Top 12 Best Saxophones for Beginners & Professionals in 2023

There are several types of saxophone, fourteen to be precise, but of these, six are still in use. If you are thinking of giving the best saxophone to a relative or friend who has confessed his desire to learn how to play it, you should take into account its physical characteristics since the weight and size of the instrument could be an obstacle for the player.

Have you always dreamed of starting to play the saxophone, and now do you think the right time has come? What you will read from here on is the result of our scrupulous research and insights on this tool. We hope that the information collected will help you choose a nice saxophone.

I bet you started taking a look at the best Saxophone that can be purchased online, but the Saxophone models that are presented to you are many. All with different characteristics, prices and opinions.

Well. we have selected the best saxophones for you.

Everything You Need to Know About Saxophone

Now that you have discovered the twelve best Saxophones that can be purchased online, you are surely wondering what are the fundamental aspects to consider in order to make the best possible choice.

The only way to get to know an instrument that is true for us is to know its characteristics and, if possible, is the best thing, try it or have it tested by those who can give us a real judgment. We hope this guide will be helpful for anyone facing this choice.

The most important rules at the beginning are:

• Never buy an instrument before you know what you really want.
• Desist or inquire well if a seller pushes you to purchase a sax, there may be a rip off.
• Always compare the prices of different stores.

Always go to the store with another competent person and have him try it too, who maybe can help us judge objectively what we are buying. If we are choosing the first tool, in this case, it should be the teacher if we have it.
Needless to say, the more informed you are about the tools, the less likely you are to be cheated by sellers.

New, Used or “vintage”?

If you decide to buy a new instrument, you can be sure that you are the first to play it and that it is made with cutting-edge methods and techniques. Also a very important thing: it is under warranty. A used instrument may not fully satisfy the requirements listed above both technically and the guarantee that not always a private individual from. Furthermore, there is always the risk that an inexperienced buyer risks not evaluating the object in question.

The “vintage” second hand can be an excellent choice for a fan since there are excellent instruments that have become more or less rightly an object of worship by musicians. These instruments are no longer being built today, but sometimes they are better than those currently in circulation. Spare parts are not available, as the instrument has not been produced for some time.

Our advice for a beginner is to buy a new saxophone. One hundred fifty years of progress on an instrument are not few. Vintage can be a good choice but for a little more expert players.

General Condition

First, if you open the case where the instrument is stored, and a nauseating smell comes out from the inside, and there are small green points on the instrument, probably the saxophone has not been played for a long time. For this reason, it is good to take an intoner with you when buying. Even better to try the same sax with multiple guitars as they can affect a lot.

Body of Saxophone

Obvious, better if intact. However, if the saxophone is loose nothing wrong (someone would say, “indeed!”) since it does not affect the quality of the instrument. Note instead are any dents. If there are up to a diameter of 0.5, they are not “dangerous” and can be removed if desired. But you can treat and possibly pull the price a little further down. If, on the other hand, the dents are deep then you have to be very careful because this could have affected the mechanics (the pads don’t close properly, the bars don’t turn well etc.). If the dents had already been removed, changes in the lacquer in such places are often seen.

Note if the individual parts of the mechanics are soldered to the saxophone. Through very strong pressure or a blow, they may have come off and may have already been refixed. The older an instrument is, the more likely it has already happened, so you have to check traces well if there are large remains of tin on the welds. This, however, is certainly a sign that whoever repaired it was not very good.

Another point that can reduce the purchase price. Also always check that the nacre of the keys is intact. It is only an aesthetic fact, but when you buy something you want good.

Finishing of Saxophone

How much these finishes really affect the sound of the instrument has long been an open diatribe among musicians. Surely there are those who perceive the difference more or less but can still greatly influence the value of a vintage. Up to 40% of the lacquering is often required for a gold-plated instrument in perfect condition. However, if you want you can also re-release them even if they will not have the value of a beautiful original lacquer. This process could also adversely affect the sound.

Another danger is that it is sold as gold and instead is actually only lacquered. There are possibly some clues to find out though:

Gold: the most popular. The gold finish with a bright yellow can hardly be imitated by a lacquer. Mostly the tool below is silver. If so, maybe you can see the silver layer due to scratches or taps. Furthermore, the gold lacquering on vintage saxophone was available only on some instruments.

Silver: shines in silver, but if it has hit somewhere you can see black in some places and particularly on the shaft where there is the mechanics (where the blows would be better to avoid them because this point influences the sound very much). If it hasn’t hit anywhere and shines a lot, it’s probably nickel-plated. The useful thing is to look at the “minor damage” to the finish.

Original lacquering: despite everything, it is very difficult to say whether the lacquering is still original or finished. Often merchants even touch up the engravings to be able to sell it as original.

If the tool is very old but shows no signs of wear anywhere, it has certainly been re-released. At least in places where the instrument is in contact with the skin such as the spokesperson, the key of the C bass and other places that also change from how one sounds, the lacquer wears down leaving obvious signs. The engraving of the serial number, very important, must, however, be recognized.

The Mechanics and Neck

The rods must be all straight, the screws well fixed. The padding must be soft, intact and the internal resonators must all be the same, preferably in metal and leather pads.

If it is damaged, it is very easy to hear while playing. Of course, it usually reflects the quality of the instrument. If it is lacquered in another way or differs in some way from the body, it is probably not the original shiver. This argument mostly applies only to lacquered quivers as they also exist in solid silver and different from the original body (it happens to be found especially in King saxophone). Cork can also be changed; it has a negligible cost.

Production Materials of Saxophone

Many manufacturers offer different solutions. However, what matters is the material with which the instrument is built. There are, at least on the market, saxophone completely built in gold, silver etc. but they are always compositions of these materials. Obviously, the material that is most present will affect the sound (and also the price!). Here we try to give a simple idea of this:

Body materials

• Brass: This is probably the material most used by saxophone manufacturers
• Silver: very clear and shining sound that can be recognized by the silver bells.
• Copper: very warm and soft sound.
• Bronze: warm sound, a sound halfway between brass and copper
• Plastic: an example is the old Grafton, played among others by Charlie Parker. “Dry” sound.

Finishes

• Gold: makes the sound round.
• Silver: very clear and shining sound
• Nickel: makes the sound a little clearer, but less loud than like silver
• Lacquered (black or other): the sound becomes a little darker

Security Measures to Buy

Unfortunately, especially if you buy new or used instruments, there is always the risk of being ripped off so you can never be cautious enough. Often these deals are carried out through specialized trade but between markets and private advertisements and therefore it deals with people we probably don’t know. To try not to get screwed, you can try to follow some small rules and asking:

• The global state of the instrument
• The state of the lacquering
• If it was recently lacquered
• Check the serial number and trace the year of manufacture
• Model
• The mouthpiece is present or not and its state
• How long has it been?
• If possible, who has had it before
• If it was played and why it is being sold
• If it has been damaged and repaired

An honest seller will answer these questions without problems. If he does not respond or will do so by speaking, well, be careful.

The Advice of Modern Big Band

Considering that the purchase of a saxophone is always an important moment, the following tips could be useful:

If the budget is very limited (4-500 $) the ideal solution is to turn to the second-hand market, looking for studio models from well-known and considered reliable houses so that you can still sell the instrument without losing too much in case of “upgrade “. Be wary of tools of dubious origin offered at ridiculous prices (but also of tools offered at high prices because passed off as higher level tools – e.g. “this tool costs $ 1200 in the price list but I sell it for a promotion at $ 299!”).

If the budget is a little higher (around $ 1000), the studio model can be purchased again (there is also something left for a good mouthpiece); otherwise, you can opt for a used semi-professional.

If the budget reaches and/or exceeds $ 1,500 personally I would keep the “new” aside and go looking for a used professional: it certainly won’t be as shiny as someone likes it, but surely in your hands, you will have a saxophone much higher than to a semi-professional or even more to a studio model.

A further tip that can be useful is to always prefer the substance to the appearance: saxophones are purchased for a part with the brain (the instrument must play well, must not have defects and/or mechanical problems, etc.) and on one side with the heart (it must please, arouse emotions, etc.) while many buy with their eyes. It is undeniable that the eye also wants its part, but in general, it is always better to use a professional tool than a hyper-shiny or satin/loose lower model as it is so fashionable today.