Which saxophone should I buy for my child? Part 3

So, what about other major brands like Conn-Selmer, Buffet, Keilwerth, aren't they better than buying some ‘Chinese’ saxophone?

 

If you do any research or talk to any well advised music store owner you will most likely run into many who tell you to be aware of the saxophones made in china, they are cheap and fall apart, they don't play in tune, etc, etc.  Well, here's a little known industry secret, all of the major brands mentioned above have their student saxophones manufactured in China and have been for years. I know, I know, it can't be true but it surely is, and now they even have "made in china" on them. So, what about all the warnings about Chinese saxophones being cheap or poorly made? Well, here is a question, if I were from somewhere overseas and I traveled to America and stopped off at some small burger shop in some outskirts part of Utah; and after eating a burger, realized that it was horrible,  would it be an intelligent statement to say that all the burgers in America are just as horrible? Of course not! That's just as ignorant as saying that all blondes are ditzy, or that all brunettes like to have fun.

So where did this come from? Well, there are some bad saxophones being made in China, just as there are bad burgers being sold all across America. The good news is that the Chinese have begun to do with the saxophone what they do in every industry the venture into; some Chinese factories have been able to make a high quality saxophone for the price that is fractions of what a typical student saxophone sells for! Now you can only imagine how the general retailers across the nation felt about this when parents could jump online and buy a lesser known student saxophone for hundreds less than the thousands of dollars they are demanding for the major brands in their stores!

Now, does this mean that all saxophones from China are high quality now? 

No, there are still those that are selling very low quality student saxophones at very low prices and I would warn you to be aware of these companies. I am not going to list their names because for the most part, they change their names every so often and reinvent themselves under a new name. They rarely have any real internet presence other than the ebayer's selling them and have outrageous warranty promises of 5 to 10 years, just to get you to bite the hook.

So what should I look for in a Chinese made saxophone company?

Here are some major areas that can help you determine if the student saxophone is worth purchasing:

- The company you choose should have a solid reputation and track record for their product & their customer service. In today's internet ruled world, this will give you a great opportunity to find reviews and testimonies from previous owners as to the build quality and sustainability of the overall saxophone.  I do make mention on this that any good saxophone company is continually improving as time goes by, so be open to the good and the bad reviews. As well, I don't think you can find any saxophone company that does not have any negative reviews, but go with the overall consensus of the product quality and the customer service of the company.

- You should be able to call and speak to someone from the actual company of that makes or distributes the saxophone.  Ask them as many questions as you can, and make sure they are willing to stand behind the instrument 100%.

- There should be a written return policy for a full refund if you are not 100% satisfied.  Your money is yours and don't throw it away to some company that will not stand 100% behind their student saxophone.

- The sax should come with some sort of setup or adjustment work already done to it. For the most part, almost every saxophone made today is made overseas somewhere, and is then shipped to America.  During shipping, it is very easy for the saxophone to get banged around and knocked out of adjustment, as well; many factories do a minimal setup just to make sure the sax plays, but so much can be done to ensure that your student will get a very free blowing and easy playing saxophone.  Any good saxophone company will have technicians on this end that do a post production setup and adjustment to ensure that the saxophone arrives to the customer in the most optimum working order.  Ask the company if they do any post production setup or regulation work and if they do, then ask them to be specific. Remember, this is your money and you want to invest in the best possible saxophone for your student; do not be hustled or talked into a student saxophone that you are not 100% sure about.

- The saxophone should have some samples online of the saxophone being played, preferable videos because audio files do not disclose the saxophone being played and you can't be sure that the saxophone is actually the one being advertised. If the sax is being sold on ebay.com, the manufacturer or label name should have company website or internet presence. If so, check to see that the website is valid; meaning that it has correct and up to date contact information, articles, pictures, samples, reviews etc.. or is it just some website thrown together and posted online to try and fool you into thinking that there is a real company that you can contact and be confident will stand behind the product.

- Check online in forums like saxontheweb.net which is filled with some of the best information about student and professional saxophones from today and over the past 100 years.  Is this company you are looking at, listed in their Saxophone Makes and Models section of the forum? If so, then you can be assured that it would not be listed if there was not a real company behind that product. You can also search the forum for reviews and ask questions.

- Check youtube to see if anyone is playing this name brand student saxophone and posting videos. If so, you can hear many different people playing these saxes and get an overall idea of the sound they can produce.

- The sax should come with all the things your student needs to play the saxophone; mouthpiece, ligature, neck strap & cork grease. Some companies give other care packages as well with the purchase and this is a good idea to help keep the saxophone in good working order. These items include a pad saver, cleaning cloth, and neck swab.

- The sax should come in a good case that will protect your student saxophone for years to come.