Hi to all out there,

I was undergoing an endless search on the Web when I came across this site. I am currently looking to buy a new alto because I have college auditions coming up this December, and the YAS-23 just isn`t cutting it anymore. I was looking at Selmers and Yamaha`s, and I`ve decided that I`m going with the Yamaha because everything that I`ve read compare the two equally if not having the Yamaha as better. Also, for my limited funds the Yamahas are cheaper in price, and I know they are good saxes. Now, I`m trying to decide between the 82Z and 875EX altos. I`ve been reading that 82Z is just great, and I`ve also read that it is better for jazz players (I will be doing 90% classical probably). Any insight you might have is greatly appreciated.

The other question I have is what is the difference in the lacquers sound wise? I`ve always thought black saxophones are the coolest, but it is more expensive and I don`t want to get something that will mess with my head too bad I am also afraid that a concert band will frown upon the black because it would stand out a lot. Can anyone help explain the differences in gold/silver/black/unlacquered?

Thanks ahead of time for your replies.

Here goes.....

Nice choice of horn. They are the best horns made today.....PERIOD. I`d buy a Yamaha before I would let someone give me a Selmer. I`ve owned multiple Selmer horns and they are notorious for having intonation problems. Yamahas have a more even scale. If you are going to be playing legit (classical) music, go with the 875. It was made for exactly that. If you are going to play a significant amount of jazz, go with the 82Z, as it was made for jazz. As for finishes, don`t let anyone tell you that the finish of a horn does not affect the sound. It is a flat out lie.

There are two types of "black" finishes out there. Yamaha`s will be a black laquer. This will darken the sound a bit, so if you are playing classical music, you will not have a problem. The other type of black is actually black nickel. Since these do not come in that finish, I`ll move on.

As for Silver, it depends on whether or not you have a solid silver horn or silver plated as to the degree of brightness that you will experience. These will be significantly brighter than black laquer horns.

Now for the regular gold laquer....these horns are the middle of the road as far as timbre is concerned. Not too bright, not too dark. The old standard so to speak.

Personally, I play mostly jazz oriented music and I would buy the unlaquered 82Z. Phil Woods swears that this is the greatest horn on the planet. He`s the best alto man alive today. Caution on unlaquered horns. The brass turns to a patina. It is absolutely beautiful, but that is a matter of taste. These are very bright horns.

So there you have it. If you are going to be playing classical music, get the 875. Either Black Laquer or the regular gold laquer will suit you just fine.

Great Choice. You will not regret it.

If your college professor has a problem with the finish on your horn, he`s the one with the problem, not you. When I was in college, that was never an issue.

Not sure what your mouthpiece/reed/lig setup is, so keep in mind that this has alot to do with sound as well.

You already own the best student line horn EVER made. Step up and get what is arguably one of the best pro horns EVER made.

Good Luck

Thank you very much for the excellent reply. Honestly, I have only had the opportunity to play classical in my bands. I know for sure that when I go to college I want to major in music education, so playing is not going to be my specialty. However, I am interested in digging into some jazz and learning about it and stuff, so with the possibility of me really liking jazz and pursuing it during college, would you recommend getting the 82Z to support that route if I decided to take it or go with the 875 since I have a stronger background in classical?

Thanks again for your reply.

As I said, I would buy the unlaquered 82Z. But that horn is not for you, because you will be playing alot of classical music. Also, do not buy an unlaquered horn and not be willing to accept what will happen to the finish. It is going to turn and will do so quickly. Whether or not you like it, depends on your taste. If you want to stay on the conservative side, just get the gold laquered 82Z if you think you might like jazz and want to play more of it. This horn is awesome. You can compensate for the brightness with the proper mouthpiece/reed/ligature setup for legit music. When you want to switch and play jazz, this baby is ready to go. Just don`t use a classical mouthpiece to play jazz. You want a different setup for each style. I don`t own the 82Z, but if I were going to buy a new horn today, this would be it, hands down.

Okay, one more question

If I went with the 82z black lacquer for a darker classical sound, would the black be okay for jazz assuming I got the right mouthpiece, etc.?

My current mouthpiece is Selmer C* with a Bonade ligature and Vandoren 3 reeds, btw.

Yeah, of course you could. Just get a nice bright-ish jazzy mouthpiece like a Ponzol M1 or JodyJazz or something along those lines.

Yes....you could go with a black 82Z. Your classical setup will work if that`s what you`re used to. I`m not a fan of Selmer C* mouthpieces, but that doesn`t mean that they don`t work for you. Unlike alot of people who post here, I do not shove my opinions down the throats of folks and try to convince them that I am right and everyone else is wrong. If anything, I encourage people, as I have done with you. BleedingGumsMurphy would agree with that as well. We have some real idiots who think they know it all. These are just opinions. Qualified opinions, but still just opinions. The black 82Z is a beautiful saxophone and it plays equally as well. Not the one I would choose, but again....there is nothing wrong with it. As for a jazz mp setup. I play on a Meyer 6m and an Olegature. #3 Vandoren ZZ Reeds. I found "my sound" when I went to Olegatures. You don`t have to spend mega bucks on a mouthpiece to get a good one. We`ll go down that road after you get your horn. Happy Shopping.

I agree with most everything said here except about the selmers. heh, but thats the old ones I like, even though the new ones are nice to. But, about wiether to get a "classical" or "jazzy" sax, I was taught by the method hat you make the tone changes. If you want to play jazzy, then I change my mouth and style for jazz, and vice versa. So, for example, I currently have a old mark Vi and a C*. While these may not be the "best" mouthpieces, I belive that all around they add more and beter tone to the sax, which in turn you change to be whatever style. So, I want to say that I played a 875 black laquer, and it was amazing. very pretty tone, though I like the selmer a but more, though ill admit the yamaha is more freeblowing. But then, all those old saxes are different, so one mark VI might be bad, one more amazing then mine. For tabs, charlie parker played a mark Vi. BUt then, you can counter that with the fact that he played many ones. Though he bought the mark vi.

but, you said you are geared towards classical, so it`s your call weither to get a classical middle or jazzy horn.

So my question to you yamaha pro`s here is; which sax gives the best and most flexible tone? (yamaha)

well, i hope that wasn`t entirly irrelevant.

but, then everyone has there best style. personly, what drives me nuts is that there are so many kinds of saxes, I can`t pick which one to get!

Thanks to you guys who posted here. I now have a black lacquer Yamaha 82z on the way =D It does have a good return policy (not that I plan on needing it) just in case, but I feel pretty good about my choice. And yes, I had a saxophone teacher genious at one point (didn`t teach worth anything, but he was so smart) and he would talk about the mouthpiece and ligature and neck and all that and it was pretty mind boggling. For now, I`m going to hope that this new sax will work well and trust my current set up to get me through college auditions and then go from there.

Thanks again you guys.

I love this post thread. As I said, it`s nice to participate and not have obviously uneducated and biased opinions shoved down your throat. I do have a couple things to add.

SELMER....with all due respect. Charlie Parker did not play Selmer Mark VI horns to any significance at all. His horn of choice was the King Super 20. King actually collaborated with him in the Summer of 1948 to produce that very horn. He also played on a Conn. I am not going to count all of the horns he had to borrow because the King was in the pawn shop. Only he could account for the brand and model for each of them, and since he is no longer with us, (Rest In Piece, Bird) I`m not even going to go down that path.

Now back to the 82Z. I`m so excited for you! Every time I have the opportunity to share with other musicians, I am elated. MV....welcome to what you will soon discover as a new plateau in your progress. You will never need to buy another alto again.

I pray that you get bitten by the jazz bug. I love classical music as well, but nothing touches my soul like jazz. If you want to be a true master, you must be able to play all styles comfortably. That`s when you know you have "arrived", so to speak.

I will look for your posts and be more than happy to give you my "opinions" as time goes on. We are very special people. God gave us a gift that not everyone has and you are well on your way to discovering new heights.

Take Care,

mvspur

Hehe well that was post going right after my heart =) Thank you all for the support; I am watching the order and anxiously waiting for it to ship out. Even though we`re gonna have to pay for this thing, everyone is so excited for me. I would never call myself a great saxophonist (part of the reason why I plan to go into music education and not performance) but in band class I was always ahead of the rest, and I`ve had my current saxophone since 7th grade. Now it just feels so good to be getting a professional one, and I`m hoping I`ll be able to blow away college auditions =D

yas 82z and yas 875ex Which is the best for play jazz.I use beechler bellite mouthpiece.I will buy next mouth butI dont know which is the best for play jazz.

Please read from the very beginning of this post thread. You will find answers to most of your questions.

What style of jazz kenny g and dave koz play??? bebob???