Good alto saxophone for beginner?

Question:I have recently begun playing the alto sax in my school band and I have decided that I would begin to play the alto sax outside of school. I would like to buy a beginner alto saxophone. I am wondering if I should buy a used upper-class saxophone such as a Yamaha or a Selmer or purchase a new one that is devoted to beginners. Also, I have run into a brand on the Internet called Cibaili. Are they any good? And, how much should I spend on a sax since I am a beginner?

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: I have recently begun playing the alto sax in my school band and I have decided that I would begin to play the alto sax outside of school. I would like to buy a beginner alto saxophone. I am wondering if I should buy a used upper-class saxophone such as a Yamaha or a Selmer or purchase a new one that is devoted to beginners. Also, I have run into a brand on the Internet called Cibaili. Are they any good? And, how much should I spend on a sax since I am a beginner?

ummm i would buy used yamaha or selmer
buy those with common brand like: yamaha, selmer, jean baptiste,...
the most important thing is don't buy on ebay or other websites
go to music store with a saxophone expert or at least someone know how to play saxophone
ask them to check the sax for you for leaking and stuffs

Personally, I'd go with a used Yamaha. That's the route I went when I began. I still use it today.
It's a great brand, and when bought used, it can be relatively inexpensive.

Well, the Cibaili and Cecilio and Simba and Monique and similar brands are cheaply made. They're playable, but the intonation might be a bit twee in odd places and they're not at all durable. My soprano sax is a LaFayette--I generally double on about a dozen different instruments in a show and so I haven't played it nearly as much as a full-time sax player would--but in ten years, it's already falling apart in places.

Therefore you probably want to go for a good Yamaha or Selmer or Beuscher or LA Sax or even a Bundy--something from a recognized manufacturer. I dream of a Yanisigawa but
I have other instruments to maintain---

If price is a concern, go looking for used ones. The cheapest options of all would be at http://www.shopgoodwill.com but if you buy from there, have a couple hundred dollars in reserve to give your instrument a professional cleaning up and adjusting--and repairing if need be.

If you are a beginner, rent. Why spend the money on an instrument, used or not, that you may not like playing for a whole year? Most music stores also have a rent-to-own policy, so you get to rent a brand new instrument, and then buy it for a great deal. Do you know what you need and want in an intermediate/advanced level instrument? Of course not, so don't do that until you know if and what you want from the instrument. Do not buy Cibaili. DO not buy anything that is on ebay as again, you don't know what you are looking for. Also if the company doesn't even want to put up a website about their company, are they really that trustworthy?