Vintage Saxophone v New  Saxophone?

This is a question that I am asked many times every year by my students. I think that the perception might be that these old, beautiful vintage saxophones will magically transform your ability to play the saxophone and make everything easier. Some people can seem like they are chasing a unicorn, looking for external things like ligatures or specific instruments to help them play the saxophone better. Now, I do hold the opinion that buying and owning a beautiful vintage saxophone can be extremely beneficial for a player's motivation to practice, but I absolutely do not believe that any particular brand, old or new, holds the secret to great sax playing. If only that were the case. The reality is that owning a vintage instrument, although a wonderful thing, also comes with some significant downsides that you should be prepared for, not least of all the cost. Something like a Selmer Mark VI saxophone, for example, will cost multiple thousands, and in my opinion, the reality is that you'll get exactly the same kind of sound out of a saxophone made by the Japanese manufacturer Yanagisawa at a third of the cost. Not only that, but the build quality of Japanese saxophones is arguably better than that of European saxophones, and having spoken to lots of saxophone technicians over the years, I can tell you that this is the opinion that they also often hold.

If you buy a very old vintage instrument, you should be prepared for the time, cost, and effort to have it potentially completely overhauled and re-padded. Another consideration is that if you buy a saxophone which is 50 years old, the case that comes with it may or may not be in very good condition, so sometimes these may need repair too.

On the other hand, owning a beautiful old vintage saxophone is an absolute joy. Imagining all the gigs that this instrument has played with its previous owners is a wonderful thought. And if you do buy a vintage saxophone, then it will usually go up in value every year by a considerable amount. Even if the ergonomics of the instruments are not exactly the same as modern instruments, if you play the same saxophone for more than a few months, your fingers adapt, and it'll become very comfortable after a while.

Buying a new saxophone is considerably less complex, especially if you buy new from the shop or dealer. Then, there is absolutely no work to do to the instrument. It would be under guarantee, it would play perfectly well straight from the case, and it would be in perfect condition. A brand-new saxophone is also something to be proud of; they're very beautiful and a joy to own.

My personal saxophones of choice are Selmer saxophones from around the 1970s, and I love my alto and tenor saxophones with all my heart. If I didn't play these, then my second choice would definitely be saxophones made by the Yanagisawa company because of the high build quality and ergonomics.

It's also worth having a saxophone that doesn't cost quite as much if you're going to take it on holiday or do a gig where there could be any question of its safety, and as a backup saxophone. Lots of professional musicians have such an instrument just in case, and my own brand, which is called Goldington, is a perfect example of this kind of saxophone.

Whatever you choose to buy, remember that it is you, your knowledge your ability and your musicality that is going to make it sound wonderful and although the type of instrument you're playing is of course extremely significant, it can do nothing without you. Charlie Parker was famous for sounding wonderful on any saxophone that he picked up.

Lynden