I’ve played sax professionally in the Seattle area for 50+ years. I came up through public school bands. I wish I’d had a band director as cool as you. 😂 I love the fact that you are reviewing low priced instruments. I’ve thought about getting a low priced curved soprano so if you ever want to review on of those, that would be cool. 😂 Keep on doing what you’re doing, Your band kids are lucky to have such an enthusiastic teacher.
@@SeattleJohn2009 lol, I was hoping to find a sick deal on a soprano when I heard the tenor is also discounted, but no luck :/ Thanks for the kind words 😊
As a alto sax player whos been playing on a $200 "Glory" amazon alto for the past 5 or so years, these things will last you as long as you dont toss them around and swab them. I currently use vandoren reeds with a vandoren mouthpiece. I'm also auditioning for my states allstate band and am planning on upgrading cause the sax is starting to show its price-age value.
I also have Glory alto saxophone, im enjoying my sax, but, sometimes i feel if I buy a better sax (more expensive) i will enjor more, but, im really falling in love with my Glory saxophone!!
Tech here. This level of horn usually comes out of the box ok. When everything seals, they play well enough in tune and with a decent mouthpiece a good player could sit in a section with it without getting a side eye. …Until something breaks. The cases are usually styrofoam with some fabric glued to the outside. The metal the keys are made out of is very soft, and prone to going out of adjustment. The solder joints often do not have enough solder underneath. So if you knock the thing around, it’s going to break more easily. And while a willing tech could replace a few palm key pads no problem, if you actually need to replace a screw or a key on this horn your tech is not going to be able to order the part. Many techs will refuse to work on these horns for all the above reasons. Given all this, the best way to use this horn is to get a good mouthpiece to go with it, play it until something breaks, and upgrade instead of repairing it. Wouldn’t recommend this for a student because I think a student needs something more repairable. But it could be ok for a doubler who just needs a cheap way to get through a few gigs.
I wonder how feasible it would be to collect all these broken Mendini saxes, scrap them for parts, and fix all the broken Mendini saxes that people have using those parts. Considering how widespread they seem to be, I feel like this could be a viable business endeavour.
thank you for being a inspiration for alot of people. ive been watching you for a long time now and I just want to say that youve helped push me to want to be a music teacher. so thank you
Brother we need more teachers like you in our public schools. If you are anything like your videos with the kids you teach you are on the right track. Good teachers are underappreciated! Thank you for what you do for society!
11:42 the tune korobeiniki is on the public domain. however, "individual performances" (the versions of the tetris themes used in the games) are still protected under copyright law.
@@MadMusicBand you know, I wish I could say it's just a coincidence, but the modern Tetris community is basically my only form of human connection at this point.
I am a 72 year old Jazz Guitarist. I am still grateful to my High School Band director Mr Joe Miller for getting me started playing in a band and doing parades and stage gigs.
I’m a freshman music Ed major with a percussion focus. I just found your channel through this video and am always here for a cheap instrument. Loved the video and am excited to check out more of them.
I've never understood why band directors are so against middle schoolers playing these cheap instruments. Most middle schoolers won't go beyond middle school band. Why do they need an $1,800+ Yamaha YTS-26? Throw a Yamaha 4C mouthpiece on that bad boy, and you're good to go. Tell parents to save the $50 a month they would spend on a rental to put towards an intermediate/used professional instrument for high school.
You're right that they dont need a $2000 yamaha, the value really isnt there. As for the cheap chinese instruments, more often than not the keywork is extremely soft, so the pivot points wear out rapidly, and keys bend easily, making it difficult to keep them in adjustment. All of the band directors in my area are having difficulties with this. I also have several of these instruments that I use to demonstrate how you can bend the keys just by playing the instrument shaped object.
To me the cheapest could be harder to play and sound bad. So I would go middle price instruments. When I taught guitar people would come in with cheap guitars and I would tell them to not even bother with them. I would let them borrow mine until they could afford a better one.
Because if it’s not easy to play than your child will likely quit. Do not let this be the determining factor in your child’s music education. I was one of the only students in my high school with a nice Yamaha horn, I am the only one still playing saxophone 20 years later. Instrument quality is important. If your child is interested in music, get them the best instrument you can afford. You can always sell it, quality instruments will always hold their value.
@Christopharoah Many parents can't afford that. I started out on a Chinese made clarinet in the early 2000s (the quality of metal has only improved since then) and was first chair playing it. I didn't get a nicer instrument until my senior year of high school. Now I'm the only one of my friends still playing. Working in a music store that rented only Yamaha and Giardinelli showed me that both had issues pretty equally. In fact, post pandemic Yamaha trumpets and euphoniums had some of the worst valve issues I've ever seen
Because they either read online or heard from another band director who read online that they're not worth getting. I have a student who got this exact sax and once you swap out the mouthpiece and reed, it plays pretty well. There are some intonation issues that you have to compensate for as well as really weak springs that make the action feel less snappy, but as long as you take good care of it, it's a perfectly serviceable instrument. I wouldn't recommend students buying them simply because of how easily they break (the number of bent keys I've seen from Mendini instruments is absurd), but if that's the instrument they have, I'm not going to tell them not to play it.
I actually didn't know that different colour saxophones existed, as an elementary 5th grade band kid playing saxophone, this is AMAZING. I subscribed already
I’m not a band person, and I can almost guarantee that I couldn’t get a note out of any woodwind instrument, but I am a music producer, and given your room acoustics, I honestly think they both sound fine! Great video, thanks a lot!
Thanks for the comments! My room is definitely not set up for perfect acoustics, I've had to do a lot of work to get the mics etc. to cooperate. It's still a work in progress but getting better!
@@MadMusicBand In my opinion, you’re definitely good enough for youtube! Seems to me the next priority is to stop sound from leaking OUT, to stop those weird text messages in the middle of recording :-) I’d love to see some videos on ridiculously cheap percussion instruments, in part because of a disease I have which makes me want to buy every single shaker on the planet, but also to get to hear you on your main instruments! Thanks!
I took beginning band in middle school. I’m a drummer so I wanted to do percussion, but because of my having autism, that wasn’t an option for me. So I went with saxophone. I loved it, but I wish I played percussion. I hope to see some percussion instrument reviews from you. So you got yourself a subscriber.
I havent played since high school and im coming up on 30 now, seeing you open that box of reeds with your teeth gave me a pretty vivid flashback to highschool band practice.
20:40 B is the Amazon one and A is the Jupiter; Jupiter is much softer toned and has a slightly lower formant, whilst the other is sharper and a slighter sharpness and "squelchyness" than the Jupiter.
I play alto saxophone for my highschool band and I only started playing last year on the all brass edition of that exact brand and model of alto sax. I learned on it and, while all these people bash Mendini and amazon instruments in general, it did its job. as far as the playability, it was amazing to play because of it's springs, buttons, pads, and my particular favorite which was the mouthpiece. Man I loved that cheap sax. Unfortunately it had to be sent in for major repair by my band director because the poorly built soft case broke and indirectly damaged the D# key. Im on an old Armstrong right now but my go to when i can afford it will be that sax. Only change would be a high quality hard case WITH CLASPS
The only thing I bash on Mendini instruments for is their fragility. They play decently enough and sound good enough for a beginner, but the ease in which they are damaged is just crazy. Unless you really baby the instrument, it is very likely to get a bent key, rod, or major dent eventually.
My biggest issue with them was always that the metal was too soft and the solder too weak. You give that to a kid and it will deteriorate in record time. I saw that a lot with Mendini instruments across the board.
Hey dude, i just stumbled on your video. I gave up music (Bari Sax, Electric Bass, DAW) for close to a decade because tons of life stuff (scammers and scummers, music degree drama, "the real world of work") made me feel like playing was pointless. I appreciate your enthusiasm on the topic and in a way it actually makes me want to pick music back up. Thanks!
as a saxophonist, you were flat on the open c# and said you needed to tighten up. i think you’re actually fine because open c# has a tendency to be flat especially on horns that are cheap and have worse intonation. also the weird low notes is a leaking, obechure or reed issue.
OMG!!! YOU MADE MY DAY!!! I did not believe you would post this. Thank youuu so much. I am new to the saxaphone so just wanted to know the cheapest. As again thank you so so much. Ur definitely my favourite youtuber👍👍👍❤
I’m a Clarinet main but I also play Tenor sax and my brother plays Alto and I’ve learned that it definitely can be the instrument that effects your playing, because on my tenor the part that the octave key lifts up sometimes goes to the side and gets stuck so then I squeak if I play lower notes because it’s lifted up and my brother’s sax got dropped and he had to send it to the music shop to get it repaired and they sent him a loner sax but this loner sax is like falling apart so he’s having difficulty playing (he’s a beginner too so it doesn’t help him) I’ve also had an experience with my Clarinet where I couldn’t get a sound out and we thought it was the mouthpiece and I got a new mouthpiece and I still couldn’t play, eventually I figured out that I had needed 3 reeds instead of the 2 1/2 reeds because my embouchure had developed very fast, so yes your instrument can effect your playing just as much as you can yourself
Thanks for making music more accessible through these videos. I ordered the tenor version of this instrument based on your review. It was on sale in a rockin' black and gold for $84.99!! Even with a new mouthpiece (Yamaha 5C) and a box of reeds I'm all in for under $150, which would get me 2 months at the local rental shop.
@jeroenneve5807 I'll let you know once it's delivered. But also, I'm an adult beginner with no idea what I'm doing. Sounds like this channel will be doing a tenor sax video soon, watch that one!
@orangeiguanaduck - I am a 66 year old non music trained beginner who wanted to make sounds like Gene Ammons, Coleman Hawkins and all the other "Tenor Titans", (listen to Pandora 'Dinner Jazz' channel for beaucoup examples). So a coupla months ago I sprung about $275 of a gift card for my birthday to get the all gold-colored Mendini Tenor sax, taking the chance that if I couldn't make a sound with it, I could just hang it on the wall😛😂 My boxes arrived pre-opened and crapply, dusty taped😮😢 but the sax and acoutrements looked perfect and un-played / un-opened. Note that the 'throwaway' reed was a great example for me, as I hadn't a clue how to put the reed and ligature on the mouthpiece properly. And yes, the throwaway (11th?) reed was probably defective, and squeaked like a banshee, so I immediately put a new reed on. But still squeaked😧, so I thought I got a 'lemon' sax. Then with perseverance, I learned "The art of the Emboucher" and blatted some super-satisfying sounds out the thing very early in the game. The only problem was the leather seal on the thumb octave blowhole was slow to seal, so I compensated by puffing and tongueing the higher notes and I learned to transition from higher octave notes to the lower notes with breathing control. I believe the 'bad press' the Mendini is getting could be from people who want to sell expensive saxes, because I am a total noob, and even I can get great sounds out of the thing. (It is loud, though)😄I just need to learn the notes and fingering. The biggest and best byproduct of trying to learn the sax is how much greater my appreciation is of listening to advanced players and the "Titans" when they "show off", because I now have an idea of how difficult it is to make "some of those sounds."🎷🎶👌 PS - I wish I had gotten it "on sale", but cest la vie🤷 Edit :PPS- DO NOT BOTHER WITH THE NECKSTRAP THAT COMES WITH THE TENOR. Order a proper shoulder sling before you even get the horn. I am cheap and tried to get away with the included strap and that was a mistake. I ordered a $20 padded double shoulder sling and that transformed the experience.
One of my students had one of these saxes. Look out for if the lacquer starts to flake off in small pieces. The tiny pieces of lacquer would get on the pads on the sax and I remember I had to put some new pads on his sax because the little pieces of lacquer ruined some of the pads. He only had the sax for about a year when the lacquer started to flake off. He actually got a warm sound on this cheap sax. I recommend to take a look at the Jean Baptiste saxophone for the best sax at the cheapest price. I've seen professional musicians use the Jean Baptiste saxes. The Jean Baptiste costs much more than this cheap sax, but it's still a great deal for what you get with a much better saxophone.
My old flute was like 400-450 but it broke in a lot of ways and I got that same exact flute had it for a month it’s fantastic and comes with stuff a professional has.I recommend it your first 4 years but get another later on,forget to mention it’s open holed.
I am a retired elementary band teacher. The main problem I have found with cheap instruments is that they are difficult if not impossible to repair. If a part comes off, the cheap metal does not want to braze (weld) back together. As well as many other problems.
I started in 5th grade on a leaky student horn. When I finally got my chops on a Yamaha Professional ($3K-$4K range) that was adjusted well, getting a good sound through it was sooo much easier that I decided it was worth spending the big bucks and never wanted to go back. Since then I went all the way and got a really expensive classic Mark VI. Still... now that I've tried a variety of horns, I've realized that no matter how much you spend, pads don't last forever and any horn can spring a leak. A $100 student horn will play better than a $5,000 sax with leaks.
I feel like the low notes may not have been the reed. You kinda gotta just drop your jaw. And maybe it was the reed but I had the same problem, but after practicing my low notes after about a month they are way better. Source: I play sax
I've played alto for a while as well, but I don't have that problem with my Jupiter. It worked so much better with the new reed that I know it was definitely that at first. Everything that happened after the reed switch can probably be attributed to me lol, it works great now.
As a 51 year old man who always wanted to play an instrument but being poor I was only able to play sports I think it's great that the cheap stuff is out there for poor kids
Chrismc - I'm very glad to hear that some players leave the reed on the mouthpiece, as I, a rank 66 year old beginner, does. Saves time futzing with the reed every time I pick the horn up. Also, I found the ritual of moistening the reed first seemed to not make any difference in the quality of my (beginner) playing. I simply adjust my Emboucher as the reed starts to absorb my saliva. I did notice that wetting the reed first, got the reed too mushy earlier. And even as a beginner I can hear my reed start to hit the "sweet spot" as I practice, the deteriorate as it gets too wet. Also, I keep my sax in a moldy basement, and haven't had mold problems yet on my reed after two months of ownership😝💦
I picked up one of these in black because that was the color that was $140 at the time. It also plays pretty well. I will say, it's a little harder to blow than my Yamaha, just takes a bit more effort, even with the same reed and mouthpiece. Picked it up as a spare / horn I could play places I wouldn't want to risk the Yamaha. Would recommend a different mouthpiece, a Yamaha 4C isn't that much and is way better than what it comes with. I put a Rico Graftonite on it, and it's kinda a screamer, makes a nice cheap jazz setup.
You sound like someone that would annoy me at first but then become my favourite teacher after a few classes. That or you'd already be my favourite from day one.
Back when I was in band 20 plus years ago, the cool kids always had the zip up cases. I always wanted one so bad...but you had to special order them from the music store back then. Now, the cheapo insturments have ruined them for me. But you can still get nice soft cases like that. I'm relearning playing the clarinet as an adult, after not playing since I was in high school, 18 years ago. The cheapo insturment thing was only starting to be a thing back then, but many of us didn't even know about Amazon.
It’s super refreshing that you aren’t judgmental toward students with cheap and/or colorful instruments. I had a middle school band director who LOUDLY preached how garbage they were. Yeah, they aren’t gonna be professional quality, but if the purple sax is in the parents’ budget and makes the kid feel special and love music, then who cares.
Working at a music store and knowing the price of a brand new student level sax is terrifying. The Mendini also was quieter with the mechanisms. Could easily hear the movement of the mechanisms with the Jupiter. Very interesting video though!
For Bb use the standard fingering, called side Bb, 2 fingers on left hand plus bottom side key on right hand, don't use 1&1 ,that more of a flute fingering.
Yup, that's my percussionist coming through haha. To your point though, I actually prefer the alternate flute fingering (not the 1&1) but that's a different discussion.
yeah, reed and mouthpiece I bet.... I had one of clarinets and thought about changing the mouthpiece too... that wobble is probably a loose pad if it goes away when you press hard then it is the pads. Try Hemke reeds, expensive but pretty nice, and 2.5 strength is sufficient for most players (my college professor who friggin rocked played only a 2.5, don't be a hero!) I loved my JD Hite mouthpieces. Nothing beats my metal Rovner, sorry they don't make them any more... such a shame. FYI, I was REALLY lucky to get a 15 minute clinic with the guy who wrote my lesson book.... Loosen your upper lip, and maybe play off the inside of your lower lip (if you have thin lips). You should almost be able to lift your top lip when playing, and just lose sound as you do. Otherwise, your pinching your sound off (why it is so loud). Not so much your jaw being dropped... your lip contact with the reed and be LOOSE not tight with your embrochure. It will change your sound.
Before watching this video, I knew nothing about saxophones, now I have learnt that if you suck on a small wood your instrument will change its sound and cheaper does not mean worse, because the sound of the purple one, was in my opinion marginally better :)
I'd love a video on a Mendini clarinet! I have a really cheap Bb clarinet from them (bright blue) and I play it when I volunteer for elementary school band camp. It plays surprisingly well, and I'd love to see what you think of that brand's clarinets!
Whoa I just saw you have a "cheapest clarinet" video--my dreams have come true!! to echo what others say, please never stop making videos, your content is amazing!!
Its surprising how good it is, I expected a few pad to be leaking. Im not shocked by the reeds the first one was wonky. I just had my alto flute serviced thats a surprise when you can get the full rang again without going purple. it was only the cost that made me flush.
Suggestion would be to keep the mouthpiece consistent when testing the two saxophones. The mouthpiece reed combination actually plays a bigger factor into the sound than the horn itself despite costing less
That's true, but I think it's fair to test the two instruments with the mouthpieces they ship with, since that's what you actually receive and pay for when you buy it. The reed I did keep the same with both horns.
Oh man... Mendini That brings me back like a decade ago when I was wanting to buy cheapo instruments because I wanted to try stuff other than trombone.
I've only watched a small amount of just this video, saxophones sound seems accurate but voice on microphone is weird and variable. I am no audio expert, just casual interest in alto Mendini. If your voice is accurate on that microphone, maybe do voice over work on saturday morning cartoons if there still are saturday morning cartoons. Thanks for covering the surprisingly inexpensive Mendini. I bought a tenor version, just by eye I bought a better neck strap when I ordered the tenor. The only other thing I didn't like much about the whole package was the ligature, it functions fine and may be fine, but somehow it seems way lower in quality than the rest of the thing. Only problem for me personally is where to attach the two case straps so they are useful. Just checked Amazon, price is still low but more than doubled, and I'm reminded to get a body cap and find some other use for the fuzzy thing I did buy a swab when I bought the tenor.
I'm a student who plays clarinet and I would recommend a glory or glorey I don't know the exact spelling but it's a little pricier at I think about 120 but mine came with 10 reeds gloves corck grease and those cleaner things a pull cloth and a little screwdriver and a stand all in one and I've had it for a year and a half may be two years it's amazing for what I know and you can have a payment plan for like 10 a month
Not going to lie the sound difference between that Jupiter and the tester it's not really that different. At least it's not completely noticeable and it seems like it's a great instrument to learn on. As a trumpet player who tried to play saxophone it makes me want to order that saxophone and try to learn to play the stupid thing again even though it's been 21 years since I played saxophone. Plus purple is my color.
I'm with ya, I figure, as long as it works to learn on for that price I'm ok if it doesn't sound as good, but honestly it's close enough in sound to not matter. Time will tell whether it holds up, but right now it's a heck of a deal.
As a long time saxophonist and former band director myself, I knew immediately which was which. The Jupiter's higher quality brass and construction just have a fuller and rounder tone, and I wouldn't even consider Jupiter a top tier saxophone manufacturer. That's not to say that a brand new student will be able to take advantage of that, but even at semester you'll be able to tell a difference. As a standalone instrument, the Mendini and clones are not horrific items, but they do have multiple problems in my experience. Many of their woodwinds, particularly as the instrument gets smaller, have poor intonation and tone quality at the ends of their ranges. They use lower quality springs, corks, and pads, and these wear faster and thus need replacing / maintenance sooner. Many repair shops won't even work on them if anything major happens, and you wouldn't want them to, because the cost to replace is just lower than the labor to repair. Also, while they might cost half or even a third as much as a beginner instrument from a "reputable" manufacturer, that cost is unsalvageable. You will never be able to get any of the value of the instrument back if your kid decides to quit, or if they decide to stay and want to graduate to a higher quality instrument. You're just out the cost of the Mendini/clone, whereas if you buy a used Jupiter/Yamaha/X, you can quite easily get much/most of the cost back because there is a large used instrument market in most areas where school band is offered. I wouldn't recommend one to a student unless it was literally the only option for them to be able to participate, because that's the most important thing of all, but I would do everything in my power to find them another option, be it used, rental, or school-owned.
I haven't played sax in years and I can clearly hear the difference. The amazon sax has a pinging to it. Where as the Jupiter is much more smooth with consistency. It could be an issue with the cheap reed though
Alto is my main and it sounds good besides the chromatic and the multiphonic which is an issue I have on high G and high G# but I think it sounds great!
So I dont know why RUclips recommended this video, but I enjoy brass instruments. But also I didn't know Andy Dwyer had a youtube channel. lol you earned a sub
Actually performing in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in 2 weeks with one of these saxophones. If you know what you're doing, these horns work fairly well. They don't last as long as pricier horns, buuuuut they are gonna play well enough that, in the right hands, they can be used for collegiate level performance. Only hoping I won't still be on this sax next year.
I don't know why you're hating on that color so much. It's absolutely stunning. And no, tonally there is no notable difference between the two instruments. I'd get a pad rebuild kit for the Mendini and call it there. Wonderful instrument and an insanely low price.
I bought my son one 10 years ago. It was blue and gold. It was pretty to me, and he liked it when he was in 6th grade. He ended up in honor band and played it for 5 years. He never had an issue, and he swore it sounded better than his friends, which cost over a thousand, according to him. He still has it to this day, but he doesn't play it anymore. He then became a really good guitarist, and now he's trying his hand at music production doing mixing, remixes, and recording. Pretty good investment. Too bad he became a starving artist lol
I think with a better mouthpiece that horn will sound decent. I agree the mendini is softer than the Jupiter. For a student player just starting out, not a bad buy. I bought a sax for a couple hundred, and it plays great. But I got bored with the alto- glad I didn't pay several hundred or a couple thou as some places charge.
I got this saxophone (regular brass color) for Christmas, even thought I told my mom I didn’t want a saxophone, but she kept asking me questions about it 😭 I would’ve rather wanted a clarinet tho (I got a Jean Paul clarinet on my birthday 5 months later, this year, so that’s a win) and now the saxophone is rotting in storage bc I quit playing it, it was too hard 🙏
True, but I don't personally like putting loose sheet music in anything as it'll get wrinkled etc. You could maybe fit a folder in there if it's really tiny to protect the music.
I guess all I can say, not being a sax guy, is that the full brass is brighter, has slightly more clear mid, I dunno where that'd come from, manufacturing consistency? Metallurgy (most likely)
@@MadMusicBandJust such a huge amount of effort has clearly been put into the production of this video, I will enjoy taking my time looking back through your catalogue. I am a fan of all things creative, but music especially. Your students almost certainly do not know how lucky they are. 😂 I subsequently fell down into a Handpan and Kalimba rabbit hole. And bought a recommended Kalimba. 🥳 Woo hoo!
Just gonna tell you this before it happens, I have the same neotech neckstrap you were using and it may just spontaneously disintegrate, mine did it just a few days ago
I have a mendini clarinet. I bought it just because I was a beginner student and I thought it worked really well. I used it for a year and I recently got a Yamaha one. Can you do a review on a mendini clarinet review?
It's not on my immediate list as I usually hit the cheapest and that wasn't one, but I'll likely run into one eventually I'm sure, I've done so many Mendini instruments at this point I'll likely get to them all eventually...
![I.N "HALLUCINATION" | [Stray Kids : SKZ-PLAYER]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/n5B5q1Hwt_U/mqdefault.jpg)
Let me know what you all want to see in the future, I'm planning a tenor sax video now! :)
The black and gold colour is now only 99$!
@@zahaanhasham4426 that would probably be my choice... it's pretty
@@zahaanhasham4426 Just purchased the black and gold! Still $99! Thanks for the heads up
@@MadMusicBand I love the vid and I wanna get a case for my alto like the one in the vid
Piccolo :3
I’ve played sax professionally in the Seattle area for 50+ years. I came up through public school bands. I wish I’d had a band director as cool as you. 😂 I love the fact that you are reviewing low priced instruments. I’ve thought about getting a low priced curved soprano so if you ever want to review on of those, that would be cool. 😂 Keep on doing what you’re doing, Your band kids are lucky to have such an enthusiastic teacher.
@@SeattleJohn2009 lol, I was hoping to find a sick deal on a soprano when I heard the tenor is also discounted, but no luck :/
Thanks for the kind words 😊
I second that entire comment... (But I only spent 15 years playing in Seattle, lol).
Songs he played
1. Careless whispers
2. Epic Sax Guy
3. Hedwig’s theme
4. Uptown funk
5. ???
@@pandapugstudios 3 was happy birthday
I have the curved soprano version. It shreds! I genuinely love it for fiddling around on at home
Purple and gold actually looks amazing.
It must be someone's school colours
Actually true it works well on sax as well but if it wears of it could be bad
You are GREAT! As a professional saxophonist, and former band director, you are doing everything right! Keep it up, you will succeed!!
Thanks! :)
That One Band Kid With The Amazon sax
real
That would be me
My band has a guy with an amazon trumpet, even tho the school gives out free ones for the year and everyone is hating on him bc he cant play
The best, is when that kid with the Amazon horn is first chair ;)
@@MadMusicBand that’s crazier
As a alto sax player whos been playing on a $200 "Glory" amazon alto for the past 5 or so years, these things will last you as long as you dont toss them around and swab them. I currently use vandoren reeds with a vandoren mouthpiece. I'm also auditioning for my states allstate band and am planning on upgrading cause the sax is starting to show its price-age value.
Nice, good luck on your audition! What horn are you planning to update to?
I also have Glory alto saxophone, im enjoying my sax, but, sometimes i feel if I buy a better sax (more expensive) i will enjor more, but, im really falling in love with my Glory saxophone!!
@@victorhugobatresgamez2584 Mouthpiece matters more.
@@MadMusicBandprobably something selmer, i was looking at a beautiful buffet Senzo too lol. Im not to sure though.
I also have glory
Dude you super funny and you keep getting better every single video don't stop uploading
Thanks! I'm doing my best to get better each time :)
Tech here. This level of horn usually comes out of the box ok. When everything seals, they play well enough in tune and with a decent mouthpiece a good player could sit in a section with it without getting a side eye.
…Until something breaks. The cases are usually styrofoam with some fabric glued to the outside. The metal the keys are made out of is very soft, and prone to going out of adjustment. The solder joints often do not have enough solder underneath. So if you knock the thing around, it’s going to break more easily. And while a willing tech could replace a few palm key pads no problem, if you actually need to replace a screw or a key on this horn your tech is not going to be able to order the part. Many techs will refuse to work on these horns for all the above reasons.
Given all this, the best way to use this horn is to get a good mouthpiece to go with it, play it until something breaks, and upgrade instead of repairing it. Wouldn’t recommend this for a student because I think a student needs something more repairable. But it could be ok for a doubler who just needs a cheap way to get through a few gigs.
I wonder how feasible it would be to collect all these broken Mendini saxes, scrap them for parts, and fix all the broken Mendini saxes that people have using those parts. Considering how widespread they seem to be, I feel like this could be a viable business endeavour.
I had a broken duck call once; every time I blew into it, all the saxophone players came out of the bushes.
😂
😂 damn. That’s cruel, but very funny
thank you for being a inspiration for alot of people. ive been watching you for a long time now and I just want to say that youve helped push me to want to be a music teacher. so thank you
That's so awesome, thanks for reaching out and sharing that :) I wish you luck in becoming a teacher!
Brother we need more teachers like you in our public schools. If you are anything like your videos with the kids you teach you are on the right track. Good teachers are underappreciated! Thank you for what you do for society!
Thanks, that means a lot :)
11:42
the tune korobeiniki is on the public domain. however, "individual performances" (the versions of the tetris themes used in the games) are still protected under copyright law.
Username checks out 😉
@@MadMusicBand you know, I wish I could say it's just a coincidence, but the modern Tetris community is basically my only form of human connection at this point.
more tetris enthusiasts...... hehehshehhdwyhxhwhcnwhdj
I am a 72 year old Jazz Guitarist.
I am still grateful to my High School Band director Mr Joe Miller for getting me started playing in a band and doing parades and stage gigs.
I’m a freshman music Ed major with a percussion focus. I just found your channel through this video and am always here for a cheap instrument. Loved the video and am excited to check out more of them.
As a horn player, I would like to see a Amazon horn review.
Me too! I hope to get one eventually, but they're pretty expensive :/
Sameeee
Gormany
I just looked up how much a baritone would be!
I've never understood why band directors are so against middle schoolers playing these cheap instruments. Most middle schoolers won't go beyond middle school band. Why do they need an $1,800+ Yamaha YTS-26? Throw a Yamaha 4C mouthpiece on that bad boy, and you're good to go. Tell parents to save the $50 a month they would spend on a rental to put towards an intermediate/used professional instrument for high school.
You're right that they dont need a $2000 yamaha, the value really isnt there. As for the cheap chinese instruments, more often than not the keywork is extremely soft, so the pivot points wear out rapidly, and keys bend easily, making it difficult to keep them in adjustment. All of the band directors in my area are having difficulties with this. I also have several of these instruments that I use to demonstrate how you can bend the keys just by playing the instrument shaped object.
To me the cheapest could be harder to play and sound bad. So I would go middle price instruments. When I taught guitar people would come in with cheap guitars and I would tell them to not even bother with them. I would let them borrow mine until they could afford a better one.
Because if it’s not easy to play than your child will likely quit. Do not let this be the determining factor in your child’s music education. I was one of the only students in my high school with a nice Yamaha horn, I am the only one still playing saxophone 20 years later. Instrument quality is important. If your child is interested in music, get them the best instrument you can afford. You can always sell it, quality instruments will always hold their value.
@Christopharoah Many parents can't afford that. I started out on a Chinese made clarinet in the early 2000s (the quality of metal has only improved since then) and was first chair playing it. I didn't get a nicer instrument until my senior year of high school. Now I'm the only one of my friends still playing. Working in a music store that rented only Yamaha and Giardinelli showed me that both had issues pretty equally. In fact, post pandemic Yamaha trumpets and euphoniums had some of the worst valve issues I've ever seen
Because they either read online or heard from another band director who read online that they're not worth getting. I have a student who got this exact sax and once you swap out the mouthpiece and reed, it plays pretty well. There are some intonation issues that you have to compensate for as well as really weak springs that make the action feel less snappy, but as long as you take good care of it, it's a perfectly serviceable instrument. I wouldn't recommend students buying them simply because of how easily they break (the number of bent keys I've seen from Mendini instruments is absurd), but if that's the instrument they have, I'm not going to tell them not to play it.
i love your videos! i watch them a lot. never stop uploading!!
I actually didn't know that different colour saxophones existed, as an elementary 5th grade band kid playing saxophone, this is AMAZING. I subscribed already
I’m not a band person, and I can almost guarantee that I couldn’t get a note out of any woodwind instrument, but I am a music producer, and given your room acoustics, I honestly think they both sound fine!
Great video, thanks a lot!
Thanks for the comments! My room is definitely not set up for perfect acoustics, I've had to do a lot of work to get the mics etc. to cooperate. It's still a work in progress but getting better!
@@MadMusicBand In my opinion, you’re definitely good enough for youtube! Seems to me the next priority is to stop sound from leaking OUT, to stop those weird text messages in the middle of recording :-) I’d love to see some videos on ridiculously cheap percussion instruments, in part because of a disease I have which makes me want to buy every single shaker on the planet, but also to get to hear you on your main instruments! Thanks!
I took beginning band in middle school. I’m a drummer so I wanted to do percussion, but because of my having autism, that wasn’t an option for me. So I went with saxophone. I loved it, but I wish I played percussion. I hope to see some percussion instrument reviews from you. So you got yourself a subscriber.
I'll get some percussion stuff eventually, I just have so much already that I haven't need to buy any for school yet :p
Love this guy's demeanor and attitude, very wholesome. Definitely earned a sub. 👍
as a previous alto saxophonist (now tenor) i can say that this saxophone does not sound that bad
I havent played since high school and im coming up on 30 now, seeing you open that box of reeds with your teeth gave me a pretty vivid flashback to highschool band practice.
20:40
B is the Amazon one and A is the Jupiter; Jupiter is much softer toned and has a slightly lower formant, whilst the other is sharper and a slighter sharpness and "squelchyness" than the Jupiter.
As a former repair guy, these things sound fine but are an absolute nightmare to do any kind of work on beyond replacing pads.
I play alto saxophone for my highschool band and I only started playing last year on the all brass edition of that exact brand and model of alto sax. I learned on it and, while all these people bash Mendini and amazon instruments in general, it did its job. as far as the playability, it was amazing to play because of it's springs, buttons, pads, and my particular favorite which was the mouthpiece. Man I loved that cheap sax. Unfortunately it had to be sent in for major repair by my band director because the poorly built soft case broke and indirectly damaged the D# key. Im on an old Armstrong right now but my go to when i can afford it will be that sax. Only change would be a high quality hard case WITH CLASPS
I will agree that the cases are definitely not the best... Probably a huge cost savings for them.
The only thing I bash on Mendini instruments for is their fragility. They play decently enough and sound good enough for a beginner, but the ease in which they are damaged is just crazy. Unless you really baby the instrument, it is very likely to get a bent key, rod, or major dent eventually.
Man if I had a teacher like you I’ve never given up clarinet,keep up the amazing work.
My biggest issue with them was always that the metal was too soft and the solder too weak. You give that to a kid and it will deteriorate in record time. I saw that a lot with Mendini instruments across the board.
Hey dude, i just stumbled on your video. I gave up music (Bari Sax, Electric Bass, DAW) for close to a decade because tons of life stuff (scammers and scummers, music degree drama, "the real world of work") made me feel like playing was pointless. I appreciate your enthusiasm on the topic and in a way it actually makes me want to pick music back up. Thanks!
This comment made my night, thanks so much for the kind words :)
as a saxophonist, you were flat on the open c# and said you needed to tighten up. i think you’re actually fine because open c# has a tendency to be flat especially on horns that are cheap and have worse intonation. also the weird low notes is a leaking, obechure or reed issue.
I just finished your cheap Trumpet vid lol, perfect timing before my gig
18:50 “analysis like this is why they pay me those big teacher bucks” 😂💀 fr
😂 Truth
OMG!!! YOU MADE MY DAY!!! I did not believe you would post this. Thank youuu so much. I am new to the saxaphone so just wanted to know the cheapest. As again thank you so so much. Ur definitely my favourite youtuber👍👍👍❤
Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks so much 😊
@@MadMusicBandhey, I have a question.. What saxaphone should I get for beginners? Thanks👍
@@theonlyonegirl the first thing to figure out is your budget, the answer is very different depending on what you can afford.
Hmmm, about under 800 pounds@@MadMusicBand
I’m a Clarinet main but I also play Tenor sax and my brother plays Alto and I’ve learned that it definitely can be the instrument that effects your playing, because on my tenor the part that the octave key lifts up sometimes goes to the side and gets stuck so then I squeak if I play lower notes because it’s lifted up and my brother’s sax got dropped and he had to send it to the music shop to get it repaired and they sent him a loner sax but this loner sax is like falling apart so he’s having difficulty playing (he’s a beginner too so it doesn’t help him) I’ve also had an experience with my Clarinet where I couldn’t get a sound out and we thought it was the mouthpiece and I got a new mouthpiece and I still couldn’t play, eventually I figured out that I had needed 3 reeds instead of the 2 1/2 reeds because my embouchure had developed very fast, so yes your instrument can effect your playing just as much as you can yourself
Thanks for making music more accessible through these videos. I ordered the tenor version of this instrument based on your review. It was on sale in a rockin' black and gold for $84.99!! Even with a new mouthpiece (Yamaha 5C) and a box of reeds I'm all in for under $150, which would get me 2 months at the local rental shop.
yes, but how does it play? should I get one as a backup?
@jeroenneve5807 I'll let you know once it's delivered. But also, I'm an adult beginner with no idea what I'm doing. Sounds like this channel will be doing a tenor sax video soon, watch that one!
I ordered that tenor too, I'm pumped to get it :)
@orangeiguanaduck - I am a 66 year old non music trained beginner who wanted to make sounds like Gene Ammons, Coleman Hawkins and all the other "Tenor Titans", (listen to Pandora 'Dinner Jazz' channel for beaucoup examples). So a coupla months ago I sprung about $275 of a gift card for my birthday to get the all gold-colored Mendini Tenor sax, taking the chance that if I couldn't make a sound with it, I could just hang it on the wall😛😂 My boxes arrived pre-opened and crapply, dusty taped😮😢 but the sax and acoutrements looked perfect and un-played / un-opened. Note that the 'throwaway' reed was a great example for me, as I hadn't a clue how to put the reed and ligature on the mouthpiece properly. And yes, the throwaway (11th?) reed was probably defective, and squeaked like a banshee, so I immediately put a new reed on. But still squeaked😧, so I thought I got a 'lemon' sax. Then with perseverance, I learned "The art of the Emboucher" and blatted some super-satisfying sounds out the thing very early in the game. The only problem was the leather seal on the thumb octave blowhole was slow to seal, so I compensated by puffing and tongueing the higher notes and I learned to transition from higher octave notes to the lower notes with breathing control. I believe the 'bad press' the Mendini is getting could be from people who want to sell expensive saxes, because I am a total noob, and even I can get great sounds out of the thing. (It is loud, though)😄I just need to learn the notes and fingering. The biggest and best byproduct of trying to learn the sax is how much greater my appreciation is of listening to advanced players and the "Titans" when they "show off", because I now have an idea of how difficult it is to make "some of those sounds."🎷🎶👌 PS - I wish I had gotten it "on sale", but cest la vie🤷 Edit :PPS- DO NOT BOTHER WITH THE NECKSTRAP THAT COMES WITH THE TENOR. Order a proper shoulder sling before you even get the horn. I am cheap and tried to get away with the included strap and that was a mistake. I ordered a $20 padded double shoulder sling and that transformed the experience.
I LOVE UR VIDS!! I PLAY ALTO SAX AND I WAS WAITING FOR U TO FINALLY GET ONEE!! UR MY FAVORITEEE
One of my students had one of these saxes. Look out for if the lacquer starts to flake off in small pieces. The tiny pieces of lacquer would get on the pads on the sax and I remember I had to put some new pads on his sax because the little pieces of lacquer ruined some of the pads. He only had the sax for about a year when the lacquer started to flake off. He actually got a warm sound on this cheap sax. I recommend to take a look at the Jean Baptiste saxophone for the best sax at the cheapest price. I've seen professional musicians use the Jean Baptiste saxes. The Jean Baptiste costs much more than this cheap sax, but it's still a great deal for what you get with a much better saxophone.
My old flute was like 400-450 but it broke in a lot of ways and I got that same exact flute had it for a month it’s fantastic and comes with stuff a professional has.I recommend it your first 4 years but get another later on,forget to mention it’s open holed.
Thanks for the tips!! I'm just a Middle school alto sax player, this helped me get better!
16:26 - He doesn't realize the saxophone had a High F# tone hole or key lol.
I am a retired elementary band teacher. The main problem I have found with cheap instruments is that they are difficult if not impossible to repair. If a part comes off, the cheap metal does not want to braze (weld) back together. As well as many other problems.
WOOHOO new video! As a band kid, this series is pretty entertaining yet informative, thank you!!
Thanks, they're fun to make too :)
My kiddo and i love your instrument reviews! She wants to learn a new instrument in band next year and requests you do an Amazon cheap Bassoon review.
That's awesome! I'll have to keep saving to afford a bassoon, but I'd love to do one eventually! :)
I started in 5th grade on a leaky student horn. When I finally got my chops on a Yamaha Professional ($3K-$4K range) that was adjusted well, getting a good sound through it was sooo much easier that I decided it was worth spending the big bucks and never wanted to go back. Since then I went all the way and got a really expensive classic Mark VI. Still... now that I've tried a variety of horns, I've realized that no matter how much you spend, pads don't last forever and any horn can spring a leak. A $100 student horn will play better than a $5,000 sax with leaks.
as a bassoon player, I was not expecting you to mention it.
I feel like the low notes may not have been the reed. You kinda gotta just drop your jaw. And maybe it was the reed but I had the same problem, but after practicing my low notes after about a month they are way better. Source: I play sax
I've played alto for a while as well, but I don't have that problem with my Jupiter. It worked so much better with the new reed that I know it was definitely that at first. Everything that happened after the reed switch can probably be attributed to me lol, it works great now.
I loved your girl from ipanema reference
Great tune :)
As a 51 year old man who always wanted to play an instrument but being poor I was only able to play sports I think it's great that the cheap stuff is out there for poor kids
Poor kids can't even afford that 😢
@willyswagon57 bullshit sports are pretty much free. I'm guessing you're just thatperson who has speak on something you know nothing about
actually, a lot of professional/advanced players leave the reed on. they say it makes the seal better. not my thing but some people swear by it.
Chrismc - I'm very glad to hear that some players leave the reed on the mouthpiece, as I, a rank 66 year old beginner, does. Saves time futzing with the reed every time I pick the horn up. Also, I found the ritual of moistening the reed first seemed to not make any difference in the quality of my (beginner) playing. I simply adjust my Emboucher as the reed starts to absorb my saliva. I did notice that wetting the reed first, got the reed too mushy earlier. And even as a beginner I can hear my reed start to hit the "sweet spot" as I practice, the deteriorate as it gets too wet. Also, I keep my sax in a moldy basement, and haven't had mold problems yet on my reed after two months of ownership😝💦
Oh God!!! Everytime you switch to that purple horn, my ears scream! It's like chalk on a board! 😂😂😂😂
This is the video I’ve been waiting for, and as a saxophonist, I must say this seemed much better than I expected.
It's surprisingly ok!
My band directors weren't sax people either. You are not alone. Thanks for the entertaining vid.
I learned on one of these and when I got a new sax, the change in my playing ability was almost instant
I picked up one of these in black because that was the color that was $140 at the time. It also plays pretty well. I will say, it's a little harder to blow than my Yamaha, just takes a bit more effort, even with the same reed and mouthpiece. Picked it up as a spare / horn I could play places I wouldn't want to risk the Yamaha. Would recommend a different mouthpiece, a Yamaha 4C isn't that much and is way better than what it comes with. I put a Rico Graftonite on it, and it's kinda a screamer, makes a nice cheap jazz setup.
That's awesome. I agree these make great 2nd/backup horns.
You sound like someone that would annoy me at first but then become my favourite teacher after a few classes.
That or you'd already be my favourite from day one.
...thanks? lol
Back when I was in band 20 plus years ago, the cool kids always had the zip up cases. I always wanted one so bad...but you had to special order them from the music store back then. Now, the cheapo insturments have ruined them for me. But you can still get nice soft cases like that. I'm relearning playing the clarinet as an adult, after not playing since I was in high school, 18 years ago. The cheapo insturment thing was only starting to be a thing back then, but many of us didn't even know about Amazon.
It’s super refreshing that you aren’t judgmental toward students with cheap and/or colorful instruments. I had a middle school band director who LOUDLY preached how garbage they were. Yeah, they aren’t gonna be professional quality, but if the purple sax is in the parents’ budget and makes the kid feel special and love music, then who cares.
Absolutely agree. Anything beats nothing
Finally! The day ive been waiting for
I think the purple with the gold looks pretty damn good!
Working at a music store and knowing the price of a brand new student level sax is terrifying. The Mendini also was quieter with the mechanisms. Could easily hear the movement of the mechanisms with the Jupiter. Very interesting video though!
I bought a LADE alto on Amazon. Red. Worked great.
For Bb use the standard fingering, called side Bb, 2 fingers on left hand plus bottom side key on right hand, don't use 1&1 ,that more of a flute fingering.
Yup, that's my percussionist coming through haha. To your point though, I actually prefer the alternate flute fingering (not the 1&1) but that's a different discussion.
Do a review of the Mendini Baritone Horn! I play 3 instruments and I intend on making baritone my 4th and I’m looking for a good one.
Hoping to get to baritone eventually!
Bros like GOAT band teacher 🐐
yeah, reed and mouthpiece I bet.... I had one of clarinets and thought about changing the mouthpiece too... that wobble is probably a loose pad if it goes away when you press hard then it is the pads. Try Hemke reeds, expensive but pretty nice, and 2.5 strength is sufficient for most players (my college professor who friggin rocked played only a 2.5, don't be a hero!)
I loved my JD Hite mouthpieces. Nothing beats my metal Rovner, sorry they don't make them any more... such a shame.
FYI, I was REALLY lucky to get a 15 minute clinic with the guy who wrote my lesson book.... Loosen your upper lip, and maybe play off the inside of your lower lip (if you have thin lips). You should almost be able to lift your top lip when playing, and just lose sound as you do. Otherwise, your pinching your sound off (why it is so loud). Not so much your jaw being dropped... your lip contact with the reed and be LOOSE not tight with your embrochure. It will change your sound.
Before watching this video, I knew nothing about saxophones, now I have learnt that if you suck on a small wood your instrument will change its sound and cheaper does not mean worse, because the sound of the purple one, was in my opinion marginally better :)
I have a trombone from the same brand I got it for 300ish dollars. It works so well and worth the price! Just take care of it❤
I have yet to get a cheap brass trombone, it's definitely on the list :)
I'd love a video on a Mendini clarinet! I have a really cheap Bb clarinet from them (bright blue) and I play it when I volunteer for elementary school band camp. It plays surprisingly well, and I'd love to see what you think of that brand's clarinets!
Whoa I just saw you have a "cheapest clarinet" video--my dreams have come true!! to echo what others say, please never stop making videos, your content is amazing!!
new suggestion: BASS CLAR!
hope to some day!
Its surprising how good it is, I expected a few pad to be leaking. Im not shocked by the reeds the first one was wonky.
I just had my alto flute serviced thats a surprise when you can get the full rang again without going purple. it was only the cost that made me flush.
I was actually suprised about the pads as well. Works great!
Suggestion would be to keep the mouthpiece consistent when testing the two saxophones. The mouthpiece reed combination actually plays a bigger factor into the sound than the horn itself despite costing less
That's true, but I think it's fair to test the two instruments with the mouthpieces they ship with, since that's what you actually receive and pay for when you buy it. The reed I did keep the same with both horns.
Oh man... Mendini
That brings me back like a decade ago when I was wanting to buy cheapo instruments because I wanted to try stuff other than trombone.
I've only watched a small amount of just this video, saxophones sound seems accurate but voice on microphone is weird and variable. I am no audio expert, just casual interest in alto Mendini. If your voice is accurate on that microphone, maybe do voice over work on saturday morning cartoons if there still are saturday morning cartoons. Thanks for covering the surprisingly inexpensive Mendini. I bought a tenor version, just by eye I bought a better neck strap when I ordered the tenor. The only other thing I didn't like much about the whole package was the ligature, it functions fine and may be fine, but somehow it seems way lower in quality than the rest of the thing. Only problem for me personally is where to attach the two case straps so they are useful. Just checked Amazon, price is still low but more than doubled, and I'm reminded to get a body cap and find some other use for the fuzzy thing I did buy a swab when I bought the tenor.
The purple and gold on the sax reminds me of Malos from Xenoblade 2. Looks like something he’d play!
I'm a student who plays clarinet and I would recommend a glory or glorey I don't know the exact spelling but it's a little pricier at I think about 120 but mine came with 10 reeds gloves corck grease and those cleaner things a pull cloth and a little screwdriver and a stand all in one and I've had it for a year and a half may be two years it's amazing for what I know and you can have a payment plan for like 10 a month
Maybe I'll get to try one some day :)
Amazon instruments come with the white gloves so the metal doesn't melt with the oil at your fingertips (don't fact check that)
I feel like "don't fact check that" could be my channels slogan 😂
Not going to lie the sound difference between that Jupiter and the tester it's not really that different. At least it's not completely noticeable and it seems like it's a great instrument to learn on. As a trumpet player who tried to play saxophone it makes me want to order that saxophone and try to learn to play the stupid thing again even though it's been 21 years since I played saxophone. Plus purple is my color.
I'm with ya, I figure, as long as it works to learn on for that price I'm ok if it doesn't sound as good, but honestly it's close enough in sound to not matter. Time will tell whether it holds up, but right now it's a heck of a deal.
you should do baritone/euphonium next! day 1 of asking
uh oh lol. I'll hopefully get to one eventually, but I've got a few more instruments chilling in boxes in my basement I need to get through first ;)
@@MadMusicBand alright :)
As a long time saxophonist and former band director myself, I knew immediately which was which. The Jupiter's higher quality brass and construction just have a fuller and rounder tone, and I wouldn't even consider Jupiter a top tier saxophone manufacturer. That's not to say that a brand new student will be able to take advantage of that, but even at semester you'll be able to tell a difference. As a standalone instrument, the Mendini and clones are not horrific items, but they do have multiple problems in my experience. Many of their woodwinds, particularly as the instrument gets smaller, have poor intonation and tone quality at the ends of their ranges. They use lower quality springs, corks, and pads, and these wear faster and thus need replacing / maintenance sooner. Many repair shops won't even work on them if anything major happens, and you wouldn't want them to, because the cost to replace is just lower than the labor to repair.
Also, while they might cost half or even a third as much as a beginner instrument from a "reputable" manufacturer, that cost is unsalvageable. You will never be able to get any of the value of the instrument back if your kid decides to quit, or if they decide to stay and want to graduate to a higher quality instrument. You're just out the cost of the Mendini/clone, whereas if you buy a used Jupiter/Yamaha/X, you can quite easily get much/most of the cost back because there is a large used instrument market in most areas where school band is offered.
I wouldn't recommend one to a student unless it was literally the only option for them to be able to participate, because that's the most important thing of all, but I would do everything in my power to find them another option, be it used, rental, or school-owned.
I haven't played sax in years and I can clearly hear the difference. The amazon sax has a pinging to it. Where as the Jupiter is much more smooth with consistency. It could be an issue with the cheap reed though
Sax is my main instrument. They sound exactly the same to me. And you play sax a lot better than I play percussion. 🙂
Ha, thanks! I've gotten a lot better over the past 5 or so years of putsing around with them.
Mr.Jamison what we doing for class tomorrow??
I would like to see a video about the cheapest oboe or the cheapest piccolo.
I'm hoping to get those eventually!
Alto is my main and it sounds good besides the chromatic and the multiphonic which is an issue I have on high G and high G# but I think it sounds great!
The issue is getting parts for them.But a beautiful horn! And it is so fun to watch yot❤️👍🏼
Yup, parts can be an issue for some of these horns, so you should kind of take that into consideration when purchasing. Glad you liked it 😊
So I dont know why RUclips recommended this video, but I enjoy brass instruments. But also I didn't know Andy Dwyer had a youtube channel. lol you earned a sub
😂
Actually performing in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in 2 weeks with one of these saxophones. If you know what you're doing, these horns work fairly well. They don't last as long as pricier horns, buuuuut they are gonna play well enough that, in the right hands, they can be used for collegiate level performance. Only hoping I won't still be on this sax next year.
That's awesome, good luck!
I don't know why you're hating on that color so much. It's absolutely stunning. And no, tonally there is no notable difference between the two instruments. I'd get a pad rebuild kit for the Mendini and call it there. Wonderful instrument and an insanely low price.
I bought my son one 10 years ago. It was blue and gold. It was pretty to me, and he liked it when he was in 6th grade. He ended up in honor band and played it for 5 years. He never had an issue, and he swore it sounded better than his friends, which cost over a thousand, according to him.
He still has it to this day, but he doesn't play it anymore. He then became a really good guitarist, and now he's trying his hand at music production doing mixing, remixes, and recording.
Pretty good investment. Too bad he became a starving artist lol
One of us! 😉😂
Impressive, the vid is up for 5 minutes and already a dozen likes!
I so would have paid extra for a purple sax when I was a kid (before purple was invented). Too cool.
I think with a better mouthpiece that horn will sound decent. I agree the mendini is softer than the Jupiter. For a student player just starting out, not a bad buy. I bought a sax for a couple hundred, and it plays great. But I got bored with the alto- glad I didn't pay several hundred or a couple thou as some places charge.
I got this saxophone (regular brass color) for Christmas, even thought I told my mom I didn’t want a saxophone, but she kept asking me questions about it 😭 I would’ve rather wanted a clarinet tho (I got a Jean Paul clarinet on my birthday 5 months later, this year, so that’s a win)
and now the saxophone is rotting in storage bc I quit playing it, it was too hard 🙏
Wow, most would probably think alto would be easier to learn than clarinet. Hopefully you're rocking that Jean Paul! :)
The front pouch can be used to put sheet music in
True, but I don't personally like putting loose sheet music in anything as it'll get wrinkled etc. You could maybe fit a folder in there if it's really tiny to protect the music.
Dunno why I got recommended this, but it was super enjoyable. You're very Chris Pratt-like (I mean that in a good way)
Call me up Marvel, I'm available ;)
I guess all I can say, not being a sax guy, is that the full brass is brighter, has slightly more clear mid, I dunno where that'd come from, manufacturing consistency? Metallurgy (most likely)
I have no interest in the saxophone, but I watched the whole video because you are exceptional. Bravo!
Wow, thank you! 😊
@@MadMusicBandJust such a huge amount of effort has clearly been put into the production of this video, I will enjoy taking my time looking back through your catalogue. I am a fan of all things creative, but music especially. Your students almost certainly do not know how lucky they are. 😂 I subsequently fell down into a Handpan and Kalimba rabbit hole. And bought a recommended Kalimba. 🥳 Woo hoo!
YAY MORE VIDEOS FROM MY FAVORITE INSTRUMENT CHANNEL YAAAAAAAAAY!
🎉🎉🎉🎉
Just gonna tell you this before it happens, I have the same neotech neckstrap you were using and it may just spontaneously disintegrate, mine did it just a few days ago
I have been waiting for this
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I forgot to say I play the alto Saxophone
I have a mendini clarinet. I bought it just because I was a beginner student and I thought it worked really well. I used it for a year and I recently got a Yamaha one. Can you do a review on a mendini clarinet review?
It's not on my immediate list as I usually hit the cheapest and that wasn't one, but I'll likely run into one eventually I'm sure, I've done so many Mendini instruments at this point I'll likely get to them all eventually...