Cheap Tenor Sax on Amazon ($420) vs Pro Sax ($4600)
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 10 ก.พ. 2025
- #bettersax #saxophone #amazon
Jay Metcalf compares a cheap tenor saxophone from Amazon to a professional Yanagisawa tenor.
Yanagisawa TWO2 professional tenor saxophone: geni.us/NXMZoW
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Me: it didn’t sound that bad
Jay: terrible
Me: terrible
Chatie 24 the instrument didn’t really have any defining depth. It was very boring. When you hear ｉｃｏｎｉｃ selmers, you are easily entertained by its depth. The sax was bland, not smooth, and abrupt, overall. Check out a selmer’s Autumn Leaves cover. But that saxophone would be GREAT for beginners. Obviously, i am a saxophonist, so I can easily tell the quality of saxes.
aaron names i cant tell if thats sarcastic or not
@@ddlcfan8947 The comment didn't really have any defining sarcasm. Obviously, i am a linguist, so I can easily easily tell the sincerity of comments.
Eolueulo are you also being sarcastic lmao
Spot on 😂
Fortunately, I already have a tenor.
But I bought a Lade Alto after seeing your review and I can confirm that it was a great buy.
Thanks for your reviews
Good to hear this thanks.
I’m planing on doing the same thing
Any chance you have an update on the alto after 6months of regular use? How's it holding up mechanically, visually, tone-wise? I had to give back my borrowed P. Mauriat alto, and im a broke college kid who just needs some jazz.
I play tenor and I use some sort of Yamaha student sax. Jk lol my school let's you bring it home to play for a day if you want to
One could say this is a “worst case” scenario
HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!
lol👍
Hahahahahahaha kill me
Badump pssshhh.
is this supposed to be a pun?
I completely understand your breath of relief after blowing the low notes smooth
I played a bad tenor for about 2 years, and at a jazz convention i got to try out saxophones, and i played a nice tenor, and blew the low notes at a volume below forte, and it felt amazing
When's the cheap bari-sax comparison and review coming😂
Antonious van Eyssen please that would be awesome
What about sopranino
@@grammar2863 even better
The cheapest one on Amazon is 1200$
@@corbinweibley3316 Even so, there is a lot of demand for that horn. Even the normally fairly competitive names like Yamaha are just ridiculously expensive - take a look at some price lists for Buescher and Conn back in the day and compare baris to the other voices, and you'll realize just how overpriced modern baris are in comparison to their counterparts from the Jazz Age.
i felt the expression on your face at a spiritual level right when those bottom notes smoothly slid out on your Yani. phew.
6:12 ok just casually throw in the lick
the what
The second most famous motif in music, after Beethoven's 5th.
@@KarlBonner1982 mkay
@@user-qx7tm5df8j go watch Adam neely
twofivefun looks like we got a triggered conservatard
You gotta do the bari now or this is the world's meanest cliffhanger
I got one too after seeing your review and got extra warranty off eBay. I had an issue with neck register key. Bended it back to position similar to what you did. Also had simple issue with g sharp key and got spring back in place. After that it plays pretty well. It’s an extra sax to stay at my fathers, jam with him and not constantly pack a sax for travel.
Honestly as a Tenor and Bari player I can say that cheap saxes don’t sound bad, might need to replace some parts here and there but they sound good to me
Derek Dean I’m glad you said that. I’m wanting to get a tenor saxophone but I can’t afford to get the professional $1000+ and I plan on ordering one off of Amazon.
@@jasmineduran6731 if you can still afford a tenor that’s like
“That’s not a good sign”
as a tenor sax player and lover, a piece of my heart broke when i saw the tenor not in good shape at first
I just got my tenor this year in grade 6 and I am trash this guy is god at the tenor
I watched your video on the amazon alto sax and was amazed at the quality and the sound. In anticipation I watched this video on the amazon tenor sax and was not amazed by the instrument. As far as sound and playability, the pro tenor sax sounded much better and the pro appeared to play a lot easier. Thanks for the video Jay!
I know this is the tenor test but years ago I bought a used Conn student eb Alto horn for 100 bucks, and taught myself how to re-pad it and play it. It was loads of fun, and fine to learn on. So perhaps looking for a good used one might be a better intro plan.
You had to open it with the gloves so it wouldn’t break
Hehe
Except the gloves were inside the case!
Better Sax should’ve used the other ones, they were better anyways 😂
@@bettersax Years ago, a salesman told me, the gloves are for testing in the store, for keeping the horn clean if you didn't decide to buy it. For me ti have some sense. Greetings from Colombia!
The gloves arent useless.
You still can wear them on your hands lol
I played tenor and I loved it. I had to pay my auto insurance and had to sell it. It was a Yamaha intermediate tenor that I bought for $1,700.00. It served me better than the Bundy 2s that I had bought for $600.00. I started out playing an old Martin alto sax bought at a pawn shop to get started. It wasn’t until later that I had a horn that was lacquered from a silver horn to a darker lacquer one. It will take some time, but I will hold out for a professional horn.
I came to talk trash, but this was some of the best playing I've heard on this channel. Keep up the good work.
I had this same experience when I purchased one of these horns as a #2 I still have the horn and I'm using it to pratice repairs on!
Well at least you're getting some use out of it...
He sets it down on the keys. Now that’s a professional.
I mean, yeah it is more professional to do that. Setting it down with keys in the air actually leaves your palm D pushed down by the weight of the sax against the floor. Depending on your saxophone, the key guards for Low C down to Bb should protect the rest of the keys as well setting it keys down at the expense of chipping off some lacquer, if it's a hard surface.
I always set it down like that I get annoyed when someone doesnt
The Yanagisawa horn has a brighter and fuller sound. Lade turned out to be somewhat decent and MAY suffice for a beginner who's parent's are on a limited budget. So, they need to keep in mind the 'caveat' principle. Buyers: be prepared to spend additional money for any potential repairs, a better case, and that they should know where they can have their new horn serviced as I'm assuming the Lade doesn't come with a very good warranty, if it does at all. My general consensus is to save a bit and then purchase a more quality horn. My experience has been that beginners practice better and more often with a good sounding horn. Thx Jay. As always, your videos are instructive and educational. Keep up the good work.
Thanks Michael.
Hey, first I would like to say that it was an awesome video. I am a tenor player myself and decided to try the Lade tenor, but had much more satisfaction than you did (wasn't broken, no leaks). Maybe have a part two with a different saxophone?
That's good to hear. I'm sure this one would have been pretty good without the damage. Glad you're happy with it.
I didn’t realise you already had done this, serves me right for watching old content. This was great to watch. Now I’m going to scroll the rest of your videos before I ask for anything 😊. Thank you!
I appreciate someone taking the time and money to review three student level saxes. Decades ago I learned on a Saxophone purchased from a Distributer in NYC, a Pierret Oxford which was manufactured in Paris. Even though the Sax appeared to me to have connections to Selmar Paris, it doesn't get good reviews either. I'm now much more content with a popular Japanese professional sax which I like to depend on.
Looking forward to the Bass Saxophone comparison video! 😉
T.H. Woth I’m super pumped for the contrabass vid!
Although he’s a saxophonist I would like to see him order a subcontrabassoon
I am curious to learn how the replacement sax performs. I can appreciate the optimism you expressed in detailing a list of "do's & don'ts" for the manufacturer to consider before shipping their packaged products (free of cost). Nice!
The first one was alright, it had a great sound that had a more classical sound. But the yanigasowa had a much warmer sound and had a cool old school sound that made it sound much more like a traditional jazzy sax. The second one also had a brighter sound.
Chinese made tenor sax
Can anyone suggest me a good and reliable tenor
Truth teller, that’s my man! It sounds great, but that’s your skill, not the horn. Great advice as always! Thanks! Rocket 🚀
At least, it shows it is possible to play decently well and such
I am now using Legere synthetics and like them a lot. Great when doubling on alto and tenor and don't have to worry about the dormant reed drying out.
I guess when he was fixing that tenor sax, he did make it into a “Better Sax”
Greetings from Mexico city. Great videos!!! After watching your alto review, decided to buy a Lade sax. It is a good buy considering the price. Good for students and begginers like my self. My review: Its just like cheap cars, Dont expect air bags or leather seats, still it will take from point a to b.
Glad you're sending that bucket of bolts back. Reminds me of the soprano of theirs I USED to own.
The sound of the lade (because of the slight leak, paired with a professional player) was kind of smokey sound that I personally think could sound decent on some solid ballad playing, but I'm sure you can get that sound on the pro quite easily
The Yanagisawa definitely sounded better, a fuller sound! I agree with many of the other comments that said to get a used horn that is from a more reputable company. As an aside, I had the auto translate on and had to laugh at what system translated “Yanagisawa” to, LOL.
Do the Bari!(pls) Wanna hear play Bari, haven’t heard you play yet.
YES!! PLEASE DO BARI!!
Maybe IKEA is manufacturing these things. So then the assembly session isn't surprising.
This is the most underated comment
Can you do a video with a baritone saxophone from amazon? Please
I agree, but if the trend follows. The larger the sax the worse condition it will arrive in.
What about a soprnino?🤣
That’s not true alto was in better condition than soprano
@@CrisTc86 Which is odd because the smaller the instrument the more precise everything has to be.
Soprillo?
I got a accent saxophone that cost 800$ and the case is super good and ready to play right from the box when I got it it sounded really good.
I don't think it sounded too bad. I think it would be a good horn to use as a backup or maybe a marching horn for a high school student.
I bought a YTS 280 brand new from the dealer and I left it with my luthier for changing 5 pads for Pisoni ones. It's hard to play the low notes. I paid 1500 euros for it. My Thomann Antique costs me 519 euros an year ago and is better then the Yamaha. No problems. Playing 4 hours every day and outside shows. It's a matter of luck I think.
Hey there Bettersax hope you see my question, Would you prefer these cheap horns over a student horn like a Yamaha Yts 21, Conn, Selmer Bundy ETC. (new or used) considering they are some what at the same price?
I like the tone from Lade, tone wise no problem when you played it.
Its supposed to be SLADE not lade
A very useful video, and professionally made both technically and content wise. I miss the Conn-Selmer Prelude TS711 (tenor), 1299.- USD at Amazon. I have one of these and also a Selmer Mark VI. I can't tell the difference.
As I previously commented, after your "Cheapest Sax on Amazon VS My Professional Alto Saxophone" video, I bought the alto sax and I'm very satisfied. I can confirm everything you said in your review.
Well, in order to improve the sound, I now bought a new embouchure, which I found second hand at a good price.
It is a Berg Larsen 95/2 SMS.
Surprisingly, it doesn't fit into the chiver.
I measured the chiver diameter, which is 15mm, becoming 16.5mm considering the cork.
The internal diameter of the mouthpiece is exactly 15mm, so, no way to fit it into the chiver ....
Considering that they are both 15mm, even replacing the cork with a thinner one, won't fix the issue .
Do you experienced the same on the sax you tested?
What is supposted to be the right diameter of the final part of the alto sax chiver?
I'm afraid the only solution is to widen the inside diameter of the mouthpiece in some way, maybe with a lathe, do you have any suggestion?
By the way, in the meantime I'm happily following your "Play Sax By Ear" course with my tenor sax, thanks again for your great videos!
Filippo, Rome (Italy)
Thanks for the answer. That Slade tenor saxophone still had a lot of static sound compared to the other saxophone.
The cheap one sounds good but breathy, and the pro has a clear crisp sound
I started alto a year ago but really glad I watched your Jean Paul As400 video. It’s been a great instrument! Even though you got lucky with the real cheap alto sax it might almost be better for someone to rent a good sax from a local music store while saving instead of go in at that low of a price point....or maybe a payment plan
Thanks for sharing Jay. Interesting point about the case, that makes sense that could cause a lot of problems.
I have only gotten one saxophone in the mail. Figured it was a gamble. But it was also an older saxophone. The Conn soprano I have from 1929. It could basically play when I got it, but improved quite a bit with some replaced pads. I did a few minor repairs myself.
Could also be good to consider whether you can carry the case on a flight if you're interested in doing that. For soprano/alto you can probably carry most on board. But with tenor, it's basically at the edge where a more contoured case will get you less looks/inquiries. But if you're going to check, it had better be extremely secure.
I did not know oxfords without a collar existed until I saw this video
haha, Uniqlo is the store where I buy those.
@@bettersax مرحبا مليون دولار أمريكي مرحبا مليون
6:15 that cured my depression THE LICC
guess what I was getting to get an alto sax but the people miss advertised it and instead of it being alto it was tenor so yeah and it had a book and a box for reeds but with no reeds in it it has a backpack straps with no straps
Your Channel helped me start my own! Thank you!
You gotta do cheap vs expensive sub contrabass sax next
That's just obvious
They both expensive bro
@@YanThaGamer woosh
FishKing4999 Golf Cart that jas also a joke dumbass
I think they all expensive
I was booked to take a solo on a Reggae recording in the early 70s in London.
When I had completed my solo, over the Loudspeaker system I was asked to come into the Control room.
I thought "Oh Oh ! Whats up Doc. ?
I was told the solo was too good.
As it was winter, I had gloves with me, donned them and said 'Let's see how it is now'
I took a solo once more, and after it, the Loudspeaker became activated again.
And a voice said : 'Perfect Bob'
I have a simple OLDS tenor saxophone, any other suggestions for my next buy?
I now have an Selmer alto; played a Selmer tenor and Selmer flute in college (early 1970's), and grew up with a Martin alto; I still love the Martin, but the Selmer suits me fine for now (I'm and old dude, been playing since 1962; yet, I'm still not as good as you! but, I keep at it....
In this case, the Yani is definitely better! I could definitely (not) hear those low notes on the Lade. When you transitioned to the Yani, it seemed as if it was night and day. Normally, the difference isn't that easy to spot.
4:01
C Key: Yo wassup keyguard u lookig freshhh
So, the lesson I learned here is maybe it's a good idea to spend at least 500 on a tenor saxophone. I just checked on Amazon and saw that they have Allora brand student horns for $525. That's at least a name I recognize and even considered when I was shopping for a pro alto earlier this year. I really appreciate these videos. I guess all that's left is the amazingly cheap bari saxes on ebay. $1600 for a bari. They look nice in the pictures and it would be super tempting to buy one if I have that much laying around some day.
I bought a used Schiller T. Sax for $108.00. Put another $125.00 into it to put it into playing shape (obvious lower Bb, B pad adjustment, and other old pad replacement and adjustments was necessary), now I have a decent sax to work with.
6:13 the lick
I bought the Lade alto sax and the octave key had broken off. A bit of glue and it's been fine since but .... yeah. Still happy with it! As a beginner, I just wanted something that would play decently enough. So thanks again for the video, Jay!
oh that's too bad... At least it's working for you now.
@@bettersax You know, it's just another instance of REALLY helping me appreciate how incredibly clarinets/saxes are made and how hard they are to maintain and repair. And it was satisfying that my fix worked and has continued to stay on (knock on wood). But yeah, wasn't a great beginning for Lade on that one....
I’m a guy, not gay but I could fall asleep to your voice J. Best teaching btw.
I think will be better to get Paris Selmer reference 54 then yanagisawa
Been playing Yani's for forty year's, and there is no comparison. Typically, these junkers, like the one you bought off Amazon are for beginning students. However, for that sax to arrive all banged-up like that would really be upsetting to a young student eagerly awaiting their first sax? Yanagisawa also makes great mouthpieces, and each beginner must start off with a good mouthpiece. The mouthpiece is as important as the make of the sax. Getting back to the Yani's Having played the Selmer Paris side by side to the Yanagisawa--Honestly, they're very close, but the Yanagisawa takes first. For me, anyway... I just subscribed, and looking forward to new posts.
Sounds like there are some leaks issues, shouldn't be a problem to set it up.
The only turn down is that if I would get one of those with those falling parts, I'd have to take it to a technician and spend the money I saved when buying it...
The other guy said Lade can pay you for the repair fee, surprising.....
I really appreciate your time looking at saxaphones
this video has help me as i need to buy my own tenor sax instead of rent one
I love my (S)Lade alto..good quality and sounds great. Looking for a tenor now. Cool review.
Even the "cheap" one is something that is waayy beyond what I can afford. The one I use is locally made here in India and it costs about 15,000 rupees (about 200 USD). And even that "cheap" one would be a major upgrade for me, so from my point of view whenever I see a musician complaining about their instrument, all I can think of is "stop makin excuses, if you really wanna play, you can play on anything"
I have an Ambassador tenor sax from about 1958. I used it thru high school and college. Ever heard of it? I know Selmer was a common name back then.
It makes sense that a bigger instrument would be subject to greater forces during shipping and have more damage. But I imagine that the smallest instrument would be subject to being tossed around more. I would place my bet on the alto coming through the best.
Your service is invaluable
Best Wahes!
I tried out the Yamaha 62 in the music shop, and it plays really well. That saxophone has much better quality control
When you started playing the Yani it sounded like the storm was over and the sun came out. What a difference.
Great video! Tried an amazon sax and never liked it! Glad that I got my used Jupiter!
Now we need the sub contrabass saxophone comparison
"It's "Slade" not "Lade" :-)
PS- the gloves? When I was in college, I developed a sensitivity to nickle and brass on my hands, and had to wear gloves to prevent my hands from swelling up and cracking painfully. After a couple years, I thankfully got over it.
Just getting back into the sax after many years. Bought a new tenor from Amazon for $300 before discovering your channel. I can’t tell if it’s defective or if my lip is REALLY out of shape.
Unlike the sound comparisons between Yana and budget alto and soprano saxophones, in this video the difference in sound is quite noticeable: Lade is better! (kidding, Yana is the deepest, warmest sound). Great video, Jay.
Yeah I think everyone will be in agreement with this one.
What do you think about the Yamaha Advantage? Would that be good or a bad decision to buy
I decided to take a risk and got a Glory alto on Amazon. I figured for 200 and some change it might be worth it. It was!!! I was shocked. I am very happy with it.
What did you change? I’m getting back into playing after a 34 year break and looking for something that’s not crazy expensive.
John McCauley I changed the neck strap and of course the reeds and mouthpiece. The only difference with “brand name” horns and the Chinese models is that the Chinese models appear to be a bit heavier. But, it’s worth it if you want to save some money on a brand new horn.
For 500 $ you can have the great Thomann TS350 antique
You can get a really impressive solid
case with it
And it play just very well (with an Otto link tone edge and Rico select jazz Reed)
It's actually my main saxophone today and i'm going to my repair sax one time per year juste for checking
Love your videos!
I was looking at Lade saxes tonight, some sellers have two prices, for an extra $25aud, you get a hard case instead of the soft one, after seeing this, I think it best to pay that bit extra!
Had a customer with the soprano... Based on your review, I offered to do a complete rebuild. There were tons of manufacturing defects to correct... not an easy job, but when I was done, the thing played great and had a very nice tone... after it was all said and done, the guy had a great instrument for under $2000. Worth it? Maybe.
I actually play an Austin saxophone that is EXACTLY like this lade thing. It came pretty good but with an awful case. Plays pretty nice and has lasted a long time
The cheap one has an airy sound, could be a result to that missing key. The second one sounds great.
They shipped you a sax with “some assembly required, batteries not included”
I bought the Murillio tenor for $238! After the D# and C rollers came out and I found one and put it back in LOL the quality is astounding!
Bought it in August of 2017
I have experience repairing instruments so I ordered an Etude Alto with minor problems. The F# side key had some material stuck in the pivot. A couple of tone holes were not flat. The articulation arm with the adjusting screws needed resetting. The pads were sticky and have been hard to clean using all known methods. The case was marginal. Worked for me because I have time and a cheap horn for $150. Would be a poor investment for most people. I believe it came from the factory in unplayable condition. It was returned and auctioned off. Yes, the keys can be bent without breaking. I agree with you. Buy a horn that you know plays already and has a warranty rather than take a chance with cheap mail order horns if you can't fix them yourself. My guess is that most of the China saxes are made in the same factory, then they are finished elsewhere depending upon the brand. DHGate sends really cheap, poorly made, counterfeit instruments that don't look anything like the real thing.
Huge difference between the cheap and pro sax. Your Pro sounds clean and the tone is centered.
Thanks for all the information, you save a lot people a lot of trouble!
I think the cheap tenor sounded unsupported because of leaks I think it might just be a small inconvenience to beginners so they definitely could try it out imo
The difference in sound between the cheap tenor and the Yani is way more obvious than the soprano and alto....and anyway your facial expression during the play test told everything! Ah, ah, I spent a good moment.
No brainer Yanni . How about comparing some less expensive saxs for hobbyists.. Jam sessions community pit bands etc. And thanks Jay for your efforts.
My first sax was a rental and even my instructor was unable to get the upper register to play at all. After a month or i said the heck with renting and so I bought my yts-26. It was the best move I made as a beginner. But this one as bad as it was was hands above the one I had first rented.
If you can get these horns playable, and of course you’re way ahead of the game being a pro repair guy (which can’t be said for most of us), I guess there’s an argument for having a cheapo horn to fly with in case it gets out in the hold. Or as a spare to have in a theatre on a pit gig. Amazon lucked out having you sort that one out! Lol.
The difference in quality from even the first note is noticeable. And I dont even have that good of a tune for music I quit band in middle school over 13 years ago. :0 So I guess when I go to learn how to play a tenor sax I should get a good quality one or find a brick and mortar store near me but a lot of instrument shops closed around here
Amazing video! I would really like a review of the Yamaha YTS 280 Tenor sax.