Now, I know virtually nothing about saxophones, so I've been trying to educate myself a bit. The one he and his mom picked out is apparently a decent enough Chinese beginner instrument, and it costs $400. I don't think I have to tell anybody here that you can get a surprisingly good electric guitar for half that these days! - although you do need an amp too, so maybe that balances out a bit.
I started reading Sweetwater's pages about saxophones, and I ran across this...
$2000 for the cheapest "intermediate" sax they suggest?! And some of their "student" models are that much! Suddenly that Gibson Les Paul starts to look a lot more reasonable...An intermediate sax is ideal for anyone who wants to upgrade their sound without committing to a significantly higher-priced instrument.
...
- Alto: $2,600–$3,000
- Tenor: $3,000–$3,600
- Baritone: $3,000–$6,000
- Soprano: $2,000–$3,000