Introduction Ancient newbie!

[Andrew Walker]

Hi all. I have found this forum after many years toying with the idea of learning the saxophone having proved pretty talentless at piano and moderate at best on the drums! I finally had my first lesson on a borrowed sax and now need my own! We are all familiar with the pop and rock sax solos from Hazel O’Connor, Gerry Rafferty and the Big Man - Clarence Clemons. In my sad little imagination I am sure I will replicate all those within three months! Although my musical tastes are varied, rock is probably my favourite so I am assuming a tenor sax is right and I am looking at a Yamaha or Jupiter so far. I can make a lousy sound on the best sax out there but want to spend enough to give me half a chance on a relatively low value secondhand sax somewhere between £400-1000. I don’t have the knowledge to know if a sax is good or bad or in need of a service or the bin! Any recomendations please? Thank you.

 

[Jeanette]

Welcome to the cafe.

Have you searched the yardsale for a sax?

Jx

 

[Andrew Walker]

I have had a quick look but makes and models still need a lot of research as I’m not familiar with what’s considered a ‘good brand’ so thought I would throw it out in the hope the collective knowledge here will save hours of googling!

 

[skeller047]

Welcome! You will find lots of information here, and some of it will be good!

Your price range is on the low side. My recommendation would be to rent a Yamaha tenor for a year, while you learn your craft and find out about what instruments are good. I doubt if you will find anything (that doesn’t need work) at the low end of your price range. Yamaha is a good instrument. Be sure to budget for a mouthpiece too, as the beginner “student” mouthpieces, such as the Yamaha 4C, will not get you very far into rock ‘n roll territory.

 

[Pete Thomas]

Welcome Andrew, you’ve come to the best place to get you going on the saxophone.

 

[GCinCT]

Welcome to the Cafe and the saxophone, Andrew. Plenty of knowledge and good fun available here.

 

[cappers]

Hello and welcome Andrew.

This forum and the Taming The Saxophone site are superb resources for saxophonists at any level.

As another 'ancient' newbie (in East Sussex too) congratulations on fulfilling your dream. I started a year ago and have never enjoyed myself so much. No prior musical experience, just a long felt desire to play the sax. I even joined an amateur band after about six months!

Good luck and have fun.

 

[Ghr9204]

Welcome to the forum! And congrats on the pristene and serviced Yamaha YTS-25 buy from @eb424 ! Please let us know your impressions on the tenor once it is in your hands, @Andrew Walker !

 

[eb424]

Hi Andrew, um bit weird..met you before I said hi here. Hope she brings you years of happiness...nice meeting you..

 

[cappers]

@Andrew Walker
I think you'll love the YTS-25. I have the same and it is easy to play and sounds good, even in my hands. It is essentially the earlier YTS-23* but with the later style octave mechanism and a high F# key.

*There are many very positive reviews of this landmark 'student' horn. Robust, easy to adjust and techs like them, and in the right hands/mouth sound great. Enjoy!
Yamaha YTS23 tenor sax review

 

[Tenor Viol]

Hi, welcome

 

[Andrew Walker]

Hello and welcome Andrew.

This forum and the Taming The Saxophone site are superb resources for saxophonists at any level.

As another 'ancient' newbie (in East Sussex too) congratulations on fulfilling your dream. I started a year ago and have never enjoyed myself so much. No prior musical experience, just a long felt desire to play the sax. I even joined an amateur band after about six months!

Good luck and have fun.

Good for you! I am not sure I will get that far but I’ve been listening to rock/pop with an ear to the sax since I was a kid listening to Bobby Keys with the Rolling Stones. It’s only taken another 50 plus years to start!

 

[Andrew Walker]

Welcome to the forum! And congrats on the pristene and serviced Yamaha YTS-25 buy from @eb424 ! Please let us know your impressions on the tenor once it is in your hands, @Andrew Walker !

Thank you. As for opinion of the sax, poor Eddie found my impersonation of a strangled duck a little unnerving but that’s more me than the sax!

 

[GCinCT]

Thank you. As for opinion of the sax, poor Eddie found my impersonation of a strangled duck a little unnerving but that’s more me than the sax!

We all sound like that at the beginning. Stick with it and enjoy the journey, and you'll steadily improve.

 

[Andrew Walker]

Dopey question time (first of many!), do you store the mouthpiece with the reed in or take it out each time please?

 

[GCinCT]

You may get different answers, but I always take the reed off and rinse it and the mouthpiece in cold water. I store my reed in a reed guard, and put both it and the mouthpiece in my case.

 

[cappers]

Dopey question time (first of many!), do you store the mouthpiece with the reed in or take it out each time please?

Leaving a wet reed on the mpc can lead to the reed warping.

I suggest you remove and gently wipe excess moisture off the reed and store it in a reed case or at least flat.

Swab and dry the mpc - you can rinse it in cold water if you like. Remove and swab the neck, and the sax body too.

If they didn't come with the sax there are swabs and pull throughs and other cleaning aids available.

PS Not a dopey Q, there are many little things to learn before you even blow the thing! Ask away.

 

[GCinCT]

Leaving a wet reed on the mpc can lead to the reed warping.

I suggest you remove and gently wipe excess moisture off the reed and store it in a reed case or at least flat.

Swab and dry the mpc - you can rinse it in cold water if you like. Remove and swab the neck, and the sax body too.

If they didn't come with the sax there are swabs and pull troughs and other cleaning aids available.

Look at you, helping out newbies. You are really coming along!

 

[cappers]

Thank you. As for opinion of the sax, poor Eddie found my impersonation of a strangled duck a little unnerving but that’s more me than the sax!

I went through phases; initially a duck in extremis, then more like a goose, then progressed to a cow in labour. Lots of squeaky mice too

You'll get there, it's so much fun.

 

[Andrew Walker]

Ha ha! I have the full farm yard going but silent night is slowly coming along!