I am 73 years old and my hearing is not as good as it used to be and like you I couldn't really tell much difference. I have a 1942 Buescher 400 Top Hat and Cane tenor and I suspect if Jay was using it in this test, I probably wouldn't be able to pick it.
Yeah, the BetterSax sax is unique in it's sound, especially with wide tip openings and when sub-toning. You can get that vintage 30s/40s detuned legato sound.
This video is a testament that any horn can have an amazing, professional sound with the right player & mouthpiece behind it - even the "student" sax that costs 10x less than the others.
It’s about preference. No such thing as the best sax in the world for every player. It’s up to the individual player to decide which horn is best for THEM For example, I play a cannonball vintage reborn alto. My friend let me try his yanagisawa wo33 alto and it felt wayyy to freeblowing and thin for me
Even though I own a 1970’s Selmer Mark VI Paris, I went back and forth between A & B. I bought the horn new in 1975 when I decided to go to music school. I paid $ 750 for it. 😂 I think it’s amazing that you’re offering a horn that sounds that good for $ 1,300. A lot of school beginner tenors almost cost that much. Congratulations on allowing newer players a chance to play a sax of great quality without breaking the bank.😂 I love your channel.
I guessed 100% correct! The sound falls off faster on the Selmers and your horn than on the Yanis. And the sound was more resonant on the Yanis, especially on TW033. But I have been around the block a few times! To say the least. LOL. I am in complete agreement with your conclusion.
@@fuzzy1joe It was an informed guess. I have played all of these models except Jay´s new horn. Which I think sounds very Selmer like. But of course my opinion is completely subjective.
I was not even looking for the mk6 I never played one. But I Liked the sound of the last one the most. And surprisingly its the saxophone most similar to my Yanagisawa T902. Crazy
Can you please do a video about the differences in vintage American horns? I think its a super interesting if not confusing topic about the different brands such as conn, king, Buescher, Holton, Martin, etc. I also think its super interesting to learn about which horns are stencils vs which aren't. Love your vids!
My preferences was B and D ... and I reconized the sound of Yanaghisawa (more round) that I play every days on alto. The Supreme sound is better than Mark 6 for the same reasons you said in your last video (tune, price, precision, modern) but my heart is for Japan Sax since 30 years even if I am french ( nobody is perfect )
The first three horns sounded much closer to each other than the last two. The bettersax tenor was surprisingly excellent. The Mark IV and Supreme are not identical in sound either. I could be happy with A, B, C, D, or E.
i picked number 3 your new tenor. It has a really nice crisp upper-mid sound to me. I played a Mark V1 is 40 years then played a SeaWind Canadian sax which is 90% Yani.
Best comparison video, ever, Jay! I can't find much of a difference! 1 is the new Burning model. 2 is the Mark 6. 3 is the Supreme. 4 and 5 are Yanagisawa.
Well, I got close. I picked A as your new Burning model, because I have never heard it before, And I assumed it would be my least favorite. Surprisingly, B and C were my favorites. Love this challenge!
wow! I must say that I almost fell out of my chair when you said that one of the horns was your new Better Sax tenor. It's hangin' with some pretty good company. Congratulations!
I had a marked difference in each sound, but of course was unable to identify which was which. This was especially difficult for me as you have what I'm sure is the modern commercially preferred sound, but its not my preferred sound concept. You point however is valid. Any given player will play most any modern instrument in a manner consistent with that player's sound. Saxes are like Hammers. They're tools to achieve a product. If you can build a 100 ft sailing ship with nothing but a tack hammer - yay for you. Someone else might use a peened hammer or even an assortment. There are countless answers to the situation and any of them can be valid for any given player. That being said, I still love my Selmer VI Bari.
I picked A as the M VI after listening to A-E twice. It has a round, open sound with easy blowing, B is a close second. The other 3 were a bit ‘muted’ but sounded great. The Better Sax Tenor is right up there especially with that price. Love you channel man. Great stuff always Jay!!
I couldn't tell which was which but A (Mark 6) sounded the best to me. The BetterSax horn was amazingly clean sounding, I'm definitely looking forward to the drop so I can pick one up 👌
There’s definitely a beautiful rich quality to the Supreme but from a value for money perspective honestly the Better Sax is a competitor! Lesson learned.
I play alto only at this late stage in life (age 69 years) and own both a MKVI and a Yanagisawa. I have owned my MKVI alto since the mid '80's and my A-901 Yanagisawa since 2016. The VI is one of the "Goldie Locks" horns, 119xxx, amazing player, and somewhat cosmetically challenged in a good way. Never played a better VI. My Yani A-901, bought second hand but in unused condition, is by far the better horn. Superior intonation, tone quality, dependability and playability. From my intimate experience with both these horns I was able to instantly recognized horn A to be the VI, horn B to be the other Selmer (no comment), and horn C to be neither fish nor fowl. I knew the last two were both Yanagisawas by their distinctive tone and response but could not tell the difference between the two models.
I don't own a mark 6, but after listening to a lot of it's playing examples and comparisons I easily identified that it was either number 1 or number 2. The reason is a clearly recognizable fuller sound, specially as you go lower on the horn.
I didn't guess them right, but that Supreme had a quality to it that sang a bit different from the rest. I thought it might be the Mark VI, but was wrong. Also, the BetterSax Tenor is sounding terrific as well; what a great price! 🎷
I agree when you say these (and most) saxes sounds more alike than not. Also that it's more important to consider how they feel to player. But that is not the most important criteria. To me, what's most important of all is how well they are built, how well they will hold together with playing time. Cheap saxes made of soft brass with rough mechanics are a recipe for forever frustrations.
I got the right answer (as a repair tech and a player I've heard so many people play so many instruments so I'm a little bit of a cheater lol). Mark VI seems to have a more ribbon-mic kind of quality of sound compared to all the rest of the saxes. But to be honest everything else just seems to be sealing better haha. I thought the BetterSax was the brightest every time, whether that's a good thing or not. Sounds awesome Jay!
In order - B, A, D, C. I've been playing Selmer horns for a number of years so that probably accounts for my preference. The Better Sax held up well in this group!
The only difference I could hear was the very slightly brighter tone of the Supreme and the very slightly darker tone of the Yanis. Overall, in my humble opinion, the mouthpiece and reed create the fundamental sound unique to each player with what follows in the way of holes, resonators, and height of pads contributing to the number of overtones being amplified. In other words, the majority of the characteristics that make one player sound different from another player primarily begin from what is closest to the player. Think of how certain humans can manipulate sound such as Impressionists like Rich Little or Ventriloquists like Jeff Dunham. Each saxophonist develops their own unique signature sound with the equipment only contributing a very slight bit to achieving what others hear. What happens before the lips contributes so much more than after. That's why it only takes a few seconds to recognize Kenny G from Stan Getz or Charlie Parker or Paul Desmond. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think Charlie Parker played several different brands of horns and mouthpieces throughout his career. Great video! Next time, don't reveal the answer in the same video! It may be a really humbling experience for many.
That is really interesting because I heard it completely the other way around. For me the A & B saxes were warmer than the D& E with the C about in the middle. Just goes to show that we all hear things differently, although with my ears being 68 years old, perhaps they are not working quite as efficiently and younger ears. I agree with your comments about the mouthpieces being hugely responsible, together with embouchure (my thought) for the tone produced.
I've played a MkVI as my main- Played high end Selmers, Yamahas, Keilwerths, Yanigasawas, vintage Conns, Bueschers, etc... and you know what? They were all great sounding. But every one of them had something I didn't like, too. There's so many factors to consider, there really is no "best" horn out there- only what works best *for you*, for that particular style. Play what you like, but make sure you play.
B jumped out for me, and E sounds like it has sugar stirred in it, so engaging and pleasant to listen to. I'm listening on high end studio reference monitors, so they did not sound the same to me at all as some commentators observed. They were very different. D sounded constrained and the Better Sax sounded less powerful. The Supreme was a clear winner and I was shocked at the reveal, how much it stood out. That said, I think Im going to get the better sax as soon as i can. Where are all those thousands going if Jay's Better Sax horn sounds that good? He slipped in a way to advertise and brag about his own product, which delivers completely. Nothing wrong with showing off if you can back it up. Amazing work, great playing, and I'm sold.
I am a beginner sax player and had no idea which sax was which. After initially thinking they were all the exact same instrument, I listened for the sound that I preferred (didn't waver) across all the phrases you played - I picked A.
It is the work each saxophonist puts into his horn that is most important. The horn players set up and a well maintained pro horn is next. I love my Mark VI. But I would love playing any pro horn. If no pro horns, any horn that works.
I think that sax "A" is the one that I'd like to try. I agree with Mr. Allen, Jay's skill makes any horn sounds fantastic, but he is more confortable with the "a" sax.
I managed to figure out (or maybe guess) the Mark VI, but that was the only one I got right. Surprisingly, I thought the Supreme was the worst sounding one of all five (relatively speaking, of course), and the BetterSax tenor sounded amazing. Of course, all of them sounded great in Jay's hands, but what an awesome video to remind us all that it's the player, not the sax, that makes the magic happen!
For me, it comes down to the feel and ergonomics of the horn for the most part since I’m using my own mouthpiece and reed combo. I can play any alto or tenor sax, but if I’m used to the key work on a specific alto or tenor, I’m going to prefer that specific alto or tenor until I get used to something different. Just the way it is. I assume that’s typical.
The differences with B (a bit brighter sounding than the other four) and E (a bit muffled sounding to me) were the most apparent to me. A, C and D had minor differences but all sounded more similar. I thought the VI was B only because the two VI’s I’ve owned were late models (over 230K S/N’s) and they played bright. Interesting that the Supreme was the brightest in the the group.
Literally can't tell any difference. The player and mouthpiece have such an astronomically larger impact on the sound than horns at a reasonably equivalent level of quality and setup IMHO.
This video should end the debate. My hearing is pretty acute and I couldn't pick out the MK VI. I think the Supreme did sound a touch brighter and projected a little better. I was really surprised with the Better Sax Tenor (C) as it had nice character and seemed to sit in the middle of the MK VI and the Supreme at a fraction of the cost. For me I can hear a difference more easily between let's say a Conn or a King and a Selmer than a Selmer and another Selmer or a Selmer clone. In the end I think one's personal embouchure, reed type and strength, mouthpiece and neck has more of an influence on sound than the rest of the saxophone body. Can't wait till the BetterSax Tenor available.
That’s the real secret - they are all a Mark VI (in some way)…really love how you did this video! But come on, I just started sax and switched to tenor two weeks ago - got a Jean Paul TS400…AND NOW THE BETTER SAX TENOR IS NOTED TO BE ON THE HORIZON????!!!!!
professional horn definition = any horn played by a professionally skilled musician. Love your channel ☀️ A VI B Supreme C Better Sax D Yanagisawa E Yanagisawa i’m not joking 😝 I almost flipped C and D but left it. your VI has that unmistakable thick core wrapped in that sweet edge and slight distortion when ‘pushed.’ You make the Supreme sound fab compared to demonstrations by other top pro’s i’ve heard recently. Good Yanagisawas kind of remind me of good examples of med dark SBA’s. Your Better Sax horn sounds really good! Agreed to the below, you make any horn sound good. Your take on a good King, Conn, Martin would be fun
Thanks for the interesting test! I got right for the Mark VI and Supreme. I'm surprised that the Yani TWO33 sounds a bit thinner than I thought. The better sax has high CP value! Overall, I prefer B > A > E > C > D.
In 1964 I was playing in a dance band and wanted to upgrade my tenor to a new horn. I shopped music stores and finally had narrowed it down to a new Selmer Mark V1 compared to a new Conn 10 M. I felt that the Selmer played in the low notes somewhat better and maybe easier. The Conn 10 m was superior and more brilliant on the high notes. I chose the Conn because I wanted a horn that could shine next to all the guitars and amplifiers that were used at the time. I also feel that the Conn played well, was easy to get the sound I wanted to have and that the real difference came from the metal mouthpiece and reed strength, I had settled on a Brilhart metal mouthpiece to get the best rock and roll sound. There are a lot of variables that come from playing a good saxophone other than the brand. Selmer and Conn made excellent saxophones in those days but the sound quality is really subjective to the type of music you are listening to and the players ability to make a sax really rock,
The first horn sounded the best of all, richness, tone smoothness of articulation, and ease of playability. Being mk vi, player for years I wanted to listen to all the horns, I said to myself the first horn sounded best over the others which sounded good, but the vi, sounded great. Very good playing by the way.😊
Didn't have a clue which was which. I have to say, I was attracted to "C," the Bettersax sax. Nice sound. I have two of the brands tested, a sop Selmer 80 SuperAction and an alto Yanigasawa W010.They are, of course, along with my tenor (a brand not tested) the best. :)
They all sound really good. I thought "B" was the MK6. It really surprised me at how well the Better Sax tenor sounded. I pulled the trigger on picking up a Supreme tenor last month. Sold my old Toyota and ordered the Supreme. Should be here in July.
Amazing consistency, I was no longer listening for the mark 6. And just go for what I liked. My gut kept leaning towards B. Extremely subtle difference. I'm happy it ended up being the supreme.
Had no idea which was which, but liked A and C the best and impressed to learn C is the Better Sax Tenor. Really very little difference in all to be fair, proving Jay's point. I guess the question on buying a sax is which do you like to play best? Ergonomics, resistance etc. Great video Jay, thanks.
I don't have a mark 6 but have a 7 alto and sba tenor. I liked C D and B the best. I'm guessing C is supreme and D is mark vi And i was way off. I think maybe you played the better sax best. But it sounds great to me😎
A sounded different, the others I couldn't tell apart. That said, it is the player who makes the difference to the listener, the horn (mostly) makes a difference to the player, after the reed, the mouthpiece and neck that is. Disclosure: I play a YTS-280, and this already is a better horn than I am a player.
I thought E was the VI, but it was the old Yanni. That one was my favorite I think. I got the better sax and and supreme right though. I have both a Yamaha custom z and a vi and love them both for different reasons.
A few things happened for me. For me, I pegged the second sax as my preferred sound each time. Good on selmer for bringing out a new one that's great! I pegged the third sax as the least strong (I'm purposefully phrasing it as 'least strong' instead of weakest). And lastly, it makes me want to sell my tenor for a 'better sax' tenor casue I'd love to have a new sax, with new key work that sounds that damned good!
During the first two set of tests I couldn’t tell any differences, and I felt all same sounds. But, on the third test, I noticed the A was different from the rest. Then, 4th, 5th, and later tests I noticed the A and B are different from the C, D, and E. I like A more than B. But, I couldn’t tell which was Mark VI. I play a Yamaha 82ZII. If I have a chance to buy a new tenor, I would pick a Mark VI .
Im always amazed by any sax that is set up really well, especially when comparing across the range of typical pricing from low to average to high. Student yamahas especially are ridiculously good value to this day. Altough, bundy II can still hang and offers nostalgia. There are lots of crappy new stuff, all the same, even with a proper work up.
then again, make what you got work for you. Often the very cheapest option is the right one. Best value, relative to return on investment, unless planning to resell at some point. Dont buy into gimmicks on stuff thats over a century old and instead, get your sound from the greats and not the horn.
All the same ! It's your sound for sure ! Pour moi en tant que spectateur je n'entends pas de différence avec un casque momentum 3. Je crois que la différence se fait surtout avec la résonance d'un instrument et de son musicien. Merci à toi et tout les camarades pour vos tests ! J'ai compris que si je change mon instrument d'étude, ce sera surtout une histoire de confort et de résonance ;)
I thought the Supreme had the best tone but the biggest difference will be felt more by the player than than heard by any listener. For example I play a ref 54 alto that I compared before purchase to a YAS 62 Purple Logo, MK VI medium bow, Supreme Alto, Yani AWO10 and 82ZII. All of these horns were really close but I felt the Ref 54 gave me the tonal flexibility of the MK VI but with consistent intonation. The 62 and Supreme were really special too but the Yani was a odd in between for me but it felt great under the fingers.
Funny, I forced myself to guess and guessed A was the Mark VI but honestly couldn't make an educated guess. There is usually something each player likes about their special instrument which is why they play it.
To be honest I can barely tell the difference between them. In many of your test plays it seems to me that the mouthpiece, reed, and player make the most difference to the sound. If I think way back to when my first Elkhart alto was replaced by a Selmer signet, the biggest change was in how it played for me. better intonation and ease of play. I just watched the answer section and It is amazing how the MKVI and all the others sound so similar. The one I could hear any appreciable difference on was your BetterSax model. It was ever so slightly clearer.
Can’t believe I got it right…! Was going to change to E at last minute but struck to my gut, extremely subtle differences, but that’s why we sax players hear these. How many mouthpieces, horns have I tried in my time…?! Jeez the fascination never leaves me in search of that illusive tone. Just got a 1931 early Conn transitional after blowing my 10M for 3 years and a King super 20 for 20 years before that, then before that Mk 6’s. Small difference between the 10 M and Tranny but to me it’s huge, more sound, fatter, deeper. Selmer’s are and always have been great horns, but let’s not forget it’s the player that makes the sound, makes the music..! I’m 60 years, pro player for over 35 years.😊
Been listening to your playing so much lately that recognized Supreme and TWO33…and missed MKVI 😂. Perhaps have to try out your coming MP for tenor, sounds good.
Jay, great taste test! I have to admit I was 0 for 6!! I thought that C and E were probably the Selmers. Really good lesson, and as you said, it's the love and confidence you get from playing your own favorite horn. Mine are both Mark VIs (for tenor). -Bill
There was such a slight difference in tone which is just proof that it’s all in the player not the instrument. Practice your Long tones!!! B sounded the most different to me, the lower and higher end really popped out more vibrantly on that one. But it was very hard to tell the difference on the other saxes. Even C sounded really good. I would never been able to guess which was the mark iv. But the reality is you practice your long tones and dynamics your sounds is going to be awesome and will carry over to any saxophone models you play on. Maybe slight differences in tone with metal and hard rubber mouthpieces. And the fingering placements and action of the instrument will vary. When I was 18 I had a bunch of sax players come over to me after I played a solo during a performance at Berkeley Music in LA summer session. All interested in what saxophone I was playing. And I couldn’t understand why. And they were blown away that I was on a student model saxophone. My tenor sax is a student Vito Le Blanc with a Berg Larson 130 mouthpiece with a #3 Vandorean reed and I had been practicing my long tones like 30 minutes a day for 6 months so I had a very big loud sound with a good tone quality and breath control for dynamics. Weirdly I even got a few offers to sell my sax to them which made no sense to me why they would want my sax. I still own and play that sax 30 years later.
I couldn’t tell which instrument was which, but I did make a concious choice on which one I liked the best. That was C, the Better Sax, and I am not just saying that to score brownie points. I felt it was slightly brighter than the others and I liked that. Interesting test.
They all sounded almost identical. All very good. I guessed the first was the Mk6, but it was just a guess. I’ve owned 5 Mk6 tenors and they all sounded different from each other. My question would be which PLAYS better, has less resistance and feels better in your hands. That’s what matters to me. Every reed will alter one’s tone a very little bit, so slight differences is tone can occur and shouldn’t upset the player, IMHO. Also necks make a huge difference how a particular horn plays and sounds.
Very hard to tell any difference. My guess was A or D. I don't own a mark 6 so I was just listening for anything that felt different, in a good way haha.
They all sounded great! I only noticed very small differences. Wow! Really impressed with the Better Sax Tenor! I think my favorites were A and E, but I'd be happy to have any of them.
I’m newer to sax, and only playing alto, so this was a true blind test. My least favorite was A, and favorite was D, and the results surprised me in the end! C came in a close 2nd.
I'm a MVI owner. I guess D or E is the MVI. I really can't tell that much of a difference between them. I believe the player's throat-mouth cavity geometry (along with setup) make the tone unique to the player.
The brightness of the Supreme really comes out in this test compared to the VI, but I admit I was torn between A and D as the VI and the key clicking coming through on E almost made me question everything. But the star of this test is the BetterSax Tenor, WOW that sounds amazing... any plans for a Bari in the future?
For me I think D is the Mark VI, purely on the low end quality, but it's phenomenally hard to tell. Which augurs very well for the Better Sax new tenor.
Can hardly tell a difference whatsoever, a player of Jay's quality makes any horn sound amazing
Not sure, but suspect it was the same player in all cases.
@LancelotEsquire Yeah I know, I meant I could hardly tell a difference between the saxophones because Jay sounds good on them all 👍
I am 73 years old and my hearing is not as good as it used to be and like you I couldn't really tell much difference. I have a 1942 Buescher 400 Top Hat and Cane tenor and I suspect if Jay was using it in this test, I probably wouldn't be able to pick it.
Coincidentally, I can hardly tell what brand of football you're throwing.
Now I get it! The Burnin' mouthpiece makes every saxophone sound identically beautiful 😊
The Bettersax blended in pretty well with the other saxophones! It certainly sounds like it plays out of its budget.
Yeah, the BetterSax sax is unique in it's sound, especially with wide tip openings and when sub-toning. You can get that vintage 30s/40s detuned legato sound.
definately. All sounded great
A=Better Sax B=Supreme C=MarkVI D and E are Yani's This was harder than I thought! They all sound so great!
They're all lovely seriously
.... But I loved the one labelled E the most❤❤❤
This video is a testament that any horn can have an amazing, professional sound with the right player & mouthpiece behind it - even the "student" sax that costs 10x less than the others.
It’s about preference. No such thing as the best sax in the world for every player. It’s up to the individual player to decide which horn is best for THEM
For example, I play a cannonball vintage reborn alto. My friend let me try his yanagisawa wo33 alto and it felt wayyy to freeblowing and thin for me
Too freeblowing? My brother is suffering from success
Even though I own a 1970’s Selmer Mark VI Paris, I went back and forth between A & B. I bought the horn new in 1975 when I decided to go to music school. I paid $ 750 for it. 😂 I think it’s amazing that you’re offering a horn that sounds that good for $ 1,300. A lot of school beginner tenors almost cost that much. Congratulations on allowing newer players a chance to play a sax of great quality without breaking the bank.😂 I love your channel.
I play a Yamaha Custom Z, and a Selmer Mark vi tenor, and I couldn’t tell the difference between any of them. They all sounded great.
I guessed 100% correct! The sound falls off faster on the Selmers and your horn than on the Yanis. And the sound was more resonant on the Yanis, especially on TW033. But I have been around the block a few times! To say the least. LOL. I am in complete agreement with your conclusion.
Master sommelier of saxophone.
Interesting that he used the word "guessed".🙂
@@fuzzy1joe It was an informed guess. I have played all of these models except Jay´s new horn. Which I think sounds very Selmer like. But of course my opinion is completely subjective.
To finish your video's title, the best saxophone is the one that the player enjoys playing the most!
I was not even looking for the mk6 I never played one. But I Liked the sound of the last one the most. And surprisingly its the saxophone most similar to my Yanagisawa T902. Crazy
Can you please do a video about the differences in vintage American horns? I think its a super interesting if not confusing topic about the different brands such as conn, king, Buescher, Holton, Martin, etc. I also think its super interesting to learn about which horns are stencils vs which aren't. Love your vids!
Great point there isn’t a ton of info on this
My preferences was B and D ... and I reconized the sound of Yanaghisawa (more round) that I play every days on alto. The Supreme sound is better than Mark 6 for the same reasons you said in your last video (tune, price, precision, modern) but my heart is for Japan Sax since 30 years even if I am french ( nobody is perfect )
The first three horns sounded much closer to each other than the last two. The bettersax tenor was surprisingly excellent. The Mark IV and Supreme are not identical in sound either. I could be happy with A, B, C, D, or E.
I have the same opinion
i picked number 3 your new tenor. It has a really nice crisp upper-mid sound to me. I played a Mark V1 is 40 years then played a SeaWind Canadian sax which is 90% Yani.
Best comparison video, ever, Jay! I can't find much of a difference! 1 is the new Burning model. 2 is the Mark 6. 3 is the Supreme. 4 and 5 are Yanagisawa.
Well, I got close. I picked A as your new Burning model, because I have never heard it before, And I assumed it would be my least favorite. Surprisingly, B and C were my favorites. Love this challenge!
wow! I must say that I almost fell out of my chair when you said that one of the horns was your new Better Sax tenor. It's hangin' with some pretty good company. Congratulations!
I had a marked difference in each sound, but of course was unable to identify which was which. This was especially difficult for me as you have what I'm sure is the modern commercially preferred sound, but its not my preferred sound concept. You point however is valid. Any given player will play most any modern instrument in a manner consistent with that player's sound. Saxes are like Hammers. They're tools to achieve a product. If you can build a 100 ft sailing ship with nothing but a tack hammer - yay for you. Someone else might use a peened hammer or even an assortment. There are countless answers to the situation and any of them can be valid for any given player.
That being said, I still love my Selmer VI Bari.
Yea they all sound great but my best guess is D is the Mark VI. I play a Mark VI bari and a SBA alto. Cheers!
I picked A as the M VI after listening to A-E twice. It has a round, open sound with easy blowing, B is a close second. The other 3 were a bit ‘muted’ but sounded great. The Better Sax Tenor is right up there especially with that price. Love you channel man. Great stuff always Jay!!
I couldn't tell which was which but A (Mark 6) sounded the best to me. The BetterSax horn was amazingly clean sounding, I'm definitely looking forward to the drop so I can pick one up 👌
There’s definitely a beautiful rich quality to the Supreme but from a value for money perspective honestly the Better Sax is a competitor! Lesson learned.
I thought B was the Mk VI. Then after the second or third time I thought it was C. That Better Sax tenor sounds really nice!
After listening to the first round (and actively adjusting rankings live), I could definitely say A < E < C < D < B.
Let’s appreciate that there’s approximately 40k dollars worth of Saxophones, in this video! Definitely worth a like and subscribe imo
I play alto only at this late stage in life (age 69 years) and own both a MKVI and a Yanagisawa. I have owned my MKVI alto since the mid '80's and my A-901 Yanagisawa since 2016. The VI is one of the "Goldie Locks" horns, 119xxx, amazing player, and somewhat cosmetically challenged in a good way. Never played a better VI. My Yani A-901, bought second hand but in unused condition, is by far the better horn. Superior intonation, tone quality, dependability and playability. From my intimate experience with both these horns I was able to instantly recognized horn A to be the VI, horn B to be the other Selmer (no comment), and horn C to be neither fish nor fowl. I knew the last two were both Yanagisawas by their distinctive tone and response but could not tell the difference between the two models.
I don't own a mark 6, but after listening to a lot of it's playing examples and comparisons I easily identified that it was either number 1 or number 2. The reason is a clearly recognizable fuller sound, specially as you go lower on the horn.
I didn't guess them right, but that Supreme had a quality to it that sang a bit different from the rest. I thought it might be the Mark VI, but was wrong. Also, the BetterSax Tenor is sounding terrific as well; what a great price! 🎷
I agree when you say these (and most) saxes sounds more alike than not. Also that it's more important to consider how they feel to player. But that is not the most important criteria. To me, what's most important of all is how well they are built, how well they will hold together with playing time. Cheap saxes made of soft brass with rough mechanics are a recipe for forever frustrations.
I got the right answer (as a repair tech and a player I've heard so many people play so many instruments so I'm a little bit of a cheater lol). Mark VI seems to have a more ribbon-mic kind of quality of sound compared to all the rest of the saxes. But to be honest everything else just seems to be sealing better haha. I thought the BetterSax was the brightest every time, whether that's a good thing or not. Sounds awesome Jay!
The sound of saxophones a and c were my favorites. Then saxophone e. I couldn't have said which was a Mark VI. They all sounded very good.
I got the 2 yanis right. They did sound similar. And my favourite was the Mark6, which I'd thought was the other Selmer.
In order - B, A, D, C. I've been playing Selmer horns for a number of years so that probably accounts for my preference. The Better Sax held up well in this group!
Ha! Fun challenge Jay - and I don’t mind saying I got it completely wrong!
😎As always,
Jay, thanks for supporting the community👍👨🏻
The only difference I could hear was the very slightly brighter tone of the Supreme and the very slightly darker tone of the Yanis. Overall, in my humble opinion, the mouthpiece and reed create the fundamental sound unique to each player with what follows in the way of holes, resonators, and height of pads contributing to the number of overtones being amplified. In other words, the majority of the characteristics that make one player sound different from another player primarily begin from what is closest to the player. Think of how certain humans can manipulate sound such as Impressionists like Rich Little or Ventriloquists like Jeff Dunham. Each saxophonist develops their own unique signature sound with the equipment only contributing a very slight bit to achieving what others hear. What happens before the lips contributes so much more than after. That's why it only takes a few seconds to recognize Kenny G from Stan Getz or Charlie Parker or Paul Desmond. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think Charlie Parker played several different brands of horns and mouthpieces throughout his career. Great video! Next time, don't reveal the answer in the same video! It may be a really humbling experience for many.
That is really interesting because I heard it completely the other way around. For me the A & B saxes were warmer than the D& E with the C about in the middle. Just goes to show that we all hear things differently, although with my ears being 68 years old, perhaps they are not working quite as efficiently and younger ears. I agree with your comments about the mouthpieces being hugely responsible, together with embouchure (my thought) for the tone produced.
Don’t know the answer (and I’m a mark6 Tenor owner) but B is the sound I like the best!
I've played a MkVI as my main- Played high end Selmers, Yamahas, Keilwerths, Yanigasawas, vintage Conns, Bueschers, etc... and you know what? They were all great sounding. But every one of them had something I didn't like, too.
There's so many factors to consider, there really is no "best" horn out there- only what works best *for you*, for that particular style.
Play what you like, but make sure you play.
B jumped out for me, and E sounds like it has sugar stirred in it, so engaging and pleasant to listen to.
I'm listening on high end studio reference monitors, so they did not sound the same to me at all as some commentators observed. They were very different. D sounded constrained and the Better Sax sounded less powerful. The Supreme was a clear winner and I was shocked at the reveal, how much it stood out.
That said, I think Im going to get the better sax as soon as i can. Where are all those thousands going if Jay's Better Sax horn sounds that good? He slipped in a way to advertise and brag about his own product, which delivers completely. Nothing wrong with showing off if you can back it up. Amazing work, great playing, and I'm sold.
I am a beginner sax player and had no idea which sax was which. After initially thinking they were all the exact same instrument, I listened for the sound that I preferred (didn't waver) across all the phrases you played - I picked A.
I agree that they all sound similar & great, but I would guess that D is the Mark VI.
It is the work each saxophonist puts into his horn that is most important. The horn players set up and a well maintained pro horn is next. I love my Mark VI. But I would love playing any pro horn. If no pro horns, any horn that works.
I think that sax "A" is the one that I'd like to try. I agree with Mr. Allen, Jay's skill makes any horn sounds fantastic, but he is more confortable with the "a" sax.
I managed to figure out (or maybe guess) the Mark VI, but that was the only one I got right. Surprisingly, I thought the Supreme was the worst sounding one of all five (relatively speaking, of course), and the BetterSax tenor sounded amazing. Of course, all of them sounded great in Jay's hands, but what an awesome video to remind us all that it's the player, not the sax, that makes the magic happen!
Thanks!
For me, it comes down to the feel and ergonomics of the horn for the most part since I’m using my own mouthpiece and reed combo.
I can play any alto or tenor sax, but
if I’m used to the key work on a specific alto or tenor, I’m going to prefer that specific alto or tenor until I get used to something different.
Just the way it is. I assume that’s typical.
I'm guessing B, but E is my favorite. But Jay sounds amazing on all of them! 🎷
yeah, the better sax tenor is a real wonder! I would love to play one! delivers so much at so low cost! i`m really impress!
The differences with B (a bit brighter sounding than the other four) and E (a bit muffled sounding to me) were the most apparent to me. A, C and D had minor differences but all sounded more similar. I thought the VI was B only because the two VI’s I’ve owned were late models (over 230K S/N’s) and they played bright. Interesting that the Supreme was the brightest in the the group.
B sounded the best in my opinion!
It's cool to find out it was the Supreme,, selmer all the way😎
Literally can't tell any difference. The player and mouthpiece have such an astronomically larger impact on the sound than horns at a reasonably equivalent level of quality and setup IMHO.
This video should end the debate. My hearing is pretty acute and I couldn't pick out the MK VI. I think the Supreme did sound a touch brighter and projected a little better. I was really surprised with the Better Sax Tenor (C) as it had nice character and seemed to sit in the middle of the MK VI and the Supreme at a fraction of the cost. For me I can hear a difference more easily between let's say a Conn or a King and a Selmer than a Selmer and another Selmer or a Selmer clone. In the end I think one's personal embouchure, reed type and strength, mouthpiece and neck has more of an influence on sound than the rest of the saxophone body. Can't wait till the BetterSax Tenor available.
That’s the real secret - they are all a Mark VI (in some way)…really love how you did this video! But come on, I just started sax and switched to tenor two weeks ago - got a Jean Paul TS400…AND NOW THE BETTER SAX TENOR IS NOTED TO BE ON THE HORIZON????!!!!!
Good one Jay. I got the Yany correct, the last one, but not model specific, so safe to say in general I had no idea lol
professional horn definition = any horn played by a professionally skilled musician. Love your channel ☀️
A VI B Supreme C Better Sax D Yanagisawa E Yanagisawa
i’m not joking 😝 I almost flipped C and D but left it.
your VI has that unmistakable thick core wrapped in that sweet edge and slight distortion when ‘pushed.’ You make the Supreme sound fab compared to demonstrations by other top pro’s i’ve heard recently. Good Yanagisawas kind of remind me of good examples of med dark SBA’s. Your Better Sax horn sounds really good! Agreed to the below, you make any horn sound good.
Your take on a good King, Conn, Martin would be fun
Really well put together. I like D most. C sounds like it could put more pressure on the player.
If I should lose you u has gotta be my favorite hank Mobley piece of all time
Thanks for the interesting test! I got right for the Mark VI and Supreme. I'm surprised that the Yani TWO33 sounds a bit thinner than I thought. The better sax has high CP value!
Overall, I prefer B > A > E > C > D.
In 1964 I was playing in a dance band and wanted to upgrade my tenor to a new horn. I shopped music stores and finally had narrowed it down to a new Selmer Mark V1 compared to a new Conn 10 M. I felt that the Selmer played in the low notes somewhat better and maybe easier. The Conn 10 m was superior and more brilliant on the high notes. I chose the Conn because I wanted a horn that could shine next to all the guitars and amplifiers that were used at the time. I also feel that the Conn played well, was easy to get the sound I wanted to have and that the real difference came from the metal mouthpiece and reed strength, I had settled on a Brilhart metal mouthpiece to get the best rock and roll sound. There are a lot of variables that come from playing a good saxophone other than the brand. Selmer and Conn made excellent saxophones in those days but the sound quality is really subjective to the type of music you are listening to and the players ability to make a sax really rock,
The first horn sounded the best of all, richness, tone smoothness of articulation, and ease of playability. Being mk vi, player for years I wanted to listen to all the horns, I said to myself the first horn sounded best over the others which sounded good, but the vi, sounded great. Very good playing by the way.😊
Didn't have a clue which was which. I have to say, I was attracted to "C," the Bettersax sax. Nice sound. I have two of the brands tested, a sop Selmer 80 SuperAction and an alto Yanigasawa W010.They are, of course, along with my tenor (a brand not tested) the best. :)
They all sound really good. I thought "B" was the MK6. It really surprised me at how well the Better Sax tenor sounded. I pulled the trigger on picking up a Supreme tenor last month. Sold my old Toyota and ordered the Supreme. Should be here in July.
Amazing consistency, I was no longer listening for the mark 6. And just go for what I liked. My gut kept leaning towards B. Extremely subtle difference. I'm happy it ended up being the supreme.
Had no idea which was which, but liked A and C the best and impressed to learn C is the Better Sax Tenor. Really very little difference in all to be fair, proving Jay's point. I guess the question on buying a sax is which do you like to play best? Ergonomics, resistance etc. Great video Jay, thanks.
I like the sound of B the best, they all sound great tho. It’s def all about comfort and how the horn feels for you.
B is the Mark 6 I can hear a brighter tone thank you
I don't have a mark 6 but have a 7 alto and sba tenor. I liked C D and B the best.
I'm guessing C is supreme
and D is mark vi
And i was way off. I think maybe you played the better sax best. But it sounds great to me😎
A sounded different, the others I couldn't tell apart. That said, it is the player who makes the difference to the listener, the horn (mostly) makes a difference to the player, after the reed, the mouthpiece and neck that is.
Disclosure: I play a YTS-280, and this already is a better horn than I am a player.
I thought E was the VI, but it was the old Yanni. That one was my favorite I think. I got the better sax and and supreme right though. I have both a Yamaha custom z and a vi and love them both for different reasons.
In the first few comparisons I couldn’t tell the difference. The latter examples had some differences but they all sound great to me.
A few things happened for me. For me, I pegged the second sax as my preferred sound each time. Good on selmer for bringing out a new one that's great! I pegged the third sax as the least strong (I'm purposefully phrasing it as 'least strong' instead of weakest). And lastly, it makes me want to sell my tenor for a 'better sax' tenor casue I'd love to have a new sax, with new key work that sounds that damned good!
During the first two set of tests I couldn’t tell any differences, and I felt all same sounds. But, on the third test, I noticed the A was different from the rest. Then, 4th, 5th, and later tests I noticed the A and B are different from the C, D, and E. I like A more than B. But, I couldn’t tell which was Mark VI. I play a Yamaha 82ZII. If I have a chance to buy a new tenor, I would pick a Mark VI .
Im always amazed by any sax that is set up really well, especially when comparing across the range of typical pricing from low to average to high. Student yamahas especially are ridiculously good value to this day. Altough, bundy II can still hang and offers nostalgia. There are lots of crappy new stuff, all the same, even with a proper work up.
then again, make what you got work for you. Often the very cheapest option is the right one. Best value, relative to return on investment, unless planning to resell at some point. Dont buy into gimmicks on stuff thats over a century old and instead, get your sound from the greats and not the horn.
All the same ! It's your sound for sure !
Pour moi en tant que spectateur je n'entends pas de différence avec un casque momentum 3.
Je crois que la différence se fait surtout avec la résonance d'un instrument et de son musicien.
Merci à toi et tout les camarades pour vos tests !
J'ai compris que si je change mon instrument d'étude, ce sera surtout une histoire de confort et de résonance ;)
I thought the Supreme had the best tone but the biggest difference will be felt more by the player than than heard by any listener. For example I play a ref 54 alto that I compared before purchase to a YAS 62 Purple Logo, MK VI medium bow, Supreme Alto, Yani AWO10 and 82ZII. All of these horns were really close but I felt the Ref 54 gave me the tonal flexibility of the MK VI but with consistent intonation. The 62 and Supreme were really special too but the Yani was a odd in between for me but it felt great under the fingers.
Funny, I forced myself to guess and guessed A was the Mark VI but honestly couldn't make an educated guess. There is usually something each player likes about their special instrument which is why they play it.
I was right on everything but I could not tell the yanis apart. I liked B the best and ironically I just bought one. Thanks Jay
I didn’t know which was which but I liked A and D the best for sure. Wasn’t surprised at the answers. Would be proud to own either of those two.
To be honest I can barely tell the difference between them. In many of your test plays it seems to me that the mouthpiece, reed, and player make the most difference to the sound. If I think way back to when my first Elkhart alto was replaced by a Selmer signet, the biggest change was in how it played for me. better intonation and ease of play. I just watched the answer section and It is amazing how the MKVI and all the others sound so similar. The one I could hear any appreciable difference on was your BetterSax model. It was ever so slightly clearer.
Surprisingly my least favorite was the mark 6…
I though c, d, and e were pretty equal
And my favorite sounding one was the bettersax horn!
D was my favorite sound wise 😊
I loved E the most, which is great because I'm thinking about getting a yanagisawa!
Can’t believe I got it right…! Was going to change to E at last minute but struck to my gut, extremely subtle differences, but that’s why we sax players hear these.
How many mouthpieces, horns have I tried in my time…?! Jeez the fascination never leaves me in search of that illusive tone.
Just got a 1931 early Conn transitional after blowing my 10M for 3 years and a King super 20 for 20 years before that, then before that Mk 6’s.
Small difference between the 10 M and Tranny but to me it’s huge, more sound, fatter, deeper.
Selmer’s are and always have been great horns, but let’s not forget it’s the player that makes the sound, makes the music..!
I’m 60 years, pro player for over 35 years.😊
Been listening to your playing so much lately that recognized Supreme and TWO33…and missed MKVI 😂. Perhaps have to try out your coming MP for tenor, sounds good.
Jay, great taste test! I have to admit I was 0 for 6!! I thought that C and E were probably the Selmers. Really good lesson, and as you said, it's the love and confidence you get from playing your own favorite horn. Mine are both Mark VIs (for tenor). -Bill
Interesting video and sheds much "light"on a subject I've always felt was mostly personal and even highly prejudiced.
There was such a slight difference in tone which is just proof that it’s all in the player not the instrument. Practice your Long tones!!!
B sounded the most different to me, the lower and higher end really popped out more vibrantly on that one. But it was very hard to tell the difference on the other saxes. Even C sounded really good.
I would never been able to guess which was the mark iv.
But the reality is you practice your long tones and dynamics your sounds is going to be awesome and will carry over to any saxophone models you play on. Maybe slight differences in tone with metal and hard rubber mouthpieces. And the fingering placements and action of the instrument will vary.
When I was 18 I had a bunch of sax players come over to me after I played a solo during a performance at Berkeley Music in LA summer session. All interested in what saxophone I was playing. And I couldn’t understand why. And they were blown away that I was on a student model saxophone.
My tenor sax is a student Vito Le Blanc with a Berg Larson 130 mouthpiece with a #3 Vandorean reed and I had been practicing my long tones like 30 minutes a day for 6 months so I had a very big loud sound with a good tone quality and breath control for dynamics. Weirdly I even got a few offers to sell my sax to them which made no sense to me why they would want my sax. I still own and play that sax 30 years later.
I couldn’t tell which instrument was which, but I did make a concious choice on which one I liked the best. That was C, the Better Sax, and I am not just saying that to score brownie points. I felt it was slightly brighter than the others and I liked that. Interesting test.
I can't tell. No way...no how!!!
But Jay, you are sure consistent.
They all sounded almost identical. All very good. I guessed the first was the Mk6, but it was just a guess. I’ve owned 5 Mk6 tenors and they all sounded different from each other. My question would be which PLAYS better, has less resistance and feels better in your hands. That’s what matters to me. Every reed will alter one’s tone a very little bit, so slight differences is tone can occur and shouldn’t upset the player, IMHO. Also necks make a huge difference how a particular horn plays and sounds.
Really couldn't tell, they all aound great.
Very hard to tell any difference. My guess was A or D. I don't own a mark 6 so I was just listening for anything that felt different, in a good way haha.
They all sounded great! I only noticed very small differences. Wow! Really impressed with the Better Sax Tenor! I think my favorites were A and E, but I'd be happy to have any of them.
I’m super excited about the Better Sax Tenor!
All four sound fantastic. I play a Yany and I liked D the most.
They all sound the same and anyone who says otherwise is deluding themselves.
I’m newer to sax, and only playing alto, so this was a true blind test. My least favorite was A, and favorite was D, and the results surprised me in the end! C came in a close 2nd.
I'm a MVI owner. I guess D or E is the MVI. I really can't tell that much of a difference between them. I believe the player's throat-mouth cavity geometry (along with setup) make the tone unique to the player.
The brightness of the Supreme really comes out in this test compared to the VI, but I admit I was torn between A and D as the VI and the key clicking coming through on E almost made me question everything. But the star of this test is the BetterSax Tenor, WOW that sounds amazing... any plans for a Bari in the future?
yes, we will do a bari after the tenor.
For me I think D is the Mark VI, purely on the low end quality, but it's phenomenally hard to tell. Which augurs very well for the Better Sax new tenor.
And what do I know. In my defence I'm not a sax player!