he probably got ripped. not to say the horn is bad, but you can get em alot cheaper. sry.

the selmer markVIs are more like 3.5K now. I like the selmer reference 54 and the keilwerth shadow teh best, though those are the 2 most expensive saxes (at least the altos) on the market at the moment.

Well if you have already bought it and he won`t take it back and you are not rich, I would say it really doesn`t matter as long as the horn is playable. It is not unusual to have to make adjustment on the lower end instruments to get them to play well. As for the opening on the mouthpiece. If you get a Meyer, get a 5 medium chamber and you will be fine. The same goes for the Otto link. Now I am referring to hard rubber mouthpieces. If you want a metal go with the Otto Link. Try Music123.com to check their prices. In the future as you seem to be computer savy, you may wish to check out prices before you purchase. It is awfully expensive to do after the fact. Good luck.

Approximately how much should these mouthpieces cost? Definitely don`t want to get taken advantage of again. I do appreciate the advice. Also, what do you mean by "adjustment to the lower end" ? Like I said this is all new to me. Tonight is my son`s concert. He is absolutely nervous. Everyone keep your fingers crossed for him please. Thank you for your help.

kandice

umm, it depends what kind, plastic/rubber mouthpiece (good ones) range from probably $70 to $150 or so (alto) and metal, $120-like 500

check music123 for thier prices and reference them, i bought my keilwerth from them and and stuff and they are great. Their prices are good to.

Another person has fallen for the pretty sax. It is not that Monique is a bad, it can be an OK student sax, but the price is very high.

Ask the teacher about the mouthpiece, he will- probably- suggest a Selmer C*. For a beginner, a good mouthpiece and good reeds are more important than the sax. A good player can make any sax sound good, a player with limited ability will not sound great on the best sax. A beginner should play a hard rubber mouthpiece, metal mouthpieces require more skill.

If your son continues to play, be prepared to spend a lot of money on hardware.

I realize now that we fell for the pretty saxaphone. But that pretty saxaphone does sound beautiful in the hands of my 9 year old son. And he does have a talent. Though, I am still waiting for someone to tell me waht it means to "adjust the lower end" of a sax. I have been waiting patiently for someone who is knowledgeable in this area to explain this to me. And everyone has been terrific in giving me advice on various mouthpieces to look into purchasing and I am still so confused on that issue. They all seem to be the same. I don`t really know which one would be better. One person says that this brand is better and another says this brand is better. All I know is that they are all pretty much around the same price ($75 and over $100). I just don`t want to be taken like I was on the saxaphone. That was and still is a nightmare. So someone please help me

What I meant was lower end INSTRUMENTS. The Monique is not considered by any means a high end product. Although I play a pro series monique, it is really not as high end an instrument as my 1930`s Buescher Aristocrat. It still plays very well and seems to be built sturdy. As for a mouthpiece, I think I suggested an otto link #5 or a Meyer 5M. Just go to music123.com and check their price on these mouthpieces and you cannot go wrong. They will probably have about the best price around. I don`t know how I can help more. You have to understand that what works best for one is not always what works best for all. Like I think one of the post told you, a good player can make any instrument sound good with a good high quality or "high end" mouthpiece. It is in the embouchure. If you are not sure what that is, I suggest you ask your son. He should know by now. Good Luck.

Well, I started with tenor, and my first sax was a used Selmer, which was pretty nyce. Later I bought a sax my friend recommended; a Beuscher. I`ve seen older Bueschers, and their crap, but if you buy a new one, which is a little cheaper than a few other brands, I`d say its about on par with Yamaha, but that`s just me.
I kinda broke it during marking season (stupid freshmen), but before that, it was perfect. The only thing other peeps don`t like about it is the sunk in keys for better grip, the oddly place octave key, which really isn`t a problem, and some peeps say the keys feel too far, or sometimes to close (so, that would make it towards the middle, right?). But if you don`t rely on what i say, then stick with a more reputant name brand, but I like my Buescher.