[SaxColossusJR]

What do you think? I played both and I liked the sound of the selmer better, but it seemed as if the yamaha had better keywork, etc. I am semi-looking for a new tenor, and it's come down to these two. Money isn't the issue becuase this will be a graduation present from the folks.

 

[hgiles]

Money not being a factor, I would tend to think you'd be happier with the Selmer. Not because it's a better horn, but because it's a more desireable horn.

Either would serve well even the most demanding saxophonist.

 

[Jonathan C.]

I would go Selmer. I play a Serie II, and during marching band play a Yamaha intermediate. You will love the Selmer over all, espicially if you will hold onto it long term. The value of the horn might go up with the Selmer. With the Yamaha you really don't know.

 

[Dr G]

See the Sax vs Sax section for an ongoing thread...

 

[58tenor]

up to you

 

[Hotspur]

Not because it's a better horn, but because it's a more desireable horn.

Thats the worst reason to get a horn.

 

[hgiles]

Thats the worst reason to get a horn.

Let me put it this way. If you got the Selmer and decided it wasn't what you wanted then you could turn around and trade it for something else -- most anything else even, including an 82Z. Try it the other way around and see how far you get.

Also, GAS is an evil thing. If you had the perfect horn, GAS would never allow you to believe it.

Finally, if you cannot get a Ref 54 or an 82Z to work well for you then you got problems that have nothing to do with the horn.

 

[Giganova]

Thats the worst reason to get a horn.

I agree 100%.

You should buy the horn YOU like most and not care about other people's taste/preference. If you found your "perfect horn", you won't sell it anyway (so why bother what the resale value might be?).

 

[heath]

To answer the original posters questions without getting all romantic.
Yes the Yamaha is known for it's excellent ergonomics, it's decent horn by all accounts.

Of course you got someone else buying you this horn and money is no object. It's pretty obvious that the Ref 54 is the way to go. Don't believe the hype that a Yamaha 82Z is anything like a VI. The 82Z is comfy, but comes up very thin in the tone department when compared to a great VI.

The ref 54 however is more like the VI than any other modern horn made and that goes for both the tenor and the alto.

Ergos can be improved on a selmer once it's set up and the spring tension is backed off a bit. Most new Selmers play clunky until they've been tweaked. Store bought and factory fresh horns usually play like crap. If you buy a Ref get it from someone like SaxQuest or TenorMadness so you can get the horn set up right. You'll still need tweaks even after this, but in the tone department it's awfully hard to beat the Ref horns.

 

[MPowered]

Buy the Selmer and have it set up by TenorMadness.

And buying the Selmer for value isn't necessarily a bad idea, especially if it's the horn he prefers. Being a graduation present, there's still plenty of time to decide he doesn't want to play anymore. If that happens, he can still get a good amount of money back.

 

[heath]

I find it hard to believe that money is no object. I mean are the relatives Donald Trump?

Obviously most sane people are going to see that the Ref horn cost almost twice as much as the Yamaha. Yamaha's have decent resale when compared to the resale of a selmer. You could lose $1000 on either horn.

Of course if you play I would hope you hold onto your Selmer Ref for the rest of your life. I find a great horn I'm not going to sale it. I sold my VI when I was in college, not because I stopped playing, but because I needed money to complete my last semester. So handing a nice Selmer to a graduate may not be in the best interest of either party.

Selmer Ref horns are better off in the hands of adults. I just don't see a need in the under 21 crowd owning such nice horns. If you didn't earn the money yourself than you probably won't respect it.

 

[MPowered]

I find it hard to believe that money is no object. I mean are the relatives Donald Trump?

Obviously most sane people are going to see that the Ref horn cost almost twice as much as the Yamaha. Yamaha's have decent resale when compared to the resale of a selmer. You could lose $1000 on either horn.

Of course if you play I would hope you hold onto your Selmer Ref for the rest of your life. I find a great horn I'm not going to sale it. I sold my VI when I was in college, not because I stopped playing, but because I needed money to complete my last semester. So handing a nice Selmer to a graduate may not be in the best interest of either party.

Selmer Ref horns are better off in the hands of adults. I just don't see a need in the under 21 crowd owning such nice horns. If you didn't earn the money yourself than you probably won't respect it.

Now, I agree that many of my peers won't appreciate it unless they earned it. Heck, some don't even appreciate even if they earned it. That, however, lies in the parenting and upbringing of the child.

My parents gave me my SIII as a gift, and I very greatly appreciate it.

Don't belittle someone just because of his age.

 

[heath]

I know times have changed Mpowered and young people expect the very best that life has to offer. Doesn't mean I have to agree.

If I had a kid I wouldn't hand him my Ref 36 ever....maybe after I die.

 

[rabbit]

SaxColossusJr,

I can't imagine any saxophone player not wanting/not being able
to get past wanting a Selmer until they've had one.

You've an opportunity to own a first rate, brand new Selmer
and you'll dislike yourself if you choose otherwise.

And, you can later turn the Selmer into a Yamaha easier
than vice versa.

Heath,

This young person doesn't deserve to be
picked on because he is fortunate.
You don't have to agree, but you are out of line.

rabbit

 

[heath]

SaxColossusJr,
Heath,

This young person doesn't deserve to be
picked on because he is fortunate.
You don't have to agree, but you are out of line.

rabbit

Thanks for setting me straight rabbit. I understand that I was wrong.

There's a kid that lives across the street from me that plays saxophone. I'm going to go across there right now and give him my Ref horn. It's the least I can do.

 

[SAXISMYAXE]

Conversation moved to the SAX VS. SAX forum, where it should have been started in the first place.... hint, hint.

 

[Al Stevens]

I had a YTS82Z unlacquered. It wouldn't play in tune. Now I don't have it. Now I have a Ref 54 LE. Much happier.

 

[Enviroguy]

Money not being a factor, I would tend to think you'd be happier with the Selmer. Not because it's a better horn, but because it's a more desireable horn.

Either would serve well even the most demanding saxophonist.

Thats the worst reason to get a horn.

Yes... But isn't that the way we choose husbands and wifes? :? :? :?

 

[heath]

Lets put this baby to bed. Which horn do most of the major pros both living and dead play......Selmer. Which horn was used by the top five tenor saxophonist of all time....Selmer, more often than not.

Yamaha is rarely found in the hands of the straight ahead crowd.

 

[MPowered]

I know times have changed Mpowered and young people expect the very best that life has to offer. Doesn't mean I have to agree.

If I had a kid I wouldn't hand him my Ref 36 ever....maybe after I die.

I don't expect a darn thing. I've worked between 25-40 hours a week since my sophomore year in high school to pay for things I wanted, bills, and gifts for other people.

When my parents offered to buy me a new saxophone to advance my musical endeavors, I graciously accepted. Just because I didn't earn it, doesn't mean I can't appreciate it, and it doesn't mean I "expected" it.

Thanks for setting me straight rabbit. I understand that I was wrong.

There's a kid that lives across the street from me that plays saxophone. I'm going to go across there right now and give him my Ref horn. It's the least I can do.

That's really an immature way of handling his comment. He wasn't saying that you should give a teenager a $6,000 horn. He was just saying that you were out of line in assuming that, just because he is young, he won't appreciate the horn.

That's all I was saying, too.