My students and I will head to the annual SCISA Music Festival tomorrow, and I’ve been trying lately to book more gigs playing the saxophone, and it’s gotten me thinking about the Slade alto saxophone I purchased last year (that link—and most of the others in this post—is an Amazon Affiliate link; I receive a portion of any purchases made through that and other links, at no additional cost to you). It’s been a very good saxophone, and I’m prepared to recommend it to potential budget sax shoppers, with one major caveat.
This post is intended as a guide for parents looking to buy an affordable alto saxophone for their child, or for a later-in-life beginner who wants to get into the instrument without too much cost. If you follow my advice, you should be able to kit yourself or your child out with a decent, budget load-out for under $350.
For those of you stumbling upon this post, I’ll briefly introduce myself: I’ve been playing saxophone for nearly thirty years, and have been teaching music nearly full-time for fifteen years. I also teach a ton of private music lessons, and have helped a number of families find affordable, quality instruments over the years. I’m not a pro saxophonist, but I know a lot about them, and I love the instrument.
A quick note: many school music programs will have a rental program set up with a local music shop. These rental programs are not worth it. You’ll end up spending way more money over time, even if you’re doing a rent-to-own situation. If money is an issue, set aside $50 a month for six months, and you’ll be able to afford everything I’m recommending here. Save another $25, and you’ll be able to afford the reeds I’m recommending (the Slade comes with reeds; more on that below). If you child is starting band in the fall, start saving now, and you’ll be fine by September.
I detail the pros and cons of the sax and various accessories. For my list of recommended items to purchase (the sax and accessories), scroll to the bottom of the post.
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