Budget tenor (Buffet vs Keilwerth vs Sequoia)

Hi everyone!
I'm on a hunt for a solid tenor. I'm finished my classical saxophone masters last year, my main instrument is alto (Selmer III). I played a lot of tenor at my university (Selmer II) and now I want to buy something on my own. I also play some jazz/funk/rock, so what I'm looking for is a solid all-rounder, I'm on a budget, so professional horns are out of my reach for the moment, and I am fully aware that i will have to get down with a few compromises for that matter. My preference of a sound is darker and rounder.
I've tried some of the tenors in last few weeks and would be glad to hear some opinions, if anyone has come across these horns or owe them.

Buffet 400 matte/antique: Has almost exatcly the sound that I personally search for in tenor, but you have to work for it(still managable though). Intonation is great, keywork is not the best but i think i could get used to it, the sound is nice through all the register and(I like that very much) it doesnt get edgy or "squeezy" if you push it in the upper register. On the opposite, it gets really beasty when you blow fully in it. It has a very definite sound(which I like), but like I said i takes some work/energy it and it's not very versatile-it stays dark whatever you do. Price: cca 1500€

Keilwerth ST110: Compared to Buffet it's much more generic(especially in terms of sound). Easier to play, intonation is also great, but in terms of sound it's nothing special. When i played classic it sounded almost too bright, when I pushed a little bit it started to get too edgy. I liked the keywork and intonation. but the sound is somehow generic(kind of like Yamahas). Price: cca 1500€

Sequoia (tried Lemon and Booster): Very nice in terms of sound(Lemon is brighter and more versatile, Booster is darker and more definite), but it has issues with intonation and also keywork. Very nice feature is that it comes with 2 necks...IMO it is not worth additional 1000€ compared to the previous two.

Yes, I am considering a secondhand Yamaha or Selmer, but it's difficult to find them, I tried yamaha62 from the 90'2 but i just didn't like it.

I'd appreciate your opinions and thank you in advance for them!

Reply To Post [Report Abuse]