[bechisbest]

Saw a Yamaha FULLY CURVED SOPRANO on my face book,I did not know Yamaha made a curvy ??

 

[milandro]

they don’t

http://usa.yamaha.com/products/musical-instruments/winds/sax/sopranosax/

 

[bechisbest]

I can't show you but PLEASE look at the F.B. page saxophones for sale there are good photos of it.Custom 82Z11with V1 neck

 

[milandro]

I don’t use facebook.

There is nothing to show or to look at.

Yamaha has never made and doesn’t currently make, as shown in the link that I gave you before, any curved soprano.

Once again.

http://usa.yamaha.com/products/musical-instruments/winds/sax/sopranosax/

If on facebook someone is offering Yamaha curved sopranos they are counterfeits and they are not Yamaha instruments.

 

[bechisbest]

SORRY being blind has affected my brain, IT IS AN ALTO !!

 

[milandro]

cheers

 

[renegade]

Yes, Yamaha has not manufactured any curved soprano, but if it does in the future, I could be counted as a potential buyer.

 

[EdSaxman]

I have a Selmer SAII Soprano that I like but I often suffer pain in my right arm or my teeths due to the design of straight soprano. Not to mention the huge problems on stage to miking it adequately.

I wish that Selmer and Yamaha consider the curved design as a real and necessary improvement on the soprano saxophone. Ok, It's not so cool looking as the straight, but the ergonomy and the ease to mic it surpasses the aestetic considerations by far. (IMHO, of course)

 

[milandro]

If it hasn’t happened when saxophone times were good and sales buoyant, it will never happen.

 

[Dave Dolson]

EdSaxman: I doubt if Selmer or Yamaha would or could make a better curved soprano than Yanagisawa already makes. DAVE

 

[Brenton]

I have a Selmer SAII Soprano that I like but I often suffer pain in my right arm or my teeths due to the design of straight soprano. Not to mention the huge problems on stage to miking it adequately.

I wish that Selmer and Yamaha consider the curved design as a real and necessary improvement on the soprano saxophone. Ok, It's not so cool looking as the straight, but the ergonomy and the ease to mic it surpasses the aestetic considerations by far. (IMHO, of course)

I reckon the reason most people buy curved Sopranos IS because of their cool factor. Straight ones are often considered "boring" by comparison, which is perhaps why thy there's been so many semi-curved and fully curved variations. Yes I know, some might maintain that curved ones SOUND better and that's their only reason. But as with most "which one should I buy" questions, the answers are very subjective.
I agree with Dave Dolson, if you feel you NEED a modern curved one - find one by a Yanagisawa. Cheers...

 

[milandro]

I bought a curved soprano for playing ease, portability and coolness.

I chose the best Yanagisawa copy out there the Bauhaus Walstein.

Played it for several years but now not so much and I am selling it. I am a large tall man and gather always nice compliments to how surprisingly warm it sounds ( they alla expect some nasal trumpet like sound I guess) and funny it looks .

 

[EdSaxman]

I reckon the reason most people buy curved Sopranos IS because of their cool factor. Straight ones are often considered "boring" by comparison,

Well... the appreciation of what is cool is not exactly the same in the country where I live, because for the vast majority of the population, the only curved soprano saxophonist who they know was a clown who appeared in the television, and I'm talking about a time in which there were only 1 or 2 TV channels in Spain. It is strongly rooted in the collective subconscious. Which, of course, I do not give a damn for.

View attachment 83148

which is perhaps why thy there's been so many semi-curved and fully curved variations.

Do you mean curved neck when you say semi-curved? I don't think the reason was the coolness factor but the ergonomy factor. I have had a soprano with two necks, and I prefered the curved one all the time. But I found my actual Selmer SAII for such an incredible price that I cant refuse to buy it. Anyway, the curved neck helps in some good way but most of the straight soprano design inherent problems still remain. Additionally, the interchangeable neck design can be a potential source of problems (the infaust SAIII is the better example here), so I would prefer the -curved neck one piece soprano- (like the old yamaha 62) over the actual dual neck modern straight sops.

Yes I know, some might maintain that curved ones SOUND better and that's their only reason. But as with most "which one should I buy" questions, the answers are very subjective.

It is probably true from the aural perspective of the player. You get the same projection that the other saxophones have, instead of pointing on the ground.

But personally, I would appreciate the ergonomic factor over all the rest. And the ease of miking as the second reason. But be able to hear yourself better is a very good point too.

I agree with Dave Dolson, if you feel you NEED a modern curved one - find one by a Yanagisawa. Cheers...

I never played a Yanagisawa (allways had Selmer or/and Yamaha) but I have their sops in great consideration.

 

[Dave Dolson]

Ed: "Semi-curved" means tipped-bell with curved fixed neck - mostly. I'm sure many saxophone terms can mean whatever the writer THINKS it means, but generally, those modern sopranos mimicking the original King Saxello are often called semi-curved.

Buescher also made a tipped-bell soprano in the 1920's and I suppose "semi-curved' can apply to that model as well.

As far as dual-neck sopranos, that subject has been beaten up pretty badly here on SOTW. Some like 'em, some don't. No one is right - or wrong - about removable necks on sopranos. It is a personal thing.

Curved vs. straight? Same thing - a personal decision to be made by each individual player. DAVE

 

[soybean]

I doubt if Selmer or Yamaha would or could make a better curved soprano than Yanagisawa already makes. DAVE

I agree

 

[Dr G]

Do you mean curved neck when you say semi-curved? I don't think the reason was the coolness factor but the ergonomy factor. I have had a soprano with two necks, and I prefered the curved one all the time. But I found my actual Selmer SAII for such an incredible price that I cant refuse to buy it. Anyway, the curved neck helps in some good way but most of the straight soprano design inherent problems still remain. Additionally, the interchangeable neck design can be a potential source of problems (the infaust SAIII is the better example here), so I would prefer the -curved neck one piece soprano- (like the old yamaha 62) over the actual dual neck modern straight sops.

But personally, I would appreciate the ergonomic factor over all the rest. And the ease of miking as the second reason. But be able to hear yourself better is a very good point too.

I agree that the Yanagisawa sops are tops in modern (fully) curved sops. I've had a couple of them. To me, tho' the benefit of mic'ing is outweighed by having SO much of the horn in my ears - it makes my ears ring to play it for any length of time. But since I play unamplified, mic'ing is a non-issue, and the straight body works well. I prefer the ergos of the bent neck, and found that was the setup for me when I played my Selmer Serie III sop. Ultimately ergos AND tone won out with my Borgani half-curved/semi-curved/bent neck-straight body Jubilee.

 

[soybean]

To me, tho' the benefit of mic'ing is outweighed by having SO much of the horn in my ears - it makes my ears ring to play it for any length of time.

this can be true although playing the curvy doesn't make my ears ring, it is a disconcertingly loud sometimes.

 

[milandro]

which might help one playing softer.

I find that a lot of people just play too loud without any real need for it since most don’t play in stadiums but generally in rather more subdued settings.

I’ve played in rooms of a decent size with an audience of maybe 50 to 100 with other, properly but not overly amplified instruments, and the saxophone (curved soprano or otherwise) really needed no microphone to be played, even softly, with the singer or together with the rest of the band.

Also with my own band (granted, not a big band, but a quartet), we tend to keep the volume of the amplified instruments ( Piano and Bass) down and last time we played together it was the drummer (of all people) who was asking the singer to put her volume a little lower.

 

[Brenton]

EdSaxman, as well as the semi-curved models mentioned by Dave Dolson above, I was also alluding to the vanishingly rare "perfect curved" model put out by Martin and/or Couturier, which were more curved than a King Saxello, but less than those that are fully curved. I want to get me one of those! Anyone? http://forum.saxontheweb.net/showthread.php?146521-Perfect-Curved-Bb-Soprano Cheers...

 

[EdSaxman]

EdSaxman, as well as the semi-curved models mentioned by Dave Dolson above, I was also alluding to the vanishingly rare "perfect curved" model put out by Martin and/or Couturier, which were more curved than a King Saxello, but less than those that are fully curved. I want to get me one of those! Anyone? http://forum.saxontheweb.net/showthread.php?146521-Perfect-Curved-Bb-Soprano Cheers...

View attachment 83259

Well, among all that interesting designs I still would prefer the curved sop, but I really like the altello: View attachment 83258

BTW, take a look here: http://www.lazarromusic.com/saxophones/curved-soprano-saxophones It should be called "bizarromusic" instead, but the pink one is so cool...