MK IV Handmade Tenor Sax : A very serious sax for the money

I have been playing Sax for a couple of years. I am not good but I enjoy it and I am improving with lessons.

First off, this is a beautiful instrument. The engraving and finishing is very impressive and the contrast between the reddish body and the gold hardware looks great. The horn is slightly asymmetric which threw me at first but it makes sense and it makes the horn more comfortable to play.

Cons:

The case is OK rather than great. It does the job but it is really heavy. Add in the sax and some books of music and you will need the straps.

The included strap is incredibly thin and cheap.

Pros:

Exceptional tone and playability for the price. Setup was perfect out of the box. Visually remarkable.

I had it checked out by top repairer and he is a real gear snob. He found nothing to complain about.

Some people have commented that the mouthpiece is not the best. Well, that is a matter of taste. It plays a lot like a Yamaha 5C and that is not a bad mouthpiece.

The intonation is very close to right which is about as good as it gets. The keywork is light and quick so trills are not going to be a problem. I would have liked braised tone holes rather than drawn but they work perfectly well.

I have heard a pro playing my sax and he sounded fantastic. There is no reason that this instrument should not take you all the way from beginner to pro although you would want to choose a mouthpiece to suit your style.

All in all, a great horn for the price and one that stands up very well with the top instruments despite the large difference in price.