[Canadiain]

This is my first post and like everybody I have a lot of question. I decide after 10 years to leanr saxophone. I found a teacher and begin lessons at the end of august. I have to find a horn. I prefer tenor sax but my buget is probably to low to bought one.

Here's my questions :
1- Can I found a "decent" tenor around 350-400$?

Yes, but not a big 4 one of course. I got an reasonable intermediate / pro style Antigua Winds tenor off ebay for $250. It was too good a bargain to refuse, and I got in trouble with the wife for my impulse purchase. Its a gamble of course to some extent, but yes you can is the answer, if you are patient, and a bit lucky and know what to look for.

I also have a chinese made Grand Tenor from a poster here that was a good enough starter horn for a little less than that. It works fine, plays relatively in tune and has great ergonomics. For what I would sell it for now Im not using it, you could easily start on tenor and get a good mouthpiece within your budget, as well as a few extra lessons. Dont undersetimate the importance of the mouthpiece, it can make all the difference between easy progress and months of frustration. The previous owner had played it through highschool and in rep band too if I recall correctly.

If anyones interested I can send pictures for those who PM me. The price is low for a working horn in reasonable shape.

1.1 If not for 300-350$ can I find a good learning alto?

Yes, no problem

2- I found an alto for 350$ canadian (Yamah YAS-21). Is that a good deal?

It might be, although the 21 is an old model, and it will depend how much work it needs to get it in playable shape. I wouldnt pay much more, and if you want to play tenor, then get a tenor

3- How can I be sure the horn is ok if I can't play it??

Thats a tougy, best bet is take along someone who can. If thats not an option do lot of reading on the internet first to get pointers

4- Ebay or not Ebay? (I bought a lot of guitars wihtout any problems).

Ive had no problem with ebay, but factor in money to get it checked out by a tech after you get it, it will probably need at least a pad or two and a checkover. There is a lot more to go wrong on a sax, many interdependent moving parts that need to line up and seal

5- Is it better to buy a used sax in a shop or in the ads?

You will always pay more markup in a shop, but a reputable store (now a pawn shop) should at least sell you a working sax and stand behind it for at least a short while

I'm open to ANY OTHER way to ind a good saxophone under 400$

The classified marketplace here tends to have honest saxplaying folks trying to move on up the sax tree.

Where are you in Canada?

 

[Canadiain]

Yes I'm in Canada

Where abouts? On the off chance you are local I might be able to help.

You might need to budget too for the customs implications of bringing a horn into canada if you explore the larger US market. In ontario thats 15% sales tax plus customs brokerage. Canada Post isnt so bad, but if its shipped Fed Ex or UPS that can be a nasty shock.

 

[Canadiain]

Some people rave about Chinese saxophones. .

Its buyer beware, there seems to be a lot of variability in the quality. I certainly wouldnt buy a shiney new one off ebay quite yet, but for what I paid for my used one I had very little to loose, and it turned out to be perfectly adequate to get the ball roling on tenor for me.

Id still be using it now except that my primary alto is an antigua, and the deal on the tenor was too good to refuse given my positive experience, so here I am with a rarely used, perfectly servicable tenor thats only going to appeal to those on a tight budget. Its a shame, as its really an OK horn, and where else are you going to get a ready to play tenor with modern Selmer knockoff ergonomics and a few years left in the pads with any luck for $200CDN. For $250 I could throw in a Selmer S80C** too, but its probably better for a new player to take mouthpiece advice from their teacher first.

Oh well, if nothing else this has finally got me round to putting an add for it in the marketplace...
http://forum.saxontheweb.net/showthread.php?t=61944

 

[Canadiain]

Depending upon where you live, to get a good repad can cost $400 and sometimes you have to do it to fix an old instrument. So buying an old antiqua winds for $350 - $400 and then finding you need a complete repad means you could have had a new Kessler Custom or Soloist for less! :shock:

If it needs a complete repad. But how often is a complete repad necessary on a 5 year old horn? so far Ive been lucky, although if you get the right pictures before deciding to bid its not such a gamble. Ive had to had the grand total of one pad replaced over three horns. Thats ~$3000 worth of "new" horns at online prices for $700 total outlay.