[Robenco15]

Hey,

So I went to USA Horn with my dad and was ready to try out a bunch of alto saxophones. Which I did.

I was ok with the YAS-62 but I wasn't totally loving it and the intonation wasn't as good as compared to the other horns I tried. I don't know, I was able to move on from that horn without a problem.

The Yani-991 was great, especially the intonation, but whenever I would play low C, B Natural, and B-Flat, the sound would begin pulsating. The only way to stop this was either put a lot more air through the horn, therefore playing louder, or push the mouthpiece in a lot more, therefore making everything sharp.

The Yani-992 pulsated even worse!! I had the guy there play it and he seemed to be ok with it (at least he said so, but I think he pulsated a bit too, haha) but I mean, I can't have a horn that I can't play those notes with. They just weren't working for me. Which is too bad because I've never played a more intune horn. There is more to a horn than just intonation though. I also didn't like the "feel" of the horn. Where there keys were and such and the angles of it. Still a great, intune, horn.

Then I tried the Yamaha 875EX Custom. Wow. Solid, Solid horn. The intonation was great, not as good as the Yani, but so close that it didn't make a difference. The high register was great (tha Yani-991 seemed to be thin in that area as well) and the low register was fine. No pulsating. Played great. Loved it.

Then my Dad asked me if it's the one I want. After I told him the price he had to talk to the guy who worked there and after a bit of a talk my Dad realized it was a Lifetime saxophone. I was actually surprised I walked away with it. I was just planning on testing horns. Not actually buying one. Awesome day.

I highly, highly, highly, recommend USA horn. There was a room filled with Vintage Saxophones. Hanging on the wall. Very cool. Both of the guys I worked with were extremely nice and helpful. And the guys shop was awesome. I'm definitely taking the hour drive there to get my stuff fixed for now on.

Plus, I got a box of Vandoren Traditional Blue Box Reeds for 15 dollars!!

Great place, great help, and I got my alto for life. Never again am I going to have to worry about an alto.

 

[ianhart]

I'm glad to hear that you got a horn that you'll be happy with for life! That is the same feeling that I had when I walked away with my Z. Congratulations on a great horn! Now get practicing!

 

[Jonathan C.]

Congradulations. Thats probably the best feeling in the world when it comes to saxophones. That or playing a Killer Solo. Thats also the same feeling I got when I got my Selmer Tenor.

 

[DanPerezSax]

Rock on, man! The "pulsating" is probably from a leak. What I do when shopping for an instrument, is once I think I've found a possible keeper, I'll try to take it out on loan or for a down payment, and take it to my repairman to be evaluated and regulated, so i know I'm playing it in its top form. Then I take it to my teacher for him to try it, and I let some peers try it out and give an opinion of my sound on that horn as opposed to other horns. Still comes down to my personal preference, really, but informed input is always helpful.

 

[playitfunky]

Did you play a Yamaha Z. I haven't heard someone pick the Custom over the Z in quite awhile in my neck of the woods. It's a great horn though congratulations.

 

[saxman_aja]

The "pulsing" is a common problem if you are playing with the mouthpiece pulled too far out. The saxophone is a very precise mechanism. When the mouthpiece isn't in the proper place, the acoustics of the instrument are completely wrong. Venture to push farther in, and adjust your intonation through widening your oral cavity (think "oh"). It's vital for the over-all intonation of the horn.

 

[Robenco15]

Did you play a Yamaha Z. I haven't heard someone pick the Custom over the Z in quite awhile in my neck of the woods. It's a great horn though congratulations.

First off, I'm looking for a classical sound and I didn't totally like the sound of the Z. Second, I did play the Z, and like I said, didn't like it. That's just me.

 

[Robenco15]

The "pulsing" is a common problem if you are playing with the mouthpiece pulled too far out. The saxophone is a very precise mechanism. When the mouthpiece isn't in the proper place, the acoustics of the instrument are completely wrong. Venture to push farther in, and adjust your intonation through widening your oral cavity (think "oh"). It's vital for the over-all intonation of the horn.

"The only way to stop this was either put a lot more air through the horn, therefore playing louder, or push the mouthpiece in a lot more, therefore making everything sharp."

I know. I did the "think 'oh'" and all of that. I know what I'm doing. I think either there could have been a leak or it was me. It did go away when I pushed my mouthpiece in. So maybe there wasn't a leak. But by pushing my mouthpiece in everything went pretty sharp. I'm even thinking the mouthpiece wasn't one that would work well on it, but I've heard that they work so I don't know.

I did notice that, on the neck, the opening (with the mouthpiece off) at the tip of the cork, where the air goes through, was smaller on the 992. That equated to more pulsating. The 991 had a bigger opening at the top of the neck and therefore less pulsating, but still some. That's my theory.

 

[saxman_aja]

I, too, know what I'm talking about. The saxophone was meant to be played with the mouthpiece at a particular spot, pretty far onto the cork. You've just got to teach yourself to play it in tune there.

 

[SaxyAcoustician]

That's funny. I have no problem playing all the horns you mentioned in tune and I've own(ed) pretty much all of them except for the 992 which is really the 991.

The only time I've ever encountered the pulsating phenomenon is when I first started out on soprano and realized that the soprano is very fickle with regards to mouthpiece placement.

 

[Robenco15]

I, too, know what I'm talking about. The saxophone was meant to be played with the mouthpiece at a particular spot, pretty far onto the cork. You've just got to teach yourself to play it in tune there.

I don't feel like getting into this because it doesn't matter nor do I really care but if the saxophone was meant to have a mouthpiece in really far, that's fine with me. But am I supposed to adjust my entire embouchure to compensate for that because this saxophone will only play if the mouthpiece is at a certain spot? I don't think that makes sense. Maybe my mouthpiece just wasn't right for the horn. Maybe I just wasn't right for the horn. It doesn't matter.

And when I said "I know what I'm talking about" I didn't mean it to be rude or anything. It's just your solutions to the problem were things I tried and even stated in the post. That's all.

 

[Jonathan C.]

Awww. Stop thinking about it. You'll turn a great horn purchase into Woulda Shoulda Coulda. Yes I know my spelling is off, it was supposed to be. Be glad that you walked away with a new friend and horn. It should serve you well for along time.

 

[Demolisher]

It should be your horn for life until you try a selmer.

Just a joke of course !

 

[saxman_aja]

Just trying to help.

 

[jonathanbyrnes]

Just to start up another arguement.

More air doesnt mean louder, its about focusing the air correctly.
Congrats on the horn anyway

 

[Grumps]

...There was a room filled with Vintage Saxophones. Hanging on the wall. Very cool...

Please, please, please... please, tell me you tried them.

 

[Robenco15]

Please, please, please... please, tell me you tried them.

Some of them but the air conditioner broke the day before and I was already there for an hour and a half so I wasn't keen on staying too much longer. Next time I go back I'm going to bring my tenor mouthpiece too though! And now I know where to buy a Mark VI when the time comes.

 

[Robenco15]

Just to start up another arguement.

More air doesnt mean louder, its about focusing the air correctly.
Congrats on the horn anyway

Yeah I know, but with regards to the low notes of a sax, to get a piano out of it would require less air that was needed to stop the pulsating of the Yani's. It just wasn't working for me.

 

[vivace1]

I tried the EX and I agree with you...horn for life. If I can ever break up with my Mark VI, that's what I'll buy.

 

[rogerb40uk]

I tried the EX and I agree with you...horn for life. If I can ever break up with my Mark VI, that's what I'll buy.

My teacher has just come back from hols in the USA, with an EX as a back-up horn for his 50+yo MKVI