I was asked to join jazz band this year for my school playing the alto saxophone. At the last second i was aked to play tenor. The teacher said that he would give me a tenor owned by the school but I know it won't be too good. I am looking to spend at the most $1,700. Can I have brands please. Use the school tenor for a while. After all, say you only are the tenor player for this year, and next year the school gets a new student who plays tenor. Now you've spent $1700 for an instrument you don't plan on using much (or at all) and what good is that? A not so great instrument can be repaired to work well.
There are about 7 major brands of saxophones. They are (in no particular order):
Yamaha
Semler
Cannonball
Keilwerth
Yanigasawa
P. Muriat
Conn
If you are going to buy a tenor, go out and try them. Find one you like and gets the sound you want. After all, all these people can recommend what they like, but if you don't like it, does their recommendation matter? The usual brands would like Yamaha and Armstrong, I think. Try asking your teacher what brand he recommends or if there's another tenor sax player ask them what brand theirs is. good luck. Uhh, Armstrong makes flutes, not saxes.
But Yamaha is correct. I would go for an intermediate model Yamaha. Intermediate Yamaha's are almost as good as professional model Yamaha's, and are less expensive. Yamaha's are in tune and play well in any style.
Other good brands are Selmer, Yanagisawa, and Keilwerth. I have a Selmer tenor that is a little old, but I like it a lot. I am used to it now, so I don't feel like switching. But, if I had to buy a tenor sax, I would buy a Yamaha, hands down. I have a Yamaha alto and it's an awesome horn. I've played a Yamaha tenor before, and it played wonderful.
Selmer-Paris are also good horns, but they are heavier than Yamaha's. I personally think that Yamaha's are engineered better. Those Japanese don't play around.
Here, I found you the Yamaha Intermediate. It's a little outside your price range, but if you're willing to spend $1700, I think that a couple hundred more wouldn't kill you if you want a horn that'll last. Yamaha. Yamaha or how about Jupiter...
I play the alto and the flute but they're the school's. My friends plays the alto and his is a Jupiter.
check out: jupitermusic.com Well there is Bach, Benge, Conn, Buffet, Yamaha, Selmer, Armstrong, Emerson, and Keilworth.All County music sells new ones for $84.95 a month.Those are just new.Like new are $40.00, andused are $20.00 a month.The used ones are really good. They just have miniscule scraches.
http://allcountymusic.com/ They also have a rent to own pogram for school students. You rent your instrument and when you pay the full amount of the instrument you get to keep it and they will give you a warranty. Hope you like my answer. Selmar saxophone brands are good. I got a new one from Selmar and I like it. But the cost was around 2 grand but its worth it. For Jazz band also get a Selmar c* mouthpiece use the school tenor for a while... you need to get the feel for an instrument and see if you like the tenor enough to actually buy one...
next step, try, try, try.... don't just buy something because someone else likes it... I have a yamaha (alto), a selmer (alto), a jupiter (baritone), a yanagisawa (tenor) and a century (soprano).. and they are all very different.
I love my tenor, but it doesn't suit everyone. You'll know when you play one that works for you. just use the school horn. if you insist try to stay in the frame of yamaha or selmer those being the mainstream saxes and used by the pros. i mean if you want to get really nice ones yamaha z is really nice and selmer 54 is real nice too. i'm guessing mark VI is way out of your price range... Do NOT buy a Jupiter, they are mostly bad.
Stick with the school horn for a while. Save some money. If you really need to upgrade to a better tenor, save up about 2 grand total and go for the best you can buy. Go to music shops and play every tenor you can get your grubby little hands on. Bring a mouthpiece and reeds, and remember that your mouthpiece might not actually be the best for the sax, so keep that in mind when you play. You want the best sax for your money. I'm assuming you know how to play well, audition these saxes and buy the winner. sax sux. trumpet rules :D | 