Hi Freddy
Good reading. I like to listen to the pros. That's what this club's
about for me.......sharing experience.

Dave Topps


-----Original Message-----
From: freddyflares [mailto:no_reply@...]
Sent: 12 July 2004 11:24
To: thesaxophoneclub@...
Subject: [The Saxophone Club] Re: Alto sax


Hey guys sorry i've not made any contributions for so long I have to
brag but i've just got back from a tour so been very busy.


Be VERY VERY carefull over what Sax you buy!!

Do not buy anything that you wouldnt get in a music store you may
hear people and there maybe people on here who have got lucky but
that's all you have been lucky.

Those of you that dont know me im a pro in his 20's and i got conned
into buying a "odyssey" soprano it was to put it bluntly CRAP.

I use all Yamaha Horns and although I've had to spend a fair ££ to
get the good one's alot of my students use the 275 and they are
great horns.

A little story to help you in buying Saxophones. I purchased a
Yamaha 85 Custom Tenor aged 16 around (£2,800) I must have played in
excess of 700+ gigs on the horn before having it serviced around 6
years after buying it. Now I look after it but not like alot of my
adult students look after there horns, I dont clean it that often
nor do I spend ages oiling it, i'd rather play the thing. Anyways
the moral of the story after all that gigging in smokey places and
me drinking and eating then playing it it went for a service after 5
years and all it needed as a few (im talkin 3 i think pads) a few
screws and THAT WAS IT!!Total cost £85 I have had a selmer alto
which are regarded by many as the best horns, they are very good but
they need servicing every year or so and bits have habits of falling
off Yamaha's are so well built like most things Japanese and offer
great value for money!!. (plus selmers are very expensive)

Yanigisawas have a very bright modern sound and are regarded as the
best Soprano for under £1,500. The Jap models tend to have a better
re-sale value as well so worth thinking about!

It is very important to get a good horn as many ppl can stop because
of bad instruments thinking its down to there personal skill.


If your on a budget then Elkhart offer a good in tune budget horn
i'd be very carefull with Arbiter i've seen some bad one's Trevor
James also do a good horn but as I said above Yamaha are just so
well made I recommend them to everyone!!

Dan

ps Northwest ppl Wynton Marsalis at the Bridgewater Hall on July
27th with Lincoln Centre Jazz Orchestra an AMAZING band

--- In thesaxophoneclub@..., YingKo2@a... wrote:
> I started with an Alto too (and am about your age, Charlie.) I
personally
> picked up a second hand Yamaha and though it's not a professional
model level
> instrument I can say I love the tone of the thing. I play guitar
and mandolin in
> a small group and am now working on a couple duets with another
member who
> plays a tenor and they sound pretty nice together. I have always
had good luck
> with Yamaha guitars as well (as entry and intermediate level
instruments).
>
> best, Howard
>
>
> THE SILVER MINE SPOOK by Lance Howard (Howard Hopkins)
> One bitch, one gypsy and a whole lot of silver just made the west
a little
> more wild!
> Hardcover from http:// www.amazon.co.uk http://www.bn.com
> Homepage:http://www.howardhopkins.com



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