Introduction An absolute beginner

[Kevin O'Dee]

Hello from Edinburgh, Scotland. I love the saxophone sound(s) and now that I find myself with more time, I would like to learn to play. My original idea was to learn soprano saxophone, however having read around, it seems that alto might be a better place to start. So currently looking at options for an alto suitable for a beginner - and gosh, there is a lot to sort through...

 

[Jeanette]

Welcome

If soprano holds your heart go for it 🙂

Jx

 

[DavidUK]

Jupiter alto, around £200 2nd hand, private sale.
Yamaha alto, around £450-550 2nd hand, private sale.
Either a good starter, Yamaha worth the extra.
If buying used, take a sax player (New tutor?) along or buy from a reputable retailer.
Alto or tenor usual starting point. Alto is lighter and cheaper. That's where I started.
What's your budget?

 

[Kevin O'Dee]

Jupiter alto, around £200 2nd hand, private sale.
Yamaha alto, around £450-550 2nd hand, private sale.
Either a good starter, Yamaha worth the extra.
If buying used, take a sax player (New tutor?) along or buy from a reputable retailer.
Alto or tenor usual starting point. Alto is lighter and cheaper. That's where I started.
What's your budget?

Hi David. I think a realistic budget for me is around £300. The Wind Section shop in Edinburgh may have an ex-rental John Packer JP041 for around that price. I like the idea of buying from an actual shop where they will have the instrument properly set up etc. No idea where the John Packer brand sits in the scheme of things...

 

[DavidUK]

@Stephen Howard put me off JP horns with his reviews on Shwoodwind:

John Packer JP 045V alto saxophone review

Description

www.shwoodwind.co.uk

He might pop by to give a current opinion if you're lucky.

Personally, I'd buy this:

Jericho Alto Saxophone | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Jericho Alto Saxophone at the best online prices at eBay! Free delivery for many products.

www.ebay.co.uk

He may concur.

 

[skeller047]

Assuming you are an adult, and not just a high school dropout stuck at home, there is nothing wrong with starting on soprano. I will say that if you plan to play in public, with other people, at some point, alto or tenor will give you many more opportunities. But for just making beautiful music, there are lots of people who play soprano only.

£300 is a short budget for a good quality instrument. Sopranos are at least as much if not more expensive than altos. £500 would ensure that you can get a good quality instrument. Yamaha sopranos are more than the “student” level altos, if only because their soprano line begins at the “intermediate” level.

Regarding the shop setting up your horn, shining up is probably more like it, especially for a used horn. Some one blew it for 5 seconds, it made a noise, they wiped it down and said “good to go”.

I don’t want to be the one who rains on your parade, so take what I say as warnings and a recommendation to keep your eyes open. Welcome to the forum!

 

[PigSquealer]

@Kevin O'Dee welome to the Café. Happy New Year !
If possible find somebody in the community that plays saxophone. They may know of one one available. Most all used will need some attention. Even those from a shop. Negotiate from the shop a 30 day return and free service for any unexpected faults. If they won’t do that, well, it says a lot about their product.
Meanwhile as a affordable suggestion (at the risk of ending up on a rotisserie from the members) you may have some luck acquiring a clarinet. There are zillions of these around. I’m guessing in your region for less than £70 in good playing condition. The fingering of keys is similar to a saxophone. It’s not a difficult transition.

 

[eb424]

Hi David. I think a realistic budget for me is around £300. The Wind Section shop in Edinburgh may have an ex-rental John Packer JP041 for around that price. I like the idea of buying from an actual shop where they will have the instrument properly set up etc. No idea where the John Packer brand sits in the scheme of things...

I started on a jp blues 141..At that point i thought it had a lovelly tone..but.. you soon want to move on because playing a budget horn complicates a difficult enough road ahead..i realise that everyones circumstances are different the good thing about buying from a shop is that you can spread payments..Push for a good a sax as you can get..whayever type you decide on and have a wonderful journey..

 

[JulesMartin]

Welcome to the cafe, your best sax decision by far. all good advice already given. For my two pennyworth go with your heart not head and get the instrument that sparked your interest in the first instance.

 

[Wonko]

the good thing about buying from a shop is that you can spread payments..Push for a good a sax as you can get..whayever type you decide on and have a wonderful journey..

This is a very good suggestion.
I started on tenor (a little over 20 years ago), didn't have any budget for a saxophone at that point but I had a stable income.
So I bought a Yamaha (YTS-32), intermediate model, from a shop that offered a financing option. I paid for it in about 2 years I think, and I played that saxophone until last easter (still have it as a backup now).
So, I would suggest that you don't let you current budget decide what kind of saxophone (alto or soprano) you want to play. Choose the one you like the best and get a decent enough model/brand to keep you on track for most of the journey.

 

[Kevin O'Dee]

Assuming you are an adult, and not just a high school dropout stuck at home, there is nothing wrong with starting on soprano. I will say that if you plan to play in public, with other people, at some point, alto or tenor will give you many more opportunities. But for just making beautiful music, there are lots of people who play soprano only.

£300 is a short budget for a good quality instrument. Sopranos are at least as much if not more expensive than altos. £500 would ensure that you can get a good quality instrument. Yamaha sopranos are more than the “student” level altos, if only because their soprano line begins at the “intermediate” level.

Regarding the shop setting up your horn, shining up is probably more like it, especially for a used horn. Some one blew it for 5 seconds, it made a noise, they wiped it down and said “good to go”.

I don’t want to be the one who rains on your parade, so take what I say as warnings and a recommendation to keep your eyes open. Welcome to the forum!

If I'm honest, the reason I was interested in soprano is that I'm mildly obsessed with John Coltrane's many versions of My Favourite Things. I find it an exciting and engrossing body of work. Of course, it isn't realistic to think that I could play like that, however more familiarity with playing the instrument might deepen my understanding and appreciation of what he does. All that said, it isn't the only music that I listen to! I wasn't thinking of playing with others really, just for my own enjoyment. And yes, I am a (semi-retired) adult🙂

 

[greenstripe]

I'd echo what @JulesMartin and @Jeanette have said and follow your heart. In any case, musical instruments have a habit of multiplying 😉

One thing you could do is hire a saxophone to see if it's really for you

 

[PigSquealer]

I'd echo what @JulesMartin and @Jeanette have said and follow your heart. In any case, musical instruments have a habit of multiplying 😉

One thing you could do is hire a saxophone to see if it's really for you

Yes ! Renting for 3 to 6 months is a great option too. Often the store can convert this to payments or rent to own with a payment at the tail end.

 

[skeller047]

If I'm honest, the reason I was interested in soprano is that I'm mildly obsessed with John Coltrane's many versions of My Favourite Things. I find it an exciting and engrossing body of work. Of course, it isn't realistic to think that I could play like that, however more familiarity with playing the instrument might deepen my understanding and appreciation of what he does. All that said, it isn't the only music that I listen to! I wasn't thinking of playing with others really, just for my own enjoyment. And yes, I am a (semi-retired) adult🙂

Then get a soprano by all means. I’m with the others on follow your heart.

I just want to reiterate that £300 is probably not a good budget for a soprano. Can you buy a used or even new soprano for that ? Yes, absolutely. Will it last (if new) or function properly (if used) ? Probably not. Try to find an actual human, not some dude on a forum, to help in your search. And ask any questions athat occur to you here - we’ve heard ‘em all 🙂.

Enjoy your journey!

 

[Greg Strange]

If you're keen on soprano sax a good starting point would be a first generation Yamaha YSS-475 - they first came in the late 1990s / early 2000s - I don't know the price of pre-loved / second hand instruments in the UK though...

Yamaha YSS475 soprano sax review

A workbench review of the Yamaha YSS475 soprano saxophone

www.shwoodwind.co.uk

Greg S.

 

[greenstripe]

If you're keen on soprano sax a good starting point would be a first generation Yamaha YSS-475 - they first came in the late 1990s / early 2000s - I don't know the price of pre-loved / second hand instruments in the UK though

Greg S.

Unfortunately these are pretty desirable and typically attract prices of £1500

I can see that you can rent a Yamaha YSS-475 for circa £50 per month.

 

[Greg Strange]

Unfortunately these are pretty desirable and typically attract prices of £1500

I can see that you can rent a Yamaha YSS-475 for circa £50 per month.

Really?

When they were first introduced in New Zealand the YSS-475 was a NZD4,500.00 (approx. GBP2,250) horn. I picked mine up for NZD1,500.00 (750 British squid) second hand about 10 years, very low serial number and very good nick - slight scratch by the right hand thumb rest.

Thanks for the info.

Greg S.

 

[Kevin O'Dee]

Quick coda to this thread - I now have an alto saxophone! I went for an Elkhart Deluxe for just over £200. Came with a Yamaha mouthpiece. I wanted to update here to round off this thread and will now take my beginner's questions to a more appropriate part of the forum - thank you everyone!

 

[DaveT]

Start saving up for a really nice Alto! I quickly realised the cheapies were OK to start on, but having a go on a really good sax made it obvious it was all round better and easier to play than my cheap sax.