Saxophones Buying new sax

[BUMNOTE]

just wondered when players buy new sax are they governed buy budget,do you buy the best you can afford,or does your ability decide on how much you want to spend.thanks Dave.

 

[Nick Wyver]

Best I can afford.

Well, it's fair to say I can't always actually afford it.

 

[Dave1966]

Working on same issue...Currently playing a Tenor Yamaha YTS 475 Intermediate. Good horn. Just renting till I find one I like. Problem is I have expensive tastes...

I plan on spending around 3 grand if I can...used. However, spend what you can. Used instruments typically hold their value unless its a chep brand name.

 

[jeremyjuicewah]

Just done it with alto and tenor. Would say just try them all and buy what you like. I thought I would not buy another sax after this time, but I think that what I have is best for me now, but I really think that in another couple of years I will be looking for something else. Of course I am assuming that as I get older I will get better, its poss I will just go ga ga though in which case a kazoo will do.

 

[dave 645]

I had a budget in mind and then went and played a few. My ability is/was limited so I bought what felt right rather than what sounded right. I have grown to love the sax I bought, and now realise I bought beyond my ability, but have grown into it. When GAS attacked and I had to get a tenor, I knew the sax I wanted, mid price, reliable name, and I went and bought it.

The real dilemma for me was am I going to use this as much as it costs, and get value for money? Once I knew that I would put a lot of time into playing, I didn't mind the expense.

 

[MandyH]

Likewise, I has a budget, then tried all the saxes I could in that budget. I bought the one that was easiest for me to play at that time. I took along a couple of pieces that I knew I could play reasonably well, and my own mouthpiece, then just played all the pieces on all the saxes.
Also I could play the whole range that I knew at the time - low B to high F - easily on the one I opted for. I had a mental idea that one of the others would actually be "better", and whilst it had an even fuller sound, I just could not hit all the notes.
The sax sold itself to me really.

 

[kevgermany]

On Mandy's last comment, if you prefer the sound of a particular model, but can't get all the notes, try another example. Can be setup problems causing this.

 

[milandro]

it depends on many factors. I've just bought a sopranino and in that case I have bought it through a friend on Taiwan for an amount that I had set aside for that. At the same time I am looking for a Buffet S1 tenor (because someone gave me one to play while my main horn is being repadded by him ) I have advertised that want one and I am waiting to have an offer by someone who wants to sell one that I like at a price that I want to pay. I don't " need " it I just want it , so I can afford waiting until someone wants my limited funds for it. I think that I already have more than my ability and needs justify so the rest is just surplus that I want to have for the fun of it.

 

[fredbart]

I have bought a new bari (actually used but mint condition) and a new soprano in the past year as well as had a complete overhaul and relaquer of my alto and tenor both. I don't think this would fly if I didn't earn money from playing music in addition to my day job as I am married. The way I make it work in a marriage situation is that my gigging pays for all my music related purchases and I make sure that some gig money also goes for other things besides. That leaves my "real job" paycheck out of the equation......works for me...I just have to wait sometimes longer than I want to to make a purchase.

 

[Aubrianna Merry]

Find a sax that you really love, not a certain model, but one that you feel very comfortable playing on. I've been useing a Yamaha YAS-21 for about 7 years. I'd love to have a proffessional grade horn, but I can't bring myself to not play the one that I'm using, if that makes sense...

 

[jonf]

Find a sax that you really love, not a certain model, but one that you feel very comfortable playing on. I've been useing a Yamaha YAS-21 for about 7 years. I'd love to have a proffessional grade horn, but I can't bring myself to not play the one that I'm using, if that makes sense...

Makes perfect sense, actually. It's your horn. And anyway, Yamaha YAS-21s are superb saxes, very well built and great to play. There's not all that much difference between your sax and the supposedly 'professional' YAS62.

 

[Andante cantabile]

When I started out, I bought the best I could afford and that the local shop had in stock. It was Yamaha YTS-82z which I still have, and which seems to get better as I make progress. Later I also bought (unseen) a Barone Vintage Tenor which I liked instantly. Both of them were new. I now think that the Yamaha is probably a better instrument, but the Barone is easier to play. It does not seem to have any vices.

Now that I am older and wiser and had to start again, I would do things differently. I probably would start with searching for a good second-hand instrument available through a reputable dealer. And I would only go for top-of-range instruments, except that my pride would never permit me to get a Mark VI for the simple reason that I would always have in the back of my mind that I paid too much for the pleasure.

 

[Jack]

you can pay big money for a horn or get a Bauhaus Walstein or a sax from Paulo Tung at http://justsaxes.com. They both come from the same factory and I know that Pete plays some of the Bauhaus Walstein's because he says so.

I got some from Paulo and have never had or seen better value for money spent.

That way you can have a new horn instead of a used one.

 

[jonf]

you can pay big money for a horn or get a Bauhaus Walstein or a sax from Paulo Tung at http://justsaxes.com. They both come from the same factory and I know that Pete plays some of the Bauhaus Walstein's because he says so.

I got some from Paulo and have never had or seen better value for money spent.

That way you can have a new horn instead of a used one.

Interesting, and looks like good value for US buyers (assuming he gets some stock). Unfortunately not a viable option for UK buyers as shipping costs would be pretty high, and VAT at 20% would be added to the total of the purchase and shipping. Then there would probaly be import duty to be added, and the final insult, the 'handling fee' which the shipper charges for passing on the tax to the tax authorities.

 

[AlanU]

Having imported a few 'project' Saxophones I have to agree with Jonf, and add that there is also the charge from (usually) Parcel Force to be paid.

 

[Jack]

I was unaware of so many complications and expenses for you Brits. Perhaps a Bauhaus Walstein might be the ticket. It comes from the same factory.