Thinking of upgrading your alto saxophone?
Should you choose an intermediate or pro alto sax? Which is the right choice for you?
It’s a question that comes up a lot inside Sax School. So that’s what we’re going to work out today.
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Everybody loves this pro sax from P. Mauriat. It’s the 67R. And in gold lacquer, it’s a real beauty.
But if you’re upgrading your alto saxophone to something like this, why wouldn’t you consider this saxophone instead? This is the P. Mauriat Le Bravo 200. It’s their intermediate saxophone. And frankly, it’s a little bit too good to be an intermediate in my opinion. But it’s a whole load cheaper than the 67R.
The 67R: Sound
So the model I’ve got here is the PMXA-67R GL. GL stands for gold lacquer. It’s a beautiful saxophone and it’s a pro level instrument that’s well made. There are so many cool features about this, which we’ll get to in a minute.
It retails for about £2,600 in the UK or about $3,250 USD.
So before we get into the tech side of things, listen as I play this saxophone on the video.
Le Bravo 200: Sound
How does that compare with the lower-priced Le Bravo? The Le Bravo is about £600 less, at around £1,800 in the UK, or about $2,450 USD.
There are some technical differences between this sax and the 67RL, but can you hear any differences in the sound?
Listen as I play the Le Bravo on the video.
So do you prefer the sound of the intermediate or pro alto sax?
When I’m playing it, I can hear a difference between these two saxes. They’ve got their qualities about them. And a lot of the differences come down to the design and the material that the saxophones are made from. So let’s dig into that.
Bell size: 67R
For me, the 67R has a darker, warmer sound, which I love. P. Mauriat says that the bell is bigger on the saxophone too, which helps to give it that big sound, and you can see the difference when you put 67R and Le Bravo side by side.
Rolled Tone Holes: 67R
So one of the big technical differences on this particular saxophone is it’s got rolled tone holes. That’s what the “R” in 67R stands for.
That means that when they draw the tone holes out of the body of the saxophone when it’s being manufactured, they also roll the top of the tone hole. So rather than just a sharp, filed flat edge that the pad closes onto, you’ve got a lovely rolled surface.
Now, apparently this makes the pads seat better. There are also claims that it makes the saxophone resonate better.
I’m not sure how can you even tell that. But it seems like they’ve gone to a lot of effort to make rolled tone holes, so there must be a really good reason for it.
Either way, the saxophone does play well. It feels great under your fingers. And I love the resonance of it as well.
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Neck Design: Le Bravo
For me, the big standout in the Le Bravo is the neck design. Now, these are technically the same model neck on the 67R and the Le Bravo. It’s their Super Six neck, but the Le Bravo neck is made from nickel silver, and that gives it a much brighter sound.
Because the thing is, after the mouthpiece, it’s the neck that has the biggest impact on the sound. And this particular neck gives the Le Bravo a focused, punchy sound.
Materials: Le Bravo
The body of this saxophone, and the bow and the bell are made from gold brass. Now the result is, when I play it, I feel I’ve got a bit more resistance. I’ve got a more focused sound on the saxophone.
It’s quite interesting, because my Dave Guardala tenor – my usual tenor – is also gold brass. But I don’t notice it has that same sort of narrowness to the sound for me. On my tenor I’ve got a much broader sound. There are lots of variables there.
Key Work
Both of these saxophones have got the same key system, and its good. It’s called “ribbed construction” where all of the keys are mounted on ribs, which are then mounted onto the saxophone.
That means it’s super sturdy. But most importantly for us, the key work feels fantastic under your fingers are on both the Le Bravo and the 67R.
And I also really like the metal thumb rests, which are on the back of both of these saxophones.
Finish and styling
Now there’s no denying that the Le Bravo is an attractive-looking saxophone in this satin brushed finish. It looks fantastic, and coupled with the silver-looking neck with the extra engraving on, I think it pops.
And for an intermediate saxophone, this is something really special. It feels special to play it, and it sounds really interesting. I think that’s why this is so appealing for intermediate players. Because instantly when you upgrade to this saxophone, You are going to feel like your saxophone is a lot more exciting to play, and the sound that you’re getting out of your saxophone is more engaging.
There’s no engraving on the body of the Le Bravo.
But on the 67R you do get some really lovely engraving around the bell.
I like the Gold Lacquer 67R. I think it’s classy and it looks beautiful. But you’ve got some other options for the finish with the 67R.
So it also comes in a Vintage finish for about an extra £100, or a classy Cognac Lacquer for about £2840, or $3,500 USD.
I borrowed these saxophones from Jim at Sax.co in London, and he was telling me that the most popular 67 model by far is the un-lacquered model. Now that’s a bit more expensive at about £3,100 or nearly $4,000 USD. It does look awesome though.
Easy to play
Both of these saxophones are super easy to play. I found the tuning to be excellent, and I could easily pop right up into the altissimo, which is brilliant.
But to be honest with you, they’re both well-made saxophones, so you kind of expect that. I’m kind of struggling to find anything that I don’t like about these saxophones.
One surprise
Oh, there was one thing that did surprise me though. There are no adjustment screws on the back of the right-hand stack. I thought that was quite surprising, because that’s a standard thing you’d find on Yamaha saxophones. Even my Dave Guardala Tenor has that, and it does make it easier when you go to get your saxophone serviced or repaired.
The cases
Now the Le Bravo comes with this suitcase-style case. It’s very sturdy, really well made. And I love the fact that it’s got these massive pockets in here to stick in your music or your bits and bobs, or pens. That’s great if you’re going to school or college.
And, there’s some goodies in here. There’s a neck strap, shoulder straps, and a cleaning cloth. And there’s a little care package too with some cork grease and a reed. It looks like a Vandoren reed, but it’s not. It’s a P. Mauriat reed. And another cleaning cloth.
I should also say this bag has got shoulder straps on the back too, which is fantastic if you are doing the commute.
Now, the 67R comes with this more shaped case, which I think also looks pretty cool. It’s still got the care package in the front pocket here, and all the bits and bobs like the other one. But I do like this little extra pocket. And there’s a bigger pocket on the back. You could easily get your saxophone stand and some music and stuff in there too.
Choosing an intermediate or pro alto sax
So who are these saxophones for?
To be honest with you, I think anybody who’s looking to upgrade from their beginner saxophone, to an intermediate or pro alto sax, could do worse than these two choices.
These are both fantastic saxophones. And I’ll bet there are plenty of pro players that are playing this Le Bravo because it’s an interesting, colorful saxophone to play.
So, if you’re looking to upgrade to an intermediate or pro alto sax, I think you’re in safe hands with either of these.
Which one will I go for? Look, I do like the 67R because I think it’s really interesting.
But there’s even another model that I haven’t mentioned today, and that’s the “Influence” version of this 67R – the 67R X. I think the unlacquered finish of the Influence model looks fantastic, and the little metal touches on the keys look amazing.
Tips for choosing your next intermediate or pro alto sax
I’ve got some quick advice for you about choosing an intermediate or pro alto sax.
If you do get the opportunity, you really should go to a music store where you can try a bunch of saxophones. I love sax.co in London. It’s like Aladdin’s cave. There are so many saxophones there to try. And the lovely thing is you can get some good advice from the staff there, and then you can try a bunch of different things to see how they feel.
What you are looking for these days is a saxophone that lights you up, and makes you feel excited about playing saxophone.
Because the fact is, there are so many great saxophones on the market today that are all well made, and well built. They’re going to last you for years, and they’re going to allow you to do whatever you want.
What you’re looking for though, is the saxophone that really gets you excited when you pick it up and play it. I hope one of these gets you excited, too, and I hope you found this useful.
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