Selmer la vie will hang on?

12369 Views 15 Replies 15 Participants Last post by DHPSAX, May 18, 2015

noysax

Discussion Starter · May 2, 2007

i have tried a selmer la vie (usa) new alto saxophone. i really like the sound and the mechanic feeling. people told me that selmer usa is not a good company and that the saxophone might not be preserved well for more than 3-4 years.
instead i was offered a new yanagisawa that had been told me that this is an instrument for life that will be saved "forever". my sound on this horn was inferior in comparison to the LA VIE. the horn costs about 850 $ more than the LA VIE.

next year i am recruited to the army for 3 years so probably i will not touch the horn a lot.

does the la vie truly might not be preserved in good condition after a few years?
should I prefer preservation over sound and "feel"?
what would you advise me to buy?

thanks a lot
Noy

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maestroelite

· #2 · May 2, 2007

Don't know how long it'll last, but I would assume it will last as long as you take care of it. The instrument is still made out of the same materials. Granted, it is possible that it won't hold adjustment though.

I have a La Vie tenor that I got out of the first batch of 30 or so that were released in the US. Its held up fine, I've taken it in once but it wasn't adjusted totally right to begin with. If you like the feel of the horn, buy it, don't spend more money on another one. Make sure you check intonation with your favorite mouthpieces too. Mine was a bit flat in the upper register at first but I was
used to compensating for a very sharp upper range. Intonation is as close to perfect as a horn gets now. The only bad note seems to be the :line3: . I've had several players try the horn and they all like it.

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Hurling Frootmig

· #3 · May 3, 2007

All things being equal the Yanagisawa should be the better horn. With that said you could have come across a really good La vie or a bad Yanagisawa. You may have also a different sound concept which doesn't fit with the Yanagisawa. In my experience, the la vie and la voix have a more powerful sense of tone to them. Not quite as nice as a vintage American horn but close. The Yanagisawa tends to have a more polite tone. It's not that it can't sound dirty but the player has to do the work to get that tone. Play as many horns as you can and buy what you like the best. Then play the heck out of it.

SaxKid3

· #4 · Sep 28, 2007

Selmer La Vie Vs. Yanagisawa T992

I wan to buy a perfessonal sax. But I dont know which one is better. Please help??!!

ChuBerry47

· #5 · Sep 28, 2007

Yes, it definitely will. Even better is the La Voix!

maestroelite

· #6 · Sep 28, 2007

Eh, the La Voix's I've played, and I've played several, all had clunky cheap feeling keywork and didn't sound too great. For the extra 200 dollars or whatever it is now I think you get a lot more horn for a La Vie, although they're both overpriced.

rs1sensen

· #7 · Sep 28, 2007

I would go with the La Vie. In reality, there isn't such a thing as a "professional" sax. I've heard young guys on brand new, top of the line, Selmer Paris Series III horns that sound like absolute... beginners. I've heard top sax players sounds incredible on student horns. There comes a time when a professional horn does help you develop your own sound, but that time is a lot further down the road than most people think. A big part of music is how we feel when we're making it, and if you like the feel of the La Vie better over the Yani, go for it! The horn will hold up as long as you take care of it, and try not to drop it too much!

if you have more questions, or would like other opinions, the following information might help:

1. How old are you now?
2. How long have you been playing?
3. What horn have you been playing on right now?

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stevesklar

· #8 · Sep 28, 2007

so is he actually asking which horn will be better "preserved" if stored in the case for 3 yrs while he's in the army ??

but if you feel the the 'feel' and sound of the LV is better than the Yani then go for it. But, as your playing matures your may quickly find that the LV doesn't even come close to shaking a stick to the Yani

Saxkid - The Yani is a pro sax, the LaVie is not. but it's all down to how the horn feels, sounds, etc to the person playing it - such as what rs1sensen said about a horn does not make a player. A player plays the instrument, and if they can't play it just doesn't matter what horn they have.

Grumps

· #9 · Sep 29, 2007

maestroelite said:
Eh, the La Voix's I've played, and I've played several, all had clunky cheap feeling keywork and didn't sound too great. For the extra 200 dollars or whatever it is now I think you get a lot more horn for a La Vie, although they're both overpriced.

I felt the same way when comparing the two altos side by side. I actually liked the sound of the La Vie better than the Hummingbird next to it, but although the keywork wasn't clunky, I don't think it would hold up to my big mitts.

Gandalfe

· #10 · Sep 29, 2007

Grumps said:
I felt the same way when comparing the two altos side by side. I actually liked the sound of the La Vie better than the Hummingbird next to it, but although the keywork wasn't clunky, I don't think it would hold up to my big mitts.

Sometimes you gotta wonder about the differences in players. Everyone who plays my Ref 54s drools at the fidelity and ergos. It is astonishing how quietly you can play a low Bb or loudly the high end and still be in tune. But these horns are tweaked so your mileage may vary.

The nice thing is there is something for everyone. Apparently many players can be happy with a student/intermediate instrument and that is a good thing if you ask me. But I'd be hard pressed to do so myself. And that after a lifetime of dissing Selmer saxophones and luvin' my 'crat and Coufs.

maxblack

· #11 · Aug 26, 2012

I have a new alto la vie / tried all makes in the shop from 350 up to £1800 was really suprised how different they all were from clunky action / awkward fingering positions etc cheap or expensive. Picked up the La Vie and it just felt
great in the hands / position and the action was the best by far. I bought the 250 as the 240 not quite so good for me. sound was great on both but just seemed better on the 250 and fingering action seemed so sure and refined.
i have seen that some question build standard. im a mechanical design engineer and as i was about to part with a lot of money gave it a really good look over. Build standard / quality in my view is great and can see no reson for it to degrade any more then then " in vogue " £1000 ish sax. i think in a couple of years time these horns will be very well regarded. end of the day buy what feels good and plays well not what meant to be seen as good.
Hope this helps. Max

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Buck Laughlin

· #12 · Aug 26, 2012

maxblack said:
i think in a couple of years time these horns will be very well regarded. end of the day buy what feels good and plays well not what meant to be seen as good.
Hope this helps. Max

Well, the OP posted his questions over 5 years ago, and hasn't been back since, but you never know . . .

gary

· #13 · Aug 26, 2012

Buck Laughlin said:
Well, the OP posted his questions over 5 years ago, and hasn't been back since, but you never know . . .

C'est la vie. :mrgreen:

prosax11

· #14 · Feb 28, 2013

I got a La Vie alto on ebay for the holidays last year for $700 in excellent condition. I have NOTHING negative to say about it. It feels terrific, with extremely wonderful mechanics and ergonomics, making it a very fast horn. I got the 250 variant (a.k.a. the "jazzer) and I love how complex its sound is...there are so many colors, some of which can be accentuated depending on how hard you are willing to push the horn. It is one of those "do it all" horns. As far as looks go, it is gorgeous. Engravings ALL over the horn. Granted, I never use that high G key (I got used to hitting the note the old-fashioned way) but it certainly looks cool. I love this horn and it was my choice over the Yamaha Custom Z, the Cannonball Raven, and a Yani 991. It just has so much character, it is rare, with stunning looks, and just a terrific player. I wouldn't trade it for any other alto.

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tonsmink

· #15 · Aug 11, 2014

prosax11

i have just offered £590 for a new un-used LA VIE 240 .. are u still of the same opinion of yours now after the passage of a few years?

DHPSAX

· #16 · May 18, 2015

Have had my AS-240 LaVie alto for over 7 years. Great horn after it was adjusted by a competent tech (any sax players in the Indianapolis area can count on Scott Hobson who works at Paige 's music to do a great job for them!). Great playing, nice looking horn. It has stood the test of time and is still serving me well. My set up is a Philtone Meridian mouthpiece (.081 tip opening), with a Rovner dark ligerature and Fibracell 3 reeds.

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