I first noticed Schagerl at last year’s NAMM showcasing their line of trumpets which seemed to be quite a hit. Video: Sax.co.uk: Eastman Saxophones Schagerl Model 66 Tenor Saxophone “Vintage” I would like to thank Ralph Torres for taking the time to show me the new Eastman 850 tenor as well as updated keywork you will now find on the Eastman 52 nd street line of saxophones. I am excited to see Eastman release the 852 alto and tenor which will be the 52 nd street saxophone but with the new keywork you will find on the Eastman 850 model. The new keywork on the Eastman 52 nd street tenor and alto saxophone felt much more comfortable under my fingers.
Personally, I see this as a major improvement to the overall keywork found on the current Eastman 52 nd street saxophones. In addition to the Eastman 850 tenor being released, Eastman also released the updated keywork for the Eastman 52 nd street line of saxophones. Sonically, the Eastman 850 tenor had a more bright and focused sound in comparison to the Eastman 52 nd street tenor which I found to lean towards the darker side of the sound spectrum and play more spread than focused. The Eastman 850 tenor responded well from top to bottom with overall good intonation without much adjustment. Similar to the alto, I overall really liked how the Eastman 850 tenor responded as well as felt under my fingers. In addition, Ralph Torres over at Eastman informed me that the 850 model will come with 2 necks giving the player further possibilities to experiment with sonically as well as how the horn responds (more or less resistance based on the different neck tapers). Similar to the Eastman 850 alto I play tested last year, the Eastman 850 tenor embodies the same unique features such as: re-designed side keys, the alternate f# and high f# key placement, each palm key placed at a different angle for maximum comfort, left hand pinky table has a raised C# for a smoother transition to the low B and Bb, uniquely designed octave mechanism, and rounded tone whole cups.
Since test playing the new Eastman 850 alto saxophone at last year’s NAMM show, Eastman this year released the 850 tenor.