[lufc71]

Having spent a bit of time trawling the forum for advice on purchasing a new, good quality alto sax, I would firstly like to thank everybody for their very helpful input

I bought a budget sax a few years ago on ebay and my missus has really taken to it and now I feel she's ready for a better one; this Christmas!

The 901 has been recommended many times, so atm I'm leaning in that direction (although I'm open to any suggestions). Again, due to your advice, I would like to have her try one first but I don't know of a shop locally to me (Norwich, England) that sells this make. Having searched online for a shop I have found quite a variation in price; from 999GBP to 1350GBP.

So my questions right now would be:-

1) Would you think that online buying would be advisable for this sax?
2) Is the mouthpiece that ships with it good quality or should I go for buying a better one?
3) What sort of percentage haggling is possible on these prices for cash?

Many thanks for any advice.

 

[Nick880]

To answer your questions:

1. It's always preferable to try any sax before you buy it, but if you have to buy online then buy from a dealer with a reputation. As saxes go Yanis tend to be as well set up as any, but they still need to be packed properly for transport. Sax.co.uk sell online, but if you can find the time for the 3-4 or so hours it'd take you to drive from Norwich to Crowborough I'd recommend paying them a visit. The 901 is a good sax, but she would be able to try many others at the same time - their stock is HUGE.

2. The mouthpiece supplied with Yani saxes is good - I play a 991 alto and still use the stock mouthpiece, along with one other.

3. GBP999 would be a very, very good price for this sax................

 

[lufc71]

To answer your questions:

1. It's always preferable to try any sax before you buy it, but if you have to buy online then buy from a dealer with a reputation. As saxes go Yanis tend to be as well set up as any, but they still need to be packed properly for transport. Sax.co.uk sell online, but if you can find the time for the 3-4 or so hours it'd take you to drive from Norwich to Crowborough I'd recommend paying them a visit. The 901 is a good sax, but she would be able to try many others at the same time - their stock is HUGE.

2. The mouthpiece supplied with Yani saxes is good - I play a 991 alto and still use the stock mouthpiece, along with one other.

3. GBP999 would be a very, very good price for this sax................

Many thanks for the reply.

1) Now if I could just find Crowborough on the map?? (never heard of it )

2) Thats good to know. I'm sure the mouthpiece that we have is pretty naff, but I was kinda hoping that with a better sax might come a better mouthpiece.

3) By very, very good price, er...do you mean good for me or good for the shop??

MOT

 

[FrankB]

Many thanks for the reply.

1) Now if I could just find Crowborough on the map?? (never heard of it )

2) Thats good to know. I'm sure the mouthpiece that we have is pretty naff, but I was kinda hoping that with a better sax might come a better mouthpiece.

3) By very, very good price, er...do you mean good for me or good for the shop??

MOT

1) There's a map (or 3!) on their website - http://www.sax.co.uk

2) I was there a few weeks ago and tried 9 tenor mpcs. The stock Yani piece came joint 2nd! (Caution - this might not mean much as I'm a newbie myself and the sound I'm looking for might not be the sound you're looking for!)

3) It's a good price for you!

Enjoy the sax!

Frank

 

[Canadiain]

Hee hee, I lived in Norwich before moving to Canada 10 years ago. Its used to seem like the end of the world, very remote. Now 3 or 4 hours to get to a place like sax.co.uk seems positively just around the corner...at least you dont have to fly

Distance...its all relative. Id go check it out in person rather than buy mail order in the UK. Trust me, no where in the UK is really all that far from anywhere else. Just watch out for the speed cameras

 

[Nick880]

2) Thats good to know. I'm sure the mouthpiece that we have is pretty naff, but I was kinda hoping that with a better sax might come a better mouthpiece.

3) By very, very good price, er...do you mean good for me or good for the shop??

MOT

2) The Yani stock mouthpiece is good quality. However, mouthpiece preferences are very personal. My 991 alto was supplied with a no. 7 opening, but I have heard people mention that they have been supplied with a no. 5, which I would find too closed. These mouthpieces are sold separately at sax.co.uk for £95.

3) A good price for you, but as I said, consider how any potential problems with the sax would be resolved when deciding who to buy from.

Canadiain has got the correct perspective on distance for the purposes of buying a horn.................

 

[lufc71]

Hee hee, I lived in Norwich before moving to Canada 10 years ago. Its used to seem like the end of the world, very remote. Now 3 or 4 hours to get to a place like sax.co.uk seems positively just around the corner...at least you dont have to fly

Distance...its all relative. Id go check it out in person rather than buy mail order in the UK. Trust me, no where in the UK is really all that far from anywhere else. Just watch out for the speed cameras

lol - Remote?? I work in the desert in the Middle East. Now, thats remote!

I spent some time in Ontario in the 80's; a beautiful place.

I'll be back in mid-December so I'll take her down there then. Don't get me started on those damn cameras!!

Many thanks for the input everybody

MOT

 

[marcg]

... but I don't know of a shop locally to me (Norwich, England) that sells this make...

If you fancy a slightly shorter trip (90 mins), I'd recommend Wood, Wind & Reed in Cambridge. I've recently moved to Norwich myself and have yet to find a decent shop even for the little things, so I still use WW&R whenever I can.

Just one word of warning, they have somewhat inconvenient opening times, like being only open until 1pm on a Saturday (this may change for the Christmas period, seeing as it did for the September back-to-school period).

You can find a map and opening times on their website
http://www.wwr.co.uk/
Click on 'about us' at the bottom of the page.

Their other service, Reeds Direct (http://www.reeds-direct.co.uk/), is also worth a mention - boxes of reeds delivered first class at pretty good prices, especially if you club together and buy at least 5 boxes (any instrument/brand/strength).

I have no link with them other than being a happy customer for about 15 years.