Where to buy inexpensive alto?

[timothy42b]

I have a small bonus on this years appraisal and would like to buy the alto.

I've been doing most of my practice with the mini pBone, which is limited.

I'll never have a use for a quality alto so I'm reluctant to look at the pro models. Who sells the Chinese ones and is reliable? I'm not an ebayer.

[hyperbolica]

Wessex, John Packer, Schiller... Of those, I'd probably pick the Packer.

[Neo Bri]

The Packers are really good altos. I with they made one with a valve.

[Doug Elliott]

I have a used Chinese one that's OK - If you want it I can probably even deliver it to you in about 2 weeks when I'll be down in your neighborhood.

[timothy42b]

PM sent

[Finetales]

Thomann also makes one (the TEB480) that is apparently better than the usual Slokar clone according to some reviews. It looks very similar to the JP Rath 236 too...might be the same horn without the QC (but it's 1/5 the price). I've been thinking about trying that one out for a while.

Wessex doesn't currently have any altos...they discontinued the PE523 which was excellent (and I'm still sad about that), after discontinuing their version of the Jin Bao Slokar before that. Horn Guys doesn't sell their version with the upgraded leadpipe anymore either.

[timothy42b]

It could be that the deficiencies of the mini pBone go away if I didn't use the mouthpiece i use on my small tenor which is a 4. Still, I want a brass alto.

Given the times and my age, I doubt i will have much future use for my 42B. I hope to still have places to play the small tenor but that isn't certain either. Clearly I don't "need" an alto but I want one.

[noordinaryjoe]

I'd love a 'travel' horn that fits in the overhead bin. (when we start traveling again)
Doug Yeo speaks well of the Yamaha YSL-350c, but it's pricey and hard to find stateside. (3/4 down on this page)
http://www.yeodoug.com/articles/trombon ... llery.html

Anyone have experience with either of these Schillers?
https://www.jimlaabsmusicstore.com/stor ... rass-bell/
https://www.jimlaabsmusicstore.com/stor ... -trombone/

Thanks!
-Joe