You can only tell if you playtest them for yourself. You really need to A-B them to get the idea. I wouldn't purchase them sight unseen unless there is an ample time period to try before you buy. If you can get to a dealer who has a few of each one, then you can pick the best to you, and also if they need any tweaking a tech there should straighten it out so you can get the horn you know sounds and feels right for you. Good Luck.

 

Kevin: There have been TONS of posts and a lot of argument about the effect that a horn's finish has on its sound.

I don't think the finish matters IN THE LEAST. Any differences in how one horn sounds compared to another horn is more likely to be caused by factors other than the finish. Claims to the contrary cannot be proven for obvious reasons.

Read around SOTW for details. And, play each horn under consideration and choose the one you like the best. DAVE

 

I am one to think finish does make a difference; but in a broader category. I believed lacquered saxes, unlacquered saxes, and plated saxes have subtle tonal differences. WHAT differences are a completely different story. As Dave has mentioned before, tonal differences should be attributed to that individual saxophone rather than finish options....don't think a horn sounds "bright" because its silver plated.

Saxaholic

 

In the world of audio and electronics gold alloy cables are considered to have a rather warm sound. So it's possible gold will sound a little warmer than silver!

I'd be cautious about arguing by analogy from electrical conductivity.

 

We all have our opinions, don't we? I will re-cite several examples that led me to MY opinion.

1) Tested three Antigua 590 sopranos at Kessler's. A silver-plated, a black nickel, and a lacquered brass. The lacquered brass had by far the brightest and most resonant tone. Corroboarted by Dave himself and another SOTW poster who was there with me.

2) Later played a fellow SOTW poster's black Antigua 590 soprano bought at Kessler's. It sounded exactly like my lacquered brass Antigua 590 sop.

3) My daughter owns my old silver-plated YSS62S (Yamaha soprano). Playing it alongside any of my other sopranos, the Yamaha is not the brightest nor the most resonant.

4) My '28 Buescher TT straight sop with silver-plate AND an after market coat of lacquer is the most resonant soprano I've ever played. It is brighter and better than another '28 TT silver-plate without lacquer that I own.

5) Recently owned, then sold a silver-plated Rampone alto. Nice horn. Bright? Nope. More resonant than my other altos (gold-plated, silver plated, and lacquered brass). Nope.

I realize that comparing various saxophones is subjective, but if the silver-plate WAS a reason for tone, you would think it would show when making comparisons. Same with gold-plate. It sure hasn't in ANY comparisons I've made. DAVE

 

my silverplated tenor sounds just like my blacknickel (both B+S)

 

We all have our opinions, don't we? I will re-cite several examples that led me to MY opinion.
I realize that comparing various saxophones is subjective, but if the silver-plate WAS a reason for tone, you would think it would show when making comparisons. Same with gold-plate. It sure hasn't in ANY comparisons I've made. DAVE

hard to argue with someone with that many examples. You can quote the trend of thought, but if you have that many horns to try it out on I am guessing your probably right.

Have you ever tried the same horn in different finishes? Maybe it just makes it more something then the same horn of the same finish? just fishing...

Just to add I always heard that brass is brighter, and silver is warmer, and nickel to be more piercing but again I don't own horns to test that....

 

In the world of audio and electronics gold alloy cables are considered to have a rather warm sound. So it's possible gold will sound a little warmer than silver!

ROFL! And I guess you believe everything people tell you.

How about this? Silver horns sound bright and black horns sound dark. So gold must be somewhere in the middle, right?

 

When you consider that gold plated horns are silver plated first and then the gold plating is done on top, you'd think the only tonal difference comes from the fact a gold plated horn has more metal mass. Does it make a difference in tone? Maybe, maybe not. So that alone isn't really the question. Does the gold look cool. Yeah, but at what cost? It's your wallet.

My advice is to get the silver and have some cash left over to buy some gold for the Mrs. or whoever. Happy holidays

 

Radjammin: I don't know if you meant to ask if I'd ever tried the SAME horn in different finishes . . . OR have I tried the same MODEL of horn in different finishes?

To try the same horn, one would have to objectively blind-test the horn as is. Then tear the whole horn down, plate everything, re-pad, re-cork, re-felt, re-spring, re-assemble and test. Then, break it all down again, remove the plating (or lacquer - whatever), then reassemble the whole horn EXACTLY like it was when plated or lacquered, THEN conduct an objective blind test designed to duplicate the previous test. Then to validate the results, I'd guess that whole process would have to be replicated hundreds of times and some sort of statistical comparison drawn based on very subjective issues.

No, I have not done that - and to my knowledge, neither has anyone else. THAT is the main reason why us naysayers make the assertions that finish doesn't matter. Opinions are one thing, proof is another. True, I cannot prove my position either.

I have tested various models in different finishes (see my comments about the Antigua sopranos). Sometimes they sound similar and sometimes they sound different. But those differences are more likely to be the differences we all hear just because most saxophones are different regardless of their finishes. AND, when there were differences, they were not the typical silver-is-brighter results one would expect if one bought into the silver-finish argument (again, see my comments in the previous post). DAVE

 

Radjammin: I don't know if you meant to ask if I'd ever tried the SAME horn in different finishes . . . OR have I tried the same MODEL of horn in different finishes?

To try the same horn, one would have to objectively blind-test the horn as is. Then tear the whole horn down, plate everything, re-pad, re-cork, re-felt, re-spring, re-assemble and test. Then, break it all down again, remove the plating (or lacquer - whatever), then reassemble the whole horn EXACTLY like it was when plated or lacquered, THEN conduct an objective blind test designed to duplicate the previous test. Then to validate the results, I'd guess that whole process would have to be replicated hundreds of times and some sort of statistical comparison drawn based on very subjective issues.

No, I have not done that - and to my knowledge, neither has anyone else. THAT is the main reason why us naysayers make the assertions that finish doesn't matter. Opinions are one thing, proof is another. True, I cannot prove my position either.

I have tested various models in different finishes (see my comments about the Antigua sopranos). Sometimes they sound similar and sometimes they sound different. But those differences are more likely to be the differences we all hear just because most saxophones are different regardless of their finishes. AND, when there were differences, they were not the typical silver-is-brighter results one would expect if one bought into the silver-finish argument (again, see my comments in the previous post). DAVE

No I mean have you ever melted down a horn and rebuilt it from what was left? j/k. Of course the other....

 

Radjammin: Write what you mean, mean what you write. DAVE

 

My personal opinion based on playing silver plated saxes is that the plating adds a touch of sparkle or brightness to the sound. In the world of audio and electronics gold alloy cables are considered to have a rather warm sound. So it's possible gold will sound a little warmer than silver! Only your ears can tell.

I'm of the opinion that it is the lack of lacquer rather than the addition of plating that matter...but it is opinion.

 

My comment on this is there are lots of great horns...in the absence of any other horns, we can be satisfied with the one we've got if we just practice for thousands of hours until we are one with it....

I fail at following my own advice, however, and am always tempted by other horns (used to be women...saxophones are less destructive). They are all very different, even two different horns which only differ by serial number.

 

I read an acoustical engineer test document that indicated some tonal differences based on the metallurgy of instruments. The tests indicated there would be a perceptible audible difference on a sliding scale depending on the size of the instrument...the larger instruments...contra-bass/baritone range, being effected the greatest...soprano/nino basically nil.
Flute players seem to believe otherwise..given the variety of lip plates/headjoints.