There are many brands of saxophones and within those brands exist several types: beginner, intermediate, advanced, and professional. No one company has discovered how to make a perfect sax. Certain ones will suit your taste more than others. Try some out to see what you like. Before buying a completely new horn though, try getting a new mouthpiece, ligature, and/or reeds. Those alone make a major difference in your sound.
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To start off, a beginner model will work fine. They
will cost less, but also have less special features like a high f# key
or rolled tone holes. Intermediate and advanced horns will be a bit
higher end and advanced are rather close to professional. Professional
horns are at the top of the line with all the bells and whistles- high
f#, rolled tone holes, engravings, silver/black nickel plating, etc.
Most companies make saxophones for musicians at different stages.
Keilwerth- German company. I love
my hand-made Keilwerth. My sax teacher Kristen Strom liked it too when
she tried it. The bells on Keilwerths tend to be a little bigger- so
not all cases will work with them. Mine has rolled tone holes.
Selmer- French company. They made
the famous Mark VI, which many saxophonists prefer using. Unfortunately
they stopped production for a time. The older Mark VI’s are great, but
some have come into disrepair, and made need more maintenance. Some
musicians alos like the Super Action’s, others don’t. I played a Mark
VII once, it sounded all right, but they didn’t improve on the Mark VI.
Yanagisawa- Japanese company. Personally I didn’t like the Yanagisawa I tried out, but other people like them. My friend Kirk had one.
Yamaha- Japanese company. My friend
Tom really likes his custom Yamaha. They make many student models. I’ve
played the beginning and intermediate models and they have a decent
sound.
Conn- They have made some decent
saxophones. I also feel the newer companies have often surpassed them.
If you find one, try it out to see!
Jupiter- My first sax/clarinet teacher had a Jupiter. They play fairly well. I just bought a Jupiter Alto and it has a pretty good sound.
Martin- An older brand that made some good saxophones.
L.A. Sax- These horns often are colorfully painted, the paint will not help your sound though. More of a gimmick really.
Materials- Saxophones are usually
made out of brass. Some are made of silver. Many others are plated or
painted. Plating can change your sound with black nickel or silver.
They say that black nickel gives a darker sound. However, paint
will not help your sound. It covers the brass with something that
deadens the sound. I do not recommend the red/black/whatever color
lacquer on saxophones. It may look cool, but it will NOT help your
sound.
Features:
- High f#- nice to have, but not completely necessary since you can reach the same note with alternate fingerings.
- Rolled tone holes- where the metal meets the leather pads on
the keys it is rolled to make a better connection that is less prone to
leaks. - Plating- silver and black nickel may help create a sound you want, paint will not
Cost- A halfway decent sax will cost at least
$800 or so. You might find a used one for less, but you might need to
look into repairs also. Tenors will cost more than altos and baris more
than tenors. Sopranos usually also cost more than tenors and altos.
Since the Woodwind and Brasswind is so big you can often
save some money by ordering from them. They have various sales during
the year and you can even find B line instruments.
Advice- Go and try out some
different saxophones when you’re looking to buy one. Germany, Japan,
France, and the U.S. generally have a better reputation, so watch out
for a name you’ve never heard of. You can even try saxophones out at
stores and then order them through Woodwind catalog. Remember though
that not all saxophones, even of the same brand are identical. So try
out a few and bring a friend, preferably a musician, to listen.
{ 42 comments… read them below or add one }
You forgot to mention Cannonball! They make excellent saxophones, I have a Raven Bari (sandblasted nickle plated) and everyone who plays it, myself included, is blown away by it. My friend has a Hotspur Alto and it’s a spectacular saxophone as well.
Hey Mike,
Thanks. Haven’t played them myself. But I have heard some people like them.
-Neal
i have a vintage hamilton saxophone why can i not found anything about it…how much theyre worth..thanks
Hey Jean, I haven’t heard of that brand. How do you like?
-Neal
You havnt mentioned Buffet Crampon SDA and DA. These saxes play great
Ever heard of the Woodwind brand sax? I wonder if it is any good. Been thinking about getting the Black Nickel Tenor. What do you think?
Hey Coty, that’s the one that the Woodwind and Brasswind catalogue has? Haven’t played one myself, but I have ordered a number of things from their catalog, would think that the horn would play all right at least. Try it out and see though, I’ll try and find out more about the brand. As far as black nickel goes, my tenor is plated with it and it seems cool, better than just having black paint on it in my opinion. Changes the sound a little bit.
Well, here is my dilemma. I haven’t played in a long time (15 years), so I was looking around for something to get back in. I don’t want to buy a new Yamaha for $2200 nor do I want to spend $600 on a used one and not really know what kind of “shade tree” repairs have been done. I figured I’d start with a something new and not too expensive, the Woodwind Tenor came up. Not only is it well priced, but it’s an option for now with the ability to upgrade later, and the reviews on it – when I can find them, seem like the horn is a decent instrument for the price, maybe on the same lines as the Conn-Selmer Prelude TS711 or the Barrington (which is recommended by WWBW) with a few upgrades but might need a better mouthpiece to start. I did find out that the Woodwind sax was made in Vietnam (???Should I worry???). I don’t know, maybe i’ve been out of the game too long.
hi Neal this is Gabriel
i have been trying to find out
the make and model of my horn
its a tenor engraved new yorker on the bell
Hey Gabriel,
Tried searching for a minute, seems like it might be the same brand as this horn people were talking about called the ‘super new yorker’
So possibly Eastern European, they found a country written near the thumb rest.
http://forum.saxontheweb.net/showthread.php?69087-Tenor-Saxophone-Super-New-Yorker
Good luck
-Neal
Hey Guys,
That reminded me of my very first tenor, an “American Premier”! That was the one & only one I have ever seen in my 35+ years of playing. I didn’t play it very long, moved on to a King Super 20, then to Selmer Mark 6s, which I’ve used every since.
I have no idea, to this day, if that old tenor was any good, or if that company made very many horns, etc. Maybe I’ll do a Google search & see…
Hey Steven,
Thanks for letting us know about that. Seems like there used to be a lot more American companies that made saxophones. Wonder if anyone is still playing that kind.
Ok her’s my short story. In middle and high school I’ve been using a Conn, in which my parents could afford dearly. I’m now playing saxophones from saxophone.com (from soprano to bari) in which they’re made in Korea.( I know I’m getting off the subject,excuse me) I recent found out about the Lawton mouth piece and man let me tell ya, WOW! This mouth piece has change the way this sax sounds dramaticaly. I can hear the difference clearly. Using this mouth piece makes me realize I need a higher and better well known saxophone brand.
Thanks Mike, haha, yep, I know about the Lawtons, tried a couple, they’re definitely a unique piece with a pretty good sound. A little pricey after the guy passed away though.
Hi Neal I just bought a great new Bon Fils Alto from Saxgourmet. It sells for $750.00 it comes with two necks a great mouthpiece and a case. It’s worth checking out, don’t take my word for it, check it out for yourself.
I love mine!
I hope this info can help someone get a great horn for a great price. I’m damm glad I found out about saxgourmet before I forked out $1600-$1800 for a new horn not as good as I have now! Thanks again Neal.
Hey Tim,
Glad you like it.
-Neal
I’ve always felt it better to buy a pro-quality used horn, no matter it’s age, than a crappy, cheap newer student model. There are some cheaper new ones that are pretty good, like Cannonball, but most other good new ones are prohibitively expensive, especially for a beginner.
Now, I’m a bit surprised you left out Buescher. which for many years, up until Bundy/Selmer bought them out (maybe in the ’70s?), made many great sounding/playing horns. In fact, I’ve been using ancient (pre-1920) Buescher sopranos my entire playing life, & have received many compliments on my sound. I also have an old (1924) Buescher alto that will blow away the Yamaha Custom or other newer altos, when it comes to its sound.
Now, of course, newer horns will often have smoother ergonomics, so you do have to make sure the layout & fingering works for each individual. Just as with mouthpieces, the primary issue is what works for YOU, no matter what anyone or everyone says! Hey, the upside to using equipment that everyone else is not, is that you have a greater chance of creating your own personal sound, something that has become a lot more rare these days (& reasons for that might be a good topic for a discussion).
Also, don’t forget King, who made the famous “Super-20″ saxes, which I used to use before shifting over to Mark 6s. If you find a good one, they’re great horns. I even play a real King Saxello, again, only made in the 1920s, & now other companies are marketing “Saxello-style” sopranos (I believe Saxello is trademarked). It’s like a soprano, but has it’s own special sound, & look.
I’ve been able to find some great used Buescher altos & even a couple tenors (one is my current back-up horn), in the $300-$500 range, via eBay. I strongly advise anyone buying a horn (or mouthpiece) via the web, to make sure the seller will give you even a couple days time to check it out, & see if it’s a match, cause you don’t ever want to be stuck with a horn you don’t want. For you Newbies, ask a more experienced player to help you with it, I’ve helped a few friends find horns, and they’ve been very pleased, you just want to make sure you know all about the horn, & again, have some sort of trial period….
Hey Steven,
Thanks for weighing on the matter.
I would tend to agree that getting a better quality used sax is a good idea compared to getting a shiny horn that will break more quickly.
Buescher made some good horns, I actually have a Buescher alto that I got fixed up. It has a nice sound. The issues with it are that it did need repairs and the key mechanisms aren’t as nice as the modern horns.
King made some good saxophones too.
And yes, trying out mouthpieces and horns is very important!
Thanks Steven.
Hi Neal, I am in my 50′s and just began playing the alto saxophone about 1 yr. ago. So far I have been a very diligent student playing for hours each day. I am greatly interested in jazz music; while playing alone with other jazz sound by way of internet with amplified speakers I am growing to the place where my beginners horn is not giving me the wide or more broad sound that I want.
My question is could that be more with the horn or mouth piece, the brand name of my horn is a Winston, and could you recommend the next horn up the scale I feel like I am at or near the intermediate stage and I am becoming dissatisfied with my horn.
Hey Dennis,
Sounds like you’re having fun.
You should probably get a new mouthpiece before you get a new saxophone. That will likely make a huge difference. I’m using a Vandoren V16 and I like it, but you should try out a few different kinds and see what you like.
I’m not familiar with the Winston, you probably want a Yamaha. But try out a new mouthpiece first.
-Neal
Hi Neal,
I got an alto sax from my uncle back in the early 2000. Its silver with white padding but iv never herd of or seen another one like it. Its got a strange looking logo on it almost like 3 pentagons with the name brilliant underneath the logo. Do you have any clue as to who makes this brand and were it is made and also the possible cost for this horn?
Hey Calen,
Not sure offhand. Do you know where he got it?
what kind of horn does david sanborn play and what is his mouth peace brand .is it a metal
also i have a jupiter alto.it sound ok but not very strong .i got it at a thrift store for $250 . a good deal I’ve been playing for about 28 years now .Im going to a metal mouth piece
i am going to buy a antigua winds saxophone (alto) from a friend it is black nickel plated and in good condition would this be considered a professional saxophone or what category would it be in? also antigua winds is a new company but make very good quality instruments, have you heard of them before?
Hey Neal! I’m the proud owner of a Cannonball Tenor. As Mike Jenkins mentioned previously on this post, the Cannonball is pretty impressive.
I chose this brand after having another brand of sax that looked great but came out of alignment too easily. The repairs were expensive. It never really got fixed due to the poor craftsmanship. It is now a cool looking sax on a stand in my practice area.
One piece of advice from a self-proclaimed “Perpetual Open Mic/Sit-In on a Few/Student of the Sax” is to study who, at the Professional level, is endorsing the sax company. I watched Cannonball for about 3 years to see if the Endorsers would stick with the company. They did. I bought it. I’m extremely happy with my purchase.
Ask any gigging Sax Player and you’ll get one perspective to add to your decision.
You might also consider talking to your local Sax Repairman to find out how often they have to work on certain brands. This provides some unfiltered, candid feedback before you buy.
And, don’t forget that many Pro Sax Players have not only great skills, chops, and experience, they also have things that make great sound even greater. I’m talking about sound systems, microphones, effects, wedges, specially designed necks, and all that “After Market” stuff most mere mortals like me can’t wrap the brain around yet. One step at a time starting with the basics is the key.
Of course, you have to find what works for you. You need to find the right mouthpiece/reed combination – not just whatever your favorite Artist plays. Go to the store and take the Sax, Mouthpiece, and Reed (which you’ll have to purchase the reed) for a Test Drive.
If you can afford to, buy a more expensive horn. They’re built better and often have unique features. Plus, if you ever decide to change (I have a Friend who is selling his Steve Goodson Tenor Sax – a wonderful horn I’d like to own one day – to buy a Selmer so he can change his sound to a more dark, mainstream, vintage feel.) you can offest the price of your new horn. If you buy too cheap, it might not hold up, may sound good initially then the problems start, then when you decide to resell, it becomes a nice thing to look at in your practice space.
Just a few thoughts. Keep up the good work on this website!
Hey Chazz,
Cool, thanks for sharing your experiences. One of my teachers actually uses a Cannonball these days part of the time. Good to have an extra horn when you’re playing professionally. I tried it and liked it.
That’s an interesting strategy to watch the sax players to see if they stick with their endorsements. Talking to the repair man could be good too.
Will definitely keep working on the site, haha.
-Neal
I’m a beginner, i have a hard time understanding the notes on a sax. chord chart of basic notes and scales are what interest me the most. I saw your program, it looks great just not sure i’m there yet.
Any advice?
Thx!
Hey Paul,
Thanks for the suggestion. I’m working on a beginning level class right now. That could be good for you. How long have you been playing?
The Bundys and Signets that were made just after the sale to Selmer are Buscher Aristocrats and 400s respectively in their design. I have two Bundy altos, one with a very low serial# and one made a few years later on. The older horn is a great sounding and playing horn. The newer one is still good, but some what thinner in sound.
They are somewhat dated in their ergonomics, especially with the left sided bell keys making sit down playing somewhat awkward.
Sold as student models by Selmer, there are many around with the oldest ones (early 60′s) being real sleepers that can be had for low bucks.
Interesting, didn’t know all of that history. Thanks
The ergonomics of the vintage horns does seem to be most noticeable in the table keys for the left pinky to me.
Hi Neal
I just pick up a new Saxgourmet Voodoo Master tenor. It looks like a mint penny and sounds great. They sell for $2000.00. IMHO there is nothing on the market at that price to compare it to! Thanks Neal for your cool web-site!
Hey Tim,
Cool, thanks for letting us know about it. And you’re welcome.
Hello!
i’m from Uruguay, sorry but i can’t write good in inglish, so i’m looking for diferents patterns licks etc of jazz and blues for alto sax, i think i’m a intermediate player of sax, and i want you to know i`m a good guitar and bass player,49 years old,
Thanks Neal
Hey Paolo,
I’ll probably get some more jazz and blues licks up here. For now, you might want to check out Greg Fishman’s new book ‘hip licks’. Haven’t gotten it yet myself, but I like his etudes and duets.
Hello Neal,
My name is Ian and i was wondering about what brand i should purchase. I am a senior in highschool and the horn i have now is a Jupiter Carnige XL or something along the lines. Well i will be going to Texas Tech University and i want a new sax because im pretty sure i will be majoring in music, I was wondering what to you recommend as far as a overall good pro sax i have a budget of about 2,500 or so maybe a bit more. Thankyou very much
Hey Ian,
I would probably look at Yamahas and Cannonballs. You might find a good used horn with some searching too. Try out some different brands and see what you like.
-Neal
Hello, my goal is to learn as much about the alto saxophone and music (jazz) as possible. I am a beginner at my late 50 age. Although playing in the saxophone in elementary school I still need to learn from the beginning. As A CHILD probably needed a push to continue my music lessons during those formative years.This might be a second chance to learn how to play the saxophone now in my late age. My aim is to play jazz as well as Sonny Stitt or James Mood
Hey Neal love the site and if you have time can you get eye of the tiger
Hey Justin,
Thanks for the suggestion, might do that one.
-Neal
Hi Neal, I wrote you back in July of last year concerning different mouthpieces. Now I have a another situation, I am playing very good jazz music now and can play many selections. I am very excited about playing my sax but I have yet to show my new talents to the world.
Being that virtually no one knows that I play I am very nervous about playing in front of a crowd this is totally new and different for me and way outside the box. Remember I am in my 50′s, but I LOVE the music can you give me any advice about my nerves.
Dennis recently posted..How to Play Baker Street on Alto Sax – Saxophone Music
Dennis,
Many professional musicians get nervous before performing, and some real legends believe if you don’t, something’s wrong…
That said, having a drink or two can help, realizing too, that once you start playing, and get into the music, you probably won’t be thinking about the audience, but your focus will be on playing, and getting in that “zone”, with your horn…. Eventually you’ll find that the energy of their attention actually helps your playing, as you can feel their connection to you, as you offer them your music…
Don’t worry about perfection, just dig in, and “play your soul”, audiences are not following along with a chart & red pen, they want you to touch them, to share your feelings, & to say something they can feel….