When choosing your first saxophone, there are several things to consider:
1- THE TYPE OF SAXOPHONE
The saxophone family is large, but there are four types of saxophones that are most commonly used: the soprano, alto, tenor, and baritone. Of these four, the alto and tenor are most commonly used in music in general, and of these two, the alto saxophone is most commonly used for beginners, as it is smaller and lighter than the tenor saxophone. In addition, the keys are a little closer together, and a little less air is blown because the main tube is shorter, making it easier to produce sound. Another feature is that the alto is more economical than the tenor. If we take two saxophones of the same brand and model, the alto is usually 30% cheaper than the tenor.
For young children, between approximately 5 and 8 years old, it is advisable to start with the curved soprano saxophone, as even the alto saxophone can be too large and heavy for them, and the keys are too far apart for their small hands. This saxophone is a variant of the traditional straight soprano saxophone, but with a curved shape similar to that of the alto saxophone. When children are very young, the keys that are played with the palm of the left hand (also called C1, C2 and C4) are removed and stored until the child grows enough to be able to play without these keys hindering their fingering. It is generally recommended that this be done by a technician or luthier, as in addition to removing the keys, the holes must be covered with a custom-made cork or similar material.
2- THE BRAND AND MODEL
Now that we know that the alto saxophone is the most appropriate instrument to start learning (unless you are a young child), let’s take a look at the most recommended brands and models.
The most popular brand in this area is undoubtedly the Japanese Yamaha, as other prestigious manufacturers such as Selmer Paris and Yanagisawa specialise only in professional instruments. Yamaha offers instruments of excellent build quality that are very easy and comfortable to play and very well tuned. The sound is their weak point in the student series, as they tend to be quite bright and lacking in body, but it is understood that the instruments with the best sound are those in the professional ranges. Yamaha’s current student model is the YAS-280, which is manufactured in Indonesia or China. They used to be manufactured in Japan, and the models changed names, from the YAS-21 in the 1970s to the YAS-23, YAS-25 and YAS-275 models, among the best known. A Yamaha YAS-280 costs around €950/€1000, making it probably the most expensive of the student alto saxophones.
The company Conn-Selmer (a commercial group that bought up the old legendary American brands) offers the AS-650 and AS-501 models, which are similar in quality to the Yamaha models and cost around €920/€940.
Another brand that offers good overall quality is Jupiter, which since the 1990s has established itself as a competitor to Yamaha in studio instruments, with models such as the JAS-567, JAS-569, and the current JAS-500, which costs around €860. They used to be manufactured in Taiwan and are now made in China.
On the other hand, the French firm Buffet Crampon, which specialises in professional clarinets, offers a series of student saxophones manufactured in China, which provide good sound quality but are slightly inferior in terms of construction quality compared to those mentioned above. The Buffet 100 series costs around €850.
Below these prices, there are a huge number of brands and models, all manufactured in China, where you have to be a little more careful when choosing because the quality varies greatly. The most recommended brands are Wisemann, Roy Benson, Stagg, SML, and Harlem, which maintain a very good standard of quality within a price range of €400 to €600. The Harlem SSC-310 curved soprano saxophone also stands out from the Harlem brand, being one of the best studio sopranos on the market.
Beyond these brands, we recommend avoiding most Chinese-made saxophones that cost less than €400, as they are often of very poor quality and easily become out of tune, making it difficult to learn the instrument and resulting in constant repairs and adjustments. In addition, the pads on these saxophones tend to have a short lifespan due to their low quality, and a complete pad replacement can cost the same or more than what we spend on one of these instruments.
3- NEW OR USED?
All the prices mentioned in the previous point refer to new instruments. Obviously, we will find several of these saxophones at half price on the second-hand market, but there are some factors to consider when looking at these second-hand instruments. For example, did it belong to someone trustworthy who bought it new with the intention of learning to play and then gave up after a few months, meaning it has hardly been used? Or is it an instrument that has recently been refitted with new pads and has not suffered any significant damage or repairs? Trust in the seller, or having the instrument checked by a technician, is very important in these cases.
However, beyond these particular occasions, it is not advisable to purchase a second-hand student saxophone if you are unsure of the overall condition of the instrument, because if you soon have to spend money on replacing pads, adjustments, corks or springs, you will end up spending the same amount as you would on a new instrument. Furthermore, if the instrument has been damaged, even if it has been repaired and the damage is not noticeable, it may not tune properly (damage to the necks or slightly bent main tubes) or be very difficult to adjust even when new pads are fitted (uneven or deformed chimneys, bells slightly out of place).
On the other hand, it is common to purchase a second-hand professional instrument (Conn, Martin, King, Buescher, Selmer, Keilwerth, etc.) since the expense of having it tuned by an experienced technician is worthwhile, as these instruments can range in value from €3,000 to €9,000 (or even more for Selmer Mark VI or SBA models from certain periods), and their value increases over time.
4- CONCLUSION
From the age of 9 onwards, it is best to start with a new alto saxophone.
The alto saxophones we recommend between €1,000 and €860 are: Yamaha YAS-280, Jupiter JAS-500Q, Conn-Selmer AS-650 or AS-501.
The alto saxophones we recommend between €600 and €400 are: Harlem AS-200, Harlem AS-400, Wisemann DAS-350, Roy Benson AS-202, Stagg 77-SA or SML Prime.
Between the ages of 5 and 8, we recommend starting with a Harlem SSC-310 curved soprano saxophone or a Roy Benson SG-302.
We hope this article helps you when buying your first saxophone!
