Apollo Alto Saxophone in gold lacquer with leather pads, complete with case and accessories

I'm no expert so I can't give you all the ins and outs of this instrument over other instruments. What I can say is that this looks to be a great way to a student to get into this instrument. I really like that the case makes it very easy for kids to carry this with them to school since it gives you lots of carry options. The case is sturdy and rigid enough to take the daily battering primary school aged children will put it through. There is also lots of storage so you will have a place for any accessories you will need.The instrument itself feels very solid and all the pieces fit together well. I tried to learn enough from youtube to play a bit and that's pretty much all I got out of it so far. For the list price of $500 and what little I do know about instruments and what they cost to rent, this is a very good deal. Overall a very solid instrument that I can have around the house to teach my self and the kids without expending a lot of capital.I was wavering between 4 and 5 stars because I don't have enough knowledge to be able to recognize the quality of the construction as compared to recognized brands like Yamaha. While there are cheaper ones available out there, the quality will be questionable so what's the point of saving a $150-$200 if the instrument will not play and require lots of tuning and to get it working. Using my limited experience with other brass instruments, this sax from Apollo seems like its pretty good quality and is more or less playable out of the box so I am giving it a benefit of the doubt and go with 5 stars.

When you first get it the sax sounds good, but in a few months it lessens a bit in quality.

I really wanted to love this Sax but I just couldn’t. It looks beautiful but the big Made in China Stamp on the back was my first red flag. I’m an intermediate to advanced sax player and I noticed that every note below low F just sounded gurgly and muddy. Nothing I did was able to fix this. Embouchure, neck/pad/key adjustment, mouthpiece, reed, etc.. It’s just not good sounding at all! Decided to spend the extra money and got a Jean Paul for a cheap practice sax. Returned.

I've been playing tenor sax for... well, longer than any K-12 student has been alive. And then some. While tenor is my go-to, I also know how to play alto, but never got around to getting one for myself. Student models were usually too chintzy, used ones in the price range I was willing to spend usually needed serious overhaul. It just never happened.So, I took a chance on this, not expecting much.I gotta say... this is really impressive for the price. The offset and action remind me of midrange Yamaha saxes. And if you're not actively shopping brands: the entry-level Yamaha alto costs about as much as three of these. I didn't have to bend any keys or fix any pads. I didn't have to go through a break-in ritual. Out of the box, it played wonderfully.Are there downsides? Sure. While it comes with a lot of pack-in stuff, some of it is junk. The strap, for starters, is probably the worst strap I've ever used. I'm pretty partial to  these cheap Selmer straps , but no matter what style you prefer, I'd go ahead and order one right now if you don't already have a strap to use.The mouthpiece is also not great. It isn't terrible, but I think especially for someone starting out, you're better off getting a decent starter mouthpiece.  Rico's A5  is an okay choice, though I'd personally recommend a  Yamaha 4C  for all-around use if you're just starting out -- maybe a  Yamaha 5C  if you're more of an intermediate player who isn't looking to spend D'Addario or Vandoren money.Otherwise, the case is pretty good for a student. The built-in music holder seems to be positioned correctly (it's been decades since I've marched, but it's there and looks normal) and even the included reed is decent.Is this the cheapest Alto sax you can get? Well... no. But when you compare it against the cheaper models, you lose things like the leather pads, a normal layout, and smooth action. I really think this gets you closer to a name-brand level of quality, though -- without the name-brand price. these cheap Selmer strapsRico's A5Yamaha 4CYamaha 5C

Hi, didn’t even know Amazon could sell something of such high caliber. This saxophone was beautiful. It was nice to hold. It shines so bright it plays so beautifully. I have no complaints in the carrying case was also perfect.