[JordanW]

Everyone,

I am considering an upgrade from my current horn and have identified the Yamaha YAS-62 and possibly the comparable Yanagisawa alto, as well as a few vintage horns, as possibilities that are in my price range (I am a "weekend warrior").

I am looking above all for excellent playability, good fast action, and reliability -- one of the problems I perceive with my current horn (a reputable Taiwanese brand) is that it tends to go out of adjustment more quickly than I would like, particularly low B / Bb and the set keys associated with them. When I mentioned this concern to a few local players (who play MarkVI's and Series II's), their response (to my surprise) was that a Yamaha would not help me in this department, because they are notorious for having soft metal and going out of adjustment quickly.

I am wondering if there is any truth to this assertion. Stephen Howard mentions it briefly in his excellent write-up about the YAS-62 but it is hard to get an objective picture of how this affects real-life playability. Is it something I should be concerned about or a reason to avoid Yamahas in favour of other more affordable horns (e.g. vintage horns or other non-Selmer brands?) Is there a particular era of manufacture for Yamahas (or even the 61 vs the 62) that is preferable?

Thanks in advance for any and all comments.

 

[cleger]

I'm not all that experienced as a player, but I've been playing my YTS 52 (mine is an older "purple" logo model) for a couple of years without an adjustment and while I'm sure there are some small leaks there is nothing that is keeping me from playing softly from low Bb to high F#. For what one piece of anecdotal evidence is worth, there it is.

 

[hgiles]

HA! Yamahas and Yanagisawas don't go out of adjustment any more than any other modern horn. But they are a lot easier to bring back into adjustment.

 

[ekdowlin]

I played yamaha for 15 years and never had to have an adjustment made. Just replace a couple of pads here and there. I think Yamahas are the best built horn you can buy.

 

[FawltyTenor]

I'm happy with my purple logo YTS-62 manuf. in very early '80s. I had a mid-80s Yani model 880 alto that was a terrific horn... regret that I ever got rid of that one. It was a real player, very solidly built too.

The Yani was a little sturdier than the YTS-62...the brass is a bit softer on the Yamaha, but I read somewhere that was for acoustic purposes (more resonance). I also played a Selmer USA tenor for a while, it was a nice player also. Not the Omega (which I've heard were better), but the USA immediate after that (circa 1986?).

My YTS-62 hasn't been adjusted for quite some time, but still is in pretty good order. A tech just looked at it, and just saw a couple very minor things.

I have nothing against vintage horns, plenty of options there just need to do your research. Actually, my puruple logo would probably qualify as vintage now although I'm the original owner.

Shawn

 

[Kermit]

I have a Yamaha tenor and a Yanagisawa soprano. They are 3ish and 5ish years old, and I've never once had a problem with either one. I cannot say the same for my P Mauriat alto, but the problem may just be that it's had less than an hour of play in a two-year period. Today, it's very hard for me to play, and I don't know why...just haven't gotten around to taking it in to a tech yet. I sure don't remember it being hard to play at the store...if it was, I would never have bought it!

 

[JordanW]

While we are on the subject, can someone clarify for me what the difference is between "Purple Logo" YAS-62's and those without the "Purple Logo"?

 

[artstove]

The purple logo was the older style. I don't know about the 62 level, but when they went from YTS-21 to YTS-23 was when the logo changed, and they also made changes to the horn at that time as well.

 

[swperry1]

If your horn goes out of adjustment that often; maybe you are just hard on the equipment...I haven't been playing incredibly long (six years), but I bring my tenor (main horn) in for a tune up every year...never needs much other than a pad or tweak here or there. I don't play alto enough to have had it serviced (other than the new set up). There are good and bad horns in every make, but Yamaha and Yanagisawa seem like pretty consistently good saxes if you read much of the forum.

 

[KeithL]

I played yamaha for 15 years and never had to have an adjustment made. Just replace a couple of pads here and there. I think Yamahas are the best built horn you can buy.

My experience has been the same. I have a 15 year old YTS-875 that has only been worked on 3 or 4 times and has one replacement pad.

How are you picking your horn up? In high school I had similar issues until a tech watched me take my horn out of the case - I was reaching in and grabbing it right below the left-hand table keys along the tops of all the rods that control the bell keys. Flexing these rods will knock those pads out of adjustment quickly. Moving the horn around via the bell, not being careful with how you handle the case with the horn in it- there are all sorts of things that will knock those keys out of adjustment.

 

[JordanW]

Guys -- maybe I need to be more careful in how I handle the horn, but I've been playing for 23 years always have handled my horns by the bell. The issues I have are less about the rods than about set screws working loose even 2-3 weeks after a tune up. My tech has noticed this and attributes it to the horn itself. It's not as if the horn becomes unplayable, it just loses its optimal adjustment too quickly.

My desire in going to a more "mainstream" brand is to avoid these kinds of issues if at all possible.

 

[Stephen Howard]

If you have point or adjusting screws working loose then all they need is a drop of threadlock to secure them. It's no big deal, I use the stuff on all manner of horns - from cheap to expensive.
If the rod screws are working their way out then there are ways to sort that too.
If your tech has noticed this and hasn't done anything to address it, I have to ask why.

Regards,

 

[Borganiboy]

You want to tell the the Selmer snob guys with the MK6'S to get a grip.Yamaha and Yanagisawa are state of the art machines with amazing build.Them guys make me laugh.

 

[Dr G]

The Italians remain the artisans - the build on my Borgani transcends all the other modern horns.

The horn makes me mindful of craftsmen in a shop vs workers in a factory.

P.S. and FWIW: I played Selmers (Balanced Action, Mk VI, Serie II, Serie III, and Ref 36) for 30+ years although I was never aware of being a "snob" - they were just my preferred voice. I have also owned and played several Yanagisawas.

 

[JordanW]

Thanks for the input everyone. So is there a really compelling reason (build-quality wise) to go for one particular vintage of YAS-62 over another?

 

[retread]

The Italians remain the artisans - the build on my Borgani transcends all the other modern horns.

The horn makes me mindful of craftsmen in a shop vs workers in a factory.

Thanks for posting this. I've long wondered whether the Borgani workers were related to the 17th century Italian violin makers, or to the workers who built 20th century Fiats.

 

[Dr G]

Thanks for posting this. I've long wondered whether the Borgani workers were related to the 17th century Italian violin makers, or to the workers who built 20th century Fiats.

Hah! I've owned a Fiat 124 Spyder, a Moto Beta motorcycle, and several Beretta pistols in my younger days. Even on the worst days, I enjoyed my Fiat.

I also enjoy Moto Guzzi motorcyles and Alfa Romeo sports cars. Hmmm, gelato isn't half bad either...

 

[JL]

Even on the worst days, I enjoyed my Fiat. ...

Fiat. Doesn't that stand for 'Fix It Again Tony'? LOL. I had a Fiat years ago and it was a great car actually.

 

[JL]

If the rod screws are working their way out then there are ways to sort that too.

Stephen, how do you sort that? I have a rod screw (the long one that holds the octave mechanism together on the back of the horn) on one of my Bueschers that seems to be stripped and occasionally works loose.

 

[Dr G]

Fiat. Doesn't that stand for 'Fix It Again Tony'? LOL. I had a Fiat years ago and it was a great car actually.

Maybe so but let's not speak ill of the departed.

Rust in peace.