r/Learnmusic • u/LetterheadCheap3011 • 1d ago
I want a soprano sax
I played the alto and baritone sax for a couple years and I wanted a soprano to learn as well. what would be the best option for me to buy considering my budget which is around 300$. I know it’s not enough money to buy a good one but what would be the best budget option. Also I want a non curved soprano.
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u/One_Finding5213 1d ago
I very often see this online: I want an instrument, have a limited budget and want to buy it right now!
My advice: DON'T!!
You have two instruments. Practice them. Save while doing so. I don't know what a good student soprano sax costs, but I would at least save that sum, better a little more! Even if it takes two years or more. In the meantime, practice your instruments, learn challenging techniques and pieces, watch every video you can about soprano saxophones (technique, practice sessions, scales, how to pick an instrument, different instruments compared etc.).
Better to have waited a little (or longer time) for an instrument that you will grow with an enjoy for years than to buy one, be disappointed, put it aside or be angry at yourself for not having saved a little and bought an instrument you can truly enjoy!
Really, you have two instruments, that is more than many people can say - enjoy them, challenge yourself and start saving!
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u/TapTheForwardAssist 1d ago
Are you looking to buy new, or open to used?
Are you open to buying online, or prefer to buy in person?
What part of the planet are you in?
These would’ve been good details to include from the get-go.
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u/LetterheadCheap3011 1d ago
i’m looking for new online and i’m in the US
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u/TapTheForwardAssist 1d ago
You’re not going to find a new $300 soprano sax that wouldn’t be a total waste of money. Just going to Amazon and buying whether happens to be $280 is unlikely to turn out well for you.
You can maybe find something within that range used if you hunt around carefully, but depending on condition it might need routine maintenance done on pads, keys, etc, so you’d need to factor that in too.
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u/TapTheForwardAssist 1d ago
Btw if you want an interesting alternative to a conventional sax, and good quality but way less expensive due to being a simpler instrument, check out the Xaphoon keyless pocket saxophone, or the Yamaha Venova.
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u/tthyme31 1d ago edited 1d ago
I’m a professional saxophonist and teacher.
If you buy a $300 new saxophone, this is what will happen.
If you’re lucky and it arrives in playable condition, you’re going to get a month or two of use out of it and then, through just normal playing and wear and tear, you will experience:
The cheap brass of the keywork will bend causing the keys to not move cleanly or seize up.
The cheap adhesive holding the felts on will deteriorate causing the instrument’s mechanisms to be loud and “clicky and clacky”.
The cheap adhesive holding the pads into the key cups will deteriorate causing pads to fall out making the instrument unplayable.
It will come with a cheaply made mouthpiece that will be impossible for even a professional to play in tune.
It will come with cheap reeds that will not play even in the hands of a professional.
It will come with white gloves, not a bad thing on its own, but the signature of poorly made instruments from Asia.
Then you’re going to take it to a repair shop, and they’re going to say,
“This needs 7 pads replaced, we charge $40 per pad, almost all of the felts need to be replaced $50, it needs to be fully disassembled and lubricated which will be $400, there’s a part that needs replacing but this manufacturer is impossible to get parts from.
You have three options, we can try to get the part from them but it may take up to 6 months to get and we’ll charge you $200, $50 for the part, and $50 for the labor, and $100 for storing the instrument for 6 months. Option 2 is that we can ‘Frankenstein’ a part in from another saxophone, but it will never feel right and will require lots of custom fitting for $200 and it’ll be done in two weeks. Option 3 is we create a completely custom part from scratch, it will feel good and will fit the saxophone properly and we can do that for $400.
So you’re looking at anywhere from $930 to $1,130 worth of work. But we recommend saving money for this used Yamaha soprano for $1400 we have on the wall.”
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u/Hahaaaaaa-CharadeUR 1d ago
You will need more money than $300. $1500 minimum for a used Yamaha