This saxophone is one of the most popular saxophones available on Musician’s Friend .  And it’s popular for a reason. First of all, it’s extremely reasonably priced. At around $500, you get everything you need to play. It comes with a case and strap and mouthpiece and all you other accessories you need to get going.

Having all the accessories and case come right with the instrument makes it a fantastic gift idea.  If you’re looking to surprise that saxophone player who is looking to switch from alto to tenor saxophone. It’s also great because you don’t have to track down any extra junk just to get a functional instrument. A lot of times if you buy a used instrument, the mouthpiece or neck might need to be replaced, which can be expensive.

From the reviews I read of the saxophone, it has a quality sound, especially for the price. Most tenor saxophone’s retail for well over $1000, and don’t even get me started from buying from local music shop. Local shops tend to charge way too much for way too little. Save your hard earned cash and buy a great instrument at a great price.

You’re looking for a tenor sax, check out the Kohlert 460. You won’t be disappointed.

A saxophone that fits both of these qualities is the Yamaha standard also saxophone model YAS-23. The saxophone is the absolute definition of a standard alto saxophone. There is not really any other saxophone a guy could think of that would really be a good all-purpose alto saxophone, and someone they know and say, this is going to last, you probably as long as you play, unless you become a collegiate or professional musician.

If you want to start someone all right, start them out with the Yamaha standard alto saxophone. For beginner to intermediate player, it’s a fantastic saxophone that will last them almost forever.

Are you a new player are you looking to buy for a new player? New saxophones are among the hardest to buy, because there are so many low-quality manufacturers of “beginner” level saxophones that it is hard to know what is quality and what is junk.

The biggest trick to knowing what to buy in a saxophone, that is a beginner’s saxophone is to understand who you’re buying from. For example, you could buy from an exceptional online musical instrument retailer such as Musician’s Friend and they actually will stand behind the product that you buy. I’ve bought from them many times myself and every time I’ve had a problem they have been absolutely fantastic about resolving it.

Another interesting place to buy saxophones from his eBay. I’ve had mixed luck buying musical equipment from eBay. I found some places that have excellent equipment at very reasonable prices, but I’ve also seen some fairly blatant frauds on popular pieces of musical equipment. Just like anything else, it is buyer beware on eBay.

However, at the same time, eBay can be a fantastic place to find a great deal on a saxophone, especially if you’re looking for vintage saxophone. Vintage saxophones can be a dime a dozen, but luckily they can also cost about a dime on eBay. You are to get the kind of deals at your local music shop as you would on eBay.

The other place you can look for saxophones for sale is craigslist. At that site, you can find classified listings for just about anything and they are local.  So you can find a saxophone that you are looking for locally. Often times people put something on craigslist for cheaper than they were even on eBay, so you might get a great deal. The downside is that the selection in your local area might not be that great and the search function on the site is atrocious.

So there you have it, just a handful of places you can find saxophones for sale on the Internet and even in your hometown. Good luck, and if you want, you can even click on the ads below to find a great saxophone auction.

Of course, before you do any buying of the vintage saxophone.  You have to know what you’re getting into.  For example, many vintage saxophones will likely not be in perfect playing conditions.  With us you are going to need to take it to a repair shop and spend possibly hundreds of dollars repairing pads or any other potential problems.  Then again, you might be able to fix the instrument yourself.  If you are so inclined.  That in itself can be quite a hobby.

The other fantastic part about searching for vintage saxophones is that you can find real pieces of history in a vintage saxophone.  For example, plying a vintage jazz saxophone can make you really feel the music in ways that maybe a modern instrument wouldn’t let you.  Also, the vintage instrument is likely to have a unique talent and quality all its own, that a new instrument might not have.  It’s like the old saying, “they don’t make them like they used to”.

Probably the most popular vintage saxophone in the tenor saxophone world, is the Selmer Mark VI.  It eBays for thousands of dollars, regularly and is the most sought after tenor saxophone that I’ve ever seen. It’s frankly ridiculous how much people are willing to pay for a top-notch instrument.  That being said, you can’t find a better instrument in the tenor saxophone than the Selmer Mark VI.

If you’re curious about vintage saxophones, go ahead and start surfing eBay now or click on the listings below.  Be warned: once you start searching for vintage saxophones, you might not be able to stop.  Good luck and have fun!

One fantastic resource I’ve found is Sheet Music Plus. While you can buy fantastic saxophones at Musician’s Friend, they don’t have a great selection of saxophone sheet music. That is unfortounate, but lukily they aren’t the only site on the internet for sax addicts.

Sheet Music Plus is an outstanding site with a plethora of sheet music available for every instrument I can think of. They have over 11,000 different books and collections of saxophone sheet music available. Everything from jazz standards and classical solos to modern pop music can be found. They have a truly outstanding collection. They also have music for saxophone quartets as well.

What is great about Sheet Music Plus is that not only do they have a wide selection of music, but they also have reasonable prices. I’ve seen some stores, like say your local music shop, that charge an arm and a leg for sheet music. Sheet Music Plus is not out to rip you off with sky high prices just because saxophone music can be somewhat hard to come by.

If you are looking for alto sax sheet music, you got to check out Sheet Music Plus. They’re the best.

Yamaha

There are three main tiers of alto saxophones that Yamaha makes. They have a high-end beginner model that could also be considered maybe even a intermediate quality instrument. That is the Yamaha YAS-23. Then, they have a series of intermediate alto saxophones in the YAS-475 series of saxophones.

Last, they have a wide selection of brilliantly designed professional saxophones. Also, Yamaha does custom versions of some of their professional models that are absolutely gorgeous in both design and tone. Nothing beats a custom instrument.

If you are looking for a name you can trust in an alto saxophone, Yamaha is that name for sure. If you need a dependable alto sax, a Yamaha will treat you right.

Well, the reason behind the classification for the saxophone being a woodwind has less to do with what it is made out of and more to do with how it produces sound. There are four main classifications for musical insturments: percussion, strings, brass, and woodwind. Pretty much all instruments fall into one of those categories.

Percussion insturments make sound through striking an object, usually some kind of thin canvas material such a as a drum to create sound. Brass insturments use a buzzing of your lips amplified through a series of brass tubes and valves to create sound. Strings use the vibration of strings to create sound and woodwinds use the vibration of a wooden reed to create sound.

The name woodwind is a compound word of wood and wind. Wood refers to the fact that reeds are made of wood and wind refers to the fact that you blow on the reed to create vibration and sound. Woodwind insturments can actually be made of many different materials. Clarinets are often made of plastic, resin, or woods, but some older models were actually made of metal. Flutes at one time were actually made of wood, but now are usually metal of some kind. Saxophones are usually made of brass, but some instruments are made of more exotic metals.

Now you know how a saxophone can be called a woodwind even though it is made of brass. Mystery solved.

Here’s another fascinating fact about saxophones: alto saxophones are the most popular kind of sax, but there are at least five different types of saxophone.

The YAS-82Z Professional Alto Saxophone features a 2-piece hydro-formed bell. The body, bell, and bow are annealed during production to make this horn more responsive and freer blowing. New features on the 82Z allow for faster action and easier repair.The blue steel springs help create faster, more sensitive key response and higher resiliency.

The horn is available in silver, black, and unlacquered finishes. I think the sliver is absolutely stunning, but the black is also fantastic.

These horns tend to retail around $3,000. For a truly professional quality insturment, that’s about par for the course. You can’t expect to get this kind of quality without paying for it.

Click here for more information on the Yamaha YAS-82Z.

While a lot of people end up renting instruments, I think it makes a lot more sense to buy a good quality beginner instrument instead. Kohlert makes a fantastic beginner alto saxophone. It is the Kohlert 450.  It retails for around $430-450, depending on what sale you find. At Musician’s Friend, this is one of most popular alto saxophones.

What’s great about this instrument is that you can buy it and it’s ready to go. it comes with a case, literature, cap, the mouthpiece, and neck strap.  All you need to get is the set of reeds, and you’re good to go. If you’re wanting a fantastic starter instrument, this is a great way to go.

Click here for more information on the Kohlert 450 Alto Saxophone.

Of course, you don’t have to spend years and it doesn’t take a lot of money to learn to play the saxophone. There are some truly fantastic videos and books out there than can really make the process go a lot smoother. Below are a few excellent resources to get you started.

Hal Leonard Play Alto Sax Today! (DVD)

This DVD is designed be used as a supplement to the Play Alto Sax Today! Level 1 book, or all by itself as an introduction to the saxophone. You can follow along with the songs in the booklet at the same time as you watch the teacher on the DVD.

This DVD will teach you the basics including assembly, maintenance, producing sound, music reading, and playing songs with a backup band.

For $14.95, it’s a great way to get started with the saxophone.

Alfred The Art of Saxophone Playing

Written by Larry Teal, this book is considered the definitive “Saxophonist’s Bible” . It covers every single aspect of saxophone playing and explains it in a way that nearly any player at any level can easily understand.

Berklee Press Accellerate Your Saxophone Playing (DVD)

If you want to take your saxophone playing to another level, this might just be the DVD for you. This DVD offers easy-to-understand exercises and demonstrations that can be applied to all levels and styles.

It includes exercises on: breathing/blowing, tone/pitch, technique, melody/phrasing, fingering, ear training. It also includes a fantastic 48 page companion booklet to make learning even easier.