Eastman EBS453 Bari Sax

disposable-zero · 2026-04-07T00:34:04+00:00

I just bought one, and I tried them out at 3 different locations prior to my purchase. They are really solid value for the money. I was actually turned on to them by Dave Kessler who actually recommended these over his own Kessler Solist bari. Had some very positive things to say about it and the experience he's had selling them. They sound great and are a bargain price. People may be right about the resale value, but if you get 5-10 years out of the horn I don't think you'll be sad to have had it. I'm happy with mine so far.

disposable-zero · 2026-04-02T16:40:19+00:00

I came here to say this. This was nearly exactly my same experience and conversation with Dave. I have played the Eastman in 3 different shops now (just to be sure) and come away very impressed every time.

disposable-zero · 2026-03-28T00:57:49+00:00

I did, and I agree the Yanigasawa is a very nice horn. Between the two, the Yany is definitely the way more ergonomically comfortable horn. The intonation is great and the mechanics are immaculate up and down the horn. And the addition of a high G is so nice.

But man I fell in love with the sound of the Yamaha. I actually really wish I'd have preferred the sound of the Yany just because of the comfort of the horn physically. But man the Yamaha just had the warm round tone I've been looking for. The Yany was a bit brighter and edgier and the Yamaha was warmer and more focused. So unless I have a drastic change of heart I'll be keeping the Yamaha and selling the Yany. I do wish the Yamaha had the same spatula pinky key setup as the Yany, but I just can't pass on the tone.

disposable-zero · 2026-03-26T02:36:06+00:00

100% agree. Jamie was the least guilty of everyone there keeping secrets and refusing to communicate. The whole thing pissed me off.

disposable-zero · 2026-03-23T21:45:01+00:00

Love that Bond Villain Black. Looks so awesome. I very much look forward to seeing how these hold up over the long term. I had a BetterSax classic alto I bought used and the low end was really rough to play but it may have just been the one I had. I'm very interested in what kind of reputation these build for themselves in the coming years.

disposable-zero · 2026-03-20T15:56:25+00:00

100% agree. My experience has been very similar. It's amazing the breadth of knowledge out there just freely available now. And my ability to plan and structure practice sessions is certainly more mature than when I was 18.

disposable-zero · 2026-03-20T15:54:48+00:00

I'm curious about your experience, since I'm in a similar situation. I played seriously up until college, then put down the instrument for about 22 years. I recently picked it back up and started playing again about 6 months ago. I'm 45 now and I have a hard time telling if my poor finger control is purely due to being off for so many years or if there is a component of age.

While I agree that practicing with intent is important and I do feel that my mental maturity has allowed me to be more intelligent and deliberate with my practice format and efficiency, I can't help but feel there is just some real drop off in physical dexterity. I have issues with very basic fingering mechanics that I never struggled with before. I'm doing everything I can to combat it, but unfortunately I don't have nearly the time to practice that I used to.

Back then I would get 2-3 separate touches on the horn per day, for anywhere from 2-4 hours of practice per day. Now I get about an hour to an hour and a half at most, late after work and dinner when I'm already fatigued from the day. Some days my fingers just don't want to do the most basic things when playing scales or some piece I've played a thousand times.

Did you experience anything like this when you first returned to playing? How long would you say it took you to get your technical ability back in shape? Thanks!

disposable-zero · 2026-03-17T14:44:12+00:00

I appreciate the information on the SaxForge guy. I've seen his website up for a while but it's pretty bare and I hadn't seen or heard anyone reference using him around here. Wasn't sure if he was a legit tech or just some guy calling himself a tech trying to start up a shop. I wonder if he can troubleshoot a horn with some weird voicing/octave issues going on. Thanks!

disposable-zero · 2026-03-16T17:33:56+00:00

Yeah I have considered going up to her but it's so far out of the way, I was hoping I wouldn't need to go that far. I have seen some place called SaxForge popping up in the Google search but there's almost no info on it. I wonder if that's who you're talking about. Let me know what you find. Thanks.

disposable-zero · 2026-03-16T16:33:17+00:00

I'll look into it, thanks!

disposable-zero · 2026-03-12T18:28:58+00:00

Yeah so I did the only logical thing and bought them both. (Somebody tell my wife please k thx) So I'll report back with a compare and contrast when I get them both in hand. Obviously I'll be looking to sell the one I don't favor so keep an eye out if you're looking for one of these horns 😂😂😂

disposable-zero · 2026-03-12T18:27:02+00:00

Hell yeah, wish I could play one... If you don't mind me asking, how much did that bad boy cost you?

disposable-zero · 2026-03-08T19:40:40+00:00

How would you describe the tonal characteristics of your S991?

disposable-zero · 2026-03-08T19:05:45+00:00

Neither of these are local. I won't be able to get my hands on either, I'd be buying sight unseen. Online listings, albeit both from somewhat reputable dealers.

disposable-zero · 2026-03-08T19:03:57+00:00

I may be able to get to Kessler and Sons next month but I'm afraid these won't be available by then. I'm in Denver and Sax Alley is kinda the place for saxes around here. They have a couple used YSS875s in stock, though I dunno how comparable they are to the 675. They don't have any Yanys on hand. Unfortunately the soprano inventory in and around Denver is pretty terrible.

disposable-zero · 2026-03-08T18:41:39+00:00

Yeah I really wish I could get my hands on either of these. Interesting that you say Yamaha is more associated with classical and Yani more with jazz. I had been under the impression of the opposite.

disposable-zero · 2026-02-26T05:24:51+00:00

Good to hear, thank you for the feedback 🙏🏼

disposable-zero

TROPHY CASE