 The Fingering Forum
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Author: mr grimm
Date: 2002-11-08 15:24
Im buying my son a new sax and I have no idea what to get him. I need some suggestions as far as makes and models.Please help me !
Thanks,
Grimm
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Author: Gnomon
Date: 2002-11-08 23:21
Get him an Alto Saxophone. It is the easiest to play and is not too big. I can't really say which models are good. I'm sure anything should be ok to start with.
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Author: Carolyn
Date: 2002-11-09 16:48
I agree with Gnomon on starting with an alto (not sure if when you said 'new sax' you meant he was just starting, or if you were buying him a replacement instrument). Depending on where in the country you live, you might be able to visit different music stores that would be able to help you. Some of the best stores in my area are The Sax Shop in Evanston IL and Woodwind & Brasswind in South Bend, Indiana (They're the largest music center in the world). They have very good prices. I just bought a Jupiter Artist Tenor from them yesterday, and it cost me almost 900 dollars less than it would have if i had bought it directly from Jupiter. Also, another big plus about WWBW is that they'll let you try any of the instruments they have in the store (I tried about 5 different brands in my price range before deciding on the Jupiter). But if your son is just starting band, I really suggest a Vito. It's a student model that can be gotten for fairly cheap, and it'll last him (I started on alto sax and used a vito from 5th-9th grade, before switching to tenor, and i still use my vito for playing classical music in church.) Another nice thing about going with vito is that if your son is in band for a few years and then decides it doesn't interest him, you haven't payed a HUGE amount of money on something he isn't going to use again. But if you are indeed buying a replacement instrument for him, it's really personal preference. I personally don't like Yamaha or Yanagisawa, I find that they're not very expressive when you play them. Selmer in my opinion is by far the best, but those are very expensive, and aren't affordable for everyone (me included). Like I said, it's pretty much personal preference, although I highly suggest you give Jupiter a try. It was the cheapest instrument i tried the other day, and it was by far the best sounding. I hope i've been of SOME help
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Author: oboeguy
Date: 2002-11-11 17:39
the whole myth about starting on alto is kind of fuzzy. It doesn't really matter which size of saxophone to start on. The 3 ranges (alto, tenor, bari) that are most common in concert bands are all easily playable no matter who plays them. (albeit someone with a large structure might have more ease). Way back when I first entered band I played the tenor, and it didn't take me any longer to succeed than the alto saxophone players. I also found it easier to switch between the other saxophones later on. However, it all a matter of choice. In my opinion, Yamaha really does make the best beginner/student instruments. They don't compensate sound for easy playing/response. If your son is looking to upgrade, Selmer, Buffet,Keilwerth and possibly Conn, are good brands to look at. They have a more sturdy construction.
Good Luck
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