time and effort into it. We have a good selection of pre-owned Yamaha student tenor saxophones. Or so we're told. Well, the example reviewed is quite an old horn - as is my own 23 have them say "Wow, the action is reeeallly light, isn't it?" to 'run bright' if you let it. The keywork can be described as utilitarian. Yamaha manufactures them in Japan, then "stencils" the name Vito onto the bell. extra padding in this area. best that can said of them. This isn't as clear-cut as you might think. G# key cup. to the compound pillar - and with four keys mounted on it, that's I may have been lucky, but I've never yet had to realign the bell (they don't have a large head that's wider than the diameter of This is Part One of what makes the 23 a giant killer - the action go "Yeeeeeeeehhaaaaaaaa!". And just for fun - and just to show you what the ol' 23 is capable minds over which design I prefer; the separate guards look neat The 23 followed on from the 21, which was in production for about an adjustable thumb hook I've used). Nothing hark back to the clumsy vintage mechs of old. We can buy them a bit cheaper than Yamahas, so we pass on the savings to you. and nimble. no-one in their right mind can criticise that. You can get what you want out of a 23 - but you've got to put the The trick is to tame that natural edge, but not to smother it - then you've not got it set up right (or you just prefer a harder something about it to discover, and it's always good. years. They feel OK, and that's about the creaking noise coming from the bottom bow joint. Finally, the horn comes in good old-fashioned box-type case, fitted (Indonesia, for example - and now China). be worth casting a critical eye over the rims of these two toneholes. has a clamp fitted at the bottom bow joint. The thing I most liked about the 23 was that there's no 'in-house' info out there already. The 23 does none of that. you, whichever comesor goesfirst). Actual instrument may vary in appearance. - and while I might once have said "You can't go wrong with be down to the clear lacquered finish, and some to the relatively Let your policymakers know that the child care system needs financial help recovering from COVID-19. - or have an adjustable thumb hook fittedthough bear in mind Whaddya expect? There's It's also quite simple, which makes it reliable. hand. Despite how it sounds, it's not pillar. it's all about finding the balance. lacquer too. We can get them for less, so we pass the savings on to you. of thing. It's never that good piece on it it'll practically play itselfbut the tone will cut experience. And that's *Photo for demonstration purposes ONLY. of the old and the new. packed full of fancy handling-aid electronics and one that's just good at what it does (and it tends not to whistle quite so much benefit from being angled slightly down towards the B key. like to contribute rims, which means these horns are getting the knocks but are standing use it that you realise it's actually really rather slick and responsive. though, because it's now glued on. And so it is with the YTS23. common culprits. lose its stability at the top - it just gets on with the job in Plastic key pearls are fitted. and in most cases it seems to be the low D and C which are the most Later models are fitted with an sculpted spatulas. However, in the case of the 23 I well remember having to shave off There's And then there was a 25, and a 24. that if you want to tweak them to change the opening height of the What's not to like? The action is powered by stainless springs - and normally that's (which is always a very, very bad thing). as to whether this is a good or a bad thing, but ultimately it comes towards the cost of creating this independent content, please use the button I can't in all honesty say it's particularly sturdy-looking There's no midrange 'bloom' We also have a selection of used Vito student alto saxophones. market for a 23 I'd be inclined to follow the 'older is better' Demanding Change: Repairing our Child Care System, State Fact Sheets & Child Care Data Center. You might not notice it other than to find Both will go round corners, but horns were builtwell, it's anybody's guess. pillar isn't robust enough it will bend under the stress. If it proves to be an issue Another nice feature that can be seen in this shot is the simple are very neatly soldered in place. Sticking with the comfort theme, the top front F key has a plain springs. stick to the ones made in Japanand the older the better. teardrop touchpieces, but it's at least well-placedthough it'll noisy in use and is likely to remain that way for a very long time. fingering a standard front top F (top F key + A key) and then adding and how it plays in comparison to a 23 - so if that sort of thing And that, to me, is the mark of a great horn - there's always round touchpiece. it tweaked. I say nearly always because every Looking for fee assistance or respite care? I love these things; they have proper points on 'heads' - one for the low C#, the low B, the Bb and the G#. discover that the 23 has more to offer than you might have thought, It's nothing you need to worry about - I merely point it out as I suppose that's fair enough, given the difference Opinion is divided among players As such is tiresome to put a shine back on. This means they have been completely disassembled and cleaned. And then there's the business of the model numbers. It's only when you potentially quite a lot of energy. 275. be. Doesn't seem to happen. I like to think of it in terms of the difference between a car that's large single guard that covered the whole key group. matters to you, you'll have to go a-googling. something of a technical oddity, given that this is a contemporary was built in Japan - but later models have been built elsewhere horn removes the Bis Bb and G keys from the line-up and has them the event of, say, a pillar being knocked off. horns. vaguely in the direction of the touchpiece, the mech will work. Now that's not necessarily a bad thing, assuming you like that sort Our pre-owned Yamahas are "certified' used instruments. for you. top F# key. your low notes aren't quite as punchy as they used to be - and a or you can have your repairer do it for you. Lastly, the bell key bumper felts aren't adjustable - which means The body is finished in clear epoxy lacquer - and it's damned good It comes supplied with a standard Yamaha RAW), the 23 still has a place in my heart. the 23 made a pretty good stab at it - and if all else fails there's Most tenors seem to hit the scales at around the 3.4kg mark, which makes the as elves do), and keywork problems are seldom an issue with these to allow for a more responsive (and reliable) action. at the crock socket (or neck receiver) and at the bell and give On most modern in the USthough this ought to mean that standards have been maintained. featured on the MkI 'purple logo' 62 series horns - which had more rounded brass bent at 90 degrees, but I always found it to be very Note the rather small screw heads. action - and that's cool). Granted, the plastic thumb rest is a bit on the mean side and it's don't be tempted to whip them out and replace them with blued steel My advice is to let the horn What it loses in portability it more than makes with bent bodies and crushed bells. is careful (and, let's be honest, a little bit lucky) there's a And then there's the issue of what's a 23 and what's not. What's the state of child care in your state. And there's no adjustable thumb hook - all you get is piece of slightly than track down which model is which, where and when it was made Individual pillars are fitted, and these have generous bases and of far more than the price tag suggestsand decent used examples Your donation or partnership can help families access high-quality, affordable child care. wrong with that, except that in the event of a knock to the horn Fortunately it's relatively easy to fix the problem outperform a mediocre tilting table. two pivots. stays have large feet, which will help prevent them being knocked when you're holding that much brass out in front of you for three is perhaps the biggest cosmetic change over the 21 - which had a Well, I suppose them out and replace them with proper mother-of-pearl ones - and it would fit through the hole. with plastic reflectors (resonators). Given No such problems on the 23 - because it doesn't have a compound and sturdy but very clearly looks like it's been punched out of If so, you'll need a bit more effort it can also be brought closer to the B key pearlthough good way to test the integrity of the joint is to grip the horn up for in terms of the protection it affords the instrument in transit. Then it's lubricated, regulated, and adjusted so that it plays correctly. Another notable difference from the 21 is that the bell no longer As you can see, it's quite a neat-looking horn. you can always customise it with a sachet of Sugru It's also a very light horn, weighing in at 3.1kg. simple and unfussy construction. are nearly always nice and level. is superb. better than even chance that the repair can be carried out without to formally reviewing one, mostly because there's already so much Well, what can I say? However, from a engineering point of because it'll allow you to keep on refining that balance down the these days. trouble. All our "certified" used saxophones come with a one-year warranty. A very worthwhile upgrade is to whip Quality Practices for Early Care and Education, OngoingTraining and Continuing Education. an insurmountable problem - it just means you have to work a little go 'George Clooney'; keep the body crisp and clean, and the greyness your thumb has to go up or acrossjust as long as you move it bit drab. is detachable. - it still delights me, even after all these years. for ebayers and other auctioneers. not uncommon to see 23s on the bench that have been fitted with So how come it's taken me so long to review it? It doesn't sound like much but believe me, it makes a difference do, put stainless springs back on. nothing looked quite so bad as a 21's bell key guard after it had They play easily and in tune. So, the top end of the key pivots on the main upper with decent catches. all I'd have to say on the matter. a bit of material from the bottom of my old BG sling hook before and Bb share one. It's a bit like having a clockwork iPhone. that the bell key heights are pretty much bang on out of the box, The nickel plate on the keywork is similarly tough, if perhaps a The the two models, which may or may not be confined to the keywork. They are well-constructed and hold up over time. subtlebut that's a Dukoff D8 with a Rico Plasticover 5 on it. This is why some people describe the Become a member to benefit your organization no matter your role in child care. It's not If the design and build of this usually problematic - though a hefty knock to the bell can sometimes a Yamaha", I'm afraid I wouldn't be quite to quick to say it who're less experienced at (shall we say) taking care of an instrument mounted on separate point screws. A stencil horn, made for Vito by the Yamaha corporation. Stay informed, connected, and inspired in an ever-changing ECE landscape. any loss of lacquer surrounding the job. crook and the mouthpiece. body twist very slightlybut you're more likely to hear a faint so often I come across a 23 with a few slightly iffy toneholes - Standards seem to be slipping, and if I were in the But there are a number of differences between These Vitos were made by Yamaha and are identical to the YAS-23. The body features drawn toneholes, and for the most part these it's a bit like the Selmer MkVI - it took years before I got around cause the glue to crack. But if you drive yourself and the horn a little bit harder, To be fair, the giant machine is obviously very series horns is a complete mess. This theme is carried on to the top stack, which is a curious mix Whether it's by accident or design, the nomenclature for the 2x/2xx being screwed further into the pillar - and because they're shoulderless It is then lubricated, regulated, and adjusted so that it plays correctly. Provided your repairer horn. This is fantastic if you're the only horn in a 5 piece rock Or, as I call it, The Giant Killer. This latter arrangement tends at least provided the low C# key cup with a bit of protection. Note too that there's no compound bell key pillar. But there's a price to pay for that neutrality (aside from having tone. But what if it's a step in the wrong direction? This is a huge improvement on the noisy, imprecise plastic barrel stamp your own sound on it. ButI do see a fair few with bent bell simple but beautifully designed. comfortable in use and never had any problems with it (unlike many to work over; it doesn't get all woofy at the lower end; it doesn't There's no missing that, even when the going gets frantic. mouthpiece - which is as good a piece as you'll get for the money. always the option of tweaking a few keys here and there if needs Or rather it's capable of being so. as far as you like without having to ream out the pillars. It'll even stand up to a spot of soft soldering in bandyou'll easily compete with a guitar or two, but it won't If you've enjoyed this article or found it useful and would find these days. So perhaps it's more accurate to say that the 23 is resilient Tonewise? key pillars on a 23 where they hadn't been directly impacted. up someone else's concept of tone. shiny - but it soon goes a sort of milky greyand nickel plate and tidy, but the single guard had a kind of art-deco appeal, and Sure, I'm biased - I played one This means that they've been completely disassembled and cleaned. to do this). mech? That said, it's not as well designed as the non-tilting table that (which instantly rules out my own) - and as these horns tend to octave key mechanism is unusual, and at first glance it seems to off in the event of a minor ding. I'll come straight to the point. it's an easy, non-resistant blow - and no matter how bad a player The G# and C# sit on their own pillars, while the low B point screws. At its simplest, the 23 is the 'rest of world' version of the European - but if you're having trouble with the low notes on your 23, it'll All our "certified" used saxophones come with a one-year warranty. What this means is that in the event of a knock, the side Bb key. in terms of design and appearance. lead quite hard lives, a good-looking example is not that easy to However, On the down side the sling ring is a bit small - and some locking them, which means they can take up wear in the keywork simply by They look rather like the heads brace, but then again it seems to have withstood the test of time. And it won't get in the way. It's functional, well-built series horns. It looks OK when it's like this example - all nice and top stack keys mounted on a single rod (or hinge) screw - a modern My 25+ year love-affair with my own YTS23 is a matter of public Well, that's not It'll still come off while you're having that done, get a domed Bis Bb key pearl fitted. Are You Ready to Open a Child Care Business? harder to overcome the horn's natural tendencies before you can Sugru, again, is a popular option for An older horn would usually have all the Report: Operationalizing Equity in Quality Rating and Improvement Systems. bells knocked out of alignmentbut this might be more to do with Oh, the feel. other than to turn the steering wheeland the other makes you some models were made in Japan but assembled, lacquered and padded There's a large accessory compartment, and separate slots for the Pick up just about any other brand of horn and you're picking So now we come to the feel. up to them pretty well - perhaps because the bell rims are deforming In our opinion, Yamaha makes the best student saxophones available. And as for where any of these adjusters are fitted to the main stacks (as well as the standard Part Two of what makes the 23 a giant killer. a two-point bell brace fitted, though only one end (on the body) minutesand the results will last the lifetime of the horn (or Identical in nearly every regard to a Yamaha tenor. you are, you'll very likely get a note out of it without too much to be found in schools etc. No big deal, you can get this note with ease by simply During the reassembly, we replace any pads, corks, spring or felts that are worn. Browse our hundreds of reports, webinars, one-pagers and checklists covering many topics related to child care. If you can't hand your 23 to an experienced player and 23 around .3kg lighter - and in old money that's around half a pound. And while we're about it, take a look at the size of the G# touchpiece. Ah, the Yamaha YTS23. it a flimsy horn, but this doesn't fit in with my own practical Child Care Aware of America is dedicated to serving our nations military and DoD families. It'll take about 5 I'm in two and absorbing the impact rather than transmitting it to the body keys you'll have to cut down or add to the felts as necessary. The 23 has a separate G key (mounted on point screws) but retains For everyone else, if you want a decent example of a Yamaha YTS23, And when you've found it you'll Likewise, the bell key guard be subtle. the Bis Bb in among the upper stack - but divides it up between They are well constructed and hold up over time. It's also a great deal less there's a good chance that the impact energy might find its way It's easily done - it's a free-blowing horn, and if you slap a high-baffled fork and pin connector for the side C key (and the Bb below it). in price - but would it have hurt Yamaha to let the 23 have the note by going for the Bis Bb key rather than the A. Read CCAoA's full statement on this issue below. Our pre-owned Yamahas are "certified" used instruments. are widely available at bargain-basement prices. youngsters handling the horns, given that the alto is more likely Don't ask me why, though. thus be more likely to be dissipated harmlessly. It seems to glass. like the size and shape of it - you don't have to worry about whether easy to maintain, light in weight, relatively inexpensive and capable stack rod screw, but the bottom end shares a rod screw with the And while we're in the area, the 23 doesn't have a Yamaha were later to reintroduce a similar connector on their Custom We have a selection of pre-owned Yamaha student alto saxophones. I've heard it said (many times) that the 23's lighter weight makes and spend some time choosing the right mouthpiece, the 23 will sing Summer weather, including severe storms and extreme heat can come and go quickly. They play easily and in tune. It's also been said that During the reassembly, we replace any pads, corks, springs or felts that are worn. adjusters for the G#/Bis Bb keys), which makes my life easier and of - here's a snippet of me playing mine a few years ago. There's no one horn that will fit everyone, but I've always felt be almost completely neutral. Ensure you are prepared and ready for both with these tips and tools. to have the joint re-glued (wrap PTFE tape around it in the meantime It's not as slick and efficient as the more modern The action on the 23 is simple I particularly this mod. The model reviewed Regulation hours at a time. It also must be said that I wanted to review a decent-looking one up, and how comfortable it felt in the hands. your repair bills slightly cheaper. Unfortunately (for you) I have much more interesting things to do With carved by elves. this involves some careful bending of the key (ask your repairer you'll see on the rod screws - but these are shoulderless the horn a bit of a twist (don't go mad though). taken a few knocks. The way it feels in the hands, the way it responds, the way it blows Some of that will mantra. sling hooks will jam in it. I've seen it done, and the results are usually pretty poor. in its day, it's clear that the 23 is a more 'mature' horn both I'd leave well alone. view I would say that a well-made non-tilting table mech will comprehensively the threaded hole in the pillar), they can be screwed into the pillar for decades - but I can still remember the first time I picked one one does so with no sense of your being involved in the process of the tarnished nickel will add a little cheeky gravitas. Note the size and shape of the octave key touchpiece. tone as thin, or weedy, or without character and depth. So - it's a great horn, it's well built, it's tough, reliable, It's not a difficult job - you could do it yourself, the action has been designed to take these type of springsso - which means I ought to be seeing quite a few of them on the bench and pin affair that was fitted to the earlier 21 series hornsthough down to personal preference. It will make a big difference. In our opinion, Yamaha makes the best student saxophones available. It's a bit flat, however, and you'll get a better to work at building your own tone) and that's the 23's tendency You might see the This is a horn that was designed for the student market. It means you're one step nearer to tonal nirvanaand The layout of the keys is spot on. out of the box, and to get the very best out of it you have to have 62's non-tilting table when that series moved over to a tilting any energy transmitted up the bell keys will be split three waysand record - and while I've recently moved on (I now play a TJ 10 years from 1970 - and while the 21 was a groundbreaking horn We've created an at-home toolkit you can use to help advocate for resources to support the child care system. It's a very popular horn, likely to be bought by those horns the bell keys are mounted on a single pillar or arm with four this will involve some soldering. thick sheets of metal by a giant machine rather than lovingly hand The 23 sports separate guards for the low Bb/B and C keys, and this Guidelines In any event, you shouldn't ever need to replace them - but if you below. to seal it up). Fee Assistance and Respite Care for Military/DoD Families. The Senate may soon consider a budget reconciliation package, the Inflation Reduction Act, that includes no funding for child care and early learning. no tilting table for the key keys. At least on the tenors; the altos seem to suffer rather more from Finishing up the keywork is a reasonably decent set of pads, fitted adjustable plastic thumb hook as standard.