Need good student level horn.
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How much do you want to spend?
The default suggestion is a Yamaha student model, and they are good horns with low depreciation, especially if bought gently used. However you will be lucky to find a used one for less than $500 in good shape, and a new one will be well into 4 figures.
If you only have a few hundred to spend its probably better spent on a reputable used Taiwanese made horn like a Jupiter, Antigua Winds, Unison etc than on a brand new budget priced Chinese made horn, However recently some of the new chinese budget horns have been good quality and worth the investment in them too...the problem is knowing which you are going to get...you need to do your homework if you want a cheap horn.
If you know something (or someone who knows something) about horns its best to go see your target purchase in the flesh than rely on mail order and ebay descriptions, but Ive managed to get a few good deals on brands like Antigua winds on ebay and been lucky so far, without spending over $300 including having a tech fix any minor issues. If you do buy privately from an unknown source you can probably count on spending some money on new pads and a once over.
Other options are the popular Bundy horns, these were US made horns, and built like tanks to take a beating. The ergonomics are probably not quite up to the level of modern Yamahas or the Taiwan made Selmer copies, but they might also be worth checking out for the little money they change hands for.
So really, its going to depend how much you have to spend.
The default suggestion is a Yamaha student model, and they are good horns with low depreciation, especially if bought gently used. However you will be lucky to find a used one for less than $500 in good shape, and a new one will be well into 4 figures.
If you only have a few hundred to spend its probably better spent on a reputable used Taiwanese made horn like a Jupiter, Antigua Winds, Unison etc than on a brand new budget priced Chinese made horn, However recently some of the new chinese budget horns have been good quality and worth the investment in them too...the problem is knowing which you are going to get...you need to do your homework if you want a cheap horn.
If you know something (or someone who knows something) about horns its best to go see your target purchase in the flesh than rely on mail order and ebay descriptions, but Ive managed to get a few good deals on brands like Antigua winds on ebay and been lucky so far, without spending over $300 including having a tech fix any minor issues. If you do buy privately from an unknown source you can probably count on spending some money on new pads and a once over.
Other options are the popular Bundy horns, these were US made horns, and built like tanks to take a beating. The ergonomics are probably not quite up to the level of modern Yamahas or the Taiwan made Selmer copies, but they might also be worth checking out for the little money they change hands for.
So really, its going to depend how much you have to spend.
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3,388 Posts
But how much is that? There is a minimum you are going to have to spend to get something that works reliably and wont frustrate them too much.
Working on the minimum investment I would go for either:
a used, not too old, taiwan made selmer copy, like an Antigua winds. $200-300 or less on ebay if you are patient, and $100 getting it checked out. I see a lot of Jupiters have changed hands for less than $200 recently. I dont have any experience with low end Jupiters, but the price is right. My taiwan made horn is an antigua 520, and its a decent copy of a Selmer SA80, with ribbed construction, high F# and a good tone. I got it for $200, although I was lucky and they are usually more than that.
or
One of the better quality inexpensive chinese horns, either used from someone you trust here, or new for a bit more money...something like the Gear4Music or Walstein horns that have gotten good reviews here. The problem with that is they mostly seem to be in the UK, so shipping is going to push your total cost up.
Either way I think if you spend much less than $300-400 including shipping and a check up, you are running the risk of not getting something that will do the job to an acceptable level, unless you get lucky. Even at that level of investment its buyer beware, so do your homework and take your time.
On the bright side, if they loose interest then you will be able to resell a used taiwan clone for much the same as you bought it, and that goes doubly for more expensive yamaha student horns like the YAS23 / 275 bought used in a private sale rather than from a music store.
But, if you buy from a store at least you know it should play right out of the box and will have some sort of recourse / warranty period if it doesnt. Unless the kids drop it of course..
Bottom line is that the sax is an expensive instrument...lots of moving parts and linkages that have to be just right, so if it looks too cheap to be true, it probably is.
Good Luck, I hope they take to it!
Working on the minimum investment I would go for either:
a used, not too old, taiwan made selmer copy, like an Antigua winds. $200-300 or less on ebay if you are patient, and $100 getting it checked out. I see a lot of Jupiters have changed hands for less than $200 recently. I dont have any experience with low end Jupiters, but the price is right. My taiwan made horn is an antigua 520, and its a decent copy of a Selmer SA80, with ribbed construction, high F# and a good tone. I got it for $200, although I was lucky and they are usually more than that.
or
One of the better quality inexpensive chinese horns, either used from someone you trust here, or new for a bit more money...something like the Gear4Music or Walstein horns that have gotten good reviews here. The problem with that is they mostly seem to be in the UK, so shipping is going to push your total cost up.
Either way I think if you spend much less than $300-400 including shipping and a check up, you are running the risk of not getting something that will do the job to an acceptable level, unless you get lucky. Even at that level of investment its buyer beware, so do your homework and take your time.
On the bright side, if they loose interest then you will be able to resell a used taiwan clone for much the same as you bought it, and that goes doubly for more expensive yamaha student horns like the YAS23 / 275 bought used in a private sale rather than from a music store.
But, if you buy from a store at least you know it should play right out of the box and will have some sort of recourse / warranty period if it doesnt. Unless the kids drop it of course..
Bottom line is that the sax is an expensive instrument...lots of moving parts and linkages that have to be just right, so if it looks too cheap to be true, it probably is.
Good Luck, I hope they take to it!
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30 Posts
It can also help to rent the instrument for about a month. 20-30$ fee and you can sometimes choose the brand. The main goal is to see if they are actually interested on playing it. If they decide it is really what they want at the end of the month of rent, then go on and purchase. Worked for a few of my friends.
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