Best Alto Saxophone: Beginner, Intermediate, Professional in 2020

The saxophone is one of the most popular instruments, and if you’re a sax player or are hoping to learn this instrument, you’ve come to the right place. This page is dedicated to helping you find the best saxophone for your playing.

It’s important to think hard about the instrument that you want to buy. All saxophones are different, and much of your final decision will ride on your current skill level, how much you plan on using your sax and how much you’re willing to spend.

The experience we have buying, selling and playing saxophone will help to guide you in the right direction and make your final decision. We review only the absolute best alto saxophones on the market, and we know what’s good. Read on to learn more!

Our Top Recommended Beginner Saxophones

 

Our Top Recommended Intermediate Alto Saxophones

 

Our Top Recommended Professional Alto Saxophones

List of Top 5 Best Beginner Alto Saxophones on the Market Today:

1. LJ Hutchen Eb Alto Saxophone with Plush-Lined Case

The LJ Hutchen Eb Alto Saxophone with Plush-Lined Case is the best alto sax and a good beginner saxophone for almost everyone. This model receives excellent alto saxophone reviews from buyers.

Conclusion

This is a quality alto sax for beginners that is sold at a reasonable price.

2. Great Bang For The Buck: Jean Paul USA AS-400 Student Alto Saxophone

Here is another example of a good beginner saxophone that will last for years. The Jean Paul USA AS-400 Student Alto Saxophone is in the key of Eb, comes with a great yellow brass body and lacquer finish and includes an awesome carrying case.

Conclusion
This model is a little pricey. But as one of the best alto saxophones on the market, you’re naturally going to be asked to pay a bit more.

3. Allora Student Series Alto Saxophone Model AAAS-301

The Allora Student Series Alto Saxophone Model AAAS-301 has a great patina and comes with several important accessories. The sax has a lacquered brass body, bell and neck and features pro-style key work.

Conclusion

For the money, this is possibly the best student alto saxophone on the market. It always gets great alto saxophone reviews, and it’s a reasonable price for serious beginners.

4. ammoon Antique Finish Bend Eb E-flat Alto Saxophone Sax

As far as saxophones for beginners go, this is an excellent model that is well priced. The antique finish is amazing. The abalone shell keys are extra comfortable. And the lovely surface design has a special pattern.

Conclusion

The ammoon Antique Finish Bend Eb E-flat Alto Saxophone is sold at a fairly low price and comes with a lot of valuable accessories for beginning players.

5. Ravel RGA202 Gemeinhardt Alto Sax

The Ravel RGA202 Gemeinhardt Alto Sax Features a brilliant construction with a lacquer finish. It is sold with a carrying case, strap, reeds and a cleaning kit.

Conclusion

For your money, the Ravel RGA202 Gemeinhardt Alto Sax is sold at a great value, and it also plays well and is extremely durable.

List of Top 5 Best Intermediate Alto Saxophone on the Market:

1. Mendini by Cecilio MAS-L+92D+PB Gold Lacquer E Flat Alto Saxophone

The Mendini by Cecilio MAS-L+92D+PB Gold Lacquer E Flat Alto Saxophone is a well-made saxophone for beginners. The sax comes with a number of accessories. It features quality leather pads, a large bore and good construction.

Conclusion

In general, the Mendini by Cecilio MAS-L+92D+PB Gold Lacquer E Flat Alto Saxophone is extremely reasonably priced. If you’re on a budget, this may be a good choice.

2. Professional Alto Eb Sax Saxophone in Gold

This Professional Alto Eb Sax Saxophone in Gold is a classic sax that would be good for a young adult beginner. It features solid brass construction and comes with a high quality carrying case as well as a neck strap, reed and cork grease.

Conclusion

The price of this sax is reasonable considering the high quality that you are receiving and the top-notch accessory kit and carrying case.

3. Lazarro 360-2C E-Flat Eb Alto Saxophone

Overall, the Lazarro 360-2C E-Flat Eb Alto Saxophone is a good sax for beginning players who may not be sure whether they want to pursue this instrument long term.

That’s because the instrument is low cost, so you won’t be investing too much. This sax is made in the USA, has high-quality keys that are contoured and makes a great sound.

Conclusion

In summation, the Lazarro 360-2C E-Flat Eb Alto Saxophone is perfect for the young student beginner.

4. Merano E Flat Black and Gold Alto Saxophone

The Merano E Flat Black and Gold Alto Saxophone are slightly more expensive than some of the other intermediate models on this list, but it’s a great quality instrument. The instrument is lacquer plated and comes with a pair of gloves, a cleaning cloth, a mouthpiece piece with ligature and a standard case.

Conclusion

For your money, the Merano E Flat Black and Gold Alto Saxophone is a great buy. This is a hand-crafted instrument, and you also get a music stand and a tuner with your purchase.

5. Glory Professional Alto Eb SAX

The Glory Professional Alto Eb SAX is perfect for the beginner. The price is good, and you have a lot of color options to choose from, which means that kids love this model. The sax is in Eb and features an F#. You’ll get 11 reeds, a mouthpiece, a case and lots of accessories here. The bell features hand engraved decoration. Pads are made of leather.

Conclusion

The price of the Glory Professional Alto Eb SAX is very reasonable. With this sax, you’ll get years of play. It also sets up students for being able to play right away because it comes with all necessary accessories.

List of Top 5 Best Professional Alto Saxophone on the Market Available:

1. Selmer SAS280 La Voix II Alto Saxophone Outfit Lacquer

The Selmer SAS280 La Voix II Alto Saxophone Outfit Lacquer is the most expensive sax model on this list, but it’s the best saxophone choice for professionals and advanced players. It features professional key styling and pitch consistency. Receive a case, strap, and mouthpiece with ligature with this sax.

Conclusion

The price is expensive, but it’s worth the money because of the high quality.

2. Ravel RGA202 Gemeinhardt Alto Sax

This is an inexpensive sax, making it the best saxophone for pro players who are looking for a cheaper nice saxophone that they can use as a backup or keep at another location for easy practicing. It features ribbed construction and a lacquer finish.

Conclusion

For your money, this is the most reasonably priced sax on the list.

3. Selmer SAS280 La Voix II Alto Saxophone Outfit Black Nickel

The Selmer SAS280 La Voix II in black nickel is a great choice for pro players. This is an advanced model that is ideal for performances. It offers a consistent, evenly toned sound from low to high notes.

Conclusion

Overall, this is definitely a pricey sax, but it’s definitely well made by one of the most reputable brands in music, Selmer.

4. Prelude Student Model AS711 Alto Saxophone by Conn-Selmer

The Prelude Student Model AS711 Alto Saxophone by Conn-Selmer is a nice instrument with a yellow brass body and clear lacquer finish. The key material is made of yellow brass. A hardshell case, cork grease, and mouthpiece with ligature come with the sax.

Conclusion

Overall, this is an averagely priced instrument. If you have a limited budget but still want a quality sax, this could be right up your alley.

5. YAMAHA YAS-280 Saxophone

The YAMAHA YAS-280 Saxophone is an excellent sax that promotes an amazingly clear response. Along with the sax, you’ll receive a neck strap and cleaning grease as well as a case.

Conclusion

Overall, this is a pricey sax, but it’s quality made, and in the end, it’s not so expensive as the Selmer SAS280 La Voix II.

How to Choose the Right Beginners Saxophone

When shopping for the best alto saxophone for beginners, there are several key points that you’ll need to keep in mind.

• Set a budget and look at pricing.

First, keep in mind that saxophones run the gamut from inexpensive to outstandingly expensive. Just as with any instrument, you can easily spend thousands of dollars on a saxophone if you want a professional model.

On the other hand, even if you do need a professional or intermediate model, you can save money by shopping around, looking for sales and going with less reputable brands or older models.

For most beginners, however, it’s best to set your budget low. You’re not sure whether you absolutely want to pursue this instrument full throttle or not, so it’s better to start on the safe side and choose an affordable model when you’re just starting out.

• Consider the brand that you choose.

There are several different saxophone brands that you can consider. In general, your beginner brands are going to center around Yamaha, Allora, and Argent.

As you go into the more advanced types of saxophones, you’ll see more Selmers and high-end Yamahas. Jupiter, Martin Keilwerth, Yanagisawa and Buescher also make some high-quality saxophones for intermediate and professional players.

• Check out customer ratings and reviews.

It’s a good idea to consider the overall ratings and alto saxophone reviews of each model. Most saxophones have some sort of following, so you’ll see a number of reviews for each one.

When shopping on Amazon, you’ll benefit from numerous reviews for each saxophone model. This site is hugely popular and sells thousands of musical instruments each year. For that reason, it gets the most review and rating feedback, and this is an excellent way to discern whether or not a model is for you.

One thing to remember here is that there are often rogue ratings and reviews for every product. If you can generally discern that a given saxophone has an overwhelming number of positive reviews, it’s fairly easy to say that this is a good product, even if there are one or two reviews that are negative. You have to see the big picture.

• Don’t forget to reference the overall finish type on the sax you’re considering.

There are several types of finishes that are used on saxophones. For the most part, saxophones are made of brass, and they have a clear coating applied directly onto the brass. This is usually an acrylic lacquer to help protect the brass and keep the instrument shiny. When bare brass is oxidized, it tends to become discolored. Sometimes, a silver coating is used.

Finally, some instruments are plated with gold or nickel, and gold is by far the most expensive finish. To plate a sax with gold, it first needs to be plated with silver as gold will not stay put when directly applied to brass. If you’re looking for a much higher-end sax, you might consider one with a gold finish.

Best Alto Saxophone Brands On The Market

Let’s review some of the best saxophone brands that you’ll see advertised. Of course, there are more brands than the five outlined below, but we wanted to focus on the top saxophone brands on the market right now so that we could go into more detail.

YAMAHA

In general, Yamaha is regarded as the best saxophone brand. Yamaha is a brand from the country of Japan that was founded in 1887 by Torakusu Yamaha. The current headquarters is in Hamamatsu, Japan.

At Yamaha, they actually make more than just saxophones. First of all, they make all types of musical instruments, including trumpets, trombones, drum sets and other percussive instruments. But they also make things like boats, motorcycles, snowmobiles, and generators.

In terms of the saxophone, the great thing about this company is that they make many different versions of the instrument. For example, you’ll see fairly good saxophone models for beginners with Yamaha, but they also make some of the highest-end saxophones.

Even their intermediate models have a decent sound. With this in mind, if you decide to go with the Yamaha brand when purchasing your sax, you know that you’ll be able to find something in your price range since they sell saxophones that are fairly cheap all the way up to those that are highly-priced.

Selmer

Selmer is a French company. Their primary product output is instruments. The company specializes in woodwind instruments, including saxophones and clarinets, but they also make brass instruments like trumpets and trombones, and at one time, they produced guitars. Selmer also specializes in the production of mouthpieces for woodwind instruments.

Selmer was founded in Paris, France by Henri Selmer, and even today, a descendant of Henri Selmer owns and operates the company. The full name of the business is actually the Henri Selmer Paris company.

In general, Selmer is the most famous brand to produce saxophones, but they also focus on higher-end models, and this means that their instruments tend to be quite expensive. One of the most famous saxophones from this company is the Mark VI. There is also a Mark VII, but many professionals say that they prefer the Mark VI, and to this day, it is often the preferred instrument of professionals.

Mendini by Cecilio

Cecilio produces musical instruments of all kinds, including string instruments, brass instruments, and woodwind instruments. They produce many types of accessories as well. The Cecilio company is based in California.

Like Yamaha, this company is nice because they create saxophones for every skill level. You’ll find something for a beginner here, but you’ll also find high-end models that serious players and professionals could use in concert.

On the lower end, even their beginner saxophones sound great, and the tonality and quality only improve as you move toward professional instruments. Because the company is so large, they also have great customer care. You’ll find information on this company on their website along with resources for caring for your saxophone and information on warranties should anything break or go missing.

LJ Hutchen

LJ Hutchen is a great company for saxophones too. It was started in 1971 by Paul Effman, who was a performer himself. Effman began as a music educator and also spent time repairing musical instruments for elementary, middle school, high school, and university students.

This company has been making saxes for more than fifteen years, and their output keeps getting better. Their focus is on playability, overall quality, and durability. They like to say that they produce instruments that are a cut above the rest.

Because much of the saxophone sound comes from the mouthpiece, it makes sense that sax players need to count on a great mouthpiece for their playing. LJ Hutchen makes high-quality mouthpieces, and all of them are designed and manufactured in the United States.

LJ Hutchen makes saxes for all skill levels, so there’s something for everyone here. In addition, the cases that come with each saxophone are of the highest caliber. Unlike many other instrument cases, these are all made with metal bumpers, strong latches made of steel, comfortable handles and vinyl wrapping for the best protection.

Jean Paul

Jean Paul is yet another producer of saxophones. This company is American, and they make all sorts of instruments. Their products range from the top of the line saxophones to clarinets and brass instruments like trombones and trumpets.

The goal of this company is to help beginners get involved in music and learn how to play. This means that most of their instruments are sold at rather low, affordable prices. They are beginner instruments that are built to last a lifetime.

The company makes two saxophones. First, they have the alto sax AS-400. This is the perfect instrument for either beginners or intermediate level players. It has even key movements and is perfect for band players in either middle school, high school or college.

Next, they have the tenor sax TS-400. This is also a sax for beginners or those who are at the intermediate level. The bell brace is extremely durable, and each key has special taper pivoting.

Both of these are great for beginning players. Most of their products come with amazing tutorials, and you can also seek support and view tutorials on their website.

Other Saxophone Brands

Finally, there are a number of other saxophone brands that you may see on the market. For example, Martin is a brand that makes some decent quality saxophones. there is also the Jupiter brand. These instruments are fairly good, and they are generally sold at a low price.

The Cannonball company makes saxophones as well. This company is based in Taiwan, but the instruments are designed in the United States.

Finally, you may also see saxophones from L.A. Sax, but these are more of a joke because they aren’t usually well-made, and they are sold in wild colors like red and blue.

What Is a Saxophone Reed and Why Do You Need It?

If you are going to play the saxophone, you need to know everything there is to know about reeds as your reed is an integral part of your instrument. Let’s learn the basics. Read on to find out more.

• What Are Reeds?

Reeds are thin strips of material that are used in woodwind instruments. Most reeds are made from cane, but there are some synthetic reeds as well. There are also tuned reeds that may be used in accordions or harmonicas.

Saxophone reeds are generally made from cane. Reeds are held onto the mouthpieces of saxes with items called ligatures.

The purpose of them is to vibrate when you blow air through your mouthpiece, and this produces a sound from your instrument.

Before using a reed, it’s a good idea to wet it with your mouth. This will help it to play better.

• What Makes a Good Saxophone Reed?

For the most part, various reed brands don’t make a difference in quality. But sometimes, you can tell if a given reed is good by looking at it. When examining your reed, look for discoloration in the grain, which may be a sign of a bad reed.

Furthermore, if the various widths of the grain are radically different, you may find that this is a bad reed as well. Finally, examine the blunt end of your reed. If either side is thinner or thicker in the other, this is a bad sign.

Here is a specific type of saxophone reed that would be great for beginners:

Vandoren SR213 Alto Sax Traditional Reeds – Box of 10

The Vandoren SR213 Alto Sax Traditional Reeds are great products for saxophone players of all skill levels. These reeds are extremely flexible and allow for a distinct richness of tone and clearness on each note. All of this allows for a large and beautiful body of sound.

Each of the reeds has ensured freshness because they are individually sealed in “Flow Pack.” Various strengths from 1.5 to 5 are available.

All You Need To Know About Saxophone Ligatures

All saxophones have mouthpieces, and like other reed instruments, a wooden reed is required for the mouthpiece in order to play the instrument.

The ligature is what holds the reed in place on the mouthpiece.

The place where the reed sits is called the table, and the ligature goes around the mouthpiece circumference and the table and reed and screws the parts into place so that they stay together.

To a beginner or someone who doesn’t play the saxophone at all, the ligature may seem rather unimportant. After all, it’s the only job is to hold the reed in place so that the musician can play.

However, the ligature is especially important because it determines how the reed will vibrate as you play, and this will determine the ease of your playing as well as the overall tone of your notes and phrasing.

In fact, many saxophone players deem the ligature to be an extremely important part of their instruments, and as such, many saxophone players own numerous ligatures for different types of playing. Let’s take a look at some of the best ligatures on the market for saxophones.

1. The Rovner Alto Sax Ligature 1RL

The Rovner Alto Sax Ligature 1RL is a saxophone ligature that offers a warm, dark sound that is also resonant. It’s great for beginners.

This ligature can help you create a centered, full tone. It is intended for saxophones that have rubber mouthpieces. When purchasing this item, you’ll also receive a Rovner cap.

2. The Rovner C1RL MK III for Alto Saxophone

The Rovner C1RL MK III for Alto Saxophone is another great ligature by Rovner. You’ll get greater weight and intensity with this ligature.

The reed is held against the mouthpiece without any specific pressure points. You’ll immediately notice the change if you switch from a generic ligature to this beauty.

Choosing The Best Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece

The mouthpiece is one of the most important parts of the saxophone if not the most important! Let’s learn about what a sax mouthpiece does and how to choose one for your instrument.

What Does a Saxophone Mouthpiece Do?

As the name implies, the mouthpiece is what you put your mouth on. It goes over the neck and over the neck cork that sits at the top of the neck.

On the table of the mouthpiece sits your reed. This needs to be changed frequently. The ligature goes around your reed and your mouthpiece and keeps your reed in place.

When you blow into your mouthpiece, air travels into your mouthpiece and into your instrument, vibrating the reed on its way in. This makes music.

How Do You Choose a Saxophone Mouthpiece?

Choosing a mouthpiece can be a challenge because you have so many choices at your fingertips. For the most part, you want the mouthpiece that allows you to achieve the best possible sound without having to put forth too much effort.

This will be different for everyone. There are hard rubber, crystal and plastic mouthpieces. The overall size, facing length, and tip opening will vary. Most people start with a plastic standard mouthpiece but don’t assume that just because one model works well for others, it will also work well for you. Instead, here are some saxophone mouthpiece options that we recommend.

1. Yamaha Alto Sax Mouthpiece 4C

First, we have the Yamaha Alto Sax Mouthpiece 4C. This is a standard 4C mouthpiece made of plastic. It’s highly consistent and ideal for beginners as well as pros. You’ll achieve a focused, clear tone with this mouthpiece.

2. Yamaha YAC1287 5C Standard Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece

Next, we have the Yamaha YAC1287 5C Standard Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece. This mouthpiece is also plastic, but it’s a 5C. The facing length is 23 mm, and the tip opening is 1.7.

3. Yamaha YAC1285 3C Alto Sax Mouthpiece

Finally, the Yamaha YAC1287 5C Standard Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece is a plastic 3C, and it’s perfect for those who have been playing for a while. The facing length is 23 mm, and the tip opening is 1.5.

What to Avoid When Choosing a Beginner Saxophone

Most of the time, buying guides for musical instruments tell you what to buy instead of what not to buy. In this section, we will discuss what you should avoid when shopping for a beginner saxophone.

First, if you don’t already know how to play the saxophone, don’t immediately purchase an advanced instrument.

You should feel confident in your choice to learn the saxophone, but you don’t want to spend hundreds or thousands of dollars on something that you may not enjoy.

Start with a basic instrument, and if you like playing, you can purchase a more expensive and advanced model.

Next, colored saxophones can be enticing, and this is especially true for young students, but purchasing a green or purple saxophone won’t help you play better, and this added colored finish may cost more. This can be a problem if your budget is tight. Choose saxes that have better intonation and sound over those that are colorful and flashy.

Finally, make sure that you test out saxophones as you begin shopping. If you avoid trying out potential instruments, you may not realize that certain models are less comfortable than others or certain features are unnecessary for you. Testing out your instrument before you purchase it is always a good idea.

Beginner Saxophone FAQ

If you are thinking about taking up the saxophone or just starting out as a student player, you may have some basic questions. If so, that’s great! The saxophone is a wonderful instrument to take up, and it’s important to ask questions when you are just starting to learn something new.

Below is a list of the most frequently asked questions about playing this instrument.

Q: Who can play the saxophone?

A: Anyone can play the saxophone. Even if you are not in school anymore, you can take up the saxophone. For young people, however, it is definitely recommended that those who are 10 years of age or older start with an alto saxophone. Students who may be younger than 10 should definitely choose the alto sax.

The soprano saxophone is smaller than the alto saxophone, but it is more difficult to learn. Many students who start playing the saxophone begin by learning how to play the recorder.

Q: Can people with smaller sized hands play the sax?

A: Certainly. Even if you have small hands, you can learn how to play the saxophone. The alto sax has keys that are closer together, so this is a good instrument to begin on if you have small hands.

Q: What types of reeds are necessary for this instrument?

A: There are a number of different sizes of saxophone reeds from 1 1/2 to 4. Saxophone reed sizes go up by half steps. Most beginners should start on a size 1 1/2 reed. As you learn, you can move up to a size 2 read.

Q: How can I learn to play the saxophone?

A: The earlier that you start playing the saxophone, the easier it will be to learn. Most students in elementary school, middle school or high school will be able to play in the school band or music class.

Outside music lessons are usually available as well. If you are an adult would like to play the saxophone, private lessons can be paid for, or you can try to learn on your own using lesson books and online resources.

Q: Will I need any special accessories as I get started playing this instrument?

A: When you purchase your saxophone, you should have all of the accessories that you’ll need. The most important things that you will continually need to purchase are reeds. A music stand may be helpful as well.

Q: How do I maintain my saxophone and keep it clean?

A: Your saxophone will need a tuneup every once in a while. Saxophone repair is not expensive, and if you keep your instrument in good condition, you will only need a tuneup once per year on average.

Where Can I Buy a Saxophone?

Many people want to know where to buy a saxophone. Naturally, you can shop for saxophones at music stores or on music store websites, but these aren’t actually the best places to go for your saxophone. In general, we recommend shopping on Amazon instead.

The great thing about Amazon is that you can read reviews from other musicians, and this can help you discern whether or not a particular saxophone is right for you. Furthermore, you’re always going to get the best deals on Amazon. It is widely known that this website has the best prices for musical instruments and many other products.

Finally, Amazon is great because it has an awesome customer service team and excellent return policy should anything go wrong with your instrument right after you purchase it or should you decide that the model you’ve chosen isn’t right for you.

Concluding Summary and Making Your Final Decision

Learning how to play any musical instrument can be an extremely rewarding experience. Even if you don’t plan on making a music career for yourself, it can be enjoyable to sit down and play music with friends or acquaintances.

Music can bring a lot of joy to your life, and the saxophone is a great choice as a primary instrument.

But when it comes to choosing a saxophone, many beginners are in the dark. Even intermediate and advanced players have questions about features and sax specs.

Naturally, you want to be confident that you’ve found a quality instrument to buy and begin learning on.

This is essential as you don’t want the cheapness or lack of quality of the instrument that you start on to hinder your efforts and keep you from pursuing this worthwhile activity.

The best alto saxophones for beginners out there. It’s just a matter of finding them. Most of the work comes from reading alto saxophone reviews and comparing various models.

We’ve tried to do most of the hard work for you with this saxophone buying guide. Hopefully, the information that you’ve found here has helped you make an informed decision on the purchase of the best saxophone for you.

The rest is simply making the purchase. Narrow your options to the models that fit your budget and your personal requirements, and buy your new saxophone today! You won’t regret taking up this hobby, and if you’re already a proficient sax player, have a great time playing your new instrument!