I looked at that exact same Yanagisawa alto (880 for $1500), almost pulled the trigger on it a while back!

@bettersax

4 жыл бұрын

I didn't buy it in the end. No time for the overhaul, but I'm sure whoever got that one will be happy.

@stevejohnson174

4 жыл бұрын

@@bettersax I was hoping you would nab it and give a review.

I’m playing soprano and alto sax at a reasonable level mainly in sax quartets at age 95.I found Jay’s videos on intonation and overtones daily to keep the oral muscles in shape Also daily scale 3rds.Jay is a great source for us. Martin

Dude love how u play the sax keep it up man your doing great

@bettersax

4 жыл бұрын

Thanks

@derecktorres6042

4 жыл бұрын

@@bettersax no problem

@anilkumarpal4027

3 жыл бұрын

Sir i am India i want saxophone plz sajesh me

Great video. Saxophone shopping is great😁 My problem is that when I was younger and single I taught myself too many instruments. I regret that now, because I wish I had focused on just 1 or 2 and would maybe have become really good on those. Now that I'm older, married with kids I sadly have little time for music. But I did order myself one of those $381 tenor saxophones from China. If it's in OK working condition I'll be happy. I'll be playing it whenever I have some extra time😊

Great video. I just got a great deal on Ebay a few day's ago for a slightly used Jean Paul AS-400. Following your advice for the best Alto Sax under $500.00. Now the learning begins!

Amazing quality like always! Keep up the great work!!

Great video, Jay! I had sent you a message asking about how to find a good used Yanagisawa, and you messaged back that this video was going up this week! Thank you! Mark

I wish you had been about when I was learning Alto Sax in the early 2000s. I now play clarinet and still love these videos.

Every instrument I own was purchased on eBay except an acoustic guitar that was given to me for free. No issues. I've sold instruments on eBay too. I've had very good experiences. All below market value!!! 1) 1969 Buffet R13 - brand new in the box!!!!!! 2) 1967 Selmer Bass Clarinet - from a pawn shop 3) Alto Sax "Firebird" brand. Later sold for a profit. 4) Antigua Pro One Tenor 5) Yanagisawa T991 Alto

luv your videos man! thanks for all the great content.

09:35 - I have dealt with that Japanese dealer (lovely fella) and bought a Yanagisawa 901 mk2 alto, silver plate for daughter of close friends. It needed a little tweak but otherwise fabulous. A great transaction as they say :-)))

@ScottSF

4 жыл бұрын

I got my Yamaha 62i from him and it played beautifully right out of the case. He only lists a few instruments at a time making me think he carefully selects the horns he resells.

@jtheriault16

3 жыл бұрын

Same here! I purchased a great Yamaha from him. Looked and played great out of the case! Super fast shipping too! - JT

It helps a lot when buying the proverbial pig in a poke saxophone off of ebay if you also happen to be a sax mechanic... like you are. If you are not a repair tech then be sure to have one handy when you get your ebay treasure.

This is a great video. As someone still v new (playing for about a year), I still have absolutely no idea what I’m on the lookout for when I’m thinking about where to go next. Now I at least have a few things!

Jay Metcalf...The Scotty Kilmer of Saxophones....Thanks Jay !...man I wish I was ready for those Yanagisawa's....

@geofixated

4 жыл бұрын

Rev up your engines!!!

@pimpovic2

4 жыл бұрын

Don't insult Jay by using that comparison. That crazy old man is a talking bobble head.

I bought 4 E11 clarinets on Ebay. Two were used and two were unused but older years. #1 Used. Not in the condition claimed. The bell was plastic not the original wood. - Returned #2 Unused. Arrived with broken keys and a missing spring. - Returned #3 Used. Upper joint had a different serial number than the lower joint. - Kept but still needs pad work. #4 Unused. Arrived with bent key. - Kept and had repaired. I'll never buy another clarinet off of Ebay

I love this guy. He puts out some great information, even if I can't use it (at least, at the present time). He mentioned his Buescher Tenor Sax (and accompanying Otto Link Brass Mouthpiece). I have my uncle's old Buescher Alto Sax (made in 1926) and his Otto Link Brass Mouthpiece.... My uncle told me he bought the mouthpiece in 1943, brand-new, for $15.00. I suspect the mouthpiece was made several years earlier, as brass was strictly rationed for the War Effort of WWII.

Although I started playing saxophone as a 6th grader and played through high school, I couldn't continue in college because my medical related degree courses conflicted with band. So, I sold my sax and just played sporadically on borrowed instruments for the next 40 years - until someone put a 1922 Martin Handcraft in my hands and I was hooked again. Upon retirement at age 60, I enrolled in a 2 year music program and earned an associate degree in saxophone, but continued to study with my sax and piano professors for an additional 5 years. As a result, I now play with a community band, a university band, a professional jazz band and also do solo work. But, my greatest joy comes from teaching students of all ages, and that's where the Better Sax videos have been a huge blessing! Thanks so much for this valuable content which has enhanced my playing as well as my teaching..

This helped in my search for a Bari. I have my old beater ( meaning I would beat myself if anything ever happened to it) Conn tenor from the 40's but sold my Pan American Bari to find a bit more modern key work. I now know a little more about stencil horns. My family had a music store in the 70's where I worked and remember the Japanese name game with guitars. Many brands and few factories. Bruno imported many lines from one factory and other jobbers and dealers had the same instruments with different brands and many were quality instruments

Yeah! I bought both my buescher truetone tenor and alto saxophones.

Thanks for doing this video. I was really bothered by some of those knock-off Yanigisawas. Thanks for clearing that up

Good info Jay! Many thanks for this great video.

Sir you are an absolute inspiration, I finally conned my wife into letting me get an alto sax, but stipulation was I couldn't get a new one...never played one, but have wanted to since first year of band in the sixth grade, that was way longer than intended as I am 50 going on 51 now, I was made to learn the trumpet, organ, piano( not so good and to long ago...didn't mind the piano) a bit of guitar, but I have always loved the alto sax for its versatility and range. I ebayed got a Selmer Bundy that will pretty much need some tuning...(had to listen to my sons on advise, and Yamaha and your favorites were a bit to much even on ebay for a guy that hasn't blown his first note, but I am starting with your play by ear and hope to use your other classes in the near future...2 thumbs up for you...more if I had them.- I'll be honest...a bit intimidated by the sax but I gotta learn to play that beautiful instrument.

@bettersax

4 жыл бұрын

You can do it Edwin.

I bought my Antigua Wind Black Nickle Soprano and my Jean Baptiste Curve Soprano on Ebay over 10 yrs ago and they still play great.

My friends key Guard actually just fell off when we were practicing together, it was a student sax so we just laughted. So just saying it can happen 😂

I bought a brand new T-991U from woodwind and brasswind in early 1998 and the serial number makes it a 1994 model. The instrument was new in case with cork wedges. Was just sitting in the warehouse for a number of years.

I really love your classes.. I'm using a basic saxaphone from a company called jinbao cause that was all i could afford in India. I really really want to get a better sax even a used one but i cant afford it now .. waiting to get one from somewhere. I love to see your collection of saxaphones and want to have such a collection one day .

I got Conn 22m, not off ebay and overhauled it myself. After watching Matt Storer's videos I thought.. I can do that. And I did, and it works!!

Thanks looking for another Alto never bought on line before so need as much info as I can get.

Jay: I wouldn't disagree with anything you said in this video. But I would like to add that you can download pictures to your PC and then enlarge them to enable a closer look. This has saved me making mistakes in the past, and also enabled me to evaluate the damage that needs remedy. Cheers

@bettersax

4 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the tip

Great video. I'd love to see a used saxophone buying guide in the future. Or maybe even a video where you evaluate used sax listings that viewers submit for your opinion.

Love EBay I buy, repair and resell vintage saxes I find a lot on eBay. It’s fun and can be profitable although I have gotten some dogs that ended up as wall art lol

Thanks for your astute insight as usual!

I might actually consider buying that pro horn, and getting it overhauled somewhere. It seems like that would be a great saxophone.

I got a P. Mauriat system 76 3rd edition Greg Osby Signature model alto off eBay for less than half of what they originally retailed. Was in mint condition with all the extras, paperwork and shipping box. Beautiful horn, aesthetically and a great player.

@bettersax

4 жыл бұрын

great find.

like the casual approach...

Thank you for sharing Jay 🎶🎷✌🏽😎

When I was shopping for an alto for college, naturally I thought YAS-62 from the late 80s since my tenor was manufactured in 1992, and it works for me. After a couple of months of research, I found an alto exactly as hoped for, directly from Japan. There’s nothing wrong with the horn, original pads, and it plays better than expected. Acquiring a soprano? I understand the 82Z and 875EX are better options in terms of ergonomics, yet I’ve heard that purple logo 62’s are similar to my alto and tenor. Yani 991 or 992 are on the table as well ha

You're the best informant. Good stuff.

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!! I have been surfing the net, my local stores and ebay.m Very useful information!

@bettersax

4 жыл бұрын

glad it helps.

Love these Ebay vids

Found this video to be very informational! Thanks

Yeah! You're completely right at all of this! And if somebody has not so much money but want a good horn, i could recommend to learn about Martin and King. I've got Martin The Indiana alto and it sounds fantastic, body and keys are from good metal (not chinese rise), it's from 1950's and looks great too, ergonomics are a bit different, but can get used to it quickly, just for 400 bucks! And i've also got a 1975's King 662 tenor which is considered as a student model but sounds really good @ 450 bucks! Good quality metal, only keys feel that they're made of too thin metal (alto model 660 too, my colleague bought it so i know), i mean it works and you can get used to it, but could done this better. If do not pay attention to this, it's completely fine and that's not for a big money! There are some other good models of these brands in various prices so go on!

I bought a Yamaha 62 purple logo(vintage) mint condition for 1800$. My saxophone instructor loves it

Great tips -- but I have to argue about one point -- I had a key guard on my Selmer SBA "just fall off" in the middle of a rehearsal.

I've never bought a musical instrument on eBay, although I do like to browse there. In buying a second hand instrument, I feel more comfortable being able to play-test the instrument. Quite possible to find good used instruments for sale privately in a large city. I have purchased 2 professional quality saxophones in this manner, and have been satisfied with the results.

@bettersax

4 жыл бұрын

Definitely preferable to play test before.

Bought my A901 on-line for 1400 bucks. A great instrument. I had it checked out by a reputable shop. It did not require mucho bring up to A shape. It is a bit of a gamble when buying in this way, so I look for a return policy ( even though eBay has a good policy itself). I also bought my Antigua Tenor and Allora soprano on-line. The soprano I got for just 300 as it had a problem with it. I always put these instruments into a good shop for evaluation. It is worth paying the money to get the horn into good shape.

One of my goals in 2022 is to buy a pro Sax. The new pro Sax are pricey and I just checked ebay if I can find anything affordable, didn't know how to go about it. Just the right video I need. Do you mind recommending a seller on ebay?

Just got a Yamaha YTS 52 near mint from the eighties for $1075! The guy had posted it for about twenty minutes and I sent offers. Fingers crossed - shipping this week. Seller has 2000 + positive ratings 100% 😁🤞🏼

I got my bari sax off of ebay. It was a 1969 conn bari sax. Its pads were recently replaced and it plays awesome. It was only $1450! (Which is pretty cheap for a bari sax)

@bettersax

4 жыл бұрын

Good deal.

Hey Jay - hope I'm not bothering you - First of all I wanted to say thanks for your videos :) I love them great help - I'm an alto player and I would love to get a bit of Bari into my gigs, I have been looking the net for some good deal as you suggested - I found a Vito/Yani B6 baritone - Is it a good buy ? Thanks in advance.

I play an eBay horn. Early 2000’s YAS 62ii. Plays great

do more of these videos please

Can you do a review of the Alto Sax sold by Thomann? The TAS-180 and the TAS-350 if possible.

Hey Jay. I know that this is a Yanagisawa video, but do you still have that Buischer saxophone you mentioned at the beginning? Could you do a video focusing on it?

You really 'ROCK' Jay...........

Please do more of this, scratches my itch to do the same

@bettersax

4 жыл бұрын

I plan to. Glad you like it.

Nice vid on eBay buying Jay! I have bought and sold much on the platform over the years. I find that eBay for the most part is good for buyers, bad for sellers. This makes it a great place to pick up used gear for a decent price...sometimes a “steal” ! This isn’t always true: Years ago, I sold a Dave Guardala Branford Marsalis (original handmade) tenor mouthpiece to a VERY famous eBay seller who is still around today. I had posted many clear pics which showed the wear on the piece. He won the auction for a little over $800. “Great,” I thought, as I had only paid $495 for the piece and they were going up in value at the time. Well, about a week later, that same seller put the piece up for sale with one or two completely BLURRY pics in the listing, asking $1,800 as a “buy it now” price, and it sold!! I couldn’t believe it. I sent him a message telling him that I considered what he was doing to be misleading to buyers and also driving up the prices on mouthpieces and horns, and of course he basically laughed at me and told me I was an idiot. Folks, make sure you know what you are buying when placing a bid or outright buying gear on eBay!

@bettersax

4 жыл бұрын

Definitely better for buyers than sellers most of the time. But there are pro ebayers who will snipe the deals from you or resell your item for more. Part of the game.

I bought a "Yanagisawa A-W037" for $339 Obviously, a Chinese knockoff. But I just had to see it. Some people on eBay are selling them for $3k. Beware! It is surprisingly, a good horn! My repair man didn't believe me when I told him where it came from and what I paid. It completely fooled him. I don't think this horn will hold up in the long term but like your Amazon horn, pretty cool.

@SheltoniaNation

4 жыл бұрын

Six months in how is it holding up?

@I_M_Nonno

4 жыл бұрын

@@SheltoniaNation It is ok. I'm not playing it much. The placement of the right pinky stack is a bit off for me. I didn't notice it at first, but I've been playing a Yamaha 62 a lot lately and I find it annoying to keep missing the keys when playing the knockoff.

Hello mr Metcalf. Fisto of all sorry about my english. I have a question for you. Recently i've acquire a VITO alto sax. Is an old one, and it says japan near the elbow of the instrument. What can you tell me about that sax. Havent found something useful yet. Thank you very much. By the way, love your videos.

Awesome videos. .. what's thoughts on LA Sax tenor or Sax Dakota? Thks larry

Mr Jay.. when are you doing the review on the TS-400 Jean Paul Tenor Saxophone?? There is so many of us waiting 😅😅 best regards 🙏

I bought my 1980 A880 ($1600), 1994 T900μ ($1200), TSBS-680 ($1500) all on ebay in 2015! And I used to flip saxes for fun buying and selling saxes on ebay!

Do you have any video about maintenance or recommendations for older horns? I've played my Yaganisawa 990u tenor for over 15 years, and while it is in good shape and the pads have been changed several times, I wonder if it's worth a renovation based on my pure love or if it's rather high time for a renovation.

Just got a close to new Yamaha YSS 675 Soprano for 1600€ with an Otto link Supertone master which went for around 4500€ back in the 90s. It’s basically the predecessor to the current custom series. Such a bargain Update: Just bought a Jupiter JBS 1000 Bari for 2k which goes for about 3,2k new. Lets see how good it really fairs.

Hi Jay! Love this video as much as all the rest! Since you are an expert from Yanagisawa can i please ask you for an advice? What is the model of Yani you are showing in 3:23 ? At the moment I am choosing between two A500 models ( I believe so after doing 4 hours of research :D). One with plastic adjusters for 1200$ and then there is one with the metal ones for 800$. All of the rest looks pretty much the same although the one with metal adjusters looks little bit more used judging by the laquier conditioin. I am thinking of an little upgrade from Yamaha YAS275. The only compare I have had was trying in the shop new Yanagisawa w02 and that so much easier to play. Could this really be similar with 35 year old yanagisawa A500 (or A50)? I am playing some time now but we can clearly assume I am certainly not a proffesional but not a beginner as well. I would love to be a Pro and i hope with your videos it is somehow in my range :D

Jay I believe you said Yanagisawa don't put double arms on the B. I think they do on the 991B Limited edition

Great video!

I just bought a Conn 10M on Ebay it came with original case and warranty card and a vintage no USA sig slant I could sell for more than the cost of the horn but I won't because it plays so nice

@bettersax

4 жыл бұрын

Great find!

Please, make another one of these

I messaged the seller of that fake Silver Yani a few weeks ago to tell him to stop peddling fake gear. He responded that as it was obviously fake he was blameless! I've reported fake gear before but eBay does nothing about it. I got two of my horns as eBay bargains and love them to bits; an early purple logo YAS62 which I got for £625 in 2003 and a T992 which I got a couple of years back for £1900. Both immaculate closet horns. I've had a couple of fails as well though so this is a timely reminder to be careful! Thanks Jay.

I've been playing on the Jean Paul AS-400 with a Yamaha 4C mouthpiece for about a year now. I've been considering getting a Vandoren V16 (A5 Medium Chamber) along with the Vandoren Optimum Ligature. I was wondering if anyone had some suggestions or recommendations on alto mouthpiece/ligatures? Edit: I got the AL3 and the Optimum Ligature, works great :)

If you’re fond of the underslung octave mechanism, are there third party neck options compatible with Yanagisawa in that style? Does Yani have different bore options in their necks or just finishes? The stock necks are great, but if you want to explore anything different, it seems like you have to just abandon that elegant feature.

Mulțumesc frumos pentru informații....SUCCES MAESTRE

Jay, Have you ever used Reverb.com to find saxophones? I think buyers are better protected on reverb. I purchased two SML Gold Medal saxophones through reverb, an alto and a tenor. The alto was not quite as described by the seller and reverb helped me to get a refund to pay for the added repair costs. These are both terrific horns now.

Wow very informative. Could you do a video shopping for a beginners Saxophone on ebay?

I got a question should I buy off of eBay or amazon? Like for a Alto or Tenor Sax ? Just to get a opinion on it from someone like you who’s is very experienced with it all .

Hey better sax. I am thinking about learning the saxophone. I want to start with a tenor sax. Don't really have a lot of money for it. I was thinking about the KARL GLASER 1420 TENOR BB. Do you think it's a good idea? Can't wait to get your answer -Thanks :)

With instruments from Japan try doing an image reverse search and find the original Japanese sellers. Often sellers will list on eBay instruments they see in the second-hand music stores in Tokyo and then they list them on eBay and don't actually buy them until it sells on eBay. This means you pay more and have to wait a couple of extra weeks. I buy mainly piccolos and flutes and I tend to search eBay and then find the seller direct on Yahoo auctions Japan and buy directly. Can usually save about 30% off an already excellent price and I've found buying from Japan the instruments are often pristine. Bought a flute listed as junk and it arrived as a new in box deadstock from the 1980s. (Actually from the 80's, not a fake of an older instrument) They always lowball the condition.

Had a Yanigasawa Tenor sax back in 1975 & 76 & loved it. 44 years later & here I am trying to convince myself to buy an Alto & get back to playing sax again now that I’m retired & have the time spare to actually practice. Hardly see ANY Yanagisawa Altos for sale used in my city of 2 million. Lots of various brand cheaper student sax’s but I want something to keep & cherish. Can’t decide whether Yanigasawa again, Selmer or Yamaha YAS 62 etc in the Pro models this time around. Don’t want to spend much more than $2k ish but might if it was an outstanding example. Any suggestion which brand & what model I should get please? I’ve been out of this scene for 4 decades so it’s a whole new learning curve reading reviews online & my head is spinning.

@bettersax

4 жыл бұрын

Yany Yamaha or selmer can’t go wrong

What are your opinions on a Lafayette saxophone (soprano and tenor)?

Bought a few saxophones on eBay. Had good, and not-so good luck. My Antigua Tenor, is really nice, had it set up by a pro. Not a high value horn, but plays great. $700 My alto is a Yanigasawa 901. It has been played a bit. Had it checked out. Needed very little. I love it $1300. My Soprano is an Allora Paris Pro. Got it in the end for $300 as it had a problem, but cost $30 to fix. Ebay is a great hunting ground, but you do need to be careful. I look for refurbished horns, or ones that look like they are OK. Still looking for a Yani Tenor at a reasonable price..............

I got a King Zephyr Bari from an ebay seller, but I went out to see it in person before I bought it.

My son is 11 years old and wants to learn saxophone. I Was thinking of a Cheap Chinese saxophone but then I thought maybe getting an old sax at least I would know it was well made. Found a Old Armstrong on Ebay for few hundred Dollars, but then after watching your video about which is the best sax you mentioned it could cost more money to have it serviced. So now I am confused on which way to go. I don’t have the money to get an expensive student sax

@chrisstorey6428

3 жыл бұрын

Hey I have a professional Unison Alto Saxophone if you are willing to buy, I'm selling it for around 700$obo. I bought it for 1,000. Its still in way nice condition, I never really played it much. If you are interested let me know.

3:12 with subtitles lol

@minecraft_dog5404

4 жыл бұрын

Oh wow I see that 🤣

@Fyurii

4 жыл бұрын

Lmao

@scomdnz9

4 жыл бұрын

lol yo

@anhthiensaigon

4 жыл бұрын

epic

H,i In your opinion , what is the best pro Yanagisawa alto sax?

I'm currently looking at an AWO2 for €2550 which seems to be in great shape and the seller REQUIRES you to test it before buying- just need a way to get the money😅

I have four Yanagisawa for sell and I I'm trying to figure out how to best take pictures of them for sell. Maybe you could have a video that emphasizes what pictures I need to close a sell?

@Buasop

4 жыл бұрын

Here's a good example of pics on an ebay horn: www.ebay.com/itm/Yanagisawa-tenor-saxophone-T990-or-T-990-or-T990-aka-T990u/303250641385?epid=1004138838&hash=item469b2591e9:g:p4cAAOSwNCRdUGDA

I have an series1922 Selmer alto sax any thoughts on a value ?

What should the pads look like?

Haha it's always tempting to buy more and more!!!!!!

@chrisstorey6428

3 жыл бұрын

Hey I have a professional Unison Alto Saxophone if you are willing to buy, I'm selling it for around 700$obo. I bought it for 1,000. Its still in way nice condition, I never really played it much. If you are interested let me know.

I’m planning on getting a mendini by Celcio Eb Alto sax (black and gold) For 270$ off of amazon and I was wondering if you could do a review on it to see if it’s worth getting because there are pictures of it and it has everything you need but no pictures of the pads.

@Th3MaiNEv3n7

4 жыл бұрын

MAS-BK Black Lacquer E flat Saxophone

Very interesting! As a still young saxo player, I have difficulties to be sure a saxo is what it is sold for. Found recently a unused A800 from 1982 sold at 1000 EUR. Do you think it would be a noticeable enough improvement on my current Yamaha YAS280 for me to hear/feel it when trying it? Are there any point I should be aware of to be sure it's a A800 in mint condition? Thanks in advance for your advice!

@chrisstorey6428

3 жыл бұрын

hey if you are interested, i have a professional unison alto sax im selling for around 700. i bought it for 1,000 and its in way good condition.. Let me know if you are

Have you bought anything on Reverb? Pretty good saxes,but never used Reverb before.

I've been looking at Yanagisawa T-902s on ebay. Curious if the engraving changed all that much with that horn as I see one that looks like it is only partially engraved compared to others. Also is the "Prima" designation merely added for a particular market or is it slightly different? Thanks!

Thank you for this video. I found it very interesting. Do you have any advice for buying a beginners sax on ebay?

@chrisstorey6428

3 жыл бұрын

Hey I have a professional Unison Alto Saxophone if you are willing to buy, I'm selling it for around 700$obo. I bought it for 1,000. Its still in way nice condition, I never really played it much. If you are interested let me know.

What do you think about King saxes?

Haha, that "Yanagisawa 880 Professional Alto Saxophone w/ Hard Case - Near Mint !!!" looks like it's been sold three times in the last month. Evidently several sales fall through after their auctions. Not a promising sign; personally I prefer less drama. Latest sale was for $1499.99 plus $25.55 shipping.

There are a few legitimate sellers on eBay that I follow. Quinn The Eskimo is one of them. Akama-akama is another. They've had very good deals in the past.

@bettersax

4 жыл бұрын

Yeah you can safely buy from plenty of long standing reputable sellers on there.

Hey, have you seen the unbranded 'antique prossional saxophones' (as named by the sellers) also on ebay? What are your thoughts on those? It does not say who the sellers are just that the horns are coming from China.

I didn't buy off Ebay but I have a mexiconn alto which I bought for a few years ago. It plays ok, but they have a bad reputation. Have you ever played one?