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This horn is good for anyone that needs a professional quality saxophone but cannot afford one. -Tone: Very flexible sound, good for jazz/popular or legit music, namely depending on your mouthpiece (I use a Selmer C* with Gonzolez reeds for a dark sound, and a Rosseau JDX 7 with softer Vandoren reeds for a bright one). It has a tendency to thin out in the palm keys, and is a little stuffy in the middle register. -Intonation: This horn can be a little pitchy and inconsistent. Play it for a while and learn its tendencies, then get a good tune-up. Consider spending the money on a Selmer if you do a lot of ensemble work. Also try different necks (even from and older horn). This fixed many of the tone/ intonation issues for me. Key Action/ Feel: Very comfortable. The left hand pinky keys are easy to maneuver around. This is especially good for playing scales, arpeggios and technical passages often required of advanced players. This product is also well machined. It comes with no play in the keys, and the springs are evenly tensioned. Two Complaints: If you have big hands, you need palm key risers (I suggest Runyon- they are cheap and they stay on for a long time). The stock pads have very soft felt in them, and swell under normal wear and tear. Factor new pads in at some point, and make sure the ones your repairman puts on are thin, because this horn has thin pad cups, so regular pads will not seal well. Aesthetics: This horn looks very professional. I recommend the lacquered model because it doesn't corrode or scratch easily. This is important because corrosion can mark your brand new tux shirt. The engraving and case look nice too. Longevity: This is a great horn for the price but keep in mind that you might outgrow it. Consider some more expensive models if you plan on playing with ensembles professionally. Reselling a less expensive horn after buying it new in order to purchase a more expensive instrument will cost you more money over all. This is still a great value, and a very solid horn with a good tune-up and a good saxophonist.

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I can not say enough about how much I love my Yamaha saxophones. My soprano, alto and tenor that my kids will tell you that I love more than them (not true, but I do love these horns) are ALL Yamaha. Where to begin? Well quite simply, there is not a better horn on the market for the price. They play easy. They play in-tune in all registers. The altissimo is easily aquired while low B flat is just as easily attained. You can play from a whisper to a scream. I also like the consistency of Yamaha. Unlike my experiences with selmer in which I have played three different same model horns and had three different experiences, I literally have played several same model Yamahas and they all played the same! When I first started playing over 35 years ago, I liked selmer, loved the Yamaha sound but ended up playing Buffet for years. The reason I did not go with Yamaha then was because they simply did not hold up. That was then and this is now! They addressed the problems and let me tell you, these horns hold up well! So now for me, it is a no brainer. Play the best sounding, best quality, best dollar for dollar, most consistent horn on the market with the knowledge that my investment is sound and in an instrument that is solid. I chose the 62II over the Custom for several reasons. It is a bit more versatile for all genres of music where as the Z is meant more for just jazz. They are virtually identical in construction other than the 62 is made of yellow brass versus the Z being constructed of french brass which is lighter and therefore produces a more open sound (ideal for jazz). So if you want fancier engraving and a more open sound, and it is worth a few hundred more dollars to you, buy the Z. I purchased my horns about 6 years ago and have never had any problems with them and still get excited like the first day I purchased them everytime I pull them from their cases. LOVE MY YAMAHAS!! Try one! Buy one! You won't be disappointed. Phil Woods, Michael Lington and Dave Koz (to name a few) play Yamaha, need I say more? And for what it is worth, my many experiences over the years with wwbw have been wonderful. They have a very knowledgable staff with woodwind experts to assist you and answer your questions intelligently unlike others in which you have a drummer answering questions about saxophone mouthpieces (usually they just tell you that they don't know because they don't play - that is a lot of help - NOT). At wwbw you have the most extensive selection of woodwind instruments and accessories (especially mouthpieces). I buy from wwbw quite simply because they have the best selection, most knowledgable staff, best prices and best customer service. Hope this long-winded review helped!

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I am an alto/tenor/bari player in high school. I mainly play my Barrington tenor and the school's Yamaha bari, but sometimes when I get home I pull out this alto just because I like to hear it's sound. Never have I heard a saxophone make such a beautiful sound. I have played one of the cryogenic Custom Z altos and I would pick this alto over the cryogenic one. I play this alto most Sundays in a church orchestra. It fits in perfectly with any concert band (would not recommend it for marching band). Perfect for a student looking to go professional

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I Love This Model! It Is Great For A Variety Of Music. The Keys Move Wonderfully. I Purchased The Silver Model, It's Beautiful But Alot To Handle, You Have To Polish It Each Time You Play So I Would Recomend The Laquer Finish. I WOuld Also Recomend Not To Use This For Marching Band. I Highly Recomend This Model For Anyone Wishing To Upgade.

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I have had this horn for about two years and I'm very pleased with it overall. The weight gives that comfort that the horn will not break under your fingers. I love the sound in a jazz setting (Brilhart #7 metal mouthpiece, vando classic 3 reeds). One problem that I've encountered with the horn however is the screw holding the alt high f key (oblong tear shape key above b key) comes unscrewed every few weeks. Simple screwdriver fixes it. I'm also in the unfortunate position of playing traditional grade 5+ hs band music. C* works, just not my style. That aside, I love my horn but make sure you have a decent mouthpiece already. Included plastic one is good in a pinch but not recommended for serious players.