one of the points here.)

Most of all: Find what suits you well and what you enjoy playing on.

 

[JL]

I'm buying my first sax and what I'm looking for is a sax which is very easy to play in all registers and freely- blowing for my easier learning.
Rok

Rok, not to disappoint you, but there is no such thing as a sax which is very easy to play in all registers. It will get easy with time and practice, but you'll need to put in that time and practice.

Here's what WILL make a difference. You want a horn in good mechanical condition with good pads and no leaks. All the subtle differences between horns that you see discussed over and over on here (and I'm as guilty as anyone, since I like discussing them) will not be obvious until you've been playing for some time, and even then we're talking about pretty minor differences. The mouthpiece will be at least as important as the horn. So don't get too bogged down at first. Get a horn with a good reputation that is in your budget, make sure it's in good playing condition (have a tech check it out), get a teacher, and spend your time learning to play. Just my 2 cents worth...

 

[jazzcat58]

sure, I will consider that. What about P. Mauriats? Heard, I mean read a lot of good things about them.

First I will go check out our stores, maybe they have at least one piece of each model they're selling so I can try them out, if not, then it's all about the reviews and suggestions.

so is money an option! to consider?..mauriats are good horns but a bit pricey!..there are some excellent cheaper models out there without having to lay out so much cash!!.
Not looking to put you off the better brands, but a good bargain can be had from the lesser known makes!!.

 

[rocoloco]

i'm just looking for a sax which will last me a long time and I wont have to upgrade it when I become better and start playing quicker, (thats why I want sax with quick response). i know when it comes to the sax it's 80% me making the sound. for now I'm interested in Yanagisawa 902 or 991, P. Mauriat 67RGL or maybe 500BX black pearl and Yamaha 82Z. More money I think I would only put out for Selmer III if it's really worth that kind of money. I know i wont go wrong with neither one of them but I'm a beginner and many times we ask stupid questions =) Thank you all, I will try some saxes and then the decision will be made based on experience or internet reviews =)

 

[lfandwhenwerise]

as long as the pads are sealing well, a sax should be able to blow easily, depending on your mouthpiece/reed setup, also consider ergonomics in the keywork (esp palm keys and left pinky cluster)...in my opinion, you shouldn't make that much of an investment until you are certain that you want to stick with it

 

[rocoloco]

thats also true yes, in my past years i tried a lot of things and then give up =) i'm gonna try to stick with it, for now a love it and i dont even sound that good yet

 

[rocoloco]

So the new years in coming soon and santa claus ins gonna get me a new sax. Budget is 1900-2300 EUR. I'm stuck between Yanagisawa 901 and one of the P. Mauriat, basically I'm between contemporary sounding sax and vintage sounding sax. I like modern sound and vintage sound I just can decide yet. Have you got some pros and cons about these two options?

thanx

 

[Kelpie]

I have played both Yani A901 and P. Muriat altos and preferred the 901. Yani is also cheaper. I have a Selmer C* (and highly recommend the Selmer S-80 C* mouthpiece). This combination can work for you your whole playing career.