[sbaird]

I had the chance to play all three side by side today and would like to share my impressions. All three are low A baris.
I took on the Yamaha first.
After reading all the good words written about the 62, I have to say I was disappointed. The sound was not as full and punchy as I would have liked and the left pinky keys stopped me cold. Maybe not set up as well as it could have been, but I found it nearly impossible to slide from C# to B. My pinky just jammed into the B key. The blob of a low A key made it very awkward to hold without opening the A key accidentally. Looks terrible too.
Second I tried the Yani 991. The 991 is supposed to use a denser alloy than their other models and it was definitely warmer than the Yamaha and with better projection I thought. Mechanically it is flawless. Left pinky keys nice and smooth. Really nice up and down. Upper palm key notes all easy and clear. I liked the flat low A key much better and response was very solid C to A. Now I was starting to smile.
I tried the MK VI last. Mechanically I would say the Yanigasawa had a slight edge but I will concede that proper setup might make them equal. The MK VI has the most full-throated sound of the three - really just wonderful. The tone in the upper palm key notes got a little thin compared to the Yani but I felt that could be compensated for with a little quality time on the horn.
If I could have any of the three - it would be the MK VI simply for its gorgeous voice if nothing else. The Yamaha was a non-starter and I think I'll be taking the Yani home soon.

 

[SaxTMan]

are you joking? 62 is fighting in the same league as the other two? sorry no way... yamaha is good but no enough..

 

[ericdano]

Really? I think they are pretty much the same key wise. Or, I've never noticed. I have never liked the sound of Yamaha 62s. Just not what I'm into I guess. There are plenty of people who sound great on them though. If I were to ever lose my Mark VI, I'd probably get a Yanigasawa. Darn near a clone of the Mark VI. Every one I've played sounded great, very Mark VI-ish.

 

[saxjd]

I have owned a VI for 40 years. I owned a T992 for a while and now own a T880 stencil. I owned a YTS62 for a while.

My take is much like the OP. I could never get used to the sound of the 62. The Yani's are great but not quite the Selmer sound that I'm used to.

 

[sbaird]

I should say that I was playing a Otto Link 6* Super Tone Master. On my Conn 12m this puts out a lot of sound, especially on the lower stack. I think will look for a mouthpiece with more oomph on the Yani. Another qualifier, I played the three for only 15/20 minutes each.
As far as Yamahas go; most of the reviews I read raved about the horn. Long ago when Yamahas first arrived on the scene, I tried a tenor. I did not like the thinner sound they produced and the bari was the same.
Keywork between the Yani and the MK VI. I noticed two things. The key clusters seemed a bit closer together on the Yani. I particularly noticed that the G# was very close to G. Also, the action on the bell keys was very snappy on the Yani - maybe due to the triple supports.

 

[hgiles]

I think the op is talking about baritones. Seems you folks are talking about something else.

 

[bkobog]

thanks for sharing. looking to add a bari to my current arsenal.

 

[dshook]

Having spent time on VI and Yamaha baris I would say this: The Yamaha feels very "digital", the keywork is nice but not supple like the VI, and the notes are very locked in and stable. Good for horn section stuff as everything just pops out in tune. The VI has a much more flexible voice and the keywork is smooth and supple, which IMO makes it better for improvisation work and general jazz playing. Also my VI is a low Bb which seems to open up the voice of the horn, also much lighter around your neck!

Results may vary, please consult your doctor before considering any bari swap program

 

[soybean]

Thanks for the review.

The 991 is supposed to use a denser alloy than their other models and it was definitely warmer than the Yamaha and with better projection….

I believe you are referring to the 992 or 902 which have the bronze alloy.

Yamaha 62 has stronger projection than the Yanig or Selmer baris (I've owned them both), but that doesn't make it a better horn, of course.

 

[Bari Sax Guy]

" Maybe not set up as well as it could have been, but I found it nearly impossible to slide from C# to B. "
I have this problem with my MKVI Bari. Is it something that can be fixed? It's the only thing I don't like about the horn.
My finger gets jammed in the space between these keys.

 

[Kini]

Thanks for the review.

I believe you are referring to the 992 or 902 which have the bronze alloy.

Right, Yani has 3 materials for bari - Brass 9x1, bronze 9x2, and sterling 9930. So if you played a 991 it is a brass model, which has an identical body to the 901. Original poster -Please clarify