I agree with Kelsey on this one. Most instructors are going to advise against buying a vintage horn for college. Personally, if I were buying a horn to play in college, I would look closely at these four, and you decide which one you prefer. The Yamaha YTS 62 It's a lot of sax for the money. I really think this would be my first choice. Why? Because if something were to happen to it at college; ie. stolen, damaged, etc., I would feel better about losing the cheaper Yamaha as opposed to a more expensive Selmer, for example. The sound is fairly neutral. For jazz, you're definately going to want a different mouthpiece. The Otto Link New York series sounds really good on the Yamaha 62 tenor. For legit, possibly a Selmer Larry Teal piece? I'm no expert on legit. Selmer Reference 54 They're expensive; too expensive in my honest opinion, but they have a great sound and they seem to be preferred among college instructors. Aside from the price tag, this is probably the best horn to take to college. Yanagisawa T991 The Yanagisawas are known for their intonation and for having a nice smooth action. They are better suited to legit than jazz, but they can also scream depending on the set-up you use. They are a well made dependable horn that would definately take care of you through college. The Keilwerth SX-90 I would not recommend the SX-90R for college playing. Why? Because there is a substantial difference in price between the two, and the intonation is better on the SX-90 than the SX-90R. The SX-90 also has fewer problems associated with the pads and leakage. I wouldn't recommend a Cannonball for college. They seem a little fragile in comparison to the others I mentioned. I think either the Yamaha, Selmer, Yanagisawa or Keilwerth would prove to be much more durable and dependable. Jim

Back in Nov. I spent an afternoon trying most of the tenors they had at the nearest decent store and ended up picking a YTS-82Z. I like it better than the Selmer Series III and it cost $1500 less! Also tried a Yani 901, LASax 800 and several lower-numbered Yamahas... I posted a more complete 'shopping report' here:

I have a 2004 Prestini Classic pro alto that I have played professionally since new. I can make you a good deal on it as I have since acquired a minty gold plated CONN CHU. email me : docfraz AT bellsouth DOT net

Hey there, I agree with most of what the others have said. The Yamahas are a great deal... if you want to go a little more high end, I've got a Selmer Reference 54 alto that I'm selling to fund my purchase of a new tenor. If you're interested, let me know: derald dot reedy at comcast dot net To email, remove spaces, dot=. and at=@