Saxophones Cheap Beginners Alto Saxophone. Used top brands or new common brands

123Jam! · May 20, 2015

Hey guys,

I've been struggling for quite some time now since I'm in a really tight budget and, therefore, can't decide whether to buy a used top brand alto saxophone (Yamaha YAS23 for $600 - £386 with minor scratches) or a new one from brands like TYGENN, Jericho, Etude or Gear4Music. I would also like to add that £400 is already an incredible amount of money that I would only be able to pay if that would save me some money later from repairs and tweaks.

Also, what would be the best choice between the "cheap" brands that I listed above considering durability (especially leaks) and sound (warmer)? Do you guys know anything about the TYGENN (I think its an american brand) and if it's worth giving it a shot? I found this video that ended up arousing my feelings about this brand because it sounds really nice but what about the durability and lifespan?

Thank you for your time.

ellinas · May 21, 2015

yamahas 23's are cheaper even in the long run. 🙂
Easy to adjust --> fast and cheap maintainance ---> Plenty of parts in case you need something 🙂

go yamaha.

123Jam! · May 21, 2015

First of all, thank you for the replies.

Colin the Bear said:
Where in the world are you?

I'm in the USA right now but I'm planning to move to Brazil.

ellinas said:
go yamaha.

Yeah, I may be getting the Yamaha after all. Better safe than sorry, right? But the only thing that I don't like is that I found this price ($600) online, not in a music store. I'm kinda afraid of paying this price for something that I'm not 100% sure is in good working condition (since it's a used one). The seller says it is working but you can write whatever you want on the internet. I think I'm gonna try to find one of those in a music store first and compare the prices to see what is the best choice.

griff136 · May 21, 2015

Hi Jammal, go for the Yamaha. As a sax technician I would concur what Elinas said.
As you are in the US you may be able to get one of these:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vito-Alto-S...191?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4d3264a027

it's a VITO sax made by Yamaha.

good luck and let us know what you decide to get.

jbtsax · May 21, 2015

My first reservation about purchasing a Chinese made saxophone is the availability of parts should one need a replacement. In many cases the merchandiser who imports the instruments does not have a repair facility, nor do they have a stock of commonly needed parts such as pivot screws, key guards, guard feet, neck screws etc. Good luck too trying to discover which factory in China made the instrument. There is generally some reason they can't divulge that information---even to the party who has purchased one of their instruments.

When buying a used Yamaha in the U.S. from Ebay or another source, it is wise to set aside an extra $100 - $150 to pay for a reputable tech to give it a "play condition". That way you can be sure it is in good repair and adjustment to start out.