Undercoat,
Good to see you supporting your kid in what should be "an adventure," for the whole family.
It'd help if I knew which models of the Jupiter and Yamaha you've lokked at. Also how old is your child? Not all Altos will be the same "size." By which I mean, that some are easier on small hands than others.
I have a 10 year old son who plays Alto. We started with a rental saxophone. This was a "Lachlan" Alto. Whilst it was a solid horn with a "decent" sound, the keywork and layout are lousy.
I am 6' 3" with large hands and long fingers. I cannot play the bottom notes on this Lachlan with any fluency, due to the fact that I can't reach the approprite keys without taking my other fingers off the sax. My 10 year old son never stood a chance.
There are many different "student" horns like the Lachlan. Some are better than others but you really have to know your saxophones and get a decent player to help you if you want to go down that path. The same can be said for buying a vintage saxophone.
I have not owned a Jupiter, but have played a Jupiter Tenor sax in my younger days. I recall it as being a good student sax. Many of the other forum folks will be able to give a much more detailed commentary on the Jupiter. They are a very common sax.
I have recently sold a Yamaha Pro Tenor sax. I owned it for over 14 years. I have also played most of the Yamaha models both student and professional. For your child, a Yamaha would be a very sensible chioce.To generalise a little, Yamaha saxophones have a well earned reputation for the following:

*Well made, with good lacquer and solid construction.
*Very ergonomic key layout. They are easy to play.
*They play in tune. Not all saxophones are easy to play in tune.
*They tolerate a wide variety of mouthpieces.
*They have a good sound. Yhey blend well with the school band. HEAPS of school kids play Yamaha saxophones. Many Bandmasters insist students play a Yamaha.
*They hold their value well and are not difficult to sell, if and when your child graduates to a professional model saxophone.
*Should you back over it in the car, most capable repair persons will be able to readily source parts for a Yamaha.

Many of the same points could also be made in favour of the Jupiter. By all means listen to the opinions and experiences of others here and consult a saxophone teacher/player and get their advice too.
Last but not least, if at all possible, let your child play as many of the candidates as possible and see that the child can at least reach all the keys comfortably.
Finally, don't hesitate to keep asking questions. Good luck.

 

Undercoat,
Sorry mate, just read one of your other posts.
If your daughter is playing a Conn with a Selmer mouthpiece, a student horn might well be a come down. In which case, keep the Conn!
If that is not possible, try the Yamaha pro models out. Or any other Pro or even Vintage horn. There is plenty of info on this forum about both.

 

I bought myself a Jupiter 767 alto a couple of months ago and I love it. I play in a big band in Dallas. I guess you would consider it semi-pro since the band members are volunteers, but the band is payed for gigs. It's affiliated with the Shriners and about half the band are Shriners (though I'm not).

Partly I chose the Jupiter for the price, but also because one of our tenor players bought himself a Jupiter and has really enjoyed it.

The quality of my Jupiter is terrific, and I'm having more fun playing than I have in a long time. I used to play a Buescher TT (circa 1927), and would sometimes borrow someone else's no name alto, and I always felt I spent more time fighting the instrument than playing the music. I had also tried a friend's YAS 23 alto, but it seemed too tinny to me.

In my own opinion, I would give the Jupiter a try for your daughter. The price is right, and you can always return it if you're not happy with it. WW&BW has a 45 day return option, but, happily, I never considered using it.

 

I also have a Jupiter Alto. The 800 series.

I have tried a 700 series in my school, and they are both excellent. Naturally, the 700 isn't as good as the 800, but they are really really good horns to get started on.

Jupiters have a reputation of being very durable. Though we can't compare it to a tank (as I've seen another horn), you can drop it, and nothing will fall off,

Aside from that, they have an excellent sound and come adjusted well. (Not perfect, though).

Try before you buy, for any sax.

 

The Yamahas have a great reputation and have been around for years. My first Tenor was a Yamaha and I know the kid that is still using it today and I sold it in 86.

 

I second what "Dog Pants" said earlier. Yamaha is a really well made sax. I'm in high school right now, and a lot of my friends play the model A23. I've tried it many a time, and it held up very well. I have a Vito umm beginner model. I'm not exactly sure of what the model number is, but I've had it since the 5th grade(I'm a high school senior now), and it's been through some very rough times. Including rain haha. It STILL plays very well, and even sounds pretty dang good. I recommend either a beginner Vito, or an A23 Yamaha. Just my opinion, take it or leave it~Jon Mayhak

 

I'd rather buy a used YAS-62 rather than a new YAS-23 or Jupiter 700.

 

If the YAS-62 is within your budget, get that horn, or the Yanagisawa A901. Either horn will serve you well into your playing career.

 

Thanks everyone for your advice. 'Dog Pants' (not your real name I hope!), this saxophone is for my younger daughter as I have 2 and my older daughter won't let her play the Conn sax! That's kids for you.

 

Undercoat,
Your elder daughter is quite correct in not letting the younger one play her Conn. My Conn alto is in the shop and all my attempts to swap my remaining "student" horn for my son's better horn, are met with..."Dad, get real." :lol:
No Dog Pants is not my real name. My "real" nick-name, is a helluva lot worse!

 

Check out Brass and Woodwind's offer at: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=16232&item=3733263316&rd=1. They actually ship out of New Jersey and there is no shipping fee or taxes.

 

Check out Brass and Woodwind's offer at: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=16232&item=3733263316&rd=1. They actually ship out of New Jersey and there is no shipping fee or taxes.

Gandalfe,
When did they start shipping from NJ? In January my YAS-62II was shipped from ProWinds in Indiana.

Wherever they ship from, I highly recommend them. I have purchased two saxes from them (one actually shipped from Australia), and couldn't be happier.

 

Yeah, you're right, I just checked the box. It's Indiana.