People always ask this question, me included. However, never forget that the most important part of the equation is you and the sound you have in your head, and that any piece of junk can sound amazing in the hands of a good player.

However, life is somewhat easier with a horn that works, hence this page... just don't make the mistake of thinking that you too can get that amazing sound of your favourite player simply by blowing down the same saxophone, and not by putting in the hundreds of hours of work that they did in order to achieve it. In a world of short-cuts, music is a world apart!!

Soprano - SMS Academy; rubber Meyer 7 top, Rovner 'Eddie Daniels' ligature, Vandoren 2.5 cane

For me, the soprano should be rounded and warm in tone, not nasal and piercing (Branford Marsalis has a wonderfully rich tone). Luckily my default sound tends to be fairly dark and round but the overall combination ensures tone quality and playability. For the little amount of soprano work I do I couldn't justify an expensive instrument. This is one of the latest models to come out of China, and what a surprise it was, a joy to play, 'easy' intonation - it does 'exactly what it says on the tin'!

  • Look at what sax repairman Steve Howard has to say on his website about Chinese instruments.

  

Alto - Selmer Mk 6 - number 112*** (1964); Claude Lakey 4*3/Meyer 6 top, Vandoren 'Optimum' ligature, Vandoren Java 2.5 cane

I went to New York to find a Mk 6. I thought I would come across more than I would in the U.K. but I saw four. Two were trashed, one was alright and this was/is a beauty.

  • The Mk 6 is a legend and rightly so, but they are getting long in the tooth now (production ceased in 1975) and few examples actually deserve the legendary status. All have questionable intonation, can be tricky at the bottom end and are not the easiest beast to tame but we love them for their inherent 'personality' that new horns just can't imitate (see P. Mauriat saxes!).


Tenor - Paul Mauriat PMXT-66R; Claude Lakey 7*3 top, Vandoren Optimum ligature, Rico Royal 2.5 cane

I've changed my tenor from the Selmer Reference 54 to the Mauriat. It's easier to play, the intonation is better and it sounds more like a Mk. VI than Selmer's very own copy of the Mk. VI, the Reference 54! One more thing... they are half the price. No brainer!!!