[mrzel]

Is there anything new comming from Baritone sax manufacturers? I play a YBS-61 which has had a lot of miles put on it from me and the single owner before me. The key work is a bit sloppy ($ + time with a tech will fix most) but the tone is good. I am just wondering if anyone is pushing the envelope and bringing us some new innovations not just pretty new finishes.

ex. Alto and tenor players can have custom necks made by a number of companies and in a variety of metals. Yamaha them selves offers the handmade G1 neck for alto and the G3 neck for tenors. Not to mention both horns feature re-sized tone holes for better intonation and new left hand key spatula.

*forgot* Selmer doesn't have a reference series bari (or soprano).

 

[Dr G]

What's not working in the world of baris? Have you tried the Yanagisawa B-99x series?

 

[mrzel]

It's not that there is something wrong with them. I ask because it seems that Alto and tenors seem to be pretty cutting edge. 1st to get high-F# then G keys and so forth. I didn't think there was anything wrong with my YAS-62 back when I played alto full-time but they made more innovations and now the new Yamaha 875-EX is a smooth beast.

I came to my current horn after I sold my Buescher True-tone 12 years ago. So I've been behind in bari tech for a while. I haven't played a Yani in a long time. There aren't any baritones in the local music shops here in Orlando.

 

[dexdex]

I guess the baritone industry is moving slower. Selmer Paris have worked on their keywork, and finally released their Series III bari. Never played it. Yanagisawa continues to work on different metals, offering bronze or sterling silver bodies. Furthermore, independent makers like Gloger offer replacement necks. Some outsiders propose asian stencils, like Barone or Mauriat.
So, there is enough to play with. The issue is to find a place to play all those goodies side by side. Probably worth a trip to sax.co.uk.

 

[mrzel]

I've been wanting to try a P. Muriat low Bb 302-GL horn for quite a while (will since i heard Jason Marshall on his). But again there isn't one close to play. In a way I'm surprised that there hasn't been further extensions of the Bari's range. Thank for the heads up on gloger.

 

[Stephen Howard]

When I spoke to Peter Ponzol at the Musik Messe this year (he of the Antigua Pro 1) he hinted that he might be working on a baritone soon - which should be an interesting horn.

Also, Yamaha have just released their Z series soprano, so I would imagine their next project would be a Z bari.

Regards,

 

[windman53]

I also heard about the same thing from peter as well. he sasy that people will be shock by it. But he neevr acturally tell when he will be able to finish it.

 

[milandro]

the larger and more expensive saxophones are the smaller is their market hence the least they are innovated. This has been historically the case and will keep on being so. If Ponzol and , possibly, if he stays with them long enough to carry out this other project, Antigua are innovating they will have to do so in the knowledge that , although the unit price of a baritone is rather high the numbers sold are rather small.

 

[soybean]

I play a YBS-61 which has had a lot of miles put on it … I am just wondering if anyone is pushing the envelope and bringing us some new innovations not just pretty new finishes.

Well right off the bat, you could try a YBS-62 which is a big improvement over the 61 you are playing now. Not as refined as the 875-EX you mention, though. If you want something like that, you will have to try the latest Yanagisawa, serie III or possibly the Keilwerth (which I haven't tried). I strongly doubt the Mauriat is in the same class. Selmer Serie II is also a wonderful baritone.

 

[Oric Muso]

I'm not sure alto/ tenor design is so cutting edge. Most instruments are modifications of the Selmer MkVI design which came out in 1954. The last 875 alto I had in sounded exactly like my MkVI alto.

These days instrument design is often about getting the price down. The big UK sax place has a baritone at £1300 whereas the other cheaper baris are around £2500.

 

[Chris Peryagh]

As far as baris go, the YBS-62 (and 32) is unrivalled in its design which has one of the most (if not the most) rational and positive feeling mechanisms - although you do now have Chinese copies of the YBS-32 doing the rounds for under £1000 with a Selmer style high F# mechanism bunged on (as the YBS-32 doesn't have a high F#), but they're not up to the same level of refinement as the Yamahas.

I'd like to see what Yamaha would do if they launched a YBS-875EX as it'll be a pretty tough challenge to better their older YBS-62 baris - if I was in the market for a new bari and the YBS-875EX was available, then I'd like to compare it against my 62 bari to see if it lives up to the expectation.

 

[spike421]

I've been playing a used YBS 62, ( mid/late 90's), which I am considering buying. Frankly, I can't imagine improving it. The ergo s are great, intonation excellent, and a super tone. It feels like a big tenor. I am also pretty impressed with the build quality. As far as extending the range, what? low Ab, High G? My only complaint would be the springs are a little too strong/stiff, which is easily fixed.

 

[Chris Peryagh]

My YBS-62 is from 1990 and the spring tension was set up strong from the factory but it didn't take much to balance and lighten it all so it felt better under the fingers. One key I do have a bit of trouble is the high F touch which is a bit on the high side and is easy to catch accidentally, but it can either be bent out the way (almost inline with the high Eb touch) or bent down and the stopper cork sliced thinner. High G is a good note on mine using the upper register B fingering and adding the high F# key which makes it leap up a 6th from B to G - I presume a high G key (if ever made and fitted to a bari and there is plenty of room for one) will make the upper register C overblow to G#/Ab or perhaps the open C# overblow to altissimo A.

 

[spike421]

I will try that high G fingering, since using the fork F (without the high C depressed) alone or with the side Bb tends to be really unstable. Even though I have a tenor with a high F#, I never use it, so it will take a little getting used to to begin using that key. As far a the spring tension, I would probably have it lightened since I find myself using a death grip in response to the push back from the keys. I'm used to Vintage Buffet SDA ('63) which has very a light spring tension.