Hi

I will try to post a guide to help people who want to purchase a sax or flute-have played for over 26 years and work as a repair tech so I have alot of experience-I am not partial to any one make so I will try to make a list of the different instruments and there good & bad points on a musical and a mechanical level. With the 1000's of new intrument names out there today( especially from China!) it is hard for one to find out what is good and what is not. Most from China are not good and in my opinion will only deter young people from continuing to enjoy and learn music--if you are a student ask your teacher first.

Selmer France saxes--The MKVI from 1954-1964 under serial# 100.000 if you find a good one then you probably won't find a better sax anywhere on the planet/but not all are Good!! play before you spend lots of $$$ and check tuning and if the horn sings or is stuffy in sound (of course it must be setup & tight) they are all different so take time to find the right one if possible

Selmer MKVI from 1964-1974? some are very good , again test

Selmer MKVII not so popular but cheaper than a MKVI and some were very good but mechanics a bit clumsy

Selmer Reference 54 Bird models alto--probably the closest Selmer has come to recreating the MKVI-very good intonation-very responsive and has soul (personal sound)-if you put a MKVI neck on these  you are in for a treat....my favorite NEW sax on the market today--note the Bird models--Hummingbird, Flamingo,Kookaburra are better than the standard ref.54 models in my opinion just enough to make them personal.......

the other Selmer models are not that interesting--Ok the Super action 80 series 1 is OK but the SA80II and SA 80III are not so exciting

The other new saxes that have some soul are the P. Mauriat 66R and 67R alto & tenor models with rolled tone holes--a sound very close to the old CONN sound of the 1930's to 1950's--- extremely responsive to the quietest whisper--a full fat sound in all octaves--and mechanics are quite good anf the body is hand hammered which can be heard--maybe the best model is the 18K gold plated one as the metal can sing more than the laquer models--they also have an unlaquered version out now--well worth checking out

 

Yanagisawa have excellent models also-the bronze 992 series is a bit warmer(for a Yangi) and has more resistance for pro players...top qulaity mechanics & action--their sopranos are probably the best new ones out in my opinion

 

For a cheaper priced student horn The Blues from JP --John Packer woodwinds in England are some of the best new horns from Taiwan & China I have tried-absurd low price and very good tone the Rose brass models 141 and 241 really sing and have a warm sound/the new curved soprano is an exact copy of the Yanagisawa SC991 and costs ca. $600--OK the Yangi has a better sound but this have exc. intonation and can sing--ie you can put a Yangi SC991 or SC992 soprano neck on these and get a great sound for little $$$

 

A quick word on flutes-as I mostly sell Pro models I must say the AZUMI flutes from Altus&Jupiter are probably the best value for money on the market today/you can get a .958 high grade silver body(silver plated keys) for under $2000 where the same specs in an Altus model would cost over $4000  the AZ3000 is their top model

 

 

Will add more when I have the time   Enjoy the Music