If you want to learn the saxophone, you may want to spend less than thousands of dollars on your first model.
Mendini doesn’t cost nearly that much, but is it worth your money?
Here’s Whether Mendini is a Good Saxophone Brand:
Mendini is an okay saxophone brand. On the one hand, it’s very cheaply made and comes with tons of accessories for one low price, diluting the instrument’s value even more. However, it can be a suitable choice for beginners on a budget who plan on upgrading soon.
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Are Mendini Saxophones Considered High Quality?
Unfortunately, most musicians don’t consider Mendini saxophones high quality.
The instruments are at a much lower price than similar models. That leads musicians to believe something is wrong with the instruments or the manufacturing process.
These instruments aren’t the most durable, so that they can have a shorter lifespan than other saxophones.
Another problem with Mendini saxophones is that they can be hard or even impossible to repair.
Some of these cheaper brands don’t use standard parts, so you’d need to special order them to fix a problem.
Also, most saxophone brands make saxophones with a brass, gold, or silver lacquer or a nickel finish. Mendini makes those options, but it also makes blue, green, and purple finishes, which are a sign of a cheap brand.
Does Mendini Make Good Intermediate and Professional Instruments?
Mendini only makes one saxophone model per type, but the brand does carry a couple of different altos.
The brand claims that you can play their instruments at any level.
They even feature a high F# key, which is pretty standard on higher-level saxophones. Sadly, that spec alone doesn’t make an instrument a professional one.
Good intermediate and professional saxophones can cost thousands of dollars.
Meanwhile, Mendini by Cecilio saxophones cost hundreds of dollars.
Do Mendini Saxophones Sound Good for Their Price?
The saxophones may be cheap, but they do offer a decent sound for the cost.
You probably won’t sound like the next Charlie Parker or Marcel Mule.
However, you can get by as you start to learn the instrument. The saxophone will come with a mouthpiece and reed, so you don’t need to pay for anything else.
As you advance, you can upgrade your reed and mouthpiece to something better.
While that won’t change the entire instrument, it can help you continue to improve your sound.
Do Music Schools and Teachers Use Mendini Instruments?
Mendini claims that their instruments are “beloved by…music instructors.”
However, I don’t know many music teachers or directors who recommend these instruments to their students.
The only scenario I’ve heard them being used is when a teacher has to buy an instrument out of their pocket. Since the instruments are cheap, that can be nice.
A teacher can also buy a Mendini saxophone to keep on hand for students who left their saxophone at home.
But you probably won’t find many Mendini instruments in schools for students to borrow.
This is particularly true at the collegiate level, where most players are serious and have invested in their instruments.
Where Are Mendini Saxophones Made?
Mendini produces its saxophones in China.
That in and of itself isn’t a problem because many reputable brands make their student-level instruments in the same country.
However, you’ll find that student models from Yamaha or Jupiter cost much more.
I can’t say for sure, but I’d guess Mendini cuts some corners when making their instruments.
Does the Mendini Brand Endorse Any Professional Players?
The Mendini brand doesn’t endorse any professional saxophone players.
It’s a more suitable brand for beginners, so most people will upgrade to another brand before they go pro.
You won’t find any artist or endorsement pages on the KK Music website (the company behind Mendini).
Most brands that do endorse players will proudly display that relationship online.
Do Any Famous Saxophone Players Play Mendini Instruments?
Odds are, no famous saxophone player currently plays a Mendini saxophone.
Now, they may have a Mendini baritone sax or even a Mendini clarinet or flute for woodwind doubling.
Some professionals might even have a Mendini alto or tenor sax as a backup. However, there probably aren’t many examples because your backup saxophone should be good quality.
You need the best possible gear you can afford at the professional level.
When you’re famous, you make even more money than your average player and teacher, so famous saxophonists have no reason to buy a cheap instrument.
What Types of Saxophones Does Mendini Make?
Mendini makes alto, tenor, and baritone saxophones. The brand makes a few models of alto saxophone, one of which has a gold lacquer, while the others have a brass lacquer.
You can find one tenor saxophone and one baritone saxophone as well. They used to make a soprano saxophone, but it’s no longer in stock or on the KK Music website.
Because they don’t make many models, they also don’t advertise a model number for their instruments. You can call it the Mendini Tenor Sax, for example.
How Does Mendini Compare to Other Saxophone Brands?
At first glance, the Mendini saxophones seem very similar to saxophones from Yamaha or other reputable brands.
The saxes come in a nice case, and you get plenty of accessories to help you play and care for your instrument.
You may even get a somewhat decent sound on the Mendini sax. Over time, you might advance past what the Mendini sax can do, so you’ll probably become unhappy with the tone quality.
Visually, Mendini makes saxophones in a wider variety of colors than Selmer or Yamaha.
That might sound cool, and it can be a way to get kids to practice, but no reputable brand makes red or purple instruments.
Are Mendini Saxophones All Bad?
Compared to well-known saxophone brands, Mendini isn’t a good alternative.
However, compared to other cheap brands, such as Eastar or Glory, they’re not that bad.
Mendini will be your best bet if you go with a cheap saxophone. Still, you should go into it knowing that you probably aren’t going to become a professional without upgrading.
You’ll also want to upgrade even if you have no plans of making music a career. The saxophone isn’t going to last for decades or even years with regular use.
And once your saxophone does break, you can hang it on the wall and turn it into the decor.
Who Should Play a Mendini Saxophone?
Mendini saxophones aren’t ideal for most players. However, they can work for players who want to start learning the saxophone or expand to lower saxes while on a budget.
If you can’t rent a saxophone and don’t have the money for a better brand, Mendini is suitable. You can buy a cheap saxophone online and test it out to see if you like it.
Then, you can either quit and not lose a ton of money.
Or, if you decide to continue, you can start saving money to put towards a better saxophone model.
How Long Will a Mendini Saxophone Last?
A Mendini saxophone probably won’t last that long.
I have one that’s a bit over a year old, but I hardly ever play it, so it hasn’t had a chance to decrease in quality.
However, if you play the saxophone daily, you might find it breaks much sooner. In some cases, you might need repairs within a few months, and repairs aren’t usually worth it.
Most of the time, the repairs will cost more than the value of the Mendini sax, so it’s like a totaled vehicle.
Even if the repairs aren’t that expensive, reputable technicians won’t usually work on these instruments.
They might require unique parts or tools that even the most professional techs don’t have.
The Mendini sax can break again and require more repairs, so it will eventually not be worth working on.
Can You Repair a Mendini Sax?
You shouldn’t attempt to repair your Mendini saxophone unless you’re a repair tech.
Doing any work on the instrument could lead to more damage.
Now, you might be able to make small adjustments, like fixing a screw that’s coming loose. However, you should avoid doing anything more intense than that.
Unfortunately, most professional techs won’t touch Mendini instruments with a 10-foot pole.
As mentioned, these instruments are cheap, so most repairs will cost more than the saxophone itself.
Final Thoughts
Mendini saxophones are cheap, but you often get what you pay for.
Before you pay for one of these saxes, consider if it’s worth going the cheap route or if you should save up for something better.