Tenor Sax, must be cheap.

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PCthug

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I want a cheap Tenor Sax (around the £200 mark).
I currently play (using the word loosely) a TJ Alto, but fancy giving the Tenor a go.
I dont have a vast amount of money to justify on one, so want to go cheap and cheerful.
Would prefer one in the NE UK as i live Durham, but open to offers.
 
PCthug said:
I want a cheap Tenor Sax (around the £200 mark).
I currently play (using the word loosely) a TJ Alto, but fancy giving the Tenor a go.
I dont have a vast amount of money to justify on one, so want to go cheap and cheerful.
Would prefer one in the NE UK as i live Durham, but open to offers.
Click to expand...

Don't buy, hire. Much cheaper, no risk of a lemon.
 
I cant find anywhere near me that sell them, never mind hire them.
There probably is somewhere if i look hard enough, but i believe that hiring is throwing money away, when i can buy one and if it doesnt work out or i want to upgrade in a couple of years i can resell and probably not lose a great deal if anything at all.
If i do hire, and in a few months of hiring decide i want to buy, i will be in the same boat as now, trying to buy one i can afford, but i will have less money to go towards it due to hiring.
It was my birthday yesterday, and i want to use the money i got on something to keep, rather than use it for diesel or some other waste.
 
I think it hard to get a tenor that is ready to play (playing well from top to bottom) for c £ 200.00. Two guys who use to come to our Rocksax meetings is going to buy "new" tenorsaxes. One guy is playing an Armstrong tenor from the 70's. Sounds ok but needs a service (checking leaks, pads ...) I think he is selling for 2500-3000 s e k (c £ 210.00 - 250.00). The other guy is on a Yamaha 23 tenor YTS. A very nice sax. Plays well. He wants 4000.00 s e k (c £ 340.00). This sax is ready to play. In both cases you must add the freight to England. It's private sale so no sales taxes.
 
I'm with you when it comes to buying rather than renting, as long as you're reasonably confident in your abilities to sell it on. There are decent saxes out there for that sort of money - I sold a Selmer Pennsylvania for £175 recently, and it played very well. Just keep your eyes peeled. Ring round the local(ish) shops. Gladstones in Darlingon sometimes get trade ins they might pass on cheap, and from vague memory there's a reasonable sax shop somewhere in Newcastle. Daveysaxboy is in Newcastle and an active player. Ask him to keep his eyes peeled. Something half decent will turn up eventually.
 
Buying is usually better my first alto was a trevor james and i sold it for more or less the same price i bought it for! It might be good to consider a sax that is cheaper but may be further away, i just recently got a king tenor shipped for america! because originally i could find much else here in the UK.
 
Thanks for replies guys.
My Alto is a used Trevor James and plays very well (to my untrained ear, and the tutors trained ear), that cost me me a shade over £200 (£220 if i remember). I have seen a TJ tenor go for £200 a couple of days ago too, so basing my price on that.
I know that a Yamaha will be much better and serve me well, like a BMW car will if i was in the market for one, but i can only afford a Ford at the minute.
I will try Gladstones. I have never seen any in there, but had a few books from there i the past.
 
Just took a quick look on ebay UK:

TJ, Currently sitting at 275, one bid only, looks good:
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Trevor-J-Jame...t=UK_Woodwind_Instruments&hash=item439f46c5e2

Early Yamaha, not sure on the mouthpiece, but you could probably sell the mouthpiece, get a beginners yamaha and come out on budget, quite a few bids so it could go a lot higher. Currently 325.
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/CLASSIC-YAMAH...t=UK_Woodwind_Instruments&hash=item4aa13386c1

And there's a new, cheapo chinese at about the right price (225+25) here on buy it now. However glancing at the pictures, I see the right hand C/Eb cluster is a little bent. Stick a reasonable mouthpiece on it and you're away. Probably worth the money as an experiment. But I guess you're getting what you pay for. Interesting line in the ad: "...and the Tenor Saxophone is Detachable"
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/GOLD-TENOR-SA...t=UK_Woodwind_Instruments&hash=item4aa09d9b1b

My guess is that if you keep your eyes on ebay, you'll find what you want in a few weeks, allow a bit of cash to get any minor probs sorted out. Have done that twice now in Germany, with good results - and a fixer upper chinese alto I got for a steal just needed a little TLC to play well.
 
I am actually looking at them (except the Chinese one), and i also found it strange '...the tenor sax is detachable'.

I am also watching this one that appeared last night, and about 5 miles away from me...
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=320536986450&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT
Heard of Dearman, but dont know much about them.

I enquired about this one too, and the guy said i could have it for £200. The sale has ended, but again, he is about 30 miles away from me so can just drive over there...
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=220603573436&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT
 
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Also noticed this one too...
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=180510780691&ssPageName=ADME:B:WNARL:GB:1123
I have heard of Stagg, but only thought they put their name to stands and the like.
I may get this for a straigh £200 delivered as it asks for offers.
 
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There's another recent thread in the forum about Dearman's. Seems they're East German Weltklang stencils. So built like a tank, good sound, but a bit crude on the keys. If the Stagg's anything like my son's Stagg clarinet, I'd steer clear. But it looks just like any other cheapo chinese stencil sax.

If it was me, I'd get in the car, take a look at the two near you and make a decision. The relisted Weltklang can be pulled from ebay as long as it's done before someone bids. Looks as if there may be a pearl missing on the Weltklang (G).
 
I've just bought a new tenor, so will be selling my old one.

It's a black Sakkusu Tenor as can be seen iat sax.co.uk. I bought it from our very own Thehunt a couple of years ago. My tescher says it has a good tone. I'd be after £150 + P&P.

PM me if you're interested. (£15 to Pete's charity if it's sold!)
 
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