alison I bought a helmke alto sax off ebay about 4 months ago and it seems to play beautifully i have had no problems with it what so ever.

oh great! i found a great deal on it on ebay...only around 230 dollaras and it includes a case with everything inside(mouthpieces,cleaner, etc)...its helmke
plus its brandnew
sorry i cant find the link if anyone is interested but just search around ebay and im sure you`ll find it...
i laso find a similiar deal with a brand called victory...but i never heard of it and no one has mentioned it here so im guessing its not as great opf a choice as helmke

i just wanted to say i saw it too, and been considering getting one. i saw this White Helmke Alto sax for 250, and that`s pretty cheap for a sax, so i`m having my doubts. But it looks so pretty, Ebay has a blue saxophone too. lol my fave color. But i`ve learn to know yamaha and selmer is the best.
i`m in high school and my friend whose no. 2 alto in state uses a yas-23 during the marching season and selmer pro series I.

but if any of u know if helmke is decent. let me know.

THE SELMER IS THE ULTIMATE BEST SAX OUT THERE!!!!!!! true they are a wee bit on the expensive side, but what really good instrument isn`t? if you plan on playing for a long time it is a worthy investment. The SELMER is just the best out there, it is a professional horn, and to get the best tone ever, you definately need a SELMER C* MOUTHPIECE, but of course you should get one anyway.

To Jimmy
I own a helmke white alto sax and i played a selmer bundy 2 in class and i actually found that the air flow was easier on the helmke model i have been playing since grade 9 and now i am in grade 10 but if you are looking for a good deal and don`t wanna spend a lot of money helmke is pretty good.
From fellow sax player,
Melinda

Has anyone used a Bestler saxophone before and/or heard reviews on this brand?

Cany anyone tell me about the Jupiter and Jean Baptiste alto sax models? I am searching to purchase a sax but do not want to spend an arm and a leg. $400 or less is my budget range.

It all depends on how serious you are and what your budget is. I recieved good advice when I was ready to buy ... "Buy as much quality that you can possibly afford." I went to large music showroom called Woodwind & Brasswind in South Bend IN. They let you try any instrument you want all day long with no obligation to buy. I walked out with a professional model Selmer USA made. Selmer has 5 grades of saxophones: student USA, Intermediate USA, Professional USA, Super action series II, and Series III (Paris). I would stay away from off brands that no one has heard of. Surf EBAY. All of these models sell every week for less than retail price.

I`ve heard of Helmke. My sax teacher has it. It plays really well, at least his does.

oh wow, sorry, that last helmke reply was a little late wasn`t it. I was responding to when Helmke was first introduced on this forum, maybe I shoulda read on.

What is the opinion on a E.M. Winston (sp. may be off because I`m going from memory) student saxophone for $700 new from a music store? From this thread I can see the favorites mentioned, but didn`t see this manufacturer listed. Any ideas on this brand?

Helmke does not even have a website. Buyer beware!

I`ve heard that Jupiter saxes are not very well built and don`t have much in the way of tone. Jean Baptise mostly produces student model instruments. If you need a student model I would recommend either a used Selmer, Yamaha, or Buescher. For instruments that perform on a higher level I would recommend Monique, my personal favorite.

By the way, since my last post on this thread I have purchased a Monique soprano sax in a faux petina finish and have already done three gigs with it. The performance is superb!

yeah, i noticed they didn`t have a website, so it is buyer beware, a long term test would be best to know if the brand is decent.

it`s by a company called "Germany Engineering" i think,

Jimmy

i posted earlier about helmke, and i went ahead and bought it. It is horrible! half the buttons dont even go down, and the toher half dont go up. The quality is horrible. Dont buy this sax!!!!