I went with B as well - I've never heard of the brand but it has like a richer - juicier sound to me that's a bit more mellow. They all sound DAMN fine and I'd be happy with any..
I picked B but maybe 'cuz I play a Selma Super 80 action II I bought in 1986 … ? Liked it 'cuz it was not harsh , nice in the low end , rounder sound not tooooo bright. (Not sure what B is as I'm half way through the vid.).
I've been playing alto since 1966. I've owned a Selmer Mark VI up until just a few weeks ago that I purchased new in 1973. I earned a degree in saxophone performance in 1980. I've been a band geek all those years in one form or another, the most recent in a National Guard Army band from 2005-2016. I honestly could not tell enough of a difference to decided that one sounded "better" than another. It's all about the person standing behind the horn. Very nicely done.
It's A and D for me. The older Yanni sounds much better the the new one, and as a MKVI player myself that subtle sizzle in the upper mid is recognisable. You sound great on all of them.
“If you can’t be with the one you want, love the one you’re with. If you can’t have the saxophone you want, love the saxophone you got.” I’m gonna remember this when I get my saxophone in the future. I was wondering which one I should get, whether Tenor or Alto, and I think Saxophone A will work best for me. Thank you for posting this! 🙏🏼❤️
Thank you very much for this video. As a person in their 60’s with no music background what you said about the mouthpieces and reeds makes a lot of sense. At first I liked the sound of the Big B and the C, but after the second play through they all sounded similar. I was interested in getting a Yamaha or a Selmer, but now I know it doesn’t really matter as to the brand, so I will get one that I can afford. I do like the deepness of the sound that a Tenor makes over the Altos.
I picked D first as the one I preferred and then as the MkVI. The differences are subtle but the Yanagisawas definitely sounded a bit brighter to me. The MKVI just has that unique timbre especially in the low register. Great stuff, Jay, you sound brilliant on all of them.
Nice demo, thanks for posting :) He sounded pretty much the same on all 4 Saxophones. It's all about the concept of sound, our internal anatomy, our embouchure, & the MP/Reed set up that affects our sound. I don't know how much more proof you need than this video.
Hey Jay, thanks for this timely video, made 4yrs ago, as I’ve been looking at a Yanagisawa tenor T880 in mint condition for $3000aud, and I think I’ll be going ahead with the purchase. Love your work. 👍
I liked "B" the best for the overall range of the horn. Sounded great on low and high range. I'm currently playing a Vito student horn which was all I could afford. I still had my OttoLink Super tone master 5 with Java 21/2 reed. had a T901 Yani years ago and was playing an Armstrong Kielwerth that my teacher who played a Mark VI said had a great sound. Looking to upgrade as soon as possible to at least a solid intermediate horn. Just started playing again after several years and never really got beyond the intermediate level. Love your play sax by ear series.
Man you sound great on each of them! But I liked C the best. I think you are right in that you will always sound like you, no matter what horn you play, and do agree that responsiveness of a horn is key. BUT I do think the build quality and blue print of a saxophone can influence its responsiveness. I asked my SuperGuru repairman to set up my Mauriat the same way he had set up my Selmer (which is freaking excellent), but “there was only so much he could do” (his own words) given the way the Mauriat was built.
I've been looking into getting a Mauriat. Of all the more contemporary horns I've liked that one the most. What model do you have? What are your thoughts on your overall experience with the horn? I've had a mark vi but I didn't own so I no longer have it and really just want a horn that I can afford and pairs well with my ottolink tonemaster 8.
Garrett Babcock I play a Mauriat System 76 2nd edition with the vintage lacquer. It is a horn with straight toneholes, unlike all the other Mauriat models. I tried those also, but just thought the System 76 had the focused, centered sound I was looking for. The sound is also dark and steady which I really like. I really fell in love with it’s sound, and still really love it, but the way it plays ergonomically and setup-wise is just not as well as the MarkVI that I was fortunate to be able to buy. The Mauriat is a great instrument nonetheless!!!
@@timobesamusca9332 do the ergonomics have a noticeable impact on your playing? Or is it more of a feel thing? I feel like if I'm saving 3k plus up for a mauriat i might as well save another few thousand and go for a mark vi.
Garrett Babcock I do think it has some impact on my playing. The setup on the Mark VI gives me more responsiveness. Some lines are easier to play, physically I mean. Which leads to me feeling more secure, having more control over the instrument and what I want to play. But you know I love to play the Mauriat as well. It is a great horn and worth every penny imho. And although I was fortunate to be able to buy a really nice playing Mark Vl (not all are good), I think a lot of modern horns can put up very well against the Mark VI, it all comes down to the player in the end. You should also look into the Trevor James Custom Signature Raw tenor sax. I played it recently and though it played absolutely great 👍🏻
They all sounded great. This is a testament to Jay's playing. Nice job. I selected A and D as the best sounding horns and chose as a wild guess D as the Mark VI.
C sounded better for me but I really agree that a good reed and a good mouthpiece are big factors on how you will sound great no matter what type of saxophone you happen to play on..
I agree with you .. It is hard to tell by the sound. For me it is all about the playability and tone. Before I bought my Keilwerth SX90R in 2002, I played a Selmer, Yani, Yamaha, LA Sax and a Cannonball, all pro saxes, and there was definitely a difference in playability. It took me all day at a store in South Bend, Indiana to make a decision. Tone was hardly distinguishable. The Keilwerth had the best playability, especially the ease to play low C, C#, B & Bb. There was definitely a difference in playability. Between the horns, the altissimos fingerings also changed slightly for me. I also believe that no one horn is exactly alike even if the same exact model. You can get a " bad" one. I played 5 different SX90R's before I found the one I really wanted. My opinion is: the Buescher you played had the best sound, the mouthpiece is 90% of sax playing and you should play a professional model horn. The shape of your mouth and throat cavity, along with the mouthpiece ( ligature is very important also) and the neck of the horn will determine most of the quality of your sound. Your right, someone listening to me in the studio the day I tried out all those horns probably could not hear much difference in the horns, but may have recognized my personal sound. I gotta say.... The best horn I ever played was a 1960's era King Super 20 Tenor with a silver neck. Altissimo and low notes jumped out so easily and intonation was great. Why didn't I buy it.....?
Ah man great video! the number one take away is that you sound like you on every horn. Massive thumbs up fella. Sax D is my favorite right out the gate which was so surprising as I always considerd myself a Yani sax man, and having avoided selmers and written them off as overpriced, I think I might need to reevaluate my position on that!
Man, I loved D also. And, like you, I didnt think it was the VI. I thought it might be the W02. I thought C sounded very modern, and came in 3rd. Number 2 for me was the T-880. Very nice sound, too, but that VI was amazing.
Jay, you proved your point. Isn't it interesting that so many of us are so passionate about our sound that we do a quizz? On 1st hearing D = Selmer. But the Beusher was great too. Stan Getz?..you didn't mention him, but on a good day, I nearly get there. Trying for it has helped, but I always sound like me. It's not all bad news, I'm still getting gigs, but I worry about that "PERFECTIONISM". This qizz is a lesson on how we HEAR ourselves. All the great players have a uniqueness about them. We have to make the best of ours. Thanks Jay.
I preferred Sax C the most, thanks for the channel. I’ve always wanted to learn and will be purchasing one soon. Just doing my due diligence beforehand on what I don’t know.
A was my favorite. D was a close second. I was completely right on which was which, but all shows is that I spend too much time researching horns😅 Also, you are completely right with what you said about the response. A saxophone will sound like a saxophone, but how it feels and connects with you as an individual is what matters most. That is different for everyone, which is why different people prefer different horns.
So close... You're absolutely right though. While I loved it when I was lucky enough to gig and tour with a mark vi, alas it was a school issued instrument and I had to turn it in recently. I've really liked the ottolink tonemaster 8 that i've been playing on for over 7 years now and I really just want to find a horn that pairs nicely with my set up and has some of the brighter qualities that I felt I got out of the mark vi. That being said I thought initially that the mark vi was either A or C so maybe I'd like trying out one of those horns with my set up and no longer have the hole in my soul that I've felt has been there since losing my vintage horn.
I played Tenor Sax in concert and jazz band for years and loved it. My dad played when he was in school too and kept both is horns in our basement so when I went to middle school, we had them cleaned and refurbished and they served me great. One is an old Bundy that's probably over 50 years old now and the other is a Selmer Mark VI that's almost as old. Both are great instruments with the Mark VI having a beautiful tone to it and still in great shape. The Bundy has some scratches and dings since my dad used it for marching band and it's a cheaper instrument but still plays great. I haven't played them on several years now so I'm inclined to get them out and tune them up them again since they both are in need.
Man I guessed right on the C option, new it was the Yani W02, sound so close to the Mark VI, the A,B were nice too, focused sound C,D more spread in my opinion- all great and you are right Jay, practicing is the key and gear comes next. cheers
Nice said and explained, for me in all those years I played my saxofoon ( sopraan,alto,tenor and bariton ) you are saying the truth. For me I play a Selmer Series 3 with a mk6 neck and a otto link 8 star. With this sax I can play all different sound, from Ben Webster upto John Coltrane and even produce a sound like Micheal Brecker. But moet important I can sound like myself ( very important ). Grtz Alex ( I love your UA-cam channel 🍀).
Excellent video Jay and your emphasis on ease of responsiveness is spot on. When I first tried an entry-level pro horn I was amazed at how easily it responded and how little effort it required to play compared to my cheap student sax. The ergonomics and comfort of the keys under the fingers was also so much better. The same applies to reed/mouthpiece combinations - I play a synthetic reed on a Sigurd Rascher mouthpiece because it is the most responsive and effortless combination I've found. The easier the horn+mouthpiece+reed is to play, the more attention you can bring to playing beautiful music without fighting the instrument.
A and C were detectable as the Yanis. It is amazing how close the Big B and Mark IV sounded. I mistook one for the other, and I have a Top Hat and Cane; It is a really great horn. Love the videos, thanks Jay!
D was my fave, with C as a runner up. I'm not surprised to know that D, the selmer, was my choice given that I grew up on all the bebop greats, and Dextor Gordon is perhaps my most listened-to of them all, and he played the selmer after his Conn 10M was stolen in the early 60s, I believe. Fun video, thanks!
The brightness of the C sax is remarkable and that's why i thought that it was the Selmer one. Frankly, C & D were my favourite ones. Once again great video Jay !
Loved your playing! And thanks for a nice comparison! Huge difference in all four saxophones, yanagisawa had some kind of recognizable and unique resonation around the core sound. I felt that the buesher horn had a very pure sound and a strong characteristic. With the mark vi, I thought that every single part of the horn resonated the most, and it probably is my favorite of all.
I think the core of the sound is pretty much the same with all the four horns, but each horns gave you different colors and characters to your sound. I also think the differences with the horns will be more recognizable in acoustic situations! I am terribly sorry for a long comment and terrible English, I am still a student in Japan!
Have to admit they all sounded quite similar to my rookie ears. Love the one you're with.. a T800 Elimona from 1979. A lucky find. Hope I can make it sound as good as Jay can some day. Doing his Pentatonic course at the moment. Brilliant fun.
hi. Love your videos. I am looking to start playing again I have a Yamaha intermediate tenor from the 80s. A and B seemed to respond best to you. I watched your embouchure as you went for the low note. they all sound great. I cant agree more about mouthpiece. I used to play a pretty wide open chrome dukoff. Im looing for a hard rubber type mouthpiece for someone that hasnt played much in years. Used to play daily in military bands and at night.
You have right in many things. I had a very very low badget so after months of searcing I searched for a good responce and well made sax i finaly bought a reblican sax of reference 54. After 8 months of playing it i can tell that is a great saxophone. If you want i will send you a video of it.
Well the difference between them minor .it's more about how the player feels with his set up on the saxophone .and yes your so similar on them all totally agree with you Jay .
I picked A for the mark VI because I liked the sound the best and figured I would recognize it.. but I realize now that I like the sound the best because it is the horn you are most comfortable with and that most brings out your sound.
This was entertaining! Great idea. With mostly luck and logic I pegged all of them (Had to hit rewind a few times and could only toss a coin between the yanis). But as you said, the key is response--it helps to listen through the reverb for how the horn is responding. I thought the low notes were key.
Buescher Big B Aristocrat was my favorite, probably because of my old ears. But I agree with you that the mouthpiece and reed contribute highest to the sound you produce after you develop your chops (embouchure & breathing), which remains paramount. I had the opportunity to play Paul Cohen's new Bass Saxophone for a recent Saxophone Festival in Allentown. He offered two different mouthpieces, a modern one and an old Buescher. I ended up loving the Buescher as it gave me more control over the whole instrument. Sometimes new doesn't mean better, but in the case of the reeds, both he and I agree that the Legere Signatures do provided a consistently great experience, so sometimes new wins, too. Great video to drive home a very important lesson. The player matters!
I think there were little differences between them. The Buescher sounded darkest.,the Yanagisawas sounded overall best, and the Selmer sounded the thinnest. I played a Selmer SBA for 30+ years and loved the sound but now depending on who's playing it I like others better. Nice video.
I liked D the best, and having played on a Yamaha and Selmer my entire student life, I knew the Mark VI as soon as I heard the first phrase. It's really an indistinguishable sound, but that may because I grew up thinking that it was the holy grail of classical saxophones :)
I liked C best and then A, B, and D. I was delighted then to find out that my fave is a Yani as they're amazing saxophones and will be my next one. I have a TJ horn at the moment and while it's not the most amazing in the world it is mine and I love it. :)
As usual, very sound advice: learn to play well on a well maintained, decent sax; and then move on if you feel the need. I have a Yamaha 23 student model that is nicely reconditioned. It’s not the instrument, it’s how much I devote to learning and practicing. Thanks for reinforcing that!
They all sound the same .. hardly any difference ...I could probably pretend and pick one out but they all sound good ... the reason they all sound the same is because the cat, Jay Metcalf is a pro and can make any horn sound great ... LOL
I picked sax A because my first sax was a T880 and I love it. I reached the best (for me ) setup and so I'm happy to play with the sound I like. I Agree with you that are also very important neck-mouthpiece and reeds.
My choice is A but C isn't far behind. I quite agree with your analysis that the mouthpiece and reed combination has more impact than all the legends out there. Your video on different mouthpieces showed me that. I still liked the Link mouthpiece the best. Thanks for all the great videos.
Thanks Jay, you confirmed my thoughts prior to this. Personally I would be more interested in how it plays and the ergonomics of the layout. The problem that cannot be ignored is that we are hearing an acoustic instrument "SECOND HAND" We are really listening to sounds emanating from the exact same source sound equipment! Whilst there might well be a slight variation from horn to horn the recording gear may not be capable of replicating this. Even worse is the fact that most , if not all players will blow through some form of amplification often set up by a third party. My point is when an audience listens to any sax they are actually hearing an 'electronic' facsimile. They are impressed by the players much more than "a bit warm or a little dark or bright" plus a great deal of players now perform with some sort of echo or reverb effect completely cancelling out any fine detail.
I chose D just because of that gorgeous full warm sound that I felt in my heart was a Selmer...But you sounded great on all of them, but their is just something about Selmer's that I just love!
The listener hears the results of the ambiance in the room the crowd noise etc. the player is the most important aspect,feeling the response ,tone and feel. They all sound alike to me,I agree with your thoughts its how the horn is played
as an owner of a Selmer mark 6 from the 1950s and love it .. I was more impressed with your C & D saxophones ... both A & B sounded alike .. both C& D also sounded very much alike.. all are actually good sound quality , I just prefer brightness and use a Van Doren ZUMA mouthpiece with only fiber cell reeds .. Bobby G...
Excellent advice! long tones all the way, throwing cash at expensive kit is never the solution. I completely agree on working with the gear you have. A great player will sound good/like them on any horn. Nice use of the Dexter solo! I orchestrated the whole solo for my big band for a show we did earlier this month. Keep the vids coming, I enjoy sharing them with my students. They like hearing the same things I teach them coming from another horn player! :)
Super slow ballad playing is the best long tone exercise I know of. Mix it up! Long tones are too important to be a bore. Try for your best tone for, say, 8 bars...then your best intonation against your tuner...then your most efficient breath control and longest phrase per breath. Then you can do the same tune in a lower/higher range...vary dynamics, cres/dim, the possibilities are many.
i bought a stencil ,a blessing artist , a stencil of a 1960s conn 16m , cost me £150 , + £48 of new pads and beleive me its the most awsome sounding sax ive ever had and it plays superb , i have had lots of the great saxes everyone thinks are the best , guess i was lucky .
All sounded fine, which pretty much was expected. My working hypothesis is that the sax is all about the mechanics, the resistance, the key weight, and especially the balance. Sound, like you say, is mostly the player, but mouthpiece is a big part... which makes sense since the sax is just a big horn, amplifying the sound from the mouthpiece and reed.
I appreciate very much your sober advice. Went through that unnecessary process of deliberating which sax is best myself. I had guessed the Buescher and the Selmer right, but wouldn’t be able to hear a lot differences between the yanagisawas...
Thanks for all your videos!, definitely in my case I love the sound of the "Saxophone B", and I think the same as you in relation to the work that we saxophonists should do with our setup, invest in studying with him and exploit his full potential looking for the best responds.
I preferred B the most out of four top notch sounds. By a hair. I typically play a Buffet S1 tenor that edged out a fantastic Selmer Mark VI and a King Super 20 at the time I was buying. But I do also love the sounds of those vintage American horns: Buescher Aristocrat, Martin “The Martin,” King Zephyr and Super 20, and Conn. It’s like ice cream, many flavors and (almost) always good.
Coincidentally, I liked them in A, B, C, D order. A had really nice sharp attack on the tone and sounded like it would cut through a band well. Also, the correct lyrics are “...And if you can’t be with the one you LOVE, honey Love the one you’re with.”
Sample A was the brightest of the four to me; B, C and D were so close in the short comparison as to be almost interchangeable. It was interesting to register the differences when the individual horns were shown. It was easier to classify the four distinct sounds when I knew which horns were actually being played.
Honestly they all sound awesome. I rated them in ACBD. A and C were a tie for me. B was good,. D I liked the least. I could not tell you which was the Mark VI. I don't buy into all that you-can-tell-the-Mark-VI-sound junk. Wanted to write this before you revealed in the video which was which, so I haven't watched the whole video. As a classical horn I'd take horn D because it's most conservative in terms of overtones, but that's just a subjective as picking which horn is the Mark VI. EDIT: Ah, the D was the Mark VI. Yup. It makes since that the Selmer ended up being the classical horn in my ears.
I know nothing about sax and yet the Selmer Mark VI was the one that sounded best to me. I didn't even vote on which one was the Selmer because I had no idea. I find that very interesting.
You forgot to give your mouthpiece and reed setup!?! ;-) I am happy to have identified the Buescher correctly, they are great responding, slightly darker horns, if one can cope with the ergonomics. That being said that new Yanagisawa sounds awesome. Cheers!
Great exercise Jay! Loved it! Could not choose which one sounded the best...felt like saying « Jay is being a smart ass »🤣🤣🤣 but I proud to say that I recognized the M6 which is my instrument by the way, since 1971! Keep up the good work Jay!
Thanks Jay! I had my eyes closed for the first round (until you got to D) so I did not realize you were playing different horns. Which confirms the thought that the musician makes the difference. The second time around I saw when you changed. (I chose "A" as the best, but thought "D" was the Mark VI. I agree that the main difference is in the player, not the instrument. Also I think the mouthpiece and the reed often (but not always) make more of a difference than the instrument. By the way, I appreciate every post you make.
Thanks Rob, I think if I didn't edit that video and watch it many times, I would have a difficult time identifying them, and if you didn't tell me that the horn changed, I wouldn't have guessed.
I've played a Big B my entire career, mainly because it was the first tenor I got in high school (in the 80's) and it was always fine. Then I just got attached to it. Yeah, it's not the axe it's the player. Love my Big B though. The most underrated horn ever. Not surprisingly, that was the only one I got right in the blindfold test. Hearing it A+B'd with all these horns is validating. Incidentally, the Coles 4038 is the mic I use at home. Of all the sessions I've done over the years, the 4038 is the closest to my actual sound of all the mics I've played into.
Well I tested the WO tenors last year and loved the 02, I liked the blind test of it the most and it was the W02, That's sorted it then , ha. I want one
I recently inherited my dad's old Buescher Aristocrat alto. I haven't played it since I was 12, and moved to tenor. I'm gonna break that bad boy out, right now! Inspired.
This was great! I thought A and C sounded brightest and most similar so guessed those would be the Yanis and that was correct! D sounded the most "stuff" and thought that would be the Buescher and B to be the MK VI, and got those mixed. Interesting! Thank you!
I own a buescher aristocrat tenor saxophone as soon as you played B I knew it was a buescher. You can hear it in the lower notes sounded just like mine when I play it. Funny enough it's the one I liked the most they all sound beautiful though.
Gret video and good advice, as usual :) I could identify the saxes, except that I mixed-up the T880 and the MarkVI. And I prefer sax A ... it says it all : keep the 880 :)))
I would be interested in hearing you play some student horns like the YTS-23 and Bundy, and have you comment on the responsiveness and the ergos on them. I think there's nothing more frustrating for a beginning player than having a horn that is poorly designed and have to work unnecessarily hard to pay them.
@@nhr27 I have always thought the Yamaha student horns are a great value, with good intonation and response. What do like about yours that's better than your Selmer?
@@alanhirayama4592 it is more responsive. Probably because I have logged way more hours on it. I think the Selmer still sounds better and the horn is less clanky (when I play the yamaha you can hear the keys moving).
@@nhr27 My vintage YTS-21 is simply awesome. I had a MKVI but never wanted to take it out. With my two Yamaha's there are no worries and nobody cares. Sadly, most non-musicians just hear the sound of a sax, organ, drum....whatever. What they do hear is how tight or loose the band is and if the singer or melody instrument is in tune or not. Enough said.
I picked number 4 that sounded the best to me but I thought it was the Aristocrat they all sounded good to me. I think you are correct about the mouthpiece and reed and practice practice practice no short cuts.
A and D were my favorites. They just sounded warmer.
Thanks for the input Nate.
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I agree! D was my top pick, and I actually thought it might be the W02 lol. Oops
Those 2 were my faves too.
Agree, A and D were best to my ear, B was my least favorite.
I liked B the best, not much of a difference really but I think it stands out because its a bit darker. Plus I have a Buecher.
Bruce Samons Music I have a Keilworth but I also loved hearing the rich and dark sound of the Buecher
I love my buescher
I went with B as well - I've never heard of the brand but it has like a richer - juicier sound to me that's a bit more mellow. They all sound DAMN fine and I'd be happy with any..
I picked B but maybe 'cuz I play a Selma Super 80 action II I bought in 1986 … ? Liked it 'cuz it was not harsh , nice in the low end , rounder sound not tooooo bright. (Not sure what B is as I'm half way through the vid.).
Same here.
In my opinion, the best sound is :
1. C
2. D
3. A
4. B
I've been playing alto since 1966. I've owned a Selmer Mark VI up until just a few weeks ago that I purchased new in 1973. I earned a degree in saxophone performance in 1980. I've been a band geek all those years in one form or another, the most recent in a National Guard Army band from 2005-2016. I honestly could not tell enough of a difference to decided that one sounded "better" than another. It's all about the person standing behind the horn. Very nicely done.
first A then D the other 2 sound less responsive but still great obviously
"You're gonna sound like you" ... I think that just about sums it up!
It's A and D for me. The older Yanni sounds much better the the new one, and as a MKVI player myself that subtle sizzle in the upper mid is recognisable. You sound great on all of them.
“If you can’t be with the one you want, love the one you’re with. If you can’t have the saxophone you want, love the saxophone you got.”
I’m gonna remember this when I get my saxophone in the future. I was wondering which one I should get, whether Tenor or Alto, and I think Saxophone A will work best for me. Thank you for posting this! 🙏🏼❤️
That is my main horn, so I'm glad when people choose that one.
I've just to learn how to play the saxophone last year and I was recommended to buy the Alto Saxophone for beginners then developing from there.
( started) to learn ...
Thank you very much for this video. As a person in their 60’s with no music background what you said about the mouthpieces and reeds makes a lot of sense. At first I liked the sound of the Big B and the C, but after the second play through they all sounded similar. I was interested in getting a Yamaha or a Selmer, but now I know it doesn’t really matter as to the brand, so I will get one that I can afford. I do like the deepness of the sound that a Tenor makes over the Altos.
I picked D first as the one I preferred and then as the MkVI. The differences are subtle but the Yanagisawas definitely sounded a bit brighter to me. The MKVI just has that unique timbre especially in the low register. Great stuff, Jay, you sound brilliant on all of them.
Same for me... All Great, but MkVI a bit more on the breathy side with the mouthpiece and reed set up.
My exact thoughts and I’m not even a seasoned sax player but an avid audiophile. I trust my ears more now!
D sounded nice and Mello to me. A sounded a bit sharp
Nice demo, thanks for posting :) He sounded pretty much the same on all 4 Saxophones. It's all about the concept of sound, our internal anatomy, our embouchure, & the MP/Reed set up that affects our sound. I don't know how much more proof you need than this video.
Hey Jay, thanks for this timely video, made 4yrs ago, as I’ve been looking at a Yanagisawa tenor T880 in mint condition for $3000aud, and I think I’ll be going ahead with the purchase. Love your work. 👍
Hi Jay, what are your thoughts about the Yanagisawa tenor T500, as good as the T880?
A was my favourite, followed by C/D with equally nice tones, and bottom was B.
I loved B the best. A smoky warm earthy sound. Lovely!
I liked "B" the best for the overall range of the horn. Sounded great on low and high range. I'm currently playing a Vito student horn which was all I could afford. I still had my OttoLink Super tone master 5 with Java 21/2 reed. had a T901 Yani years ago and was playing an Armstrong Kielwerth that my teacher who played a Mark VI said had a great sound. Looking to upgrade as soon as possible to at least a solid intermediate horn. Just started playing again after several years and never really got beyond the intermediate level. Love your play sax by ear series.
Thanks Don, interesting you liked B the best. I love the sound of that horn... definitely the most different.
Man you sound great on each of them! But I liked C the best.
I think you are right in that you will always sound like you, no matter what horn you play, and do agree that responsiveness of a horn is key.
BUT I do think the build quality and blue print of a saxophone can influence its responsiveness. I asked my SuperGuru repairman to set up my Mauriat the same way he had set up my Selmer (which is freaking excellent), but “there was only so much he could do” (his own words) given the way the Mauriat was built.
Timo, yeah for sure, the responsiveness is built in to the horn and some will be limited out of the factory. Thanks for your input.
I've been looking into getting a Mauriat. Of all the more contemporary horns I've liked that one the most. What model do you have? What are your thoughts on your overall experience with the horn? I've had a mark vi but I didn't own so I no longer have it and really just want a horn that I can afford and pairs well with my ottolink tonemaster 8.
Garrett Babcock I play a Mauriat System 76 2nd edition with the vintage lacquer. It is a horn with straight toneholes, unlike all the other Mauriat models. I tried those also, but just thought the System 76 had the focused, centered sound I was looking for. The sound is also dark and steady which I really like. I really fell in love with it’s sound, and still really love it, but the way it plays ergonomically and setup-wise is just not as well as the MarkVI that I was fortunate to be able to buy. The Mauriat is a great instrument nonetheless!!!
@@timobesamusca9332 do the ergonomics have a noticeable impact on your playing? Or is it more of a feel thing? I feel like if I'm saving 3k plus up for a mauriat i might as well save another few thousand and go for a mark vi.
Garrett Babcock I do think it has some impact on my playing. The setup on the Mark VI gives me more responsiveness. Some lines are easier to play, physically I mean. Which leads to me feeling more secure, having more control over the instrument and what I want to play. But you know I love to play the Mauriat as well. It is a great horn and worth every penny imho. And although I was fortunate to be able to buy a really nice playing Mark Vl (not all are good), I think a lot of modern horns can put up very well against the Mark VI, it all comes down to the player in the end. You should also look into the Trevor James Custom Signature Raw tenor sax. I played it recently and though it played absolutely great 👍🏻
Didn’t like B. A was ok. D sounded dull but I loved how rounded and “classic” horn C sounded - beautiful man !
They all sounded great. This is a testament to Jay's playing. Nice job. I selected A and D as the best sounding horns and chose as a wild guess D as the Mark VI.
Thanks, much appreciated.
C sounded better for me but I really agree that a good reed and a good mouthpiece are big factors on how you will sound great no matter what type of saxophone you happen to play on..
The Buescher one had such a lush tone!
i instantly said WOW when B sounded. nice round sound... so, i guess first impressions matter
C has my vote. Wow. It's both present and full. Thanks for doing this!
I agree with you .. It is hard to tell by the sound. For me it is all about the playability and tone. Before I bought my Keilwerth SX90R in 2002, I played a Selmer, Yani, Yamaha, LA Sax and a Cannonball, all pro saxes, and there was definitely a difference in playability. It took me all day at a store in South Bend, Indiana to make a decision. Tone was hardly distinguishable. The Keilwerth had the best playability, especially the ease to play low C, C#, B & Bb. There was definitely a difference in playability. Between the horns, the altissimos fingerings also changed slightly for me. I also believe that no one horn is exactly alike even if the same exact model. You can get a " bad" one. I played 5 different SX90R's before I found the one I really wanted. My opinion is: the Buescher you played had the best sound, the mouthpiece is 90% of sax playing and you should play a professional model horn. The shape of your mouth and throat cavity, along with the mouthpiece ( ligature is very important also) and the neck of the horn will determine most of the quality of your sound. Your right, someone listening to me in the studio the day I tried out all those horns probably could not hear much difference in the horns, but may have recognized my personal sound. I gotta say.... The best horn I ever played was a 1960's era King Super 20 Tenor with a silver neck. Altissimo and low notes jumped out so easily and intonation was great. Why didn't I buy it.....?
Ah man great video! the number one take away is that you sound like you on every horn. Massive thumbs up fella.
Sax D is my favorite right out the gate which was so surprising as I always considerd myself a Yani sax man, and having avoided selmers and written them off as overpriced, I think I might need to reevaluate my position on that!
Man, I loved D also. And, like you, I didnt think it was the VI. I thought it might be the W02. I thought C sounded very modern, and came in 3rd. Number 2 for me was the T-880. Very nice sound, too, but that VI was amazing.
Interesting as always. All horns sounded great! However, the comment that time spent and the mouthpiece and reed set-up as difference makers is vital.
Jay, you proved your point. Isn't it interesting that so many of us are so passionate about our sound that we do a quizz? On 1st hearing D = Selmer. But the Beusher was great too. Stan Getz?..you didn't mention him, but on a good day, I nearly get there. Trying for it has helped, but I always sound like me. It's not all bad news, I'm still getting gigs, but I worry about that "PERFECTIONISM". This qizz is a lesson on how we HEAR ourselves. All the great players have a uniqueness about them. We have to make the best of ours. Thanks Jay.
I preferred Sax C the most, thanks for the channel. I’ve always wanted to learn and will be purchasing one soon. Just doing my due diligence beforehand on what I don’t know.
My ears could not discern an appreciable difference. Jay made all sounds wonderful to me.
Excelente comparación ! Thanks for sharing ! It’s not about the gear, it’s about how much time you spend with ! 👍🏼
Thanks Roberto!
A was my favorite. D was a close second.
I was completely right on which was which, but all shows is that I spend too much time researching horns😅
Also, you are completely right with what you said about the response. A saxophone will sound like a saxophone, but how it feels and connects with you as an individual is what matters most. That is different for everyone, which is why different people prefer different horns.
C hands down i love its classic sound and has such a crisp sound
So close... You're absolutely right though. While I loved it when I was lucky enough to gig and tour with a mark vi, alas it was a school issued instrument and I had to turn it in recently. I've really liked the ottolink tonemaster 8 that i've been playing on for over 7 years now and I really just want to find a horn that pairs nicely with my set up and has some of the brighter qualities that I felt I got out of the mark vi. That being said I thought initially that the mark vi was either A or C so maybe I'd like trying out one of those horns with my set up and no longer have the hole in my soul that I've felt has been there since losing my vintage horn.
I played Tenor Sax in concert and jazz band for years and loved it. My dad played when he was in school too and kept both is horns in our basement so when I went to middle school, we had them cleaned and refurbished and they served me great. One is an old Bundy that's probably over 50 years old now and the other is a Selmer Mark VI that's almost as old. Both are great instruments with the Mark VI having a beautiful tone to it and still in great shape. The Bundy has some scratches and dings since my dad used it for marching band and it's a cheaper instrument but still plays great. I haven't played them on several years now so I'm inclined to get them out and tune them up them again since they both are in need.
Man I guessed right on the C option, new it was the Yani W02, sound so close to the Mark VI, the A,B were nice too, focused sound C,D more spread in my opinion- all great and you are right Jay, practicing is the key and gear comes next. cheers
Nice said and explained, for me in all those years I played my saxofoon ( sopraan,alto,tenor and bariton ) you are saying the truth. For me I play a Selmer Series 3 with a mk6 neck and a otto link 8 star. With this sax I can play all different sound, from Ben Webster upto John Coltrane and even produce a sound like Micheal Brecker. But moet important I can sound like myself ( very important ). Grtz Alex ( I love your UA-cam channel 🍀).
Excellent video Jay and your emphasis on ease of responsiveness is spot on. When I first tried an entry-level pro horn I was amazed at how easily it responded and how little effort it required to play compared to my cheap student sax. The ergonomics and comfort of the keys under the fingers was also so much better. The same applies to reed/mouthpiece combinations - I play a synthetic reed on a Sigurd Rascher mouthpiece because it is the most responsive and effortless combination I've found. The easier the horn+mouthpiece+reed is to play, the more attention you can bring to playing beautiful music without fighting the instrument.
A and C were detectable as the Yanis. It is amazing how close the Big B and Mark IV sounded. I mistook one for the other, and I have a Top Hat and Cane; It is a really great horn. Love the videos, thanks Jay!
Well stated Jay. Always appreciate your perspective.
Thanks Marci!
D was my fave, with C as a runner up. I'm not surprised to know that D, the selmer, was my choice given that I grew up on all the bebop greats, and Dextor Gordon is perhaps my most listened-to of them all, and he played the selmer after his Conn 10M was stolen in the early 60s, I believe. Fun video, thanks!
The brightness of the C sax is remarkable and that's why i thought that it was the Selmer one. Frankly, C & D were my favourite ones. Once again great video Jay !
Loved your playing! And thanks for a nice comparison!
Huge difference in all four saxophones, yanagisawa had some kind of recognizable and unique resonation around the core sound. I felt that the buesher horn had a very pure sound and a strong characteristic. With the mark vi, I thought that every single part of the horn resonated the most, and it probably is my favorite of all.
I think the core of the sound is pretty much the same with all the four horns, but each horns gave you different colors and characters to your sound. I also think the differences with the horns will be more recognizable in acoustic situations!
I am terribly sorry for a long comment and terrible English, I am still a student in Japan!
I agree with you Yuki, they are all very good saxophones and have a beautiful core sound. Yes they have their own character, but it is very subtle.
Saxophones are like motorcycles. Skill is more about the rider than the bike, personal preference is all about the bike.
Loved the A. It has that brightness and color that I love...
Have to admit they all sounded quite similar to my rookie ears.
Love the one you're with.. a T800 Elimona from 1979. A lucky find.
Hope I can make it sound as good as Jay can some day.
Doing his Pentatonic course at the moment. Brilliant fun.
hi. Love your videos. I am looking to start playing again I have a Yamaha intermediate tenor from the 80s. A and B seemed to respond best to you. I watched your embouchure as you went for the low note. they all sound great. I cant agree more about mouthpiece. I used to play a pretty wide open chrome dukoff. Im looing for a hard rubber type mouthpiece for someone that hasnt played much in years. Used to play daily in military bands and at night.
You have right in many things. I had a very very low badget so after months of searcing I searched for a good responce and well made sax i finaly bought a reblican sax of reference 54. After 8 months of playing it i can tell that is a great saxophone. If you want i will send you a video of it.
Well the difference between them minor .it's more about how the player feels with his set up on the saxophone .and yes your so similar on them all totally agree with you Jay .
I have a beucher alto from 1958 it sounds great
I picked A for the mark VI because I liked the sound the best and figured I would recognize it.. but I realize now that I like the sound the best because it is the horn you are most comfortable with and that most brings out your sound.
This was entertaining! Great idea. With mostly luck and logic I pegged all of them (Had to hit rewind a few times and could only toss a coin between the yanis). But as you said, the key is response--it helps to listen through the reverb for how the horn is responding. I thought the low notes were key.
Interesting, thanks Adam.
Buescher Big B Aristocrat was my favorite, probably because of my old ears. But I agree with you that the mouthpiece and reed contribute highest to the sound you produce after you develop your chops (embouchure & breathing), which remains paramount. I had the opportunity to play Paul Cohen's new Bass Saxophone for a recent Saxophone Festival in Allentown. He offered two different mouthpieces, a modern one and an old Buescher. I ended up loving the Buescher as it gave me more control over the whole instrument. Sometimes new doesn't mean better, but in the case of the reeds, both he and I agree that the Legere Signatures do provided a consistently great experience, so sometimes new wins, too. Great video to drive home a very important lesson. The player matters!
I think there were little differences between them. The Buescher sounded darkest.,the Yanagisawas sounded overall best, and the Selmer sounded the thinnest. I played a Selmer SBA for 30+ years and loved the sound but now depending on who's playing it I like others better. Nice video.
I liked D the best, and having played on a Yamaha and Selmer my entire student life, I knew the Mark VI as soon as I heard the first phrase. It's really an indistinguishable sound, but that may because I grew up thinking that it was the holy grail of classical saxophones :)
I liked C best and then A, B, and D. I was delighted then to find out that my fave is a Yani as they're amazing saxophones and will be my next one. I have a TJ horn at the moment and while it's not the most amazing in the world it is mine and I love it. :)
As usual, very sound advice: learn to play well on a well maintained, decent sax; and then move on if you feel the need. I have a Yamaha 23 student model that is nicely reconditioned. It’s not the instrument, it’s how much I devote to learning and practicing. Thanks for reinforcing that!
They all sound the same .. hardly any difference ...I could probably pretend and pick one out but they all sound good ... the reason they all sound the same is because the cat, Jay Metcalf is a pro and can make any horn sound great ... LOL
That's kind of you thanks. I find very little difference between them as well.
That’s a great statement, it’s not the sax it’s the player so he makes the saxes sound pretty similar
I hear a very small difference
I picked sax A because my first sax was a T880 and I love it. I reached the best (for me ) setup and so I'm happy to play with the sound I like. I Agree with you that are also very important neck-mouthpiece and reeds.
My choice is A but C isn't far behind. I quite agree with your analysis that the mouthpiece and reed combination has more impact than all the legends out there. Your video on different mouthpieces showed me that. I still liked the Link mouthpiece the best. Thanks for all the great videos.
Once you play a Buescher, their amazing dark tone really sticks out. Never heard another horn that comes close.
Thanks Jay, you confirmed my thoughts prior to this. Personally I would be more interested in how it plays and the ergonomics of the layout. The problem that cannot be ignored is that we are hearing an acoustic instrument "SECOND HAND" We are really listening to sounds emanating from the exact same source sound equipment! Whilst there might well be a slight variation from horn to horn the recording gear may not be capable of replicating this. Even worse is the fact that most , if not all players will blow through some form of amplification often set up by a third party. My point is when an audience listens to any sax they are actually hearing an 'electronic' facsimile. They are impressed by the players much more than "a bit warm or a little dark or bright" plus a great deal of players now perform with some sort of echo or reverb effect completely cancelling out any fine detail.
I chose D just because of that gorgeous full warm sound that I felt in my heart was a Selmer...But you sounded great on all of them, but their is just something about Selmer's that I just love!
The listener hears the results of the ambiance in the room the crowd noise etc. the player is the most important aspect,feeling the response ,tone and feel. They all sound alike to me,I agree with your thoughts its how the horn is played
as an owner of a Selmer mark 6 from the 1950s and love it .. I was more impressed with your C & D saxophones ... both A & B sounded alike .. both C& D also sounded very much alike..
all are actually good sound quality , I just prefer brightness and use a Van Doren ZUMA mouthpiece with only fiber cell reeds .. Bobby G...
Excellent advice! long tones all the way, throwing cash at expensive kit is never the solution. I completely agree on working with the gear you have. A great player will sound good/like them on any horn. Nice use of the Dexter solo! I orchestrated the whole solo for my big band for a show we did earlier this month. Keep the vids coming, I enjoy sharing them with my students. They like hearing the same things I teach them coming from another horn player! :)
Super slow ballad playing is the best long tone exercise I know of. Mix it up! Long tones are too important to be a bore. Try for your best tone for, say, 8 bars...then your best intonation against your tuner...then your most efficient breath control and longest phrase per breath. Then you can do the same tune in a lower/higher range...vary dynamics, cres/dim, the possibilities are many.
I got the Selmer sound right. The sound is unmistakable.
Honestly i agree, all sounded great but D seems to have some kind of magic omph to it
i bought a stencil ,a blessing artist , a stencil of a 1960s conn 16m , cost me £150 , + £48 of new pads and beleive me its the most awsome sounding sax ive ever had and it plays superb , i have had lots of the great saxes everyone thinks are the best , guess i was lucky .
All sounded fine, which pretty much was expected. My working hypothesis is that the sax is all about the mechanics, the resistance, the key weight, and especially the balance. Sound, like you say, is mostly the player, but mouthpiece is a big part... which makes sense since the sax is just a big horn, amplifying the sound from the mouthpiece and reed.
It seemed that A was brighter for sure, the difference between B, C, D was a lot more subtle
Definitely C. Sounds the best. Thanks
I appreciate very much your sober advice. Went through that unnecessary process of deliberating which sax is best myself.
I had guessed the Buescher and the Selmer right, but wouldn’t be able to hear a lot differences between the yanagisawas...
Thanks for all your videos!, definitely in my case I love the sound of the "Saxophone B", and I think the same as you in relation to the work that we saxophonists should do with our setup, invest in studying with him and exploit his full potential looking for the best responds.
C did it for me. Good core, better response, and sounded easier to blow with enough resistance.
always prefered selmers and picked D. their sound is just so distinct.
I preferred B the most out of four top notch sounds. By a hair. I typically play a Buffet S1 tenor that edged out a fantastic Selmer Mark VI and a King Super 20 at the time I was buying. But I do also love the sounds of those vintage American horns: Buescher Aristocrat, Martin “The Martin,” King Zephyr and Super 20, and Conn. It’s like ice cream, many flavors and (almost) always good.
The "C" seems to have the rounder sound of the bunch! I would bet that that's the Selmer!
Coincidentally, I liked them in A, B, C, D order. A had really nice sharp attack on the tone and sounded like it would cut through a band well.
Also, the correct lyrics are “...And if you can’t be with the one you LOVE, honey
Love the one you’re with.”
Sample A was the brightest of the four to me; B, C and D were so close in the short comparison as to be almost interchangeable. It was interesting to register the differences when the individual horns were shown. It was easier to classify the four distinct sounds when I knew which horns were actually being played.
Honestly they all sound awesome. I rated them in ACBD. A and C were a tie for me. B was good,. D I liked the least. I could not tell you which was the Mark VI. I don't buy into all that you-can-tell-the-Mark-VI-sound junk. Wanted to write this before you revealed in the video which was which, so I haven't watched the whole video.
As a classical horn I'd take horn D because it's most conservative in terms of overtones, but that's just a subjective as picking which horn is the Mark VI.
EDIT: Ah, the D was the Mark VI. Yup. It makes since that the Selmer ended up being the classical horn in my ears.
I know nothing about sax and yet the Selmer Mark VI was the one that sounded best to me. I didn't even vote on which one was the Selmer because I had no idea. I find that very interesting.
You forgot to give your mouthpiece and reed setup!?! ;-) I am happy to have identified the Buescher correctly, they are great responding, slightly darker horns, if one can cope with the ergonomics. That being said that new Yanagisawa sounds awesome. Cheers!
Marco, it's in the description. That Buescher does play great, and if it was my only tenor, I'd be fine with that.
I liked the 4th one sound. And at the end, it was Selmer Mark VI. Interesting to compare Selmer Mark VI with Reference 54.
If I had one, I'd do it...
Hey Jey, love those tests . Keep up the good work. My choice was C and A. Cheers
Interesting comparison. Sound is a matter of personal preference. Now even more happy to be have Yanagisawa T991.
I couldn't be happier with my Antigua Power Bell. I am still working on which mouth piece and reed setup.
Great exercise Jay! Loved it! Could not choose which one sounded the best...felt like saying « Jay is being a smart ass »🤣🤣🤣 but I proud to say that I recognized the M6 which is my instrument by the way, since 1971! Keep up the good work Jay!
Thanks Jay! I had my eyes closed for the first round (until you got to D) so I did not realize you were playing different horns. Which confirms the thought that the musician makes the difference. The second time around I saw when you changed. (I chose "A" as the best, but thought "D" was the Mark VI. I agree that the main difference is in the player, not the instrument. Also I think the mouthpiece and the reed often (but not always) make more of a difference than the instrument. By the way, I appreciate every post you make.
Thanks Rob, I think if I didn't edit that video and watch it many times, I would have a difficult time identifying them, and if you didn't tell me that the horn changed, I wouldn't have guessed.
awesome video, i thought that the T880 sounded gorgeous
Thanks, that's my main horn.
I've played a Big B my entire career, mainly because it was the first tenor I got in high school (in the 80's) and it was always fine. Then I just got attached to it. Yeah, it's not the axe it's the player. Love my Big B though. The most underrated horn ever. Not surprisingly, that was the only one I got right in the blindfold test. Hearing it A+B'd with all these horns is validating. Incidentally, the Coles 4038 is the mic I use at home. Of all the sessions I've done over the years, the 4038 is the closest to my actual sound of all the mics I've played into.
Well I tested the WO tenors last year and loved the 02, I liked the blind test of it the most and it was the W02, That's sorted it then , ha. I want one
I recently inherited my dad's old Buescher Aristocrat alto. I haven't played it since I was 12, and moved to tenor. I'm gonna break that bad boy out, right now! Inspired.
This was great! I thought A and C sounded brightest and most similar so guessed those would be the Yanis and that was correct! D sounded the most "stuff" and thought that would be the Buescher and B to be the MK VI, and got those mixed. Interesting! Thank you!
Interesting Al, thanks for your input.
I instantly knew that C is yanagisawa WO2. It has modern vibe in the resonance.
I own a buescher aristocrat tenor saxophone as soon as you played B I knew it was a buescher. You can hear it in the lower notes sounded just like mine when I play it. Funny enough it's the one I liked the most they all sound beautiful though.
Gret video and good advice, as usual :) I could identify the saxes, except that I mixed-up the T880 and the MarkVI. And I prefer sax A ... it says it all : keep the 880 :)))
Excellent and informative video. Thanks Jeff. I liked the Yani Wo best - but very subtle differences -
Very helpful, thank you very much!
I would be interested in hearing you play some student horns like the YTS-23 and Bundy, and have you comment on the responsiveness and the ergos on them. I think there's nothing more frustrating for a beginning player than having a horn that is poorly designed and have to work unnecessarily hard to pay them.
I have a video like that planned for next week.
My student alto YAS-23 is more fun to play than my series iii selmer paris.
@@nhr27 I have always thought the Yamaha student horns are a great value, with good intonation and response. What do like about yours that's better than your Selmer?
@@alanhirayama4592 it is more responsive. Probably because I have logged way more hours on it. I think the Selmer still sounds better and the horn is less clanky (when I play the yamaha you can hear the keys moving).
@@nhr27 My vintage YTS-21 is simply awesome. I had a MKVI but never wanted to take it out. With my two Yamaha's there are no worries and nobody cares. Sadly, most non-musicians just hear the sound of a sax, organ, drum....whatever. What they do hear is how tight or loose the band is and if the singer or melody instrument is in tune or not. Enough said.
I picked number 4 that sounded the best to me but I thought it was the Aristocrat they all sounded good to me. I think you are correct about the mouthpiece and reed and practice practice practice no short cuts.
A & C both sounded great to me! Hard to choose, but I’d go with C 😉