Did you mean hemke? they are a very prestigous reed brand about 5.00 a reed, but saxophones? I don`t know

no i did not mean hemke and i know that they are a prestigious reed company anyways maybe it is just a new company

i started alto in 6th grade on a selmer, i`ve still got and now i`m in 9th, and it`s pretty good. mine was brand new and it was $1400. other good brands are for begginers are yamaha and bundy, but if it was me i wouldn`t start on a Yanagisawa or other really good brand until i was better.

I purchased a Monique saxophone from ebay and was impressed with the finish, tone, and intonation. I had a Monique soprano that traveled well over several years, even though the horn was not developed to the point it is now.

I had an Alpine step up horn, which you will see on EBay for about $475. With Selmer pivot screws and springs, an epoxy finish that was slow to disintegrate ( traveled with the horn for 12 years and the wear was minimal) and decent low end response. The pads were never replaced and it played well when I sold it this summer. It was a great outside horn when I did not want to take my main horn out in the elements. It stayed in adjustment even with the amount of traveling I did.

There are companies making good horns without having to pay several thousand dollars. If you are playing for enjoyment, find a reputable dealer and play a few of the horns and listen to dealer`s recommendation (dealer is different than a salesperson, if you know what I mean) That`s how I found the Alpine and was never more pleased and got a great deal. It is how I decided on the Monique horn, which is now my main alto. I have owned Selmers and Yamahas and have similiar success with them at a larger outlay of money.

Take the time to play the horn and see if it fits your needs. If you do purchase a horn on the internet or ebay or through phone order,most companies will offer several days of trial before you are locked into buying the horn. If they don`t beware.

I just purchased this black Helmke Tenor on ebay and in my opinion the sound is better than any MKVI or any tenor that I have owned. Well, you may not believe it, besides preferences in sound are subjective. But since you have asked... If I can play Giant Steps with the same ease on this black helmke, except for the left hand D, Eb, F keys, and right-hand side keys being all too low, and find the sound quality/production BETTER than my previous engagements - I call this tenor well under-rated pro instrument. The horn came in without a single leak, all tight and this does contribute to ease of playing. One of these days, I will get me a website where I can have the option to post some playing of mine so this discussion doesn`t end here. Another reason for this instrument not being a student horn is that... you may not want to hear it, but it`s definitely for people with bigger hands. If you`d like to get a horn where everything is "together", it`d be at least $2,000 more to compensate. But I doubt that the more expensive horns will have better sound, on contrary, you are just buying the "action," and to get the sound, it`ll be another thousand or two plus overhaul. Here, you spend $289 and see a repairman to mand the sax to your hands for a couple of hundred bucks at most. Then you go practice for a few hours a day and come back in a few years and get yourself a website with your music. Remember Dexter on Conn 10M and everybody else on MKVI? If his Conn haven`t been stolen, I doubt we`d see him with anything else. I played 10M/30M, the action is much worse than this Helmke -Pempke!

Have you considered renting/hiring a saxophone with a view to purchasing?
You could try the Yamaha Tenor sax for a period of upto a year, and if you decide to keep it, just pay the difference.

I tried a cheep tenor sax, and found that it had air leaks where the pads did not fit properly, the keywork and screws were loose, and the customer service was nonexistant. I was lucky to get a refund, before hiring a Yamaha sax. I have had the Yamaha sax for less than 24 hours and the difference in tone is amazing, the keys work better, and the whole thing looks and feels superior.
If you buy a cheep little know brand expect troubles.

The saxophones you want to associate yourself with are horns like Selmer, Keilwerth, Dave Guardala tenors. I work in a musical instruments store. We sell top quality (such as the names above) instruments. We do all repairs ourselves. Yamaha may be a good brand to the amateur but is not worth it in the end. The horns Yamaha makes are cheap metal, and bend and break very easily. Trust me I see them all the time. If you`re looking to play for a while, get something that`s going to last you a long time. I`m recommending a vintage Selmer Mark VI, a nickel plated Dave Guardala, or maybe the Keilwerth Anniversary tenor with the silver plated neck and bell and nickel body. If you or anyone are interested, let me know. I can hook you up with a good deal on these horns.

I`ve heard of the Helmke tenor`s, but con`t know much about them. I`ve been researching them lately and have heard pretty good things about them.

As for what Val said about them, I noticed the exact reply that she gave here, oin another forum. Maybe she`s trying to help them sell their saxes or something.

I am new to this forum and have been reading some entries and I thought I would just put a little of my insight out there to help whoever I can. I work at a local music store as an instrument repair tech and have seen thousands of sax`s come my way. We also sell new stuff as well. Let me tell you, most people want to get the best sax for their money. There are some players that all they rely on is brand of a super-expensive sax to say "hey this is a great sax, I spent over $5000 on it." At our store we carry Jupiter, Selmer, Yamaha, Antigua Winds, Conn, Yanagisawa and anything made by Conn-Selmer LeBlanc. Right now I would say the Jupiter is probably the most impressive for your buck. They have the Artist Series (pro) out with has a solid silver neck and silver plated body with gold lacquered keys. This thing plays and feels great. Our local sax teacher liked it so much, he desided to buy the Jupiter over the Yanagisawa. If you want to compare them to Yamaha and their pro horn, the Jupiter is about half the cost. The customer service from Jupiter is vastly better then Yamaha and their product is very good. The best thing to do is to go your local music store and try as many saxes as you can and pick what fits you best, it might be a Yamaha, it might be a Selmer or even a Jupiter. Just keep an open mind while playing and shopping at music stores.

How about Bestler for a brand, anyone ever had one. I used to play in High School and want to take it up again, but really can`t afford to by an expensive Yamaha, and I`m kind of wary of the Helmke brand. Any suggestions?? Thanks
Susan

I recently purchased a Monique Pro Series Tenor Sax on eBay. So far it plays well, it has a better sound than the two tenors that I have previously worked with, which were Bundy’s. I`m concerned with the fact that until I first saw it on eBay I had not heard of the brand and from reading posts I`m concerned that I may not have made a decent choice. What have been the experiences with Monique saxophones?

Ive played played a monique tenor now for a year and a half, and in my opinion the sax is an extremly good horn for the student or pro looking for a good deal on a good horn that will last them as long as they keep it. It is definitly close to the same level of excellence of the Mark 6 owned by my high school band director i played while in high school. As for the helmke saxes, they look pretty, but they are nothing but mass produced german CRAP. definitly though, if you want a great first horn, go with a monique, and it`ll run you about 500-600 bucks. You can also get an older Conn for as low as 300 bucks on average. Both of those are good horns for anyone and will last as long as you keep them. The only thing that makes the Mark 6 so much better than my Monique is name recognition

It is not Hemke it is Helmke

Hey i need help
im wondering if its worth buying a sax. on ebay? i see a couple brands like Victory(?) and Helmke at really great deals that seem to good to be true...im wonderting if anyone here as ever bought off ebay one ofmthese or any other brand off ebay?? if so can oyu please help me out?
much appreciated
-alison

I am in the market for a soprano sax. I have had a Monique alto
sax for over 6 years and have had minimal problems with it. My
biggest issue is the wear on my finish, which is nickel plated
I believe. However, I played it more than anyone I know and the
wear is only apparent in the spots that my hands are in constant
contact with. Also, I went through four marching band seasons in
all different kinds of weather and the sax has still not shown
it in any way. The tone quality is as beautiful as ever. Many
people say that there are extreme intonationproblems in the low
register with moniques, but I find that, given the proper ear
and enough experience in practice, and abnormalities are easily
controllable. One thing I will say about monique...
the only thing I`ve noticed as nrgstive about this brand is
that a)there are never replacement parts if you have need of
them...and b)the bell of the horn feels a little bit loose to
me. I guess this is because of all of the action it has seen, but
there is no difference in quality. And I have no doubt in my
mind that I`ll buying a Monique soprano as well.
By the way...has anyone ever heard of "LaReign" or something
with a similar spelling? Thanks...