do you need to get a yamaha? srry...i'm not a huge yamaha fan when it comes to alto saxes...if you were going for a trumpet i'd loved the yamaha, but their saxes have been having problems lately. they're known to be really bright (which i dont like), but if you do, then maybe yamaha would suit you well. let's see though, i did try an unlaquered yamaha Z, and i really liked it...it looks like crap, but itz got a slightly darker tone and the one i tried played really well. just make sure you try the sax before buying it (especially if it's yamaha or selmer) because they're usually pretty inconsistent. Good Luck!

whats the difference in sound between laquered or unlaquered? which is better for "jazz"? for classical?

Yamaha inconsistent? Where are you getting this? I could see where you would get that about Selmer, because they're all handmade, but Yamahas are very consistent. Also,the 875 EX is actually known to be dark, not bright. I've also played the Z in black lacquer, and I was able to play it bright, dark, and anywhere in between. The brightness is probably you. So I don't see why you would say they've been having problems lately...your own theory I'm guessing, because these new Customs have been so popular, Yamaha's gotten the largest sales increase in woodwinds they've ever had.

Jazz players tend to go for the unlacquered sax. Because they're no lacquer, the tone's less centered and more vibrant and resonant. There is a little less core, but that's not a big concern in most jazz players. A classical player would be more suited with the lacquered horn, because the lacquer centers the tone more, makes it a little bit warmer, and there is more core to the sound.

naw, that's not my own theory. hey, maybe everyone i've asked have been wrong, i'm not tryin to start a fight or anything. it's just the nicest thing i've heard about yamaha from each of the many many people i've talked to is "yamaha is junk"..... now i guess that's just personal preference which is why i said it could work for ya. i've tried a bunch of yamaha alto saxes, and all the ones i've tried were especially bright (my teachers all agreed), except for the unlaquered Yamaha Z. And they have been having pitch problems lately from what i've heard... i dunno, sorry... didn't mean to start anything here; just tellin yall what i heard

oh yeah, by the way, i was just wondering if keilwerth alto saxophones tend to be inconsistent or anything? i'm thinking of buying one, but i was just wondering what everyone thinks of them, and if i could do better with a price range of up to $3000? thanks