[newbiedad]

Hi folks -

First thank you all for the valuable information you freely share on this forum which has helped my research and influenced my purchasing decision dramatically.

I spent many hours last week getting educated and prepared for an upcoming Christmas present that I will be making for my son, a new alto sax.

He is an eighth grader in his third year of playing sax after moving over from the piano which he studied for five years. He has progressed quite nicely and well beyond our expectations with his student sax, so I'd like to arm him with the right tools to take it to the next level.

After researching the topic on this forum and discussing the options with his instructor, I had narrowed the deciison to a Yanagisawa A901 or A991, both to be purchased via Kessler at what seems to be a very compelling $2000 or $2500 price tag.

I jumped back on the forum today to make that final decision, only to stumble upon the Phil Barone threads and all the rave reviews being put out their by the Barone fan club.

So - looking for guidance here from all of you. Which would you recommend, the Yanagisawa A901 or a P.Barone?

My original target price was $2000.

One more question - I really want this to be a surprise to my son, so I have not (yet) brought him into the purchasing process.

My thinking here is that either of these options will be such an incredible advance over his current sax that he will be thrilled. But - am i crazy here? Should i bring him into the process and forego the surprise?

I read the responses to the comparison questions on the Yamahas, but did not see a comparison to the Yanagisawa.

Thanks in advance!

Proud but confused Dad

 

[Alley Cat]

My thinking here is that either of these options will be such an incredible advance over his current sax that he will be thrilled.

He may not be. This is a well meaning surprise that could backfire. I think your son should be the one to decide if he needs a new sax, and if so, which make and model. (within your budget)

 

[swperry1]

What is he playing right now? It will be asked (though I really don't think it has too big a bearing on what the upgrade should be).

There are good things about both brands, and people won't hesitate to bring up a ton on either side...Though, if you have read 99% of the big four (Selmer, Yamaha, Keilwerth, Yanagisawa) vs. any other make on the planet, it quickly turns into elitists bashing quality gear that is a lot more affordable and increasingly more bang for your buck.

Since your son is in eighth grade and only on the sax three years, it is probably safe to assume that he is still "finding his way" with regards to sound preferences and tone flexibility (and much of this comes from the player and mouthpiece anyway). By the way, this is an endless journey, but I think you know what I mean.

Either choice will give your son plenty of room to grow as a player, as these are both professional level horns. Maybe a consideration is that your son won't stick with the sax for a long time?

The Yanagisawa a901/ 991 looks to be priced between $2600 and $3500 depending on finish on Kessler's site (Though you probably get a better deal by talking to them or going into the shop).If he were to stop playing, you could resell it for probably $1800-$2300 (the only one to sell on eBay in the last 30 days went for $1600) in a good market if it is in excellent condition. The Yanagisawa comes standard with a stock ebonite 5 mouthpiece...I never even played mine.

You can buy a Barone Classic for $1350-$1600, or a Vintage (larger bell, bore) for $1500 to $1800 depending on finish...Yes, they are literally half the price! You also get a great pro mouthpiece in the tip opening of your choice that is a $250 value bought on its own. The Barones have been selling for $1000 +/- used, but they don't come up very often...No where near as many Barones in the world as Yanagisawas.

I've owned a Barone Classic Alto, as well as a Yanagisawa 991...They were a few years apart, so no direct comparison. I seriously doubt that the 991 was $2200 better than the Barone (if at all)! I would not hesitate to play either in any situation, they were both really good. I am 99% of the time on tenor, so I saw no need for a super nice alto sitting there not being played. I am more than happy with my Maxtone Taiwan alto that I bought, then had a killer set up on for less than $500 total.

Just the very humble opinion of a late blooming 34 year old first year university student who didn't pick up a horn until age 28. :mrgreen:

This one could get fun though, so you might want to put on your shades, grab a soda and some popcorn...:glasses7: epsi: opcorn:...watch some folks duke it out...:argue: :boxing: :violent1:

 

[littlewailer]

Since your son is in eighth grade and only on the sax three years, it is probably safe to assume that he is still "finding his way" with regards to sound preferences and tone flexibility (and much of this comes from the player and mouthpiece anyway). By the way, this is an endless journey, but I think you know what I mean.

+1!

 

[newbiedad]

He played piano for five years or so but while good, never really "took to it". In contrast, he really is taking pride and exceling at the sax, so i'm comfortable he will be playing with it at least through high school.

The A901 at Kessler is $2000, after applying their rebate which they do on the spot. Seems to be a Screaming Deal, which is why i was headed in that direction before finding the equally compelling "bang for your buck" with the Barone.

 

[swperry1]

$2000 for a new a901 is a good price! Is that just for the bare brass? I love bare brass (all my horns are unlacquered), but if he likes shiny, bare brass will not be good...he will spend all his practice time polishing, and still not keep it "clean."

 

[averageschmoe]

I'd take the yani. Having had both across my bench the build quality of the 901 is better. Your son will be thrilled with the horn, and when the time comes that he wants a different sound he'll be old enough to buy a horn himself.

 

[saxmanjack]

I've been shopping for a new alto myself. The A901 for $2000 is the best value in a new horn.

 

[newbiedad]

It is not the bare brass model.

It's the A901 Model
Lacquered Finish
High F# Key
Deluxe Case
Yanagisawa 5 Mouthpiece

The A991 is "only" another $500. This takes me past my original budget, but seems to be a very good price as well.

 

[JayeLID]

Yanis and Barones really occupy different market niches. I do not mean that as a criticism of either....just pointing this out.

Phil's stuff has gotten good reviews and folks tend to be happy with them. They are a mid-budget intermediate-to-pro line of horns; and he has worked hard to make them affordable. Few contemporary makers have been able to pull that off...so he deserves some kudos.

Yani...only makes top-notch stuff. Mr. Yanigasawa broke into the market in the '70's making mid-level, solid but unspectacular stencils and such...but once they got a foothold and the biz took off in the west, he segued into making exactly what he always wanted to make: the best contemporary saxes on the planet.

So, whether the 9XX series or the 8XX series....these are really arguably the best horns made today...period.

IF your kid would be using it in a variety of musical contexts, then these are a great choice. Remember, as others have said...that price you were quoted is pretty fantastic....it's a $3000 horn, easy.

So, although you are looking at two different horns w/ similar pricetags...really you are looking at 2 different horns with a market value of a good $700-800 apart, and occupying different levels.

Given that a side-by-side isn't going to happen, the Yani would be the way to go.

And quite honestly, one likely cannot make the argument that his current horn (assuming some sort of student or school-popular model) could really ever compete with one, regardless of how the setup was tweaked....

Now...where it begins to get difficult is when one compares Yani models TO each other...because I have known quite a few excellent players who, when choosing from a roomful of 'em, actually chose the 'lower' model horn as opposed to their deeeelux-er model...just because it felt better to them for whatever reason.

I say this because I just wanna point out that an 8XX vs. a 901 vs. a 991 might very well not be getting one any sort of 'upgrade' for their particular purposes or tastes.

 

[newbiedad]

Thank you for the thoughtful replies, which effectively validates where I was leaning.

There were several questions in the forum comparing the Yamaha line with Phil's, so I thought I would put it out there given the Barone pricing falls squarely within the target I had set for myself and what apperas to be growing momentum from those on this forum to his instruments.

There is plenty of data in the forum on the 901 vs. 991 comparison, so i can easily reference those again to make that final call.

For the record, I found the Kessler site and the current $2000 offer in one of the SOTW forum responses, so thanks to whoever posted it !

Any other thoughts?

Newbie Dad

 

[Jeff Foster]

Is your son taking private lessons? If so, you should definitely bring his instructor in on the decision. If not, have you talked to the band director? They tend to be very opinionated about such things.

 

[newbiedad]

Yes on private lessons.

I have corresponded with the instructor, who is excited that we are making an investment on a new sax and he is actively involved. He came in as a Selmer fan with a second to Yamaha YAS-62(which i was looking at last week), but after checking with colleagues he is also supportive of the Yanigasawa (just no personal experience with it).

I have not shared the Barone prospect, which just came into the equation today.

 

[Atonal]

I would get the Yanagisawa, especially at that price point. The gold lacquer is a good finish to go with as well. Middle School students can be picky about some of the other finish options available, like bare brass or vintage matte lacquer etc. The 901 is a nice horn!

 

[Jeff Foster]

The 901 is indeed a nice horn. The 991 is an even nicer horn and for only $500 more that would be my choice. Just my opinion but at those prices I would take either one over the Yamaha.

 

[HUTMO]

Yani

 

[Dave Dolson]

Yanagisawa. DAVE

 

[Buck Laughlin]

I would get the Yanagisawa. In fact, I would pony up for the 991. He would definitely have a horn for life. And a great one, at that.

 

[Currawong]

Are you sure that he actually wants a Yani, or a Phil Barone or a Kessler for that matter? What if he would prefer an Antigua or a Paul Mauriat? The preferences of young people can be quite strong.

 

[Alley Cat]

Are you sure that he actually wants a Yani, or a Phil Barone or a Kessler for that matter? What if he would prefer an Antigua or a Paul Mauriat? The preferences of young people can be quite strong.

That's the point I made in post No 2. It seems as though the instructor and his colleagues, the band director plus the entire worldwide membership of SOTW are being given their say but not the person who will actually being playing the horn. What, if any, thoughts does this young man have about a replacement saxophone himself ? Is there some way where newbiedad's son can become involved while still keeping this new sax a surprise ? Maybe he could be asked to recommend a make of sax to a fictitious work friend of his father just to sound him out.