CJames
66 posts
Dec 14, 2009
6:37 AM
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I have an oppurtunity to purchase a $800 sax for $200.
Should I do it?
P.s. I will be totally new to this instrument.
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Greg Heumann
186 posts
Dec 14, 2009
9:06 AM
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I play sax. This MIGHT be a great deal. But (and I speak from personal experience here) it might not. First, placing a value on a sax is hard to do = if a pro who rebuilds saxes says it is worth $800 and doesn't need work, SNAP IT UP. But it could have lots wrong with it and it might run you $200-$500 to make it right. It is very hard to know this as a beginner. I bought an alto that looked great because I thought it was such a bargain at $150. I really didn't need it (I like bari and tenor.) Turned out none of the pads had been properly glued in and when my tech went to tune it up she ended up having to replace all the pads. Now I have a $550 alto. If I had known it would cost that much I probably wouldn't have bought it in the first place. On the other hand, I looked for a bari for a long time, and ended up buying a pair of wrecks for a good price. Had this same person rebuild both of them, chose the one I liked the best and sold the other. In the end my new rebuilt bari only cost me about $350, which is a hell of a good deal.
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/Greg
http://www.BlowsMeAway.com
http://www.BlueStateBand.net
http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/bluestate
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CJames
68 posts
Dec 14, 2009
9:26 AM
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hrm, interesting note. But, just as a generalization - in the long run, do you think i should buy it? at this point i don't have any plans to become a professional anytime soon, just thinking in 5 years if i look back, will I be glad i paid $200 for the saxophone, rather than not have one at all, and spend the money on say...3 more harps instead.
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barbequebob
215 posts
Dec 14, 2009
2:32 PM
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Look at it this way, LW had wanted to play sax, but he couldn`t afford one and so he began playing harp more like a sax. My good friend, saxman Gordon Beadle AKA Sax Gordon told me that he takes tons of stuff from listening to harp players like LW, so that says harp and sax has come full circle.
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Sincerely,
Barbeque Bob Maglinte
Boston, MA
http://www.barbequebob.com
CD available at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/bbmaglinte
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Greg Heumann
187 posts
Dec 14, 2009
3:35 PM
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As a generalization, you should buy it if it is worth it, and not if it isn't. No way to guess about that. You need someone who knows saxophones to play it. You also didn't say what kind of sax it is - is it a Selmer Mark VI? Buy it. But that is an exception. You also didn't say what range it is. In general the bigger the sax, the more they cost. A good bari or tenor costs considerably more than a good alto or soprano. Some saxes (like C Saxophones) are not sought after and not worth much at all.
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/Greg
http://www.BlowsMeAway.com
http://www.BlueStateBand.net
http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/bluestate
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CJames
71 posts
Dec 14, 2009
7:17 PM
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Not sure of the brand, i know it's an alto, its got some black colour in there apparently, i don't know if that helps
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LittleJoeSamson
165 posts
Dec 15, 2009
8:39 AM
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Alto's are the most common, probably the easiest to learn. Consequently, there are more alto players than others, so a bigger market to resell if it doesn't work out.
$200 a fair price for even student models in good condition...but Greg's caveat holds about the hidden costs for one that needs work.
Check on eBay for others that look like the offered one. The colored lacquer ones are often cheap instruments jazzed up with wild finishes. They might play, but like so many other examples, have a lousy tone that nothing can be done about.
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Andrew
808 posts
Dec 15, 2009
8:52 AM
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Depends what kind of work needs doing. Even amateur oboists and flautists replace their own pads without being shown how, and that was in the days before YouTube, so you shouldn't be paying someone to do everything for you.
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Kinda hot in these rhinos!
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