Saxophone Forum


by chiefd02
(1 post)
18 years ago

tenor saxophone's

I am new to the forum and first let me say hello. I am lets say over 50 and haven't played tenor in over 30 years. I have the desire to play again and can't believe all the brands or models on ebay. Most of what I looked at are dinged, dented, scratched and in my opinion aren't worth the money they are going for. I am looking to buy but cannot afford thousand of dollars for a new sax because my wife would kill me. Hope some of you can give insight on brand, quality and price. Thanks!

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  1. by Sax Mom
    (964 posts)

    18 years ago

    Re: tenor saxophone's

    First of all, I would suggest going to the "High School Saxophone" discussion, and look there for "Jim's list of approved saxophones." That will give you lots of good advice on what to look for in a horn. Just as important, don't buy a "brand-new" saxophone for $200. They aren't worth the metal used to make them (IMO).

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  2. by cooke
    (2 posts)

    18 years ago

    Re: tenor saxophone's

    I am new to the forum also, and hope to find some useful information.

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  3. by ps
    (35 posts)

    18 years ago

    Re: tenor saxophone's

    Hi. Probably your best bet would be to buy a good quality-Conn or Buescher vintage horn that looks to be in good shape. Then be prepared to have it re-built. I've had quite good luck with the Conns and Bueschers off ebay and have bought a couple that played very well with very minor repair work. The last one I bought was a mid twenties True Tone. It played amazingly well when it arrived. There were a couple torn pads and kind of a film over the whole horn. I opted for a full rebuild. It's going to end up costing me about $700 (Can), in total, but I should end up with a good playing horn which should last for as long as I care to play. I also picked up a 1959 Conn (Shooting Stars)-intermediate type horn-alto- for less than $200 (US-plus shipping and tax at this end). I put $80 into it and it plays great-and looks new(although, in reality-it's better than new). But it takes a lot of looking and waiting for something worth the money to come up. But eventually, I'm sure you will find something that you will be happy with. Good luck and remember-buyer beware.

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  4. by Donnie The B
    (282 posts)

    18 years ago

    Re: tenor saxophone's

    It's great that you are getting pumped about playing again. I find that if you were ever any good, lots of that will remain. Mom's idea about looking for the discussion on High School Saxes and checking out Jim's approved brand list is a good idea. Just remember that Jim was trying not to hurt any feelings and included all the brands he thought decent. For the budget concious, you'll have trouble beating Yamaha. I recently saw one of their one step up from student-intro tenors for $849 just re-padded and lightly used. These horns have nice action and decent sound. For a little bit more, you could get a re-padded Conn 10M vintage tenor that will sound better (when you do) but will seem a bit clunky in the action to most players. Some people swear by the cheaper Selmers available - Selmer USA, I guess. These would also be in the $800 area probably. Beware the ultra-cheap pieces of junk. Incidently, I know that nobody wants a banged up horn. But an older horn with just rubbed off lacquer and minor scratches can still sound great. Beauty does not necessarily=value. Good Luck and be sure to get some private lessons if you can.

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