[wade68]

My son is getting a new alto for Xmas this year and, out of what's available locally, he was most impressed with the Chateau. Anyone have experience with this horn? How do they hold up over time? Thanks for any insight.

 

[wade68]

He's been playing for two and a half years, and it seems almost certain he will continue as he has excelled at the instrument beyond all expectations. It's being purchased by his 90 year old grandfather, who wants him to have something special to remember him by (it's unlikely he will ever get rid of the instrument due to that fact alone).

The horn is new, sells for $1400 locally, and comes with two year coverage of maintenance and or damage. That is at least something to consider for a 13 year old who sometimes isn't as careful as I'd like him to be. He now has a early 90s Vito, which will be his school horn, and the Chateau would not leave the house except for lessons and performances.

 

[wade68]

We live in an area with few options for used instruments. We could wait years for one of those Japanese horns to come up for sale. eBay is not a consideration either, as we're unable to have the horn inspected, nor will we have the benefit of a maintenance plan. We've been explicitly cautioned from buying on eBay from his sax teacher anyway.

These are our choices:

Chateau 80GL
Cannonball (used, they're far out of price range new, and he wasn't impressed with it anyway)
Hollywood Winds (haven't tried it yet, but can find almost no info on this brand)
P. Mauriat 67R (used, thought he would love how this played by reputation, but it was pretty awful)

 

[wade68]

where are you in the world?

Also, in such a remote location you have one shop (probably a general music shop rather than a specialized one) and that one shop, whic happens to have a good repair person able to maintain saxophones in future....and they only sell these brands?

Strange.

Midwest, USA. I never said remote. We are, however, not a huge metropolis, and limited to a couple of instrument stores. You must understand that if you don't buy an instrument from a particular shop, they either won't service your instrument or you will go to the back of the line. It could be weeks, sometimes months, before they get to you.

Of course they sell other brands, but they are Selmer (Paris) and Yanis that start at $5k. You can't seriously think that's a viable option.

Also strange that your teacher warns you against ebay tout court , there are lots of reputable shops which sell on ebay.

I'm sure there are all kinds of good horns to be had on eBay, but that's for a pro to take his or her chances with. Not a 13 year old.

 

[wade68]

I have owned a Chateau alto for a couple of years. It is the Custom model, but I also have a Chateau soprano that is from the same line as the alto you are looking at (Vietnam-built 80-series). These are excellently constructed instruments. The soprano, at least, is the same model as Kessler and Sons sell as their "Handmade" soprano. I suspect that the same is true for the alto line. You might go online to Kessler's and see what their Handmade pricing is looking like.

As has been suggested, you can get good bargains buying used, IF you know what you are doing and know what to look for. You can also be badly burned. I understand why someone would prefer new, and will not criticize that decision.

The two-year service and damage policy makes me suspect that you may have the same Chateau dealer as I have, which is Wichita Band Instruments. If so, they are excellent and trustworthy, and offer equivalent models for less than Kessler's.

Yes, we are in Wichita, and it's WBI. That is great to hear you've been impressed with their build quality, and that WBI are trustworthy. I believed they had a good rep, but always good to get a confirmation. Thanks for your opinion on the Chateau.

 

[wade68]

I have owned a Chateau alto for a couple of years. It is the Custom model, but I also have a Chateau soprano that is from the same line as the alto you are looking at (Vietnam-built 80-series). These are excellently constructed instruments. The soprano, at least, is the same model as Kessler and Sons sell as their "Handmade" soprano. I suspect that the same is true for the alto line. You might go online to Kessler's and see what their Handmade pricing is looking like.

As has been suggested, you can get good bargains buying used, IF you know what you are doing and know what to look for. You can also be badly burned. I understand why someone would prefer new, and will not criticize that decision.

The two-year service and damage policy makes me suspect that you may have the same Chateau dealer as I have, which is Wichita Band Instruments. If so, they are excellent and trustworthy, and offer equivalent models for less than Kessler's.

So, this is essentially the same horn as the 80GL?

https://www.kesslerandsons.com/product/kessler-custom-handmade-series-alto-sax/