Taiwanese tenor sax

4115 Views 5 Replies 5 Participants Last post by milandro, Sep 13, 2013

SaxKate

Discussion Starter · Sep 12, 2013

I am going to upgrade to a different tenor sax and spent the past few days trying out horns at private dealerships and shops. Out of the 20+ that I tried, I have two favorites. From what I have found through my research, both are priced right. One of them is a vintage horn with a great reputation and I can find plenty of information about it on the forum and all over the web.

The other horn is a Taiwanese-made copy of the Yamaha custom 82Z, and the US distributor is a flute manufacturer with an excellent reputation. He doesn't manufacture it, but friends of his do and his signature is on the horn. I would like to get a sense of what kinds of repair issues I might have with this horn and would love to get some feedback from technicians or people who have owned horns similar to this.

I hope this is the right place to post this - I'm new to the forum and am still learning my way around.

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Dr G

· #2 · Sep 12, 2013

"Similar to this" won't capture it. One of the biggest differences between the various Taiwanese brands is quality control in the setup - pads, glue/shellac, pad heights, corks, and other material selections. If that isn't done right, the horn may either not play well at first or, if it does, won't maintain good regulation.

You'll need to name the model/brand if you want anything more specific.

Welcome.

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soybean

· #3 · Sep 12, 2013

Yes, there is no problem here putting the name of the maker or importer (your flute friend).

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seboney

· #4 · Sep 13, 2013

You get EXACTLY what you pay for in a horn. Wait for an 82-Z tenor or Yanagisawa T-991 used. Generally can get one for $2500 or less. IMHO they are absolutely the best value of any tenor out there short of a good VI.

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seboney

· #5 · Sep 13, 2013

Here's a link to a T-991 ....saxamillion reputable seller

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Yanagisawa-...657?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item338558e141

Good Luck!
Steve

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milandro

· #6 · Sep 13, 2013

If the horn you are looking at is a copy of a Yanagisawa there is a very good chance that this is a Chinese rather than a Taiwanese horn, often times the price is the giveaway.

It has been a long time that both Taiwanese and even Chinese instruments are been bought and sold in many countries. A lot of Taiwanese brands belong now to the pro and intermediate market segment.

The quality of some Chinese made horns , in some cases, has been known to be causing concerns and problems to some buyers. Generally speaking though, if the importer has a good reputation one can rely on the guarantee and return policy which is not always the case for on line sales.

The lower price is not always reflective of a necessarily low quality.

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