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Moving From Aristocrat 156 to TWO1

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t-wo1 two1
3K views 17 replies 11 participants last post by  turf3 
#1 ·
I've been playing my '51 Crat 156 for about 15 years and have been very happy with it. But life throws curve balls and I just survived one. After recuperating from open heart surgery I decided it was time to start anew with a brand new horn. I'm getting older, luckily, and have developed modest arthritis in my hands so I have been thinking of a modern horn for a while.

Anyway, enough about my physical issues! About 2 weeks ago I bought a brand new TWO1 from Dave Kessler who was a pleasure to deal with.

Wow is this horn different than my Crat. After getting used to the TWO1 I'm glad I bought it. The positions and movent of the paddle keys alone are worth it. Also the keys are so balanced.

One question though. As I mentioned, I have some minor arthritis in my hands and it seems that this horn uses stronger springs than my Crat. Is it reasonable to consider getting weaker springs?
 
#2 ·
Congratulations on your new horn. Adjusting / reducing the spring tension is gonna' change a very great deal of the horn's responsiveness. The lovely snappy mechanics wil become less snappy.
 
#3 ·
Adjusting / reducing the spring tension is gonna' change a very great deal of the horn's responsiveness. The lovely snappy mechanics wil become less snappy.
I disagree. I don't think that lowering the spring tension will have a substantial effect on responsiveness. Obviously, if you loosen them to the point that they no longer power the keys, that will have consequences, but I don't think that adjustments within the usual range would have a negative impact. Your Yanagisawa is a well designed and engineered instrument and will still feel 'snappy' even at a lower tension.

@slisbin - Your technician or indeed the dealer should easily be able to make this minor adjustment for you as part of a setup or a free 6-month service (some dealers offer this). It's normal to want to have springs set up to your preferred tension. Indeed, many believe (and I agree) that modern manufacturers such as Yanagisawa tend to spring their instruments a bit too heavily in their factory setups. Lowering the spring tension can make an already excellent horn that bit better!.
 
#7 ·
I've been playing my '51 Crat 156 for about 15 years and have been very happy with it. But life throws curve balls and I just survived one. After recuperating from open heart surgery I decided it was time to start anew with a brand new horn. I'm getting older, luckily, and have developed modest arthritis in my hands so I have been thinking of a modern horn for a while.

Anyway, enough about my physical issues! About 2 weeks ago I bought a brand new TWO1 from Dave Kessler who was a pleasure to deal with.

Wow is this horn different than my Crat. After getting used to the TWO1 I'm glad I bought it. The positions and movent of the paddle keys alone are worth it. Also the keys are so balanced.

One question though. As I mentioned, I have some minor arthritis in my hands and it seems that this horn uses stronger springs than my Crat. Is it reasonable to consider getting weaker springs?
As setup from the factory the spring tension of Yanagisawas is quite firm. I think you can ask your horn tech to reduce the sprint tension. Compared to my Yamaha tenor, both my Yany alto and bari have noticeably firmer spring tension.
 
#8 ·
I got a 6M from a member here. He noted before the sale that it was set up very light as he liked it that way. When I got it, for the first day I was very aware of the lightness. I wondered if it was something I would need to have changed. Then I got used to it and very much like it. But the horn is clearly very well set up and adjusted overall. So its a pleasure to play. I use it all the time now.
 
#13 ·
I would like to wish you well on your recovery. As a Yamaha guy I have no advice to give on your Yani, but the arthritis issue I'm very familiar with. I find that CBD salve seems to help, as well as running my hands under hot water prior to and after playing. Sugar (which I have an addiction to) is a big factor when it comes to joint pain, but eliminating it from my diet completely is difficult. I've never seen a cookie I didn't like! I hope you have many happy playing years to come.
 
#14 ·
Thanks for your advice and we'll wishes. Luckily I don't have a sweet tooth.

I bought a device that keeps paraffin wax melted at just the right temperature for my hands. I immerse my hands and wrap them up for 15 minutes or so and then peal off the wax. Works great. Too bad it doesn't impart me with some more talent!
 
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