[radiopicture]

I'm looking into getting a professional alto, how do all these brands compare? The ones I'm looking at are all used, around $2-4k.

These are all good saxophones. I haven't owned a P. Mauriat, but no one has anything bad to say about them. From your list, I think I'd say Yanagisawa especially altos. I've had a bunch of Mk. VIs but I'm not wild about their intonation. Balanced Actions, 6Ms, Super 20s and Zephyr Specials are all better in that regard, To me, the Yani has the best keyword with the best intonation and they still have that hand built quality feel to them. If it's a Buffet, it would have to be the Super Dynaction or S series. The Dynaction was beautifully made, but I couldn't get it to play the way I wanted. I have an SML Rev D, which is great. Weird combination of Selmer-like keywork, rolled tone holes and good intonation. I have a A991 that I use with a Meyer 6M medium chamber. Hard to beat.

 

[EflatBflat]

I'll definitely look more into them, thank you so much! Now I just need to convince my parents 😅

Well if you have a saxophone instructor, get em to play test it first, make sure it is the one you want to pick up and learn, get the best price, and have him convince your parents!!

 

[Qalina]

Yanis and Selmers would have better resale value(you probably do not think of reselling it, but worth keeping in mind). I found that some Yanis do not age well, I have 3 and they look a bit ratty (all play wonderfully though), as opposed to my Yamaha and the Selmers of the same age. Something about older Yani's lacquer that just doesn't hold.I was told by a tech person that Yamaha's pads tend to dry out more than those of Yanagisawa-something to consider. Second hand Yamaha 62, classic solid horn, if you come across one. Of course try them all, but you will find out that you sound like you on all of them-the keywork might feel better for you though. Good luck!

 

[Qalina]

People seem to recite this until they’re blue in the face, but you have to try the horns first to have any idea how they compare. It’s just the way it is.

I tend to dislike Yanagisawa saxophones tonally and weight wise, but love their ergonomics. I have complete and total disdain for P. Mauriats regardless of how they play, which is not to my liking. Selmer saxophones sound amazing but are more poorly put together than their Japanese counterparts. But I love the tradition behind the horns, the way they play, and their ergonomics. Buffet makes beautiful and amazing sounding saxophones. Their Senzo is a dream.

Don’t forget to consider Eastman, Nexus, and Yamaha saxophones.

Good luck in your quest.

Yeah, good point, if you are torn between two saxes which both feel good to you, choose the lightest(weigh yourself with and without the sax). You will really feel the difference after a 3 hour gig LOL

 

[saxson]

I will comment on the saxes my son has, and what I know from what he's told me and from what I've heard. first, he has a Selmer Mk VI (1957), a Buffet Super Dynaction (1969) and a P Mauriat R66. The Buffet and the P Mauriat are dark sounding, and loud. If you're playing live, these are great horns. With the right mouthpiece, you can go toe-to-toe with the trumpet. The Mk VI, especially with his Ponsel neck, is clear as a bell. Great sound for most studio work, and better with altissimo. If you're doing rock in a large auditorium or outdoors, it's tough to beat the PM. The Buffet is a great all-around horn.

 

[clarnibass]

Selmer Paris Series III
Selmer Paris Super Action Series II
Selmer Paris Balanced Action
Yani A-900
Yani AW01 (new)
P. Mauriat Le Bravo 200
P. Mauriat Master 97
As for Yamaha, I will look into their stuff more.

Not to repeat what many already said, but I'll add that I would definitely not get the Le Bravo. It's definitely the worst from this list and it's not close. The ones I've seen were just like basic Chinese student models at a higher price (though not sure if these are made in China or not). They sounded... fine, but actually had a couple of issues worse than the average Chinese student model.

I know many think the Balanced Action is just about the greatest saxophone ever made, but personally I'm not crazy about them. Objectively they're great, I wouldn't discourage anyone from trying them, but it's just their type of sound that I like less than other models (Selmer and others).

 

[B Flat]

From the three that you’ve listed, I see only two that I’d consider a professional saxophone.
It’s the first two you mentioned.

 

[Dr G]

Yeah, good point, if you are torn between two saxes which both feel good to you, choose the lightest(weigh yourself with and without the sax). You will really feel the difference after a 3 hour gig LOL

Does the sound not matter? If buying a horn that I am going to play for years, I want one that sounds good too. There’s usually not really that much a difference in mass, maybe a few ounces. Play a HR mouthpiece if you need to reduce the mass.

 

[Jerry K.]

I didn't take to the A901 I had, though my current, older, Yani alto is a keeper. Similarly the 62s I've had have gone. Out of the 100 or so altos I've owned the stand out was an SA80II, eclipsed only by my current, fully overhauled, '58 Buffet Superdynaction. Tricky to find the older SDAs though.
I'd go SA80II, lovely tone and super flexible.

100 Altos? Ok, that’s a lot of altos! Haven’t owned 100, but I have owned most brands at some point. I’d add B&S Medusa or late Model 2001 altos to your list! The best playing and sounding alto I’ve owned was a Medusa Goldbrass model, which came with 3 necks! Incredible effortless subtoning and a beautiful complex tone and great intonation. Play one if you can find one, as they’re amazing.

 

[micoxpplog]

Buffet Super Dynactiion 1960s.

 

[LostConn]

I'm looking into getting a professional alto, how do all these brands compare? The ones I'm looking at are all used, around $2-4k.

1. Your budget is fine. You should easily be able to find used professional altos in excellent condition in that price range. For that matter, you could even buy a new pro alto in that price range if desired -- not a top of the line, "premium" sax, but a pro horn nonetheless (Yany AWO1, Selmer Axos, Yamaha 62).

2. Here's a link to my comparison of the Selmer Series II and III altos, which I owned at the same time (temporarily): Selmer Series II vs. Series III: Long-term alto comparison. There are also some comments along the way about my Yanagisawa A990μ.

3. Don't feel obligated to try everything out there in order to reach a "perfect" decision. There is no perfect decision. It's much better to conduct a solid test of two or three brands/models than to spend time theoretically agonizing about how a dozen different options should be ranked.

 

[Bjroosevelt]

I will comment on the saxes my son has, and what I know from what he's told me and from what I've heard. first, he has a Selmer Mk VI (1957), a Buffet Super Dynaction (1969) and a P Mauriat R66. The Buffet and the P Mauriat are dark sounding, and loud. If you're playing live, these are great horns. With the right mouthpiece, you can go toe-to-toe with the trumpet. The Mk VI, especially with his Ponsel neck, is clear as a bell. Great sound for most studio work, and better with altissimo. If you're doing rock in a large auditorium or outdoors, it's tough to beat the PM. The Buffet is a great all-around horn.

This is a very well thought out comment originating from someone who has experience with the horns. Just over a year ago I traded in my Selmer Mark 7 for a P Mauriat. In evaluating my new horn, I spent a lot of time at Paul Maslin's place in Chicago trying out several (a bunch of) Selmers and Yanis - along with only one P Mauriat. P Mauriat is what my ear liked the best and so I got it. I can't say it was better or worse....just that is was different and to my liking. I get a lot of compliments from my band (traditional American Band, not Jazz Band) on how good I sound with the new horn. (I consider myself an intermediate player, but I lead the sax section in my band). Between Yani, Selmer and P Mauriat, I don't think there is a way to make a mistake. (I don't know Buffet). Benefit of the P Mauriat is that you can get new for the price of used in the Selmer and Yani space. Disadvantage, is that P Mauriats are unknown when it comes to future resale value. Selmers and Yanis have great resale track records.