Beginner Sax GAS Prioritising

[dave 645]

I have an Elkhart alto, bought as an ex rental at a cost of around £500.

I have GAS, regardless of hobby, I have GAS, (as an example I spent a few years as a juggler, I amassed over 250 juggling balls and close to 100 juggling clubs - often just because they were different colours!!!!)

I am going to buy a new sax. My dilemma is whether to go for an upgraded alto, or for a beginners tenor. I am looking/expecting to spend around £1000, and I want a NEW sax. I can't decide whether to go for something different or something "better". Advice and anecdotes please...

 

[Mamos]

You should be able to get a pretty good alto or tenor for £1000

mamos

 

[AndyG]

I have an Elkhart alto, bought as an ex rental at a cost of around £500.

I have GAS, regardless of hobby, I have GAS, (as an example I spent a few years as a juggler, I amassed over 250 juggling balls and close to 100 juggling clubs - often just because they were different colours!!!!)

I am going to buy a new sax. My dilemma is whether to go for an upgraded alto, or for a beginners tenor. I am looking/expecting to spend around £1000, and I want a NEW sax. I can't decide whether to go for something different or something "better". Advice and anecdotes please...

Hi,
I was in a similar situation recently and I suppose it really depends on whether you want to focus on alto, tenor or both. My alto was good but I wanted a tenor and decided I couldn't justify having both, so took it back to the local shop I had bought it from used and got most of my money back (pleased as I had used it for over a year and it needed a service) against a new TJ tenor which they were already selling for about £150 cheaper than many other dealers. Im really pleased with my decision.
With a budget of £1000 you could easily keep the alto and get a good tenor if you wanted to keep both!
Good luck with whatever you choose.

 

[kevgermany]

Try a tenor - much better than an alto..... But I bet the alto guys here won't say so. And I agree with AndyG, on that budget you can do really well and get both - or how about a nice BW tenor with one of Pete's super mouthpieces.....

 

[TomMapfumo]

Useful point about GAS and the sax world - are you a tenor or an alto player (or even Soprano)? As Kev shows you may well be either one or the other -I am an alto man (I have a soprano and tenor, and play Alto, then Soprano, then Tenor - there's only so much time but I do focus on different instruments one at a time). I advise you to play what most grabs you, so that your GAS has a focus....;}

A Bauhaus Walstein Tenor OR Alto would be a useful purchase at under £1000 if you insist on NEW - should be no more than £600 for either. Also, buy a really decent mouthpiece - depends on the music you like as to what to go for - so do some research as there are lots out there. An excellent one may cost you more than £200, and hand made ones can be quite brilliant (Aizen, Morgan Fry, Ponzol, PPT, Pillinger, PhilTone, and others if you are serious about spending some cash!).

But the main thing for me would be to channel your resources so you only buy stuff you really want to have and play.........;}

Kind regards
Tom😎