Hi Jake,
I have two YTS-61s and a YTS-875 Custom. I play the 61s way more than the 875. IMO, the 61 has a great sound and feels good under my fingers.
Hi Jake,
Nice job on that. Great tune to boot.
Jim
$1200 US for a YTS-23 is on the high side up here in Canada. I’ve had one on Kijiji for a couple of months for $850 CAN ($600 US) and can’t sell it. It’s in Very Good condition. It has minor scratches and a couple of small dings from normal wear and tear but is in excellent condition otherwise. I had a few pads replaced in September at the biggest Yamaha dealer in western Canada. It was checked over and everything was tweaked and adjusted at that time. By the way, our CAN dollar was pretty much on par with the US dollar until recently. If I were near an urban centre, I’d have no trouble selling it but I’m out in the bush.
In western Canada, there are always a few 23s for sale on Kijiji. They are a very popular student horn. The prices are generally from $700 to $1200 with a case. I’ve been playing jazz standards for a few years but still consider myself somewhat of a beginner. Having said that, the lack of a front F# has never bothered me. I’ve read the Steve Howard review. He has a good reputation and he’s a sax tech. I have his sax maintenance book.
I upgraded my 23 with the M1 Custom neck. It made the horn more freeblowing. I’m a Yamaha guy and have a couple of 61s and an 875 Custom. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be selling the 23.
If the 23 you are considering is in really good condition, I would have no hesitation buying it.
Hi, Baboon. Good taste! I like this Glen Miller tune and gave it a listen. I then went to YT and listened to Blue Moon by Glen Miller, another great tune. Check out the Al Bowlly version (1935). It’s in Eb Concert which is F on the tenor and C on the alto. I play the Al Bowlly version; it’s a bit more uptempo and has more of a swing to it than the GM version, imo. Al Bowlly was the guitar player in the band in his early days and would have tuned his guitar down a half step to play it in E. Eb is not a favored key for guitar players. Like Glen Miller, Al Bowlly died in World War II. He was killed in the London Blitz in 1941. Needless to say, I’m a huge Al Bowlly fan. He was huge in the late 20s, 30s and up until his death.
Good luck with the colonoscopy, Soupy. Man, I hate the liquid diet. I have less than a year to go before my third (every five years). I’m pushing 66 and so far, so good. Soldier on, lol!
I also ‘date’ my reeds with a Sharpy so I can tell if I’m using a new or old reed.
I use the Rico reed cases. They come in 2s and 4s, I use a white paint marker on the black cases to denote 2.5, 3, etc. I use Vandoren Java Greens mostly but if it’s ZZ reed, I note that, too. That way, I’m not pulling out reeds willy-nilly looking for a 2.5 or a 3, etc. while I have my horn hanging off my neck.
Very cool! Great hair, Johnny!Thanks for posting.
Never too early to get a jump on those Xmas tunes, Soupy, lol. You sound great. I gave up using my open hook Rico strap for good reason. That hook WILL slip off at some point. Luckily, I try to keep at least one hand on my horn at all times.
Musician’s Friend has it listed at $9848 CAN while WWBW has it for $8118 CAN. Every time I reach for one on a shop wall, my other hand slaps my reaching hand away with a “you can’t afford it!”, lol. Try googling it. I’m sure saxontheweb has hundreds if not thousands of posts on the Reference 54.
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