I posted a bit of this before, but I wanted to flesh it out. And I didn't think enough people would get the "Be like Mike" reference.
I don't like it when people list equipment -- or more rather, I don't like it when people list their equipment and then someone purchases the same equipment without any other supporting information.
For instance, my main saxophone for years was the Yamaha YBS-52 baritone saxophone. Let's examine this.
* First, why did I want a horn?
I owned a 1960-ish Keilwerth-made low Bb baritone. It sounded great, but was somewhat deficient in both keywork and intonation -- and it lacked a low A. I had decided that I'd be going to college for music and I wanted a better horn, so I sold the Keilwerth.
* Why not vintage?
I didn't want to go vintage because a) this was in the days before eBay and I really couldn't get a "better" horn easily and b) I had a Conn New Wonder tenor that I had restored by a very competent tech and I was still unimpressed by it.
Prior to the YBS-52 purchase, I did have several vintage saxophones and clarinets, but really didn't care for some of the intonation issues and/or keywork. At that time (1987/8), I knew a sufficient amount about vintage saxophones to know that there were many vintage baris with better intonation, but comparatively few with both the intonation and keywork I wanted (i.e., "Selmer Balanced-Action Style"). There were even fewer options for a person that wanted a baritone with a low A.
I did actually shop around for "vintage" and one of the horns I played was a 1920-ish low Bb Buescher True-Tone. A wonderful sounding horn, definitely, but not any better than my Keilwerth Bundy and it didn't meet my other qualifications of "better intonation" and "better keywork". Frankly, that was the best vintage horn available to me.
* Why Yamaha?
I tried the very small selection of baritones available to me: a Selmer S80, a Selmer USA, a Yamaha YBS-62 and a Yamaha YBS-52. I didn't want to try the Jupiter, because that was well known as "student level". I didn't want to try the Vito, because of my previous experience with older Vitos -- and because the shop would have to special order one. In hindsight (no comments about my magical butt, please), not trying the Vito was a mistake, as it was (and is) a copy of a Yanagisawa pro horn. Interestingly, the shop did not carry Yani's pro models.
In any event, the modern Selmers really didn't impress me for their price.
* Why the YBS-52 and not the 62 pro horn?
First, note that Yamaha didn't and doesn't make any other baris than the YBS-52 (34, in some markets) and the YBS-62. No custom pro horns, like they have available for the soprano, alto and tenor players!
The YBS-62 is a better horn: it has a slightly different grade of brass, the keys are constructed differently, the neck is somewhat different, the sax has an altissimo F# and the bell is one-piece. That makes a horn that does play and sound better -- but not enough to justify a $2000 difference in price.
The YBS-52 has an identical bore to the YBS-62. That means they play and sound about the same. Putting this in the clarinet world, it's like an R-13 for the price of a Signet. Putting this in the flute world, a Haynes for the price of a Geminhardt. (I could continue, but the double-reed folks would yell when I confuse their models.)
If money wasn't an object, I would have gotten a 62. However, I think money's always an object. If you don't feel that way, please send me money.
===========
Additionally, I primarily play a Sigurd Rascher mouthpiece on all my saxophones. Why? My two main teachers played mouthpieces that were simular and this was what they recommended. And my teachers were first- and second-gen students of Rascher.
However, I completely accept the idea that some mouthpieces just match horns better and that if I was playing more jazz than classical, for instance, I'd want to use the Berg Larsen rubber mouthpiece (that I eventually bought; 110/0).
============
So, that's what, ten paragraphs on why I owned the equipment I owned? Further, if I had infinite cash and access to any horns, I'd try, in order:
* Selmer (Super) Balanced Action
* Selmer Mark VI
* Buffet SDA Transitional
* Buffet S3 Prestige
* SML Gold Medal (or stencil)
* Yanagisawa B9930
... and get the ones I could get gold plated, gold plated. I'd also probably try a different mouthpiece: the Selmer Soloist is a 'piece I've played before and I quite like it. Selmer's producing them again.
---------------
Wrapping this all up, I just wouldn't want someone to look at my equipment list and say, "Hmmm. Pete plays X and I think he's a hoopy frood. I need to get X!" I'd rather someone say, "Hmm. Pete plays X because he wanted a new, inexpensive horn with a low A. He also seems to be part of the 'German School' of classical. I'm also on a budget and I like the 'German School'. Pete likes the YBS-52 with a Rascher? Maybe that'd work for me."
Hey, wouldn't it be terrible if the next gen of soprano players pops their horn in their mouth at an odd angle because they didin't know that Kenny G does that because he has/had bad teeth? Same idea.
However, I happen to know that its easier to just slap your equipment up on a list. I'd rather you post, "I have an X. This is WHY I have it. If I had more cash, I'd get Y."
I don't like it when people list equipment -- or more rather, I don't like it when people list their equipment and then someone purchases the same equipment without any other supporting information.
For instance, my main saxophone for years was the Yamaha YBS-52 baritone saxophone. Let's examine this.
* First, why did I want a horn?
I owned a 1960-ish Keilwerth-made low Bb baritone. It sounded great, but was somewhat deficient in both keywork and intonation -- and it lacked a low A. I had decided that I'd be going to college for music and I wanted a better horn, so I sold the Keilwerth.
* Why not vintage?
I didn't want to go vintage because a) this was in the days before eBay and I really couldn't get a "better" horn easily and b) I had a Conn New Wonder tenor that I had restored by a very competent tech and I was still unimpressed by it.
Prior to the YBS-52 purchase, I did have several vintage saxophones and clarinets, but really didn't care for some of the intonation issues and/or keywork. At that time (1987/8), I knew a sufficient amount about vintage saxophones to know that there were many vintage baris with better intonation, but comparatively few with both the intonation and keywork I wanted (i.e., "Selmer Balanced-Action Style"). There were even fewer options for a person that wanted a baritone with a low A.
I did actually shop around for "vintage" and one of the horns I played was a 1920-ish low Bb Buescher True-Tone. A wonderful sounding horn, definitely, but not any better than my Keilwerth Bundy and it didn't meet my other qualifications of "better intonation" and "better keywork". Frankly, that was the best vintage horn available to me.
* Why Yamaha?
I tried the very small selection of baritones available to me: a Selmer S80, a Selmer USA, a Yamaha YBS-62 and a Yamaha YBS-52. I didn't want to try the Jupiter, because that was well known as "student level". I didn't want to try the Vito, because of my previous experience with older Vitos -- and because the shop would have to special order one. In hindsight (no comments about my magical butt, please), not trying the Vito was a mistake, as it was (and is) a copy of a Yanagisawa pro horn. Interestingly, the shop did not carry Yani's pro models.
In any event, the modern Selmers really didn't impress me for their price.
* Why the YBS-52 and not the 62 pro horn?
First, note that Yamaha didn't and doesn't make any other baris than the YBS-52 (34, in some markets) and the YBS-62. No custom pro horns, like they have available for the soprano, alto and tenor players!
The YBS-62 is a better horn: it has a slightly different grade of brass, the keys are constructed differently, the neck is somewhat different, the sax has an altissimo F# and the bell is one-piece. That makes a horn that does play and sound better -- but not enough to justify a $2000 difference in price.
The YBS-52 has an identical bore to the YBS-62. That means they play and sound about the same. Putting this in the clarinet world, it's like an R-13 for the price of a Signet. Putting this in the flute world, a Haynes for the price of a Geminhardt. (I could continue, but the double-reed folks would yell when I confuse their models.)
If money wasn't an object, I would have gotten a 62. However, I think money's always an object. If you don't feel that way, please send me money.
===========
Additionally, I primarily play a Sigurd Rascher mouthpiece on all my saxophones. Why? My two main teachers played mouthpieces that were simular and this was what they recommended. And my teachers were first- and second-gen students of Rascher.
However, I completely accept the idea that some mouthpieces just match horns better and that if I was playing more jazz than classical, for instance, I'd want to use the Berg Larsen rubber mouthpiece (that I eventually bought; 110/0).
============
So, that's what, ten paragraphs on why I owned the equipment I owned? Further, if I had infinite cash and access to any horns, I'd try, in order:
* Selmer (Super) Balanced Action
* Selmer Mark VI
* Buffet SDA Transitional
* Buffet S3 Prestige
* SML Gold Medal (or stencil)
* Yanagisawa B9930
... and get the ones I could get gold plated, gold plated. I'd also probably try a different mouthpiece: the Selmer Soloist is a 'piece I've played before and I quite like it. Selmer's producing them again.
---------------
Wrapping this all up, I just wouldn't want someone to look at my equipment list and say, "Hmmm. Pete plays X and I think he's a hoopy frood. I need to get X!" I'd rather someone say, "Hmm. Pete plays X because he wanted a new, inexpensive horn with a low A. He also seems to be part of the 'German School' of classical. I'm also on a budget and I like the 'German School'. Pete likes the YBS-52 with a Rascher? Maybe that'd work for me."
Hey, wouldn't it be terrible if the next gen of soprano players pops their horn in their mouth at an odd angle because they didin't know that Kenny G does that because he has/had bad teeth? Same idea.
However, I happen to know that its easier to just slap your equipment up on a list. I'd rather you post, "I have an X. This is WHY I have it. If I had more cash, I'd get Y."
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