Beginner Saxes Advice for a new starter - Second hand instrument

[Colin the Bear]

Can't see if any one else has suggested it but what about the Yardsale forum.

Had a look. Not much in there at the mo.

 

[DaveT]

Given the strange times we live in I think the 'hire with the option to buy' might be the best way to do it.
After 3 months you can buy the tenor or send it back.
Ask around and there might be those willing to ignore Covid rules and let you try out assorted new and used tenor saxes.
Take a Yamaha 4C tenor sax mouthpiece and Number 2 reeds with you if that does happen.

 

[DavidUK]

Yeah, don’t dismiss hiring.
I hired an alto and after one lesson and a few weeks decided it Was Not For Me. Swapped it for ex-demo tenor with option to buy at end of year’s hire, hire payments deducted from price.

Given the strange times we live in I think the 'hire with the option to buy' might be the best way to do it.
After 3 months you can buy the tenor or send it back.
Ask around and there might be those willing to ignore Covid rules and let you try out assorted new and used tenor saxes.
Take a Yamaha 4C tenor sax mouthpiece and Number 2 reeds with you if that does happen.

Only go see those ignoring Covid rules if you too are ignoring them and wish to die.
I reckon a saxophone is a great device for the virus to get off on, if you get my drift.

 

[DaveT]

Off Topic: I'm fit and healthy and nicely over 60 and so very unlikely to die of Covid. And if I do die of Covid? Well, I'll be older than my wife when she died and older than my dad when he died.
/Off Topic
(shock-horror me and the seller ignored Covid rules when I bought my Selmer soprano)

 

[Phil]

Oh god here we go again.
And the more people who dont get the shot will spread the illness among themselves and create endless variants that in turn kill off those who were responsible enough to try to get treatment.
irrational bio terrorism.

 

[Stephen Howard]

Oh god here we go again.
And the more people who dont get the shot will spread the illness among themselves and create endless variants that in turn kill off those who were responsible enough to try to get treatment.
irrational bio terrorism.

I find the best policy is 'Never argue with anyone who isn't a virologist'.

 

[DavidUK]

Danger of thread going all Covid...
Is there a more relevant thread already?

 

[Colin the Bear]

Had the first jab this morning. Bell notes already easier with the appearance of a third hand from my groin.

 

[John Setchell]

Had the first jab this morning. Bell notes already easier with the appearance of a third hand from my groin.

lol.
Two weeks in, and the headache’s gone so I can now overblow duurty multiphonics again.
She’s delighted...

 

[mizmar]

I've got you both registered in my "Covid vaccine controller" app. I'll have you playing Kenny G as soon as the plugin downloads...

 

[PigSquealer]

The other option, is a 1970's Conn Shooting Star from Hanson for £550 (not sure if it comes with a case or not, and seems to be without a mouthpiece)...

Welcome to the café. No age limit, have your son join in too.

Yes these are valid players. Even the ones stamped Mexico. With any choice.. condition ! condition ! condition !. Then budget at least 100 quid for service. The shooting star is a.k.a. 16m.
At the risk of being shot maybe a Bundy II could work. Just be patient and you will find what you need.

Can't see if any one else has suggested it but what about the Yardsale forum.

Excellent idea. Hope OP has a community website message board. this is a great place to post “Wanted for my student son”
covid has killed the yard sale here. Was always a great place to go seeking. Usually not on display. But I always asked about instruments.

Danger of thread going all Covid...
Is there a more relevant thread already?

61 candles is a lot to blow out. Going electric this year. Safety first. I’ll clean the switch when I’m done.

 

[bill_reed]

hi I have a arbiter pro-sound Taiwan alto, made in the 70s and its still like new, plays really well, a later pro-sound model will be marked London... £425 sound a bit over priced... I do have a Gear4music tenor and that is a really good buy for just over £300 new... G4M tenor is well made and a really good starting instrument. also get a good guarantee and a 30 day return... I have found G4m to be excellent to deal with...

 

[DavidUK]

Antonio will go down to £550 plus post for his YTS-25:

Facebook

www.facebook.com

He has three others, this is now surplus.

 

[robbo100]

Thanks everyone for the amazing advice. It is great to find such an active and helpful forum.

So, the current situation, is that I think I have managed to borrow one from a friend. He used to play 20 years ago and has his Selmar (not sure of the model) sitting around doing nothing. So, we are going to borrow that for a little while and then make a decision what to do next.

All the advice you have given will be excellent for taking the next steps, once we have worked out whether the sax is a good instrument for my son to play.

Thanks again.

Robbo

 

[PigSquealer]

Thanks everyone for the amazing advice. It is great to find such an active and helpful forum.

So, the current situation, is that I think I have managed to borrow one from a friend. He used to play 20 years ago and has his Selmar (not sure of the model) sitting around doing nothing. So, we are going to borrow that for a little while and then make a decision what to do next.

All the advice you have given will be excellent for taking the next steps, once we have worked out whether the sax is a good instrument for my son to play.

Thanks again.

Robbo

Very kind friend you have. Tenor I assume? Big day for your son. Congratulations !
Would be nice to know the loaner model. Some may not be appropriate(££££) for dragging off to school band classroom.

 

[Colin the Bear]

Yes. Some are very valuable and well worth stealing.

 

[John Setchell]

Very kind friend you have. Tenor I assume? Big day for your son. Congratulations !
Would be nice to know the loaner model. Some may not be appropriate(££££) for dragging off to school band classroom.

Damn right.
When my son was a kid we bought him an alto which he took to school for lessons. His “friends” played football with it up & down the corridor.

 

[John Setchell]

I've got you both registered in my "Covid vaccine controller" app. I'll have you playing Kenny G as soon as the plugin downloads...

- Yeah, accompanying Michael Bublé

 

[robbo100]

Hi all.

Just to report back, we now have my friend's Selmer to try. It hasn't got a ligature in the box, so I have ordered one, so clearly haven't tried it yet.

The Sax itself is a Selmer USA 1244. It is clearly quite old, but the pads seem to seal fairly well still. There is one pad (the normally open key, which is the lower pad out of the two under the bell key guard), that doesn't seem to close fully when the little finger key is pressed down. However, I expect my son won't be using that key on day one...?

I shall give it a clean, and hopefully we can see how it plays in couple of days (I shall have to channel my grade 2 clarinet skills from 1994, to get a sound out of it)

 

[Stephen Howard]

The Sax itself is a Selmer USA 1244. It is clearly quite old, but the pads seem to seal fairly well still. There is one pad (the normally open key, which is the lower pad out of the two under the bell key guard), that doesn't seem to close fully when the little finger key is pressed down. However, I expect my son won't be using that key on day one...?

That's the low B key (with the low Bb above it, and nearest to the end of the bell).
Does the B key cup close when you press the B on its own, and does it not close when you press the Bb (which automatically brings down the low B). If so, it's likely that the piece of cork/felt that sits between these two keys has fallen off.
If the B doesn't close on its own it may mean the bell has been knocked out of alignment.

Or it might be something else entirely.