Is it worth giving my Bundy II Alto an overhaul?

**Saxman96** · 04-09-2012, 03:38 AM

I have a worn bundy II alto sax. It has a slightly bent body/neck and old pads.

The bent body resulted from me being stupidly frustrated with my tone when I was a beginner.

So im asking if is it really worth overhauling it?????

Ive seen overhaul prices for alto sax at around $450.

**trice** · 04-09-2012, 05:33 AM

No.

**KennyZ** · 04-09-2012, 07:36 AM

Definitely no
I think you can buy another in good conditions on ebay for the half overhaul price

**slausonm** · 04-09-2012, 11:13 AM

These are a very functional student level instrument when well adjusted. Just guessing that your frustration level and bent body damage could have been avoided if it had been playing at 100%. These sell in music stores in my area for about $300 in good condition. My repad price is less than 450, so repairing the horn purely as a monetary standpoint will depend on where you live. If you want a newer horn with more modern key work get a student Yamaha, or if you're into the vintage Conn sound look for a used one on e-bay and have it repadded.
Matt

**AmandasDad** · 04-09-2012, 11:29 AM

Just sold our Bundy II for $250 locally.
Pictures to show the condition, it was a (student) player.
Came with the case, Yamaha 4C mpc & stand.

Unless it's a "Bundy ii Special", which I have read is a different beast, the answer has to be no, find a good used alto.

slausonm, I am presuming $450 is more than a repad as the neck would have to be fixed.

Shoot, for the $450 price of the overhaul, plus whatever you can get for the Bundy II, I would think you could pick up a very decent YAS-23 or similar sax.

FWIW- There are 2 other local listings for Bundy IIs, one for $300 & another for $350.

**Starsax A2** · 04-09-2012, 01:07 PM

I have a much higher opinion of Bundy II's than most, as I have one which feels and plays great. But, good playable ones are readily available for less money than you would spend on a complete overhaul. So, unless you are particularly attached to it, the advice to buy another one or spend that money on something like a YAS-23 (which is universally respected) makes sense.
My Bundy II was a gift from my wife, and it plays really, maybe unusually, well. I would consider overhauling it.

**hornfixer** · 04-09-2012, 02:28 PM

No.

**crashkahuna** · 04-09-2012, 04:08 PM

No. Maybe a Bundy I that was good cosmetically and intonation wise.

**abadcliche** · 04-09-2012, 06:16 PM

No. There are many other horns out there that will give you greater reward for the same budget.

**Dr G** · 04-09-2012, 07:53 PM

Originally Posted by Saxman96

The bent body resulted from me being stupidly frustrated with my tone when I was a beginner.

Ouch! That was an expensive fit. Maybe next time you should just stomp your feet.

Look at the bright side - you've justified buying a new horn!

**Saxman96** · 04-10-2012, 12:09 AM

Originally Posted by hornfixer

No.

Thanks for your advice. I asked here on SOTW because I was considering doing it, but I changed my mind. I dont want to be wasting my money. At least my bundy II plays well.

**clarnibass** · 04-10-2012, 05:49 AM

In general I agree it's not worth it. I've only ever overhauled one Bundy II saxophone. It wasn't really an overhaul, but pretty close, a major repair. I recommended the owner not to do it because it wasn't worth it and explained why. They thought about it for a while and considered any alternative of replacing/upgrading the saxophone. Eventually it turned out that at least in this area, any option other than repair would cost significantly more than they could spend on a saxophone. In addition, for whatever reason the player liked this particular saxophone. So repair was the best option in this case.