It is absolutely fair to say that my responses in here, should not in any way be considered valid or based on any in-depth knowledge of any topics related to the Saxophone, since I haven’t even received my first one, and won’t even have put my mouth on one until next week sometime.

That said………….what I CAN talk about, is the Search I’ve been on for the last month (perhaps a little less) to find that “right” first Saxophone. I’ve narrowed it down to a few considerations, and perhaps this will help, as we “Search” together, eh?!

Yes, “Yamaha” seems to be an instrument Brand that gets a lot of thumbs up, in the Saxophone community. I’m a guitar player for over forty years, and can tell you that “Yamaha” (in THAT world) has a reputation of building solid instruments that hold up to a lot of abuse over time. They are by no means considered to be the “creme de la creme” in that world, but they command respect in the industry. I see and hear a lot of that, in this world of Saxophones as well. Pricy, yes……….but then again, when you consider that there are a number of manufacturers out there that can command as much as $8K for an instrument, seem to be on the “light” side of the pricing market. In particular the YAS-23 (seems to be the typical “first Sax” for many).
I’m my own life, (now in my mid-fifties) I didn’t choose the YAS-23, simply because my wallet isn’t fatter than half a grand, and I couldn’t find any sweet deals for a YAS-23 for that price. There may be a deal out there that YOU can find, but “where” you buy it, and from “whom” is important. Let’s talk about that……………….

I found a local Woodwind shop, run by a guy with a ton of experience, both in the complete restoration of Saxophones and other woodwinds (particularly moreso with Saxophones, which is his personal love, but not exclusively). Someone had recommended (and I think rightly so) finding someone local to me, to have as both a source for repairs and troubleshooting, as well as being a source of equipment. I think that good advice. If you can find someone near you that sells them, fixes them, cares about them, and knows about them, you’ve got a good basis for beginning. I’d buy from THAT person (and I did) first. There in his/her shop, I can feel, hold, hear, the available instruments……..I can see the workbench and the various stages of repair, to better understand the instrument (what the more sensitive components are, and how stuff works, etc),

Once you have that, you have “up close and personal” opportunity to not worry so much about the brand name on the horn, and focus your attention on the sounds from the various horns; the style you’d like to play on, and the variety at your fingertips. I have lots of “online” helps in place, and I think that’s valid and important as well. Places like THIS website and its content, is very helpful, and there are others of course. YouTube and other sites offer a plethora of training from soup to nuts; covering every topic from “how to choose your first horn,” to “how to become a better player.”

So I’m not going to spend any time rattling off a bunch of brand names that I went thru, in my final choice, but I CAN spend a few minutes covering the process, because I’m in it right now,(lol).

Note to Self:

If your wallet isn’t limited (if MY wallet wasn’t limited) I wouldn’t hesitate to buy a Yamaha YAS-23 as a “starter” instrument. It’ll attraction by the Saxophone community almost guarantees its re-sale value, should the student decide that Saxophone playing is “not for them.” I don’t recommend a “hit or miss” approach thru EBay or CraigsList.com, simply because you can’t really have the up close and personal that you can in a local shop (not Guitar Center, Sam Ash or whatever…….I’m talking a shop like the one I mentioned before, where they specialize in Saxophones. Some place where the Salesman, Technician and so forth, are ‘INTO” what they do. They are not just Salesmen/women. you might have to travel a few miles but “so what!” The price of gas has gone down significantly!!

In my “local shop,” there were a good number of instruments to choose from. Yes, he specialized in Saxophones, old and new, but he also had Clarinets, Flutes, etc.. I looked at a variety of horns, not by the name, but by the price tag frankly. Let’s start with this: “I know I can’t spend more than X for this instrument. For each of us, that’s different. Once you know your limits, you can be honest with the person in the shop, and tell them your ceiling (don’t forget that incidentals cost something; Mouthpieces, Reeds, Sling, Mouthpiece covers, Cleaning kits, a Case, cork grease……….however, quite often many of these items will be “included” in the deal). It doesn’t make any sense to waste your time looking at an $7K instrument, (except to see what is different about such a high-dollar instrument than the one you can afford, if you are curious), if you know you won’t be taking it home. It’ll give you a gauge as to what the high-end instruments look like and sound like, but you’re there to find out about yourself, as much as the Sax ITSELF. You, like me, are still in the “I wanna do this” stage.

So I finally settled on the “what” of it………….I wanted to play a Tenor Sax. Some recommended starting on Alto, and I get that. If I was a person of smaller stature, or very young, I might agree. However, being 6 ft. tall, and 200 lbs, with a good set of lungs, and loving the lower, deeper tones of the Tenor Sax, decided that THAT would be my first choice. We looked at a few of them, and finally……………over in the corner……….couldn’t even tell you the name on it, at the time (I can NOW), ………….sat a case with a Tenor Sax in it, that “had just come in the day before.” It needed cleaning, polishing, oiling, some new pads (not all), and a general “make it ready for playing” once over. It had some scratches here and there, certainly not a brand new instrument. No dents of any kind however (some “dents” are not a big deal, and the sound and playability are not compromised) on this instrument.
AND……….and here’s the big “AND” it was an instrument that he was willing to sell me within my budget!!!!! Case, Grease, Strap, New Mouthpiece, Ligature, Cleaning Kit, horn, Mouthpiece cover, and a one year warranty). It happens to be a Selmer Bundy II, if that matters, but frankly, for my “first Saxophone,” I don’t care WHAT the “name” is. I don’t care WHO made it. I just need it to be a reliable, playable, FIXABLE (I’m hearing that a lot of the $300.00 ones you can buy on Amazon.com are not “repairable” and Technicians may refuse to work on them). and that’s about it.

Now it’s time to find someone who can slap your ears (as it were) in person, when you are learning. Someone (a Teacher) who can give you first hand, in your face, up close and in person, instant feedback. Yep, you COULD do it online (Skype, Websites, and so forth. This website is FILLED with great stuff, for example) but having someone in the neighborhood to bounce things off of, (even if that person were willing to go WITH you to look at the horns you are considering in a local shop. Someone you can trust to play the instrument, who knows something about them, and can advise you before you plunk down your card, or or cash)., is a great benefit.

Then, once my horn is ready……….I’m practicing, practicing, practicing. Watch your goals. Not everyone will become the next Clarence (playing for the Boss) or Charlie Parker. No harm in trying to be the best you can be, but don’t overshoot your goals. Start small (I’m preaching to myself now, as well) with modest goals that are reachable. Then set your next one. If you and I are meant to be Saxophone players, it won’t be something that (imho) I’ll know, or you’ll know, within the first couple of years. I figure, “two years in” of honest practice, and I’ll know if I should continue with it. Hopefully during that time, I won’t accidentally destroy the instrument, and will have practiced with enough diligence to honestly say I gave it my best shot, and I’ll have learned a few things along the way.

Good luck!!

-Soupy