Help needed (which site to buy sax)

[simonsia]

Hi, everyone! Just like most newbie, I?ve got some questions that I figure you guys could help me with. Having read most of the forums on this site, I have decided to get a Yamaha YAS 23.

I came across two different websites selling the alto model I want. (Prowinds.com and wwbw.com) Both sites are selling Yamaha YAS 23 for USD1675. However, the difference is, the former site offers either an Apple iPhone or a Sony PS3 along with the alto sax.

I know this sounds stupid, but is prowinds.com a reliable site for me to get my sax? I mean buying a sax & getting free stuff at the same time (not just ordinary free stuff, as mentioned above, both free stuff can cost up to $300 each).

It really sounds very appealing to me, but I?m just afraid (no offence) there MIGHT be problems with the sax (why on earth would someone give free stuff which are that costly?) Of course, my main intention is still about buying saxophone. I can do without the gifts. Hence, can anyone give me an advice?

Also, since I?m a complete beginner in music, meaning that I have no clue at all on how to read notes and stuff, how would you guys suggest me to start with? I shall look for a tutor soon, but before that, is there anything that I could do at home prior to seeing my tutor for my first lesson so that it won?t be a waste of time for me & him? (Any books, guide etc to suggest?)

Lastly, is 30 minutes lesson per week enough for me to improve myself? (Being a student, I couldn?t afford a longer session as the 30 minutes session will cost me USD30).

Thank you so much! (& sorry for the long post) I just can?t wait to start learning now!

Sincerely,
Simon.

 

[alanp]

Ok, no-one replied so far, so I'll have a go... I guess most of us here are Brits, and can't relate to the USD bit... More specifically, we won't be familiar with particular retailers. Oh well...

I'm pretty much a beginner too - started January. My view is that you can't really go too far wrong with a Yamaha, and a new one will pretty much ensure it has no faults of it's own (all the problems will be yours...)

I believe that the YAS-23 is the entry-level Alto in the States - in the UK we have the YAS-275 as entry level, I guess they are reasonably similar (although I think the 275 is a more recent design, the 23 is certainly a well tried and tested model)

Here, the 275 has a list price of around ?900, which matches up (somewhat) with your $1675. But Yamahas are available heavily discounted here, and we can get a 275 from very reputable sources for around ?500. For a retailer, an alternative to a heavy discount is to offer other "enticements" (iPODs?). So maybe you could look for an alternative source that majors on discount rather than freebies, and have some cash left over for more lessons.

30 mins a week tuition is about the minimum that would be useful, although is is certainly much better than nothing. If you are something of a "self-starter", you can get a long way with a couple of good tutor books (I used "a New Tune a Day", but I am sure there are plenty of others...) The major value of a teacher though is to help point out specific faults you might develop, and to help overcome any specific problems you might experience.

I am sure there will be more advice in due course, but the main thing is to enjoy the experience.

Alan