Well, you should usually ask for advice before you buy the horn! $1500 is a little pricey when you consider you can find a used Serie II for the same price. The general concensus is that the II is a big improvement over the regular SA, I find that the SA is too similar to the MKVII. But it's a pro horn, and it didn't cost that much. Berg Larsens are okay, most prefer them for tenor than alto.