Way 0/T Tenor Sax

I am throwing this out because the YT community spans all ages and demographics, so... My son plays tenor sax in school and he has been playing a borrowed horn. He needs his own as he is going to high school this year. I am looking at several used models. One is a Yamaha AS1, Selmer Signet, Conn 22M, but the one my son has his eye on is a King Zephyr (1967?) for near double the others at $700. Any opinions? Thoughts? Horns for sale?

To keep this on target, my MF65 is running sweet.

Thanks in Advance,

Aaron

I glad your MF65 is running well , you know it is the season for that. On another note (pun intended) you know how good equipment performs. Get the one he wants he will play it better keep it cleaner and take care of it.

I supose it depends on your finacial situation. If you can afford it, offer him a deal where he works off the extra. He shouod be able to find some work at that age if he wants it.

Avoid the king. The Yamaha, Selmer, and Conn are all years ahead in design and durability.

Some people love the old instruments but they tend to be much more fragile and they can be impossible to find parts for. His saxophone will take a beating in a high school band (marching band, thrown on and off buses, crowded stadiums, etc.) and he will need a durable instrument that can be easily repaired when needed.

From those three, pick the one he likes best. They are all good.

Having struggled (and dealt with the resulting discouragement) with a "student" quality tenor sax during my youth I am an advocate for getting the best performing instrument you can afford, that might be an older higher quality instrument that can be refurbed. After my daughters demonstrated the ability to practice and stick with the getting started phase of instruments we spent quite a bit of money on "professional" quality instruments once they hit high school. Still takes talent to make them sound good, but takes most of the instrument excuses and work-arounds out of the equation. Youngest was first chair clarinet in the "all state" band 2 years running. Like tractors they take some maintenance and care to keep functioning properly.

Daughters still play when they get a chance in community based bands/orchestras, musicals, other venues when they get a chance.

Good Luck in your search,

Kirk

As also noted marching band is really hard on instruments. We kept the older instruments around for the hard use like that which sounds like it might not be an option in your case.

Kirk

There are several Yamaha on Ebay. You might also check Craigslist in your area.

My MF65 power steering needs adjusting again. Back in high school, I had a Conn alto sax that made it through marching band, jazz ensemble and concert band without much trouble. Played the school's King tenor in jazz ensemble sophomore year. It was old then, and needed frequent attention. The second tenor belonging to the school was a Selmer. I never got to play it because the senior 1st chair had it, but it didn't seem to have all the little problems the King did.

Why ask a bunch of dumb farmers about a sax? Go with the King you wont regret it.

back in my playing days the best choice at the time was a Selmer. I think as years go by it will increase in value! just my .02 cents after playing a whole lot of years. Jim in N.M.

Dad bought me a new Martin Tenor Sax when I was in the 6th grade. It went thru me, my sister, and little brother....it was then donated to the school. (Might still be there) We had new gaskets, seals, and the brass redone once that I know of. It was a nice piece with a good sound.
MF65 with a good straight thru glass pack sounds good too.

I resent that statement. I don't know any farmers who are dumb. Also there are A LOT of people who look at these sites who are NOT farmers and they represent several interests in addition to farming.

I'm very interested in music, but I'm not a farmer.

Hi! The Conn and the Zephyr are American bores. Saxes have chokes in their bore just like a shotgun. American bores are basically a cone with a slight choke right before the bow at the bottom of the tube. The yamahas and the signet are all based off the Selmer Mark VI, THE most famous sax, period. It has a double choke; they squeezed the cone at the top right after the neck and again at the bottom. The result is a more complex sound, richer in harmonics. I taught band for 36 years and made my extra $ over those years playing in rock and jazz bands. I played a 1970 Zephyr for 20 years. It's a good playable horn. I bought a used Selmer VI about the last 26 years. No comparison in range of sound. The Selmer Signet and Yamaha AS1 are student horns. They are less sensitive and made to play in the middle of the road. The Conn and Zephyr are intermediate/ beginning pro horns. Harder to initially control, but once the player masters them, the player can play MUCH more expressively! If the pads are in good shape, I'd lean towards the Zephyr, followed by the Yamaha, the Signet and the Conn.
I hope this gives you something to discuss with your son. He might want to check out the forum Sax on the net. Lots of info to digest!
Dave

I played Tenor in high school too both 1st and 2nd chair, concert and marching. Tried my luck at dance bands too. As I recall my sax was made in Northern Oklahoma....town was Elkhart as I recall.....I think that was the brand.....or maybe it was Elkhart, IN.....only been 60ish years ago.....mind forgets some things. Bought it used; family couldn't afford a new one. Worked for me, never had a problem with it...just feed it the reeds and blow the slobber out of it once in a while. Grin