I am looking for a new sax for my son. I have read the usual some love it, some hate it responses for both the monique and the cannonball sax. Does anyone have JUST THE FACTS to compare these two? He started on an accent alto sax and is looking to move up. Sorry guys, the band mom here can`t afford a yamaha or the other Japanese one with the long name.

Hi band mom:
If your son is serious about persuing the saxophone and you wish him to have a good instrument then I would recommend the Monique sax. I`ve played one for over six years and have loved every part of it. However, you have to be careful of which one you buy. A little known fact is that there are two branches of Monique, one being the Chinese made and one being the Taiwan-made.
The Chinese made instruments are soft metal and horrible interior design, resulting in an instrument that goes flat from only a few months of use, if that. They are also extremely delicate and can break very easily. The Taiwan made instruments are much sturdier (I`ve dropped mine a fair few times) and hardly ever break. The ONLY downside to getting one of these great horns is the issue of, in the event of a serious accident that requires parts of the body to be replaced, parts can be hard to come by. Most times repair places can put other parts on their for the same performance effect.
I`ve heard that people feel neither of these instruments sounds good and "suck", but from personal experience I feel they`re great. Whatever you decide, good luck and feel free to email me with questions.