Ignorance is not bliss

[RWW]

I am a clarinet player who has been doubling on tenor sax and clarinet in local swing/jazz bands for several years using a borrowed Martin tenor. Recently the owner retrieved the tenor and I had to turn down a job last week because I no longer have an instrument. Unfortunately, I know very little about how to select a quality tenor for a good price. I know I cannot afford a new professional instrument so I looked at e-Bay and am now even more confused. They have brand new instruments for $325. Can I assume this is a piece of junk? I really don't know. I inquired on the sneezy clarinet bulleting board and was referred to this site. I am hoping the Saxophone Forum readers will be kind to a Clarinet player who occasionally plays sax and share some information. I was hoping (perhaps naively) to purchase an 'old' reputable instrument for maybe $500 or $600. Is this totally rediculous? I do need to be able to sound good when playing with the rest of the sax section which is composed mainly of professionals. Since posting my problem on the clarinet web site I have found there is a bewildering variety of names of tenor saxes. I have been offered a 'Holton Collegiate for #300', 'Covesnon Monopole' for $600, and 'Couf superba II' for $1500. Since I have never heard of any of these I don't know if the price is good or if the instrument is any good. Any advice will be appreciated.

[stitch]

Use the search button at the top of the page to see what others have written about these horns - you should find something about all of them here. You're probably right about getting a $325 sax off eBay - steer clear. From what I've picked up from this site, it appears that Holton's are also-rans in the sax world, and while they have their champions they're not for everyone. Couesnons have a very good reputation and can be excellent value for money. The Couf is a pro horn made by Keilwerth in Germany. Their respective qualities are reflected in the asking prices. If you do a little digging you're sure to find more info. Good luck!

[shmuelyosef]

If Keith still has his Couf Superba II for sale (http://saxontheweb.myforums.net/viewtopic.php?t=9290) it is a great buy! I've been tempted...at $1100. Also, junkdude www.junkdude.com has a number of old Conns for under $1000. I have bought stuff from him and he seems pretty reliable.

[retread]

Check with Dave Spiegelthal, a frequent poster to both Sneezy and this forum. He often sells old saxes he has overhauled. You can find him by searching either forum. Stay far, far away from new tenors offered for a few hundred bucks.

Also, the last time I looked John Butler, who has a listing on the Sneezy commercial page under repair, had a Conn Pan American tenor he has overhauled. If I did not already have an old 10M I would be very interested in that Pan Am, which ia a 10M without a few features. I bought a Leblanc clarinet from John and it was an excellent instrument at a fair price.

[JL]

RWW, how'd you like that Martin you were playing? Martins are good horns and that might be a reasonable benchmark for you to use since you played it for a while. Martins also tend to be underpriced so you can pick up a pretty good horn at a reasonable price if you go with a Martin. Also check out vintage Bueschers and Conns. This is where you can get the most bang for your buck. But be sure that any used sax you buy is in great condition or be ready to spend some money on an overhaul. Check out the vintage sax threads on this forum for an overwhelming amount of great info.