Giardinelli 812 Series Black Nickel Tenor Saxophone  

I love this sax.  It was a much needed improvement from what I had before. My tone is better and with practice and getting used to the sax, my technicality has also gotten better...

I ordered my Giardinelli GS812T through Musician?s Friend and it arrived in perfect condition.  The horn?s appearance is striking...beautifully finished; meticulously engraved.  Silver-plated keys with black pads and resonators show a real attention to appearance by the manufacturer. The two necks that came with my horn differ from the website photos but match the written description (i.e. one black nickel, the other silver plate over rose brass).  I use the silver neck with a Meyer mouthpiece and a Rovner ?dark? ligature to get a soft, rich sound.  An older Guardala mouthpiece and a BG Super Revelation ligature work great for me with the black nickel neck for a more focused, forceful sound.  I use a Korg orchestral tuner with a contact microphone and find the intonation across the full range of my horn to be excellent. I?m very pleased with my GS812T and feel that the price offers exceptional value. Other Pluses: Nice key action; no play in any of the posts; a well-made case with snug-fitting compartments.  Small Issues: The cork on both necks was too thin for the bore of my mouthpieces (an easy fix) and a few pads were seated slightly off-center (but no leaks). The mouthpiece was the only real disappointment (noticeably flawed boring with uneven rails).