Should I refurbish a saxophone or buy new?

Question

I have a Vido saxophone serial #33164 that needs minor to moderate refurbishment. Would I be better of buying a new saxophone for my 6th grader? I have checked prices for new saxs but haven't got a quote on the refurb yet. He'll need it in the next couple of weeks. I also don't know what my old sax is worth.

Answer 1

I have to assume that you mean a Vito, originally a beginner's type saxaphone from LeBlanc and that it is an alto. I wish I knew when it was made, because they changed somewhat over the years. However, I always felt that these horns had a great sound, not quite as fat as, say a Selmer, but great potential. One year they made a Johnny Hodges model which was an incredible horn. I believe that your Vito was made by Yamaha.

The worst thing about these instruments is that the keys bent fairly easily. This is just a bit annoying to the experienced player and shouldn't affect a novice. The nice thing about these instruments is that they played remarkably true across the scale, making it very easy to play. My suggestion is for you to have the instrument repaired by a very good repair shop, one which knows what it is doing. They should be able to assess how good of an instrument it is. This suggestion hinges on the instrument not being damaged or bent ( little dents are fine.) Special attention should be given that the neck is straight.
Assuming that you don't need new springs, the pads and a good cleaning shoudn't be that bad. Additionally, if this is going to be used as a marching band instrument, you would be much better off with one that you can afford to scratch a bit. I think old finishes show the character of the instrument.
Lastly, purchase a good mouthpiece for your youngster; I have always been in favor of an open mouthpiece and a soft reed. Ultimately I believe this combination allows better control at all levels. However, his or her teacher would be able to help on this better than I can.
For reference: saxophones 33743: Vito Alto Saxophone
Vito #036821: Excellent condition student model alto saxophone with all new pads, corks, felts, polished keys, good lacquer. Made by Yamaha... $575
See the site below.

Answer 2

I wouldn't do either with it going to a sixth grader. Just get the saxophone in working order. A Vito sax is a beginner level sax, and they are made to take the beatings that students give them. Believe me, they give them a royal beating. A refurbish on a saxophone means that you are getting it relaquered, an entire re-padding and replacement of all springs, and a lot of other minor adjustments. What your student needs is replacement of the bad pads (much fewer than all of them) and maybe some spring replacement, depending. The laquer on the sax is nothing. Sure, the student doesn't get a brand new shiny sax, but once they prove they want to continue improving (years down the road) and that they know how to take care of the instrument (avoid most scratches, bangs, dents, etc), you can get them one that is new and shiny. I've played sax for going on 15 years now, and I didn't get a "brand new" sax until I had played for about 12 years, and that was with my own money. Before that, I had saxophones that were made to take the beatings that I gave the sax, even with trying to be careful.

Answer 3

2

Answer 4

I vote with the majority here--refurbish the old saxophone! Although I don't play--I'm a guitarist and banjo player--an old sax must still be worth its blowing.

Besides, saxophones are expensive, costing several thousand dollars the last time I looked. If you should spend several hundred bucks getting your old sax restored to good playing condition, you'll save a bundle and keep the instrument.

My first guitar is a 1952 Gibson LG-3. For 41 years, a friend kept it for me during my Army career and other careers. When I got it back it looked like hammered hell, but I had it restructured, but not refinished. It plays now better than ever.

It's a close second to Willie Nelson's famed Martin in appearance.

So, restore or refurbish that saxophone! You won't regret it.

Answer 5

How serious is your 6th grader about his music? While I agree with many that refurbing is good, Vido is not known to be a good name in the Sax world. Yamaha & Selmer Sax's are the highly recommended. I would refurb/maintain now and when your son/daughter get's into high school and is still playing (gently push them to continue, high school band is awesome!) then seriously consider getting a new or used Sax of a much better quality.

Answer 6

You know what? That is a tough question to answer on here---

unless, of course, an expert holds the sax in their hands and

then tells you...


However, getting the old one fixed is OFTEN (but not always),

the better route. Rather than committing to a new one-after all,

saxes are cars too...


Finally, the person who said that pre-teens change their minds

as often as the weather (paraphrasing), had it right. Kids

changing their minds helps parents lose theirs...it's their job,

and they're real good at it.

Answer 7

My vote would go for refurbing the old saxaphone. If you can learn the story behind it so much the better. It adds to it's sentimental value in the long run.

Whichever way you go it'll definitely be great because like the saying goes...
Some sax is better than no sax at all!
Yeah, yeah, I know... a little fellow-musician humor.

Answer 8

If you go to a reputable music store and get the older sax refurbished, then that is the way to go. Instruments will last longer than you think if you are diligent about the upkeep. Its very important to keep the corks greased. I played the same clarinet for 9 years and had it recorked/repadded only twice. It was 25 years old to begin with.

Answer 9

Go to a decent music store and get them to give you an estimate on what it would cost to overhaul your sax. A new student saxophone equivalent to the Vito is about 1700$. A Vito is a good horn for a beginner and if your young musician decides to stick with it, get him a better horn. Also, if your kid joins the marching band, it's advisable to use the older horn than trash a new one in the often poor field conditions marchers encounter. A good overhaul job will cost a few bucks, but horn in decent shape keep their value relatively well.

Answer 10

Well what is bugging me about this
is the kid might not even want to continue with all of this if you buy a bran new one and those things do not come cheap.
Why not post a sign in the stores asking for one and see if someone will donate one. I mean like we all need to try to cut back since gas is 1000,000 a gallon
Maybe you will get some good feed back on asking for one if you place your wanted signs where they can be seen and you can use bright neon colors with readable words .
Anyway I wish you and your child all the best and hope it all works out