Jupiter altos

I'm thinking of getting a Jupiter alto. Some advice about it?

They're a very good student horn for the price. Build quality is pretty good for a Taiwanese horn - but like most student instruments they benefit from a proper setup ( this isn't always done by the retailer...in fact, this is RARELY done by the retailer ).

The mouthpiece supplied with the horn is not great - budget another £20 or so for a decent student piece ( a Yamaha 3c or 4c will work very well with these horns ).

It's worth comparing them with the Trevor James 'Horn Revolution' and the Vito ( both around the same price bracket, I believe ).

If you're prepared to opt for a used horn you'll find some of the cheaper Yamahas ( 21, 23, 25 - possibly even a 32 ) will fall into your price range. These will be even better.

The current mouthpiece supplied with the Jupiter saxes are actually quite good. They have been, for a few years now, the same as the Yamaha 4C. That is not to say 'like' but rather literally the 'same.'

A few features like the articulated low C# and tilting Bb mechanism are found on the Jupiter, but not the Yamaha 23. Jupiter's latest production is quite good.

I've found them to be variable. I would say that if a beginner can find a competent player to test the mouthpiece out and give it the all-clear then that's fine. Otherwise it's probably better to start with a known quantity.