[Jessica]

What is your opinion on the Accent Soprano saxophone. It would be for a beginner soprano player but she has played alto for 4 years. Currently in HS. Looking for a lower priced, yet good quality horn.

Have heard it it made in same factory as Antiguas but that they are even better. I have heard good things about the Antiguas but not much on Accent. Wondering if anyone has had the opportunity to play one.

 

[Mark5047]

Hi Jessica!

It is unlikely you will get a straight answer about where this horn was made. The companies who sell these and the factories where they are made like to keep their identities secret. And even if this particular model was made in the same factory as Antigua, they may or may not always come from the same place. It's really a difficult thing to identify the true origin which is why many people avoid the off brands. If you stick with a name like Antigua, Cannonball, LA Sax, Jupiter & Kessler you know what you are getting, which is why you typically pay more for them.
I was fortunate enough to find a soprano made by Tenon (one of the more reputable factories) that had an off brand on it, but that really is the exception rather than the rule.
Good luck!!!

 

[Jessica]

I was looking at the Kessler and asking some of the people near me - band teacher, and a university professor and they each replied back that the Kessler were hard to maintain - that the repairs are expensive. They both ended up getting thier info from the repair main at a local music store. He is the one that gave them both the info on the Accent - it is of course the brand that his store sells so that is why I am asking if anyone has played one. My daughter is currently trying it out - it looks good but that is about all I know about them. I have asked her band teacher for his opinion - the aid is a sax player so asked for her opinion and will get the professors opinion if necessary. The professor is a sax teacher and is familiar with the alto accent and said he really liked it. He hadn't played an accent soprano though. The price is comparable to the Kessler if not a little more expensive. The band teacher said he would go with an accent over a jupiter. I just want something she can start out with and get her through HS, so don't want to spend too much and if she decides to continue on after, we could up grade at that time, but don't want her frustrated with a horn that is too cheap to play correctly.

 

[Mark5047]

Ahh - OK, thats a little bit different scenario then - you have someone locally who can give you advice? I would say if the instructor likes it, and the shop is willing to work on it that would probably be a good situation for you.
It is very likely that the Accent is a decent model and all the more better if your daughter can try one out first! I wrongly assumed you were referring to the vast number of ebay instruments that can be had for a song.
Please let us know how it works out for you!
Mark

 

[Pinnman]

I wonder .....!

I see no reason for one (modern, Taiwanese made) sax to be more expensive to repair than another apart from the cost - perhaps - of parts.

Sax shops will swear by the products they have in stock.

Sax teachers can get a cut from sax shops.

I think, being an old (but maybe wise) cynic, that I would go for the Kessler in this situation.

 

[Jessica]

I don't think he ment that it was more expensive to repair but needed more repairs. At least that is how I took it. I am getting the info second hand - haven't really talked to the repair guy yet, just the professor and the band teacher.

Haven't heard back from the band teacher yet on what he thinks of it- He is a trumpet player though so not sure if he can be a real good judge. The assistant is a sax player so waiting to hear what she has to say about it.

So welcome any opinions - only have a week to decide so want all the help I can get to make a good decision.

You may also help in what type of reed to get - 2 1/2 or 3 - she uses a 2 1/2 for her alto. I am not sure what the difference is.

 

[cymru97]

Hello Jessica,

I had a negative experience with an Accent tenor. The horn belongs to our local school system and is constantly out of adjustment and dents extremely easily. The keys are easily bent with nominal pressure from you fingers. When it is playing it has a decent sound but my friend (the band driector) has to be careful about which students play it.

If this horn is for your daughter and she'll take care of it then it will probably suit her. I can tall you, however, that given the choice I would go for a Kessler soprano, they have a positive reputation and are a familiar name should your daughter ever sell it to upgrade.

Do you mind disclosing your location and the name of the store? The one that carries that particular line in my area is okay, but there are much better alternatives...

 

[Jolle]

As far as I can figure out, "Accent" is a stencil of some kind, and I can only trace it back to Singapore.

What makes me a bit suspicious is the fact that :
1) they claim Kessler needs more repairs. There are quite some very happy users of Kessler horns here on the forum

2) they would choose Accent over Jupiter. Jupiter is indeed Taiwanese, but both the more recent student instruments as their pro horns are very decent instruments. I played one for a while, and never had trouble with it in fact.

3) Both Kessler and Jupiter are rather established names, with a history in saxophone building. Accent, on the other hand, I've never heard about in my life. They don't have a website. In fact, nobody knows anything about them.

I think the guy wants to sell you that Accent horn. Now if he's willing to give you a guarantee on technical defects for at least two years, your daughter likes the horn and her teacher considers it a good one to start on, then I would say : why not?

More important is to get her a decent mouthpiece. Don't be too cheap on that one, it's more important for the tone and the playing than the sax in fact (considering we're looking at Accent/Kessler/Jupiter)

regarding the reeds : the higher the number,the thicker the reed. A thicker reed gives more tone, but demands more breath support (and a firmer embouchure to withstand the air pressure). If she uses 2 1/2 on alto, that looks as a good starting point for soprano too.

my 2 cents.

 

[jbtsax]

There is a group of music retailers across the country who have teamed together to have a few major manufacturers produce a line of instruments under the "Accent" name that they can purchase and sell at a competitive price because of their combined buying power. There are flutes, clarinets, saxophones and trumpets in this line and all are well made and reasonably priced student instruments. Of course it is proprietary information which companies are making the instruments under this name.

I can't comment on the Kessler soprano, but I have serviced several Accent tenors, altos, and sopranos in our shop and they are well designed and constructed. The key metal is just slightly on the soft side which is true of many brands, but short of careless handling, this in itself will not cause the instrument to go out of adjustment more quickly.

The intonation of the Accent alto and tenor is quite good for a student horn. The intonation of the soprano takes a little more player adjustment, which is typical of the instrument itself regardless of who makes it. If it is in your budget, you might want to consider the Cannonball soprano also. There are many players in my area who really like the Cannonball soprano because of its sound, response and intonation.

John

 

[cymru97]

John,

I'm glad to hear more about the Accent horns. My experience was based off a school-owned tenor and this particular horn was much less rugged than the Yamaha Vitos and Bundys the school has. This horn had dented posts a large dent near the thumbrest, the octave mechanism had been knocked around and it was constantly getting serviced. Kids tend to abuse school horns so presumably if the horn is privately owned and cared for it should be fine. It did have a fairly nice tone, but I didn't play it long enough to get a feel for intonation.

A (new) Jupiter or Kessler would be my preference if only for their reputation. At that price point aren't the Antiguas a viable option? Seems like a lot of money for a so-so horn. Maybe I'm wrong.

 

[altosaxguy1]

I agree with cymru97. A kessler would be a very good choice

 

[Jessica]

The Dealer is in Appleton WI - Heid Music. It is the dealer that the school uses most often.

We also looked at the Jupiter at Henri's music in Appleton but it was 1700 and the Accent / Kesslers that we were considering that are suppose to be comparable are closer to 800

Thank you everyone for your opinions, you have all made good points to consider - we will consider them all before making a final decision.

 

[stevesklar]

I can't recall now as I looked into Accent a couple years ago. but doens't Accent have a couple levels of saxophones (and clarinets, etc)?

I recall seeing an Accent alto sax in the local store - a B&S stencil. But the soprano wasn't - it was some other brand. Now that B&S is out of business though ???

The better clarinet was also made in Germany (aka Buffet aka Shreiber if i recall).

Of course, times change, and they could be made by someone else now.