Review of a Couple Current Production Student Model Tenors

[Helen]

This week I play-test 2 different student model horns at my tech's shop. The were both brand new, still wrapped in the original plastic, student model tenor saxophones. They were the Gemeinhardt GST600-LQ and the Selmer TS400.

I just posted a full review of them them on my weblog if you're interested in reading about them.

Spoiler alert: The Selmer was horrible. I thought it would do better. It didn't. The Gemeinhardt--I didn't even know that the company was selling saxophones, but they are the one that now even sell LA Sax--was actually decent.

I still can't get over the prices of new, Asian-made horns that have almost no hand-made or even hand-assembled elements. Profits for these companies per instrument must be awfully good....

 

[alexhjr]

where is this made from?

 

[ghostler]

Hello, Helen. I read your blog on these two tenor saxes, found it interesting that the Selmer lacked decent regulation and that the stencil under Gemeinhardt was decent, seemed to be I'd almost say a good intermediate instrument. Your post is almost 8 years ago.

When I was a member of the 264th Army Band, Fort Shafter, Honolulu, Hawaii in the early 1970's, we had just received new professional model Buffet Bb wood clarinets. I was surprised that their regulation was as bad as the Selmer AS400 you tested.

Maybe 4 years ago, I bought a new Venus tenor sax in the standard lacquer brass finish from Music Wheel out of California on E-Bay. Think I paid a little over $400 for it. It regulated very well. Still have the Venus Eb soprano sax I bought almost 10 years ago, it plays well, easy to play in tune.

I steered away from buying other economy saxes made in the Orient over concerns with their quality. The 20 year old pro model Antigua Winds plays as well as my Yamaha YAS-60 pro alto I had from the early 1970's. Also am happy with my Antigua Winds Low A bari.