Saxophones

Godslayer Jillian · 09-09-2008, 08:23 PM

I think this is the biggest thing I've bought out of a whim.
Well, I haven't actually bought it yet, but out of a whim I decided I'm going to buy a saxophone.
Now, I know that saxophones run on about a thousand dollars, and I don't have that amount of money. So does anyone have any tips for what to be wary looking for a cheap sax, like at pawn shops or eBay?
Also, what would be better, an alto sax, or a tenor sax? Both have their advantages and uses, but (amateurish as it might sound) let's just say I'm wondering which one would seem to fit me better, alto or tenor.

PortraitOfSanity · 09-09-2008, 08:26 PM

I played the tenor saxophone in high school. I never got really good on it, but I love the sound of a sax. One of the most human sounding instruments in my opinion, it's just such an emotional voice. I really don't like the alto or the piccolo sax, they're too high. The baritone sax is nice, but it's really heavy. Not a fan of it. I'd go with the tenor.

I'm not an expert, but some things to look for:

Pads on the keys, make sure they're made out of good material, cheap stuff will harden and not cover the holes effectively as they get old. It'll start to sound like shit.

Dents are, for the most part, ok. They usually won't effect the sound unless they're on a key. But bent keys are an instant reason to not even consider the instrument.

Key action. If it feels too stiff to you, or too loose, it won't be a good fit. Sometimes you can get used to a fit, but usually you want to find one that feels nice to you.

Mouthpiece. This is of course replaceable, but usually a softer plastic indicates a better mouthpiece. Really hard plastic will crack with age.

That's all I can think of at the moment, I'll post more as it comes to me.

Chumley · 09-12-2008, 05:21 PM

Go with a tenor. They're way more versatile. What kind of stuff are you going to want to play?

PortraitOfSanity · 09-12-2008, 05:28 PM

The tenor has the prettiest voice out of all of them too, in my opinion anyway.

Godslayer Jillian · 09-12-2008, 05:30 PM

The sax is just for my personal satisfaction and relaxation, although realistically, I might end up on a ska band.

PortraitOfSanity · 09-12-2008, 06:01 PM

Alto is most common in ska I believe, so if you're buying ONLY to play ska, I'd consider an alto.

Saya · 09-12-2008, 06:13 PM

No love for alto? I haven't played it in quite some time but I really liked the alto, had a very sweet sound to it, but sometimes I did feel like a tenor sound and sadly an alto isn't capable of the same deep brassy sound a tenor makes. I would recommend listening to lots of sound clips for both alto and tenor, and go with the sound you like best.

I'm personally wary of buying expensive things online, definately just take a look around and see what different stores are offering. I got mine on a rent to own, I'd suggest that if its at all possible, that way you can at least try it out for a while and if you end up not really liking it, you didn't waste a lot of money on it.

PortraitOfSanity · 09-12-2008, 09:46 PM

Oh yea, I forgot about renting, good suggestion Saya. A lot of places offer a rent/buy thing, where you rent the instrument, and once you've paid rental fees totaling whatever it would cost to buy it, you own it.

Haunted House · 09-13-2008, 10:53 AM

If you learn "Black Madonna" by Theatre of Hate (or was it Spear of Destiny?) I'll love you forever.

Minyaliel · 09-13-2008, 12:12 PM

There´s nothing more sexy than

1) a good- looking guitar god
2) a person with a tenor sax

... I think I´m being very biased, but I´d say go with the tenor sax.

Godslayer Jillian · 02-26-2009, 12:19 PM

Ok, resurrecting this thread. I think I've mentioned that I did buy it, but now, I need some tips and suggestions if anyone knows some good ones.
Anyone knows of a website that can introduce me to the basics of playing bossa nova on the saxophone?
Also, any reccomendations on how to improve my technique and improvisation? Pentatonic and blues scales only go so far; or is thinking that my first mistake?
Anyway, things like that, any help is welcome.

Bete Noire · 02-26-2009, 02:24 PM

Some scales:

http://drfeezell.com/freesheetmusic/...ales/index.asp

Appassionata · 04-02-2009, 07:09 PM

I personally am not very knowledgeable about saxophones, but I do prefer the sound of an alto sax over a tenor. I think it sounds much more lovelier.

Ebbhead · 04-03-2009, 09:54 AM

I've been playing the alto since I was 11, but am hopelessly out of practice these days. I can't remember how much it cost but I'm sure you can get a decent model second hand. It's all about the quality of the reed at the end of the day, a large pack of (kinda expensive) Vandorens should see you through the year if you play constantly.

Alan · 09-29-2009, 10:58 PM

So, I got invited to a band today. But I'm not sure how comfortable I feel about it. How can I make sure I'm ready to actually play in a band?

Duane · 09-29-2009, 11:30 PM

Give it a try, you can always quit if you don't feel your ready, but at least make an attempt. Who knows, you might find that you want to go career.

If you guys do a cover of Touch me by the Doors, put it on youtube, or something.

Still Jack · 09-30-2009, 12:16 AM

Like Duane says, Alan, just give it a shot. You may gel straight away and your band's gonna be the best thing since sliced bread, or it's gonna be shit, or it's gonna be mediocre, you'll have a few gigs and then call it a day. You've just got to play around a bit.