The surge of the second-hand market demand keeps rising and is a great resource to find good deals on various products. You can pretty much find anything being sold on eBay, marketplace and platforms like Kijiji, Reverb of Craigslist that also means you can get fooled or buy something broken and expensive to repair. 

Instruments like the saxophone can be tricky to purchase second-hand, especially if you are just a beginner you have minimal knowledge about the saxophone world.

But fear not! Here are the most common pitfalls that we see people fall in daily when they buy a used saxophone and how to avoid them. After reading this article, you will know what to be careful about when shopping for a used saxophone.

#1 | Verify when the saxophone was last repaired.

If there is one thing you should remember from this article, is that you need to know if the previous owner has had maintenance done on a regular basis by professional repair technicians on the saxophone you want to purchase. 

If the seller clearly indicates that the saxophone hasn't been repaired or hasn't been played during a couple of years...  you should plan a serious repair budget, should you acquire that instrument.

And understand this, having a saxophone overhauled is not a bad idea depending on the brand and model but you need to know before the purchase.

What to do if the seller does not know when the saxophone was last repaired?

If you are really interested in the instrument, you can ask the seller to meet you at a repair shop that has wind instrument specialists. It will take 5-10 minutes to a professional repair tech to evaluate the situation and this will help you make the best decision.

Why is this important to have yearly maintenance?

The saxophone has a set of leather (or leather-like material) pads glued and adjusted inside the metal keys. These pads will ensure that the keys close perfectly and prevent the air from passing through, allowing you to play different notes. These pads will eventually dry out or get damaged and need to be replaced during the life of the instrument.Over the course of approximately 10 years, with a visit to your local repair shop once a year, your technician will replace gradually all the pads, corks and felts on your instrument AND will change, adjust, oil and care for all the other components of the mechanic. 

If a saxophone has been stored away for many years, pads will dry or rot. In that situation, the saxophone will need what is called a complete overhaul where the technician will change all the pads, corks, felts, deep clean the saxophone and adjust/oil . 

Tip : Ask for receipts or proofs from the store where the instrument was serviced and research it online. Does the store or shop has good reviews? Is it certified? A bad repair job can also cost you, so make sure the repairs haven't been done by "some guy" the owner knows.

#2 Verify the credibility of the brand

There are hundreds of saxophone brands and models and it's important that you verify the legitimacy of the brand.

One of the easiest things you can do, even with almost zero knowledge on saxophones, is to check the general web presence of a saxophone brand. If you can’t find anything about the brand online, on social media or on any reliable websites, that should be a HUGE red flag for you. 

Let us save you some time - Here are some brands that make reliable student models: 

Here are some brands you should avoid 

Jean-Paul, Glory, Typhoon Winds, Slade (all Amazon brands, really). Also any big brands sold on Amazon should make you question the authenticity of the instrument, especially if they are heavily discounted. If it's too good to be true, it probably is!

Tip : Good brands like Yamaha only sell to certified retailers around the world that fit specific criterias. If you see cheap Yamaha saxophones being sold on Amazon, or another large online platform, there is a high chance those are counterfeit instruments. We have seen an increase of fake instruments in the last years and those are impossible to tell apart from real ones on a website.

#3 Make sure that your budget is adequate

Saxophones aren’t the cheapest of woodwind instruments because of their complex mechanism and the quality (and quantity) of the pieces needed to make them work.

How much does a saxophone cost? Here is what you your minimum budget should be for a good student level used saxophone and for a new student-level saxophone. Prices get higher if you are shopping for an intermediate level or professional saxophone.

*Notes on baritone and soprano saxophones

1.Baritone saxophones don’t really have any student options, they all start at intermediate level and are big instruments hence why their prices are higher.

2. If you are a beginner, start with the alto or tenor saxophone, not the soprano or baritone.

3. Do not be tempted to buy an Amazon cheap soprano saxophone because it is only 200$. It is not worth it.

3. Pre-Owned baritone saxophones that have been refurbished often will cost less, but they don’t offer the modern commodities (ex: high F# key). Older saxophones often have a key system that is a bit more awkward to operate compared to more recent models. 

Tip : You can rent any saxophone you’d like if you aren’t sure you are ready to buy one or just want to try something else. Rentals are flexible and very economical! Learn more. 

#4 Double check with a specialist

At Twigg Musique we offer (for FREE) to check any instrument you bring us, and give you a detailed quote for the repairs needed on that instrument as well as our opinion. 

You should check with your local music store if they offer similar service, and meet up directly at the store with the person from whom you want to buy a pre-owned instrument. It will guarantee that you purchase something that is decent and if there is work to be done on the instrument, well you can use that to negotiate the price.

Why is this important?

A lot of time, people will sell on the internet a saxophone that was played by their late husband, wife or relative and they personally don’t know anything about saxophones. That means that they are not ill intended and don’t want to sell you an instrument in bad shape, but they will do it out of ignorance. It should be your job to make sure you are not buying junk. 

Can you tell the difference between the image of the new pads and the image of the old pads? This difference might cost you a thousand dollars, so maybe ask the opinion of a pro before buying anything.

F.A.Q about saxophones 

How much does it cost to repair a saxophone? 

This is probably our most frequently asked question and the answer is : it depends. In the most extreme scenario, you will need to do what we call a complete overhaul on your saxophone which means all pads, felts, corks need to be changed. Basically, we tear apart the whole thing and build it back up with new parts. As of 2022 here are the prices for a complete overhaul on saxophones (not including the price of parts) : 

Complete overhaul for a student saxophone (alto & tenor) :  900-950$ before taxes.

Note that for your situation specifically, the prices may vary and you should come in our store to get a free quote if you are thinking of getting your saxophone back in shape.

We can’t give you any prices over the phone or by email regarding your specific situation if we haven't examined your instrument.

Should I be worried of made in China saxophones? 

This might surprise you, but you shouldn’t be so scared by the “made in China” instruments if you are shopping for a student-level instrument. A lot of good brands, like Yamaha have their student models lines assembled in China and they are VERY reliable. Our team visited the Yamaha plants in China a couple of years ago and we were amazed by the beautiful facilities they had. 

Student models (any brands) are often assembled in China, Indonesia and Taiwan to save on costs but their parts are built in the USA, Japan, Germany, etc. Still, refer yourself to the list we provided in the first section of this article if you aren't sure of a certain brand or simply ask us!

If you are looking for a professional or intermediate level instruments, however, you shouldn’t buy anything made in China. 

Why should I buy from a store like Twigg Musique when there are cheaper options like Amazon or Facebook Marketplace? 

One word : WARRANTY. At Twigg Musique we offer a warranty on parts and repairs, and we are here for you after a purchase. Does the place you buy your instrument from offer a warranty or has a return policy? 

See all of our used saxophones available

Important - The general state of the instrument is usually more important than the brand, except the "you should avoid" brands we mentioned in the first section of the blog. That means that you should prioritize buying a used saxophone that has been cared for and is in good mechanical shape over a new instrument from a cheap brand.  

Cheaply made instruments are often more complicated to repair and will break more often, which will cost you more on the long run. You might think you are saving money by buying a new instrument for cheap, but the mechanical issues caused by the poor quality of the materials will cost you. 

Thinking of having an instrument repaired? Contact us

Many thanks to our amazing staff members who helped write this article

Pascal Bard, salesman and woodwind specialist at Twigg Musique Montreal

Xavier Twigg, salesman at Twigg Musique Montreal

Pierre-Olivier Duceppe, Repair Shop Manager at Twigg Musique Montréal

Mike Borkovic, Saxophone repair specialist at Twigg Musique Montréal

Frèdé Simard, Saxophone repair specialist at Twigg Musique Montréal

Fred Hanny, Repair Shop Manager at Twigg Musique (Québec City)

Alex Cloutier, Saxophone Repairs Specialist at Twigg Musique (Québec City)