Questions about Amati and Winston Saxophones

[Alto_Sax_Guy]

I have been considering a new saxophone and was wondering about an Amati:
http://www.wwbw.com/Item/?itemno=38577
and Winston:
http://www.wwbw.com/item/?itemno=23783&t=4#tab

Any help would be appreciated.

[SaxyAcoustician]

The Amati horns happen to have identical keywork as Buffet horns (rods and posts in identical locations, etc). I don't know if they're coming out of Buffet's factory but they're definitely copies. The Winston is a Selmer knock-off, most likely Taiwanese made.

[Alto_Sax_Guy]

Is the Amati any good then? Or Winston?

[Storamin]

I would say purchase a YAS-475, as you seem to want a intermediate model. However, if you plan to stick with alto, especially in jazz, go with a Z Custom horn. Just wait a few months for the fixed G1 neck to be circulated. You really don't want to get stuck with one of the bad G1 necks. Oooh, how I love those.

[sax2003]

I have been considering a new saxophone and was wondering about an Amati:
http://www.wwbw.com/Item/?itemno=38577
and Winston:
http://www.wwbw.com/item/?itemno=23783&t=4#tab

Any help would be appreciated.

If you are going to spend your money wisely I say go with Yamaha, Yanagisawa or a Selmer to last you longer and bring a good tone... Its worth the money........ because if you think about it the time youll be saving not going to the shop and money youll be saving.. I had a Alpine Intermediate Alto Sax and that thing was a piece of crap, everytime I had to take to the shop and waste from $40.00 to $85.00 and plus it was thin metal .. so my tone wasnt that all great... and then I got a Yamaha whew major difference.........

[CLSax]

I find Winstons to be crappy. It was my beginnning horn and it caused me a lot of problems.

[frobig]

Not sure where that Buffet thing came from, unless Buffet is putting their name on Amatis now. Amati saxes are made in the Czech Republic, using tooling that's older than dirt and about as sharp. It's possible that some postwar Kohlerts look like Amatis, but these days, anything that looks like an Amati (they have very distinctive key guards) almost certainly is one. Amati is a huge instrument company in Kraslice, a Czech town with a long musical history, and I think the Amati story is fascinating, but I don't know if I'd pay money for one of their saxes.
Winston saxes started out several years ago as pretty crude pieces, but the newer ones are probably as good as the better Taiwanese horns on the market. Some of their stuff seems to be aspiring to Yamaha 52-62 territory. It's probably worth a play test.