[TELESFORO]

I know about the reputation of yamaha i have been playing yamaha sax's for about 10 years first the 62 and then the 82z but in my opinion the p mauriat's are far superior in all aspects.I belive the mauriat's are the best modern horns out there.better ergonomics,tone,pitch the sound is fat.huge with body i can't explain it,anyway .What do you guys think

 

[soulysax]

.better ergonomics,tone,pitch the sound is fat.huge with body i can't explain it,anyway .What do you guys think

I find those features to be outstanding on the Mauriat. Certainly Yamaha and the others are making fine horns. I think at this level it mostly comes down to preference.

Unfortunately, the other factor is bias. While the Mauriat performs as well as the others there are those that just won't give it any props. I am sure the haters will be posting why the horn is a rip off Tiawanese ... :x

 

[playitfunky]

I know about the reputation of yamaha i have been playing yamaha sax's for about 10 years first the 62 and then the 82z but in my opinion the p mauriat's are far superior in all aspects.I belive the mauriat's are the best modern horns out there.better ergonomics,tone,pitch the sound is fat.huge with body i can't explain it,anyway .What do you guys think

haven't played one yet but Yamaha's sound great. If the Z is good enough for Phil Woods, the greatest alto player around, its good enough for me.

 

[Dave Dolson]

I've played some PM saxophones (sopranos and altos) and none of the ones I played caused me to reach for my wallet (while I did reach for it with a Yamaha Z, a Ref 54 which I still own, and a B&S Medusa which I still own).

Before you PM lovers become too excited, there may be some PM saxophones out there that rise to the level of the Big Four, just as there are some Big Fours that don't rise to the level they should be at. I just haven't come across a PM that comes close to my Ref 54. DAVE

 

[Yellowhorn]

Telesforo -

Don't go there! While P Mauriat makes some good horns (made from the same factories in Taiwan as TK Melody, CB, Phil Baron, and other brands), there is no way you or any die-hard PM fan can claim and prove that it is better than the Yamies - or any of the big fours, for that matter.

Instead of using words like "better" or "best", perhaps words like "different" will serve us better.

I should add that I have owned several P M horns - some were customized for me.

 

[crazydaisydoo]

Sorry, I have to agree with Yellowhorn. I have a great Taiwanese copy horn, but at the end of the day, at this price point it has to be the Yamaha, or any of the others, Yani, Selmer, Keilwerth

You are in to some big money here, and any of these from the big four will be nice horns, but for me the PM is punching way above its weight, I think is just a bit too "fake" from the Paris name to the (IMHO) faked vintage look.

If you want a vintage look/tone, buy vintage. If you want a modern horn with great ergos and intonation, go for any of the big four, maybe in unlaquered so you can have a bit of character. The aged PM vintage look horns remind me of cheap door handles, the ones that have been "antiqued"

 

[soulysax]

Sorry, but the "fake" name or lacquer really has nothing to do with how a sax plays or sounds. Besides the Mauriat comes in solid nickel with gold plated keys, black nickel, solid silver, and solid silver with gold plating. Nothing fake about that.

Except for a few examples the Mauriat is still priced well below the majority of the big 4 horns. Sometimes $2000-$3,000 so they are an excellent value regardless of where they happen to made.

 

[crazydaisydoo]

Sorry, but the "fake" name or lacquer really has nothing to do with how a sax plays or sounds. Besides the Mauriat comes in solid nickel with gold plated keys, black nickel, solid silver, and solid silver with gold plating. Nothing fake about that.

Except for a few examples the Mauriat is still priced well below the majority of the big 4 horns. Sometimes $2000-$3,000 so they are an excellent value regardless of where they happen to made.

Sorry, just my beef regarding the finish, I have nothing against Taiwanese horns, and I own one. I think up to a price point they are fine, but the original poster asked specifically about a comparison with an 82Z.

BTW, over here the PM 67R is priced at £1,400, the Yamaha 82Z is £1,664, so you are right. BUT a Yamaha 62II is only £1,200.

I was absolutely shocked when I tried out a Cannonball, and it came to £1700, which is madness.

 

[SaxyAcoustician]

Sometimes $2000-$3,000 so they are an excellent value regardless of where they happen to made.

I really hope you're kidding. That price range that the professional Yamahas and Yanagisawas fall in.

 

[Yellowhorn]

There was a long-winding thread about the price hike on P Mauriat horns in the advice on buying/selling section. The consensus therein was that when PM fist came out, it WAS indeed a bargain, given its excellent quality/price ratio. With its recent price hike, P Mauriat has lured some buyers away because they feel that at 2.5-3K, they might as well go for one of the big fours!

There is no doubt PM has some fine horns (made from the same factories as TK Melody, Cannonball, Phil Barone, Selmer La Vie, and some other brands). But it remains to be seen if PM will pass the test of time and stay in the market as the big fours, or will it just be a fad?

Let's see!

 

[soulysax]

I really hope you're kidding. That price range that the professional Yamahas and Yanagisawas fall in.

No I am not kidding. You are correct there are some Yamaha's and Yanis that are in the general area. However, my quote took in the big 4. WWBW has several tenors Selmers with a starting price of $4,989 and Keilwerths at $6,359. Even with my Music Degree math thats $2,000-$3,000 more then the MAP of about $3,000 for the Mauriat.

 

[GAS_Wyo]

I've sold both my PM's, but I'm still a fan. The resale value of a PM remains high also! I sold my 67R alto for 22% less than I paid for it...not too bad for one year. I sold my 66R tenor for 11% less than I paid...had it about 18 months.

Selmer Reference 36 - My seller sold it to me off-Ebay for 19% less than he paid for it...4 year old closet horn.
Selmer SA80-II Bari - I got it for 25% less than it sold for originally in NYC.

If I compare just these results...it looks like the PM's in general are holding their value as well or better than the Selmers. They are Great horns. So why did I sell mine? I like the sound and feel of the Ref 36 Tenor and Reference 54 alto better than the PM's...

 

[bkiser]

My YAS-82Z killed the two PM altos I tried. As did the R&C R1J alto I had. Neither was even close. The sound of the PMs was much closer to the R&C, but without the core to the sound and nowhere near the power. The 82Z was the "singer" of the bunch. Not as powerful as the R&C, but more lyrical and flexible, and with superior action and ergonomics. The PMs would have been tempting at around $1500 or so, but not at $2000.

 

[dextor]

not to get away from the subject

gas wyo

Aren't you the guy that raved about the PM67r not to long ago? Sudden change of heart? I picked up one from the forum a short time ago and I think the sound and overall package holds its own with any of horns out there in its price range and beyond. Nothing wrong with where its made just how, who and what its made from. I never played a Yamaha alto only the tenor and it was fine. By the way reading what you said about your PM67r helped me decide on my purchase. So for future mean what you say and say what you mean.

 

[jacobeid]

If I had the choice between the yamaha or the PM..it would be the yamaha every time. My opinion on yamaha saxes have changed a lot recently. I may be getting a modern tenor sometime soon, and the yamaha models (82z and 875EX) have really blown me away. If I lighten the spring tension, wow. Great sounding horns. Same with the altos.

I have many beefs with PM horns. The marketing is a big negative for me. The keywork is very uncomfortable. The finish looks and feels cheap. The horn all together just feels like it wasn't made well and will fall apart. Yamaha's feel VERY solid.

 

[cleger]

So for future mean what you say and say what you mean.

This seems unfair, he didn't slag the PMs just said that he's still a fan but likes his ref horns better. Up against horns in the price range that the ref horns are in, I wouldn't consider that a "change of heart".

 

[soulysax]

I'm with Cleger. Only positive things were said about the Mauriat by GAS. He decided he prefered the Selmer better.

I think that has been by point about any sax. There are a number of good saxes out there. There are trade offs we deal with and no single sax has everything we want. In the end each player has to decide which horn best fits his/her needs and budget. And since our preferences or needs change that can mean a different horn may better meet those needs in the future.

 

[Hurling Frootmig]

I'm a big fan of the 82z's especially on alto. I think the altos are a modern classic. They out reference the reference to my hands and ears. The PM's are nice enough but I haven't played one yet that I liked better than an 82z.

 

[soulysax]

I got a chance to try the Mauriat System 76 yesterday. I was very impressed. I have a 90,000 Mark Vi that just sounds great. The Mauriat has many of the same qualities and the altissimo was so easy.

 

[soybean]

I belive the mauriat's are the best modern horns out there.better ergonomics, tone, pitch…

Interesting… "better pitch"? I'd like to hear from somebody who has actually done a test with a tuner and playing both horns back to back. It's hard to believe PMs would beat Yamaha in the pitch department (but i'm open-minded.)