How To Buy An Alto Saxophone
Identifying and selecting a musical instrument according to performance and budget is not an easy process. It requires a lot of patience before you can select the best instrument.
Instruments that require air to blown through them in order to produce music are woodwind instruments. An alto saxophone is classified within this category as it produces musical notes when air is blown through a nozzle at the top when you press the saxophone keys on the body.
Buying a new alto saxophone requires a series of decisions before the official purchase. Buying them from a music store is much safer than buying from an online store. It is highly recommend going only to a shop with an excellent reputation with saxophonist or else you may acquire a saxophone that provides less value than desired.
On the other side, purchasing a saxophone from an online music stores is also recommended if they provide money back warranty options.
When buying an alto saxophone, you have two options too. You can buy either buy a used one or a new saxophone. Let us discuss about both the options now:
A used sax will cost around $400 to $600. As for the new ones, they can be bought for over $1,000, so the price difference is quite huge.
People who are fanatical saxophonists can spend hundreds of dollars upgrading their saxophone in Singapore. It may be challenging for a novice to purchase one from them as it is more difficult for you to invite your teacher or a local sax repair shop man to assist you during purchasing.
You are usually allowed to test it before purchasing and if you do not know how to play it, it prevents you from really identifying if it is suitable. Besides, a used saxophone might have initial engravings by the previous owner. And this prevents it from you personalizing it for your own preferences. Look out for wear and tear on these saxophones, if there is rust in the saxophone, do not purchase it.
A new sax comes with new functionalities, improved aesthetics, year long store warranty and support. It can be used comfortably for more than two years, and by that time, you will be able to find a new version, with improved functionalities. Normally, they range more than $1,000. As the piracy rate increases, make sure that you buy a sax from an authorized shop.
A lot of new Saxes have gold tone rods and keys. Or request for an official certification from the saxophone company. Alternatively, If you are learning from a saxophone teacher, make him accompany you during the purchase. Also make sure that the models and manufacturer are established brands in the market.
Selmer Bundy and Yamaha YAS-21 – YAS-23 are some of the best Saxophone brands available that are good for learning. Some other Alto Saxophones good for novices are Keilwerth, Mauriat, Yanagisawa, Cannonball, Baptist Hollywood Winds and LA Sax.