Review: P. Mauriat Saxophones

I was in the hospital recently and underwent two surgical procedures.  I won't go into detail, as this really wouldn't be the place for it, but I have some time off for recovery as I mend and this now gives me a little time to get back to this blog and post this review which I began before going into the hospital.  

Over the last few years, I've had the opportunity to play and get familiar with P. Mauriat saxophones.  The first time I heard of them, I was living in Tokyo and went down to the music store district called Ochanomizu.  It is to Tokyo what W. 48th Street used to be in New York City before the Rockefellers took over the block.  Now there's only Sam Ash and a couple of smaller music stores, and from what I understand, the Rockefellers are going to raze the rest of the block and all the stores have to move. (Note: Since I wrote this, the stores are gone now).  The end of an era.  Anyway, I looked at all the stores that sold saxophones and found a small one located in a basement store that had some P. Mauriat saxophones.  They had four P. Mauriat saxophones, two altos and two tenors, all with the matte finish.  One alto and tenor were the 67R and 66R respectively, and the other two were the System 76's.  I was intrigued by the look.  Selmer already had matte finished saxophones in their Reference series, but this matte finish was darker, made to look like an old, well played horn.  Some people don't like it, but I do.  However, I didn't have my mouthpiece with me so I didn't try them.  

The thing that most interested me in the 67R and the 66R were the fact that they had rolled tone holes, rolled from the existing metal like my old Conn, and unlike the Keilwerth saxophones, where tone hole rings are soldered to the tone hole.  Keilwerth's philosophy is that should the tone hole get damaged, it's easier to remove the ring and fix and level the tone hole.  However, I have heard from some Keilwerth owners that the ring can warp and be uneven, or someone at the factory didn't place the ring perfectly flat, and then of course you will have a leak in the horn.  For those who don't know what a rolled tone hole is, it simply is that the lip of the tone hole is rolled so that the edges of the tone hole are rounded.  In my opinion, if the tone hole is properly rolled and leveled, the seal is better and the pads last longer.  I know from my old Conn that I had fewer pad jobs than friends who played saxes with flat tone holes.  I also feel, and again, it's just my opinion that the rolled tone holes of my Conn did something for its projection.  Smaller in body size and bell diameter than modern horns, the Conn still had a powerful tone.  Stephen Howard, on his sax review UK website also felt that the rolled tone holes made a difference between Conns produced up to 1947, when the rolled tone holes were discontinued, and the ones produced after that.  For his review of the Conn 6M alto and 10M tenor go to 

http://www.shwoodwind.co.uk/

The first week after returning to New York City from Japan, I stopped into a local music store where I would end up eventually working, and tried the 67R alto with the matte finish.  This time I had my mouthpiece with me.  I took it into the tryout room and commenced.  The first tune I decided to play was "I Should Care", then "The Nearness Of You", and some random blues.  Unlike a lot of players when they try out saxophones, I prefer to start with ballads and slow blues, where the sound, the tone is very important.  The meat of the horn so to speak.  I will know more about the horn from digging into its tonal capabilities than by ripping out fast scales, which just about every player who tries out saxes in my store seems to do. Playing fast certainly gives you an idea how well balanced and solid the keys are or not, but not about the sound.  To me, sound is always the first consideration.

Like all modern saxophones these days, the P. Mauriat is patterned on the Selmer platform.  However, that's where any similarity ends. More on that later.  My initial impression was good, but I felt I needed more time with it to get used to the keys and the feel and sound.  I would have to return and try it some more.  However, as things turned out, I got a job with the music store and would have lots of time and opportunity to try out several models in the P. Mauriat line.  By having access to the other major brands like Selmer, Keilwerth, Yanigasawa and Yamaha, I could make side by side comparisons.  I also was able to make side by side comparisons to vintage horns that we had in stock, like the Selmer Balanced Action, Super Balanced Action and Mark VI, Conn New Wonder a.k.a. Chu Berry, 6M and 10M, Martin Handcraft and Committee models, Buescher TruTone, Aristocrat and 400 and King Zephyr and Super 20. This was going to be fun.

The bell says P. Mauriat, named after the French orchestra leader Paul Mauriat who never actually played the saxophone and had a hit in the sixties with his version of "Love Is Blue".  Under the name, it says Paris, and some models add New York, London and Tokyo.  This is misleading because the saxophones are actually produced in Taiwan.  However, I feel this was a smart move on the part of Alex Hsieh, the founder and president of the company.  Until P. Mauriat saxophones entered the market, saxophones made in Taiwan were considered at best only fair, and at worst as bad as instruments made in China.  However, having lived in Taiwan at the beginning of the new millenium, I saw that at some point, the quality and the perception of saxophones and other instruments made in Taiwan would eventually change.  After all, at one time anything made in Japan was considered junk, but now Yamaha and Yanigasawa make some of the best saxophones in the world.  Taiwan has modern factories, and I know from having lived there that the people are very hard working and conscientious.  Anyway, having Paris, New York, London and Tokyo on the bell initially gave players the perception that it was an international company, and the quality would be better.

The concept for P. Mauriat started when Alex Hsieh came to the US to study saxophone with Roger Greenberg,  a member of the Harvey Pittel Saxophone Quartet and professor of saxophone at the University of Colorado.  Alex loves the saxophone, and was already building them in Taiwan before coming to study with Roger.  At one point, and I got this from Roger Greenberg himself, he mentioned to Alex that he wished someone would produce a saxophone with modern ergonomics, but with metals and a sound that harkened back to not just a Selmer Mark VI or Balanced Action, but also with attributes of the classic old American horns like Conn, Buescher, King and Martin.  This would result in the P. Mauriat brand.  Unlike many factories in Taiwan and China that build saxophones for anyone and then stamp them with whatever company or brand name that will distribute them, Alex's company, Albest Musical Instruments would now dedicate themselves to making a single brand.  Doing so would give the horn an identity, which is necessary if you're going to break into the marketplace.  Roger Greenberg set up Monteverde Music to distribute the brand in the US.  Roger eventually retired a few years ago, and now the brand is distributed in the US by St. Louis Music.  The Big 4, Selmer, Keilwerth, Yamaha and Yanigasawa up to this point had a corner on the professional and intermediate market.  Keilwerth almost went bankrupt until bought by The Buffet Group, which has breathed some new life into the brand.

P. Mauriat has managed, in the relatively very short time they have been on the market, to become a serious player, no pun intended, in the saxophone world.  They did this by first making a quality horn with a great sound.  Sure, the early models had some kinks, like uneven keywork, but the saxes have gone through consistent improvement over the years, and now P. Mauriat has taken its place as one of the best saxophones in the world.  Some of the best players in the world today are playing these fine horns.  My friends Keyan Williams and James Carter, and also Greg Osby and Hamiett Bluiett among others, and the list keeps growing.  Alex Hsieh also carefully listens to feedback from the pros, and makes improvements or introduces new models based on these suggestions.

My friend Keyan Williams with his P. Mauriat 60NS Tenor Saxophone

One time I mentioned to Alex that I wished that they made a sax like my old Conn with a brushed silver bell and body and a gold bell.  He responded that he could build a sax with any finish.  Not even a year later he came out with the PM87.  I don't think it had anything to do with my suggestion as I'm not a player of note, at least not yet, but it's nice to know that he's willing to be different than the other manufacturers.

PM87 Alto

Since returning from Japan five years ago and working in the music store, I've had ample opportunity to play several models in the P. Mauriat line.  My reviews here will concern only the models I've played extensively.  Some models I tried on a limited basis and will include them here with my impressions. I wish I could try them all, and will whenever I return to Taiwan and visit the P. Mauriat factory and showroom in Taipei.  These will do for now, but it should give you a good idea into the brand and why you should consider it seriously whether you are a working musician or a college student in school band or orchestra.  

The very first P. Mauriat saxophone I played was the PM67R alto with the vintage matte lacquer and rolled tone holes.  It is still the one that I play as often as possible.

PM67R Alto Vintage Matte Lacquer

PM66R Tenor Vintage Matte Lacquer

I like the sound of my alto to be initially a little dark, but that I could also push to a brighter tone without getting shrill or edgy, and this horn can do it.  This can be used for classical playing and jazz in equal measure.  This saxophone also has a wide tonal palette.  It is a beefy horn when you want it to be, can harumph and growl, but then sings sweetly when you want to.  I find this horn especially good for ballads and blues, because of its vocal quality and because of the balanced scale.  It plays as well in tune as any horn could.  Altissimo is easy on this horn and all the P. Mauriats I've tried.  This, along with the 66R tenor are the best selling models in the P. Mauriat line, and with good reason.  Whatever you can do with a saxophone, you can do with this one.  This horn has great tone shaping capabilities, much like the Conn 6M or Selmer Mark VI.  Maybe it was the rolled tone holes, or maybe it was just in my head, but I felt I was playing a well-seasoned old Conn as far as the sound went.  The PM66R Tenor is really one of the best tenor saxophones out there in my mind.  This tenor has a really beefy tone, but without getting tubby, but like the alto version, you can really push this baby and create a wide tonal palette.  Altissimo is easy, the scale is well-balanced.  If it's a vintage sound you're looking for, this horn has it.  You can invoke any number of the great tenors of the past like Ben Webster, Coleman Hawkins, Lester Young, Dexter Gordon. 

One thing you'll notice when you pick up one of these horns is the weight.  These are heavy, solid instruments.  Nothing shoddy here.  If you play the tenor or baritone, I strongly suggest you employ a harness over a regular neck strap to avoid neck strain from the weight of these horns.  I did have a few complaints about some of the earlier models as far as keywork was concerned.  Some of the keys were uneven, and I would see an occasional tiny solder blob where the post was attached to the body.  Even with newer horns, I sometimes find the keywork a little spongy, the rods a little easy to bend.  That's my main complaint about the horn. Of course, I always recommend that you get the horn properly set up and tweaked before taking it to a gig. The ergonomics are what you expect to find on a modern horn.  Keys fit under the fingers, though with the G# to Bb cluster I felt I had to stretch my pinky a little more to get to Bb, and I do not have small hands.  However, after working with it for a time I got used to it and it was no longer an issue.

A couple of anecdotes about these horns before I move on.  In one instance, this family came in from Israel to buy their son a professional saxophone as he had gotten quite good, and the cost of the same saxophone in Israel is more than double what it costs in the US.  He had his eyes on either a Selmer or Yamaha, including a Mark VI if we had one, and we had a couple.  The cost was no longer an issue because whatever it was, it would be far less than they could get it there, if they could even find it.  He tried every Selmer alto we had, Series II and III, a Reference 54 and the two Mark VI's we had, as well as every Yamaha except the YAS23 and YAS475, and a Yanigasawa 992.  He wasn't so happy with any of them.  Up to now he never heard of P. Mauriat, so I suggested he try the 67R matte finish horn.  He was intrigued by the finish, and thought why not?  I gave him the horn, and as soon as he blew the first notes into it, a smile broke out on his face and his eyes widened, and even his family reacted with an "aah".  He was surprised, as is just about any player unfamiliar with the brand was when they tried it for the first time.  It was selling for $600 less than the closest competitor, and over a thousand less than a comparable Selmer.  Sold!

Next was a player who came into the store one day carrying his Mark VI tenor.  He had the horn recently overhauled, and in his mind up to this point, there was nothing better than his old Mark VI.  However, he worked in a big band, and the second tenor was playing a P. Mauriat 66R matte finish tenor, and had told this player that he loved the horn and he should just try it.  So, this player told me all he wanted to do was try the horn, not in the market to buy, just to see what his bandmate was talking about.  I gave him the horn, and he disappeared into the tryout room.  He was gone a good 90 minutes.  He comes out with an almost sheepish look to his face, and asked me if I would be willing to make a trade on a Mark VI so he could have this tenor.  He told me he was shocked at how powerful and clean the tone was, how the notes just popped out of the horn effortlessly, how he could get a "range" that he said he couldn't get on his Mark VI, which was what really shocked him.  He was taking so long because he kept playing each horn side by side, until he was firmly convinced that this saxophone was better than his beloved old Mark VI.  He couldn't believe it but accepted the fact, and we made an even trade.  He has since reported that he has been extremely happy with the horn over the long haul, playing at all the gigs he plays.  He was a convert.

PM67RUL Alto Unlacquered

PM66Rul Tenor Unlacquered

The 67RUL Alto and 66RUL Tenor saxophones are the same as the 67R and 66R, but with no lacquer at all, just bare brass.  This means that over time, the brass will oxidize and turn yellow, brown and green.  This is not rust, as brass doesn't rust, and in no way affects the sound quality.  The role of lacquer is to keep the brass looking shiny and from oxidizing.  However, as you can see on many old lacquered saxophones, once you get a chip in the lacquer, or on saxophones where the engraving is done after the lacquer is applied, moisture gets into the open spaces and eventually more and more of the lacquer flakes off.  This doesn't make the horn look good, but it in no way effects the sound, so many players opt not to relacquer the horn, which I also recommend not to do.  Relacquering will reduce the value of your instrument if you put it on the market as well.  So one of the newer trends in modern saxophone production along with matte lacquer to give the horn an old look, is to have no lacquer at all, just bare brass.  Many players swear that this opens up the sound, whatever that's supposed to mean, because there is no lacquer to hinder the resonance of the horn.  Actually, the lacquer is really too thin to actually "hinder" the resonance", but then who am I to argue? 

At any rate, I do find the 67RUL and the 66RUL to be free blowing horns with a slightly brighter tone than the matte lacquer finish, but it's basically the same.  You still have a wide tonal palette, good scale and ergonomics and almost effortless altissimo.  Characteristics any good horn should have, and this horn has them.  Another anecdote similar to the ones above was the time a gentleman residing in Arlington VA, near DC came into the shop.  He was a director for the Marine Band for over 30 years and was now retired.  He now led a small jazz combo doing weekend gigs in a local venue, and was looking for a new Selmer tenor.  He already had a Mark VI (doesn't everyone?) but was now interested in a Series II or III, and the Reference 54 and 36 tenors.  We had at the time a Series II and III in gold lacquer, a Series II with black lacquer and a series III with silver plate, and one Reference 36 in gold lacquer.  He spent quite a bit of time trying these horns, because he was determined to go home with a new tenor.  He handed back the last Selmer he tried, but wasn't convinced.  He next tried the Keilwerth SX90R with black lacquer that we had.  Still not convinced.  Next came the Yamaha Custom Z in gold lacquer, and the Yamaha 875EX with black lacquer.  Still not convinced.  Of course, not wanting to see a sale go out the door, I pointed to the PM66RUL and suggested he try it.  Like many before him, he was unfamiliar with P.Mauriat, and when he saw that the price was below the other brands, he was skeptical but would give it a try anyway.  He disappeared for close to an hour.  When he returned, he had a big smile on his face, as well as expressing complete surprise.  He said he couldn't believe it, but this sax had everything he was looking for in feel and sound, and he liked the look of bare brass.  Sold!  He has also called me back on several occasions to tell me how happy he is with the horn. 

PMSystem76 Soprano Matte Finish

I have always liked the soprano sax, and my store always had an ample supply of them for me to try.  The thing about a soprano is that intonation is always a little tricky, the mouthpiece smaller than a clarinet making the emboucher tighter, and is just the nature of the beast, and though tone is always a matter of personal taste, too many players have a shrill or otherwise thin tone to my ears.  Even a couple of the greats of this instrument like Sidney Bechet or John Coltrane never sounded all that pleasant to my ears on the soprano.  Never mind the guy that is popular on the soprano today.  The soprano players that I enjoy listening to are all classical players in saxophone quartets.  When I play the soprano, I usually employ a more classical tone when playing blues or jazz.  It does work.  I tried Selmer Series II sopranos, Yamaha, and Yanigasawa curved and straight sopranos.  I really don't like curved sopranos because my fingers are just a little to fat for the tight action, so I prefer straight sopranos because the keys are more open for my hands.  Up to this point, I thought that Yanigasawa made the best sopranos.  I never liked Selmer sopranos the same as I liked the tenors and altos, Yamaha was good except for one Custom Z which I couldn't get to play in tune no matter what I did.  I had a couple of Cannonball curved sopranos, but they did nothing for me.  Enter the PMSystem76 Soprano with matte finish.  This was easily the best soprano I had yet played.  Full, rich tone, balanced scale, good feel under the fingers.  Another horn that can cross many boundaries, whether jazz, classical, pop, whatever.  I eventually sold it to a classical player who again, never heard of the brand, was looking for a new soprano to play with her sax quartet, and found it in this horn.  A common thread here is that many players never heard of the brand before trying it, and most walked away with one.  That alone can build the reputation of an instrument.

PM86RUL Soprano

I thought the PMSystem76 soprano was the best I tried until I came across the PM86RUL.  I was impressed by its striking looks.  It is unlacquered and has a beautiful brownish gold color.  However, like any sax, the proof is in the playing, not in the looks.  I've seen many a beautiful looking sax that didn't sound as good as it looked.  This is the soprano I would want to take home and to take to a gig.  The sound is rich and full, and another horn that can cross many genres of music.  It has great stage presence because of its looks and sound, but above all its sound.  I want this baby.

PM60NS Alto

PM60NS Tenor

The PM60NS alto and tenor have a brushed nickel silver finish with gold lacquer keys, making them striking looking saxes.  My friend Keyan Williams favors this model on tenor, as you can see in the photo above.  Being a mostly alto player, I tried that version of the horn.  One thing I will say about P. Mauriat that may be a negative but really isn't is that they have given me too many choices and so many great saxophones that it's often difficult to decide which one would I settle down with, or do I just take them all because they all have something special?  This horn has a brighter sound than the 67R but that's not to say that it is thin toned.  One thing I have found on all P. Mauriat horns is that no matter how bright the horn, it never gets shrill or edgy, always maintains a certain warmth and fullness of tone, and this horn is no exception.  However, this sax would definitely be more well-suited to jazz, blues, r&b. rock and pop.  Just the same, I found I could play some very lyrical tunes with this sax, as well as get a little funky if I wanted. 

PMLaBrava Alto

PMLaBrava Tenor

The P. Mauriat LaBrava is their intermediate horn but will still work well for many professionals.  The finish on the body is brushed gold lacquer, with gold lacquer keys and a nickel silver neck.  It's a no-frills horn, with no engraving, but still an attractive horn.  The tone is brighter, but again, like all P. Mauriat horns, never shrill, thin or edgy.  In case anyone needs to know what I mean by these adjectives, its a sound that doesn't make my ears ring in pain.  This horn is perfect for a student in school band looking for a step up instrument, or a pro on a budget, and really, what musician isn't really on a budget these days?  Like the PM60NS, I feel this is better suited to jazz, r&b, blues, rock and pop playing.  At its price point, you couldn't go wrong. 

I saved my favorite for last.  This is another 67R but with cognac lacquer, or a deep gold lacquer that is just a beauty to the eyes, but in terms of sound, reminds of the best Conn or Selmer I've played, and allows me to get those Benny Carter/Paul Desmond like tones I love so much.  This would be the horn of my choice.  Rich, lush tone, a wide pallette, great ergonomics and is gorgeous to look at.  It's got all the qualities that I want in a saxophone.  At first glance it looks like a Selmer Reference 54, until you see the beautiful blue/green abalone key pearls.  Like the Reference 54, it has the style and sound, but unlike the Reference 54, it doesn't have the price. 

PM67R Alto Cognac Lacquer

I love these saxophones, I make no bones about it.  I think these are among the best saxophones being made today, and many top professionals have attested to that.  I hope they can keep it up and keep producing more great horns.  Time will tell. 

Here are other models in the P. Mauriat line worthy of consideration.  Though I haven't played any of these models as extensively as the ones above, I still had a favorable first impression of them.

P. Mauriat Swing55 Alto.  Also available in a tenor version.  Copper body and neck, brass bell and keys with matte lacquer.  This is a horn that you're either going to like the looks of or not.  In terms of sound, it is reminiscent to me, of an old Buescher Aristocrat or Martin Committee II.  

PMSS601DK Soprano with matte lacquer, tipped bell, meaning that the bell is curved slightly outwards rather than being straight, and interchangeable necks, one straight, one curved.  While I personally prefer one piece straight sopranos, I liked the way this horn sounded and felt, especially with the curved neck, like playing a curved soprano that was more open in the keys for my hands.  Then of course, there is that full tone.

P. Mauriat Black Pearl Tenor, also available in an alto version.  Black nickel body with gold lacquered keys.  It is truly a beautiful looking instrument with a tone that is somewhere between a dark and bright tone.  Very centered and powerful, another great horn for jazz, blues, r&b, rock and pop. 

For more information on these excellent instruments you can visit their official website:

http://www.pmauriatmusic.com/

Here is a short video on how P. Mauriat saxophones are made:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wRZa0aHp5Vk&feature=related