Antigua 545 student tenor :-( Any good?

[Jbroad572]

I always thought my mother bought me an intermediate sax back in HSm but looking the model number up, I find out it is a student tenor. Kind of upsetting, but no big deal. I want to know if anyone has any experience with this sax and if it is pretty decent. I am starting all over from a long 5 year break from sax, so Im sure its appropriate for the time being, but how decent is it? Thanks for any help possible.

[FireRescueFL]

The bigger question would be "were you happier with it when you thought it was an intermediate model?"

I was still playing on a student model Yamaha when I started doing "pro-level" gigs and really getting out into the world. I had no basis for comparison so I never saw any reason to change to a "better" horn. I guess it's like the "what you don't know can't hurt you" bit. When I finally played a friend's Mark VI, I got a realization of many of the things on my horn that weren't quite up to par.

Up until that point my horn was just fine for me. Every note played and it was pretty in tune. Did playing a MKVI make my horn any less of a good player? Not at all. It simply opened my eyes to something that just felt a little better.

The point is: if you're happy with your horn, use the snot out of it until you find something that feels better to you. Don't get rid of your horn and buy what someone else considers the "best." What works for them may not work well for you... and vice versa.

[JfW]

indeed.

[Jbroad572]

ok well thanks. I don't remember how it sounded back when I played, I know it was apparently good enough for the high school jazz band. No harm I guess in getting the basics back down.
Thanks guys.