Do The Yamaha Saxophones Actually Play and Sound Different? YAS 82Z II vs YAS 62III vs YAS 480

Hello Sax Fans!!! 🔥🙌❤️
Today I decided to do a slightly different video! In this video I am back to back play Testing
NEW Yamaha Custom 82Z II Alto $4,695
www.jlwoodwind...
VS
NEW Yamaha YAS 62III Alto $2,999
www.jlwoodwind...
VS
NEW Yamaha YAS 480 Alto $2,399
www.jlwoodwind...
Find these and MANY more on our website
www.newyorksax.com
Which one do you think sounds better?? Is it worth the price difference? Please let us know in the comments below 👇 🔥🙌❤️
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[@cookieman136]

My sax is a YTS-62 from the mid 90’s. Bought it new as a freshman in high school. Hasn’t let me down yet.

[@manuelvalencia9407]

The same with my YAS-23 from back in high school. It needs a full overhaul, but it's still great.

[@skyflyr1015]

98.9% of the audience in a small jazz club would not be able to distinguish the subtle differences. Trust me on that. The rest is bragging rights. The performer will have far more relevance than the minute tone differences when combined in an ensemble. Thanks for the video!

[@leifpeterson7397]

I think it is mostly a matter of the different necks. I have a 82Z with both the original G1 neck and a V1 as in this video. My 82Z sounds very different when I switch between these two necks, and I prefer the G1 neck because the V1 is too bright for me. In this video I like the sound of the 62 best; not too bright, rich and full.

[@drfiberglass]

They sound very close. I play a yas 62 and I love it...

[@seandennis3148]

I've listened on headphones and in a variety of orders. I'd be buying the 82Z and yes I can hear a difference. Thank you!

[@saxophonistscorner]

82z had a subtle sweetness that won me over as well.

[@markbloom9617]

Didn't look at the prices until after listening--amazed that the first is about twice the price of the third. For me the 82Z was the most thin/modern in sound, so not my thing. The other two were very close, still "modern" but richer. Thanks for doing these videos, always entertaining.

[@jlwoodwinds6394]

We really appreciate you! Thank you so much for listening and supporting our channel 🥹🙏🎷

[@manuelvalencia9407]

I couldn't tell too much with the sounds of those horns. All sounded great. Maybe it was just me, but I thought the 480 had a little more warmer sound from the three. The 62 was a little brighter. I know the price differences between the three and I think it really is up to the player's choice. Personally, I would be happy with the 62 or the 480. I'm a Dave Koz fan, and know he plays a 62, but that's his sound. I liked the richness of the 480. I usually go for sound rather than "bells and whistles." Thanks for your great video.

[@amanisax5630]

Just wonderful playing ! 👏🏼👏🏼🫡

[@MANONSAX]

82z the best

[@skyflyr1015]

The 480 looks great, but to my ear it has a slightly thinner sound. If I had to pick one, I'd pick the 62, just as countless performing saxophonists play while on the road.

[@albertmueller8705]

You always sound good no matter what horn you play.

[@saxophonistscorner]

Subtle difference, you sound great on all of them, and technically it shouldn't matter at that point, but man I'd want that 82z, there's something in that tone that just feels right...

[@patrickmarino8601]

The z has a more spread sound than the other two. The 62 was more focused. The sound between those two were very comparable. The student model was quite nice but the core and power was obviously not as good. As always John you make everything sound great!

[@willholton]

As always my man! You sound amazing! I would love to book a horn setup appointment with you.

[@jazzsinger007]

You sound amazing on all of them. But I would choose the 62 ... slightly warmer.

[@markwhite672]

Great demos. If you already have a Yamaha sax, I strongly suggest you try different Yamaha necks before upgrading your sax. I use solid silver E1 necks on my tenor and alto and it's amazing the extra warmth (not too much) and depth I get with these necks. I also have the solid silver V1 necks that I will use for extra warm acoustics. One Yamaha neck I would advise at avoiding is a silver plated V1 neck. The V1 neck is the brightest of the Yamaha necks and the silver plating makes it too bright. If you have a new silver plated Yamaha saxophone, I advise you to try a different neck that is not silver plated brass. The solid silver necks are very different than the silver plated necks. The solid silver V1 neck actually plays warmer than any of the brass V1 necks. Unless you are a classical player, I would avoid the C1 necks because they are too thin sounding... although the thinner wall C1 necks sound great on the new Yamaha Atelier saxes because the Atelier sax needs a more focused sounding neck because of the free blowing nature of that sax. If you are interested in different sax necks give Kessler and Sons Music a call and they will special order one for you if they don't have it in stock.

[@sax-and-flute]

I love my 480 and hey: it doesn't always have to be the most expensive horn. And this video shows it again. Maybe some of you will hear a difference. But in my opinion, is this small difference really worth such a big price difference? For example, I have replaced the standard thumb hook with the metal one from Yamaha and also use the ToKo Klangbogen. This gives my 480 even more depth and volume in the sound. That's it.

[@albertmueller8705]

Thanks for the play test. Always interesting. First is bright to me and the last was nice and warm.

[@manuelvalencia9407]

I had that same feeling, too.

[@bonoloharoldmatlala1599]

The 62 sounds great and bolder. I love it more than the 82

[@ronaldalexander3953]

I play a vintage (1970) Selmer Mark VI Alto. So the 82Z offers a bigger contrast to my Selmer. The 82Z is what I ordered.

[@T.H.W.O.T.H]

For me the 82 and 48 had a wee bit more sizzle while the 62 had a bit more low-mid umph. There really isn't very much in it though.

[@etowahjazz]

82z with a G1 neck ((First iteration) is a whole different animal than with a V1 neck IMHO.

[@leifpeterson7397]

And which one do you prefer? I have an 82z with the G1 neck. I bought a V1 for it years later but didn't like it at all...

[@etowahjazz]

Love the V1 neck with my 82z for almost any scenario. It has an edge for sure and you have to be careful but with my RPC with a small baffle its a great combo. For me. Your mileage may vary!!!@@leifpeterson7397

[@adalyman773]

Honestly, the sound of the 480 and the 62 are super similar to my ear. The 82 seems to pop a bit more for me, but that’s to be expected.

[@georgbarnert4054]

You seem to get along better with the 62 than w the 82z. The 62z sounds more free blowing, thus more inspiring. The 82zs sound is more massive but less flexible and less singing. But who knows, if you compare them again after 2 years of playing how the choice would be...And, as we know, even in postmark VI production- times every single piece of the same series can vary a lot.

[@olaflangness2907]

My preference was the 62, though the 480 was a close second. The 82Z is the more expensive model, and I have heard it played by Grace Kelly in an intimate jazz club setting. Live, it certainly sounded wonderful, but one can't really say which model is best until one actually tries them for themselves. Is there a difference in how they felt being played (more resistance, easier in the altissimo range, more bone shaking, etc.)?

[@drewkingson]

I'm mostly a guitar guy, play tenor a bit and thinking of an alto as some of the best solos are on alto - to me the 62 sounded best and the other 2 virtually indistinguishable from each other - the middle ground rules

[@joncelentano]

To my ears the 82z sounded more "refined"... it was more even across the range of the horn. The intonation also seemed to slot better than the other two.

[@maxciobanu9596]

I hear from this video that Yamaha 82, sounds richer and more centered, than 2 others. And between 62 and 480, is not big difference

[@KO-gp7db]

For me, 62 sounded the best compared to the other two.

[@Scrooks1]

I thought the 62 blew the doors off of the 82Z, could be that the player is more in tune and trained a lot on a 62. But it sounded fuller, with a better alto tone, richer and darker, deeper with more overtones. The 82Z sounded thinner and just sounded like a cheaper instrument.

[@ArtBusker]

YAZ 82Z II SUPREME !!!

[@user-eg2ox1yd1z]

which one was easier to play / more free blowing etc?

[@Ajaykohli1971]

Whats the mouthpiece and reed combo you are using?

[@geralddeloach1391]

You sounded great on all of them. For me, I think the 62 was the best sounding one. From how you played the 62 compared to the others it seemed like you liked that one the best too…I could be wrong but that’s the impression I got. Great video!

[@jlwoodwinds6394]

Thank you a bunch for listening and commenting 🔥🎷🙌

[@andrewblackard3369]

I have a 2007 YAS-62 II and the original neck played a middle C# that was about a mile flat. I replaced the neck with a Barone Selmer-like neck and that problem went away and the tone was pretty different too. I thought that intonation problem was solved in the Series II. Do you think I just got a dud neck?

[@AngelGonzalez-nd3hs]

Does anyone know what kind of mouthpiece that is?

[@devilshark6694]

first one sounded like mark vi

[@martinkechner1680]

I think that 480 is the most sharp of them and 82z has got the roundest tone of them. The 62 is somewhere in the midle

[@oreodog]

Big difference to me even on speakers! Custom Z sounds incredible, followed by the 480 and the 62.

[@pgroove163]

👍

[@bennytorres6273]

The yas-62 sounds more masculine than the 82z.

[@manuelvalencia9407]

Can you throw in the YAS-280 for sound comparison purposes?

[@rianotrijaya246]

They all sound expensive 😂

[@marcvandeneynden]

almost no differences but I am a bit disappointed by the 82Z ... I play a 62 and it is an amazing sax.

[@kaivrock]

They all sound the same. The first one might be a little better.