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Mauriat and Selmer

8K views 33 replies 16 participants last post by  Pete Thomas 
#1 ·
Hi,

Simple (or not!) question... are mauriats pro models already on same level as modern selmer's tenors?


Shoot some thoughts!

:mrgreen:
 
Discussion starter · #6 ·
I've liked your post a lot, they were very objective (of course the thread is a little subjective). My intention here is more a "Should I 'loose' my time trying out the mauriates" than "Should i buy a mauriat? or is mauriat a good horn for me?" or that kind of threads that we are always seeing here on sotw.

I'm going in a few time in a 'searching a tenor trip', and i don't want (i prefer loose the time studying) and can't loose much time seeing all the brands in the market . So i'm thinking in choose 3/4 brands and some models of each, until find a winner. For now i'm on Selmer's (Ref's); Yamaha (Z/custom) and Mauriates (66, 76 and maybe 86)....

I'm sorry if many of you have lost your time with my thread, but i think it as some juice in. I will be listening more opinions.

Cheers
 
Discussion starter · #11 ·
I'm a knuckle headed, amateur, late bloomer, so take what I say with a grain of salt. I own and play both a 66 and a mark vi- Is it worth your time trying a Mauriat? Absolutely. I don't see how you wouldn't. What you buy- Completely up to your preference- But anybody that tells you not to even try a Mauriat is simply not being open minded. Like it or not they are part of mix.
You like more your mauriat than the mk vi?
Anyway, i still don't think they are up to the vintage horns, but to kick up some modern ones i can believe...
 
Discussion starter · #12 ·
I think I had understood. The Refs and S-III have been aging for a while today, and many SA-IIs out there have been on the road for 2 decades. You can see how they stand in real life. Same for many Yams & Yanis. Mauriat ?
i don't think that i've totally understood your point... can you explain better? the reference have not 20 years... can you trust on them? it's not the point...

update:

With 'played a 20 year old' you mean play a horn that as been played for 20 years or that has been made 20 years ago?
 
Discussion starter · #15 ·
It's really an unfair question. Selmer has been making saxophones for nearly a century and set the benchmark standard with their Mark VI line over fifty years ago. Even their current lines continue to be compared to by other brands as the standard for professional model saxophones and hold a prominent position in today's market. Mauriat has not yet established itself among the vast majority of players as other brands such as Yamaha and Yanagisawa have done over the last twenty years. So are Mauriats on the same level as Selmer? No. Not by a long shot. Could they ever be? Anything's possible. Individuals might prefer a Mauriat over a Selmer, but this by no means puts Mauriat on the same overall level given more general and easily recognized parameters.
BUT.... even the new Selmer models are compared to the mark vi and sba horns.... so, maybe the 'Selmer' brand is not like hyundais and bmw after all... maybe it's possible to make comparison even if it is a recent new brand. It the quality is already high between Modern Selmer and (Modern) Mauriat's, does history means that much?
 
Discussion starter · #20 ·
Simple answer: yes.

To be frank, once you get past a certain price-point (let's say Yamaha 62) pretty much anything you can find is going to be up to the mark.
Build quality? Selmer used to be among the best, but the Japanese surpassed them some time ago and now it seems that Yanagisawa are setting the standard. The Taiwanese have been steadily improving over the last few years.
Quality control? Selmer's is definitely not what it used to be - Mauriat's has improved lately (and it needed to) - but horns from both companies still need a professional hand to set them up properly.
Longevity? I'm still fixing cheapo horns from the '70's, and if they can last the course so can anything else.
Quality of sound? Entirely up to you. Used to be that pro players would come into the workshop carrying either a Selmer, Yamaha, Yanagisawa or a vintage horn. These days it can be almost anything.

Regards,
thank you for your comment
 
Discussion starter · #29 ·
it was not on the subject but i'm also seeing that i was neglecting yanagisawa horns. May i ask why are the brand with such "market Respect"? besides the build quality is it a historically thing?
 
Discussion starter · #32 ·
I strongly recommend that you take a look at the MACSAX line of horns.

I know countless saxophonists who have had Selmer (including Mark VI), Yamaha, Yanagisawa, Keilwerth and so forth and replaced them with MACSAX.

I purchased an excellent Selmer Mark VI in the sixties and was tired of constant repairs to keep the horn in good working order. I tried all the big common and well-known brands, but when I first tried a MACSAX alto I was shocked by the sound quality, precision of workmanship and the best parts in the industry. The MACSAX sounded and felt like my old Selmer Mark VI, even more focused. The MACSAX "blew mw away." I strongly recommend to anyone who wants a quality and fantastic sounding saxophone to give MACSAX a try... so much bang for the bucks. See www.macsax.com for details. Ask for Michael Crouch and tell them Michael Smith sent you. You will not regret it.

Cheers,

Michael J. Smith
Thank you, but i'm not thinking about that.

Cheers
 
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