saxdude48 said:
It's really never worth it to buy mediocre gear of any sort. Your son might get discouraged and quit, and in the long run you might lose money trying to maintain/upgrade a cheap horn. $200 bucks for a sax is a bit too cheap, even for a beginner...in my opinion.
True enough, but sometimes you win. If it really is playable, doesnt leak and doesnt need an immediate repad, then $200 for a bundy II with a link STM is a good deal. I paid $200 for an Antigua 520, came with a near mint Selmer S80 c* It was a very good deal for what is my front line alto, and the Antigua is way better than any yamaha twenty something that I've come across. I dont use the selmer mouthpiece much , by coincidence I play a bog standard recent Link STM 7, which I got it from a SOTW member for $60 to give an idea of minimum value. Im thinking a 6* might be a bit open for a total beginner. Its not clear if the end user is just starting out or not.
The danger is, if you dont have any idea about saxes then $200 might get you nothing but headaches, especially for a total beginner. I took an educated chance and was lucky. A bundy II (Im assuming its an alto) could easily be worth 200, especially if the link mouthpiece is not one of the lemons out there, but it could (and very likely does at that price) need a full overhaul and some pads, and thats going to run to several hundred more before its playable.
If this is for someone starting from scratch, then the $200 might be better spent on a years rental, at least you know you are getting a horn thats good quality and in playable shape, so any problems are likely to be the player and not the horn, and that makes life far less frustrating for junior.
Once he can play a bit, then its easier to make an informed choice on what is and isnt worth $200 to buy.