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Forum » Legit Saxophone » Suggestions for a good Tenor, reasonably priced.... by oboe1960 (1 post) 20 years ago Suggestions for a good Tenor, reasonably priced.... Hi, I am an oboist of about 35 years' experience, used to playing on professional oboes. I recently started playing tenor sax, and I'm currently renting a YamahaYTS-23. I am not happy with the upper register, it is extremely flat. I know the YTS-23 is s student model. I don't want to spend a ton of money on another sax, but I don't want to keep throwing money down the tubes on this one. Can anyone suggest a decent, reasonably-priced alternative? Or should I just ask for another YTS-23 from the rental guys? I have no problem buying an older horn either, but don't know what to look for..... the choices and opinions are bewildering! Plus, it seems to depend on what year your favorite model was made. Also I guess I should mention I am not a professional musician; I play for fun in 3 local music groups, but the music is very important to me! Reply To Post [Report Abuse] Report Abuse Web Address * Your Name Your Email Address Comment
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by connsaxman_jim (2336 posts) 20 years ago Re: Suggestions for a good Tenor, reasonably priced.... Renting is expensive. Renting is good for the parents of band students who really haven't decided what instrument they want to play or if they even want to continue playing. Usually when you rent an instrument to own, you end up paying twice what it's worth! If you plan to continue playing saxophone, I would recommend buying a new or used tenor that has been recently serviced by a technition and properly adjusted and set up. I would recommend that you buy from a local music store, and that you play the horn before you buy it. Some stores offer financing also. There are some really nice tenors for sale on this website also. If you should but a horn off Ebay, you can find some good deals, but plan on spending at $200 or more to have the horn adjusted and set up, and likely new pads also. As for the NEW brands, I would recommend: Keilwerth Selmer B&S (Medussa) Yanigasawa Yamaha LA Sax or Jupiter if you're on a budget Used Vintage Horns: Conn Selmer King Martin Buescher (often a great buy) But play a few and see what one you like best! Reply To Post Yahoo! by johnsonfromwisconsin (767 posts) 20 years ago Re: Suggestions for a good Tenor, reasonably priced.... YTS's have a good reputation for intonation, but the mouthpiece can certainly make a difference here. Otherwise, yes, renting is a poor option for long-term ownership. here's some models to look for: Buescher 400 (Late model with floral engraving, the TH&C version may be better, but costs 3 or 4 X as much) I got mine from a local retailer for $600. Yanagisawa 800 or 880 Model. Yani's pro model during the 1980s. Not too many people have complaints about Yanagisawa in general Yamaha 61 or 62. Probably a bit more $$ than the other ones, and not to my taste, but good reputation. Reply To Post by justinnike83 (1 post) 20 years ago Re: Suggestions for a good Tenor, reasonably priced.... I have a YTS-475 and I'm happy with it. For ~200 more, you can get the YTS-62II with a totally annealed body for a brighter sound. It depends on the sound you want. Reply To Post