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Forum » General Discussions » Blessings saxophone, Yamaha and Antigua Winds


by ew
(2 posts)
7 years ago

Blessings saxophone, Yamaha and Antigua Winds

What can you tell me about Blessings tenor saxophones? My 12 year old is joining the band this fall and has picked out the tenor. I have seen and almost purchased a like new looking one that was listed for $600 but my husband thinks we should consider a different brand. I have since noticed that reviews and info on Blessings are hard to find and you can't find many for sale and the quality and resale might not be very good. What do you think? It looks like Blessings does not even make them any more. Would he be better off with an older Yamaha 23 or a Yamaha Vito. I understand that the yamahas do not have the F# key while the Blessings I have seen does but I am not sure if that is necessary anyway. I am very unsure of what brand to buy or how much I should spend since he is so young and just a beginner. Antigua Winds makes the cheapest new saxophone I can find but I don't know much about that brand either. Any suggestions? Thank!

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  2. by GFC
    (842 posts)
    7 years ago

    Re: Blessings saxophone, Yamaha and Antigua Winds

    The Yamaha 23 or the Vito (Japan) version is a solid choice for a beginning student.  If you get a Vito (Japan) instrument be sure that it is really a Japanese-made instrument and not one of the inferior quality Taiwanese copies that Vito sold during the 1980s and 1990s. It should have "JAPAN" stamped on it.  Yamaha also holds its resale value well.  The high F# key isn't important at this stage of the game.

    Antigua is a relatively new company that sells Taiwanese-made instruments.  Word is that their current products are solid but their early products not so much.  You might be able to find a good deal on a used one, but you'd have to do a little extra legwork to make sure you're not getting one of their inferior early ones.  Jupiter is the same way (they used to be Vito's cheap source).  

    Blessing never manufactured their own saxophones and they've been bottom-feeding for their sources for over 50 years.  $600 actually seems a little high for a used one.

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    1. by ew
      (2 posts)
      7 years ago

      Re: Blessings saxophone, Yamaha and Antigua Winds

      Thank you so much for the info!

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