Cheapest Sax on Amazon vs My Professional Yanagisawa Saxophone

Today, I’m going to compare the cheapest sax on Amazon against my Yanagisawa saxophone.

I’ve talked a lot about how the saxophone you play is not that important compared to the work you put into your saxophone sound.

In my video listening test comparing my four professional tenor saxophones it is clear that I sound like me on each one even though they were made in different decades spanning 80 years, on different continents and using different materials.

There is so much talk about how one particular saxophone sounds bright or dark, and another is spread or focused, while another is more or less free blowing and on and on.

As time goes by, I am more and more of the opinion, that very little of that talk actually matters.

I Put My Money Where My Mouth Is

I bought the cheapest sax on Amazon I could find that was available in both North America and Europe. It cost $270 at the time I purchased it, but the seller on Amazon has bumped the price up by $20 two days after the release of the video review and unboxing.

It’s called Ammoon in the Amazon listing, but on the horn itself and the case it is called Lade.

Watch the video below to see my unboxing, assessment from a repair technician’s perspective and then the play test where I put this $270 Chinese saxophone bought on Amazon up against my $4500 Yanagisawa A991 Professional Alto Saxophone.

YouTube video

All in all, this saxophone really surprised me. I was a little shocked at how well it played right out of the box. With a good mouthpiece and reed, it’s tough to hear that much of a difference when compared to my professional saxophone. What did you think after listening? Leave your comment below.

Minor Adjustments Necessary

I did have to do some small adjustments on this sax but nothing anyone couldn’t do on their own. I made a video detailing these DIY saxophone repairs. First I sanded down the neck cork to allow my mouthpieces to fit more easily. It’s really too bad they don’t include cork grease with this saxophone though. There are several unnecessary accessories included, but one of the most important is left out.

Intonation

I found the cheap Lade alto sax from Amazon to play quite well in tune. I checked the horn out with a tuner, and didn’t find any notes that played particularly out of tune. Certainly no more than any other typical saxophone. One criticism of Chinese saxophones in the past was that they played notoriously out of tune. That’s not the case with this instrument.

Ergonomics

Here is one of the most noticeable aspects of this cheap alto sax. It does feel like a modern instrument and the key work is based on the classic Mark VI design that has become the standard for all saxophones over the last 50-60 years. But next to my professional Yanagisawa A991, there is no comparison.

Conclusion

After playing this horn for a little while and giving it a pretty thorough mechanical checking over, I have to say that this saxophone is well worth the money I paid for it. I will always recommend that if you can afford more, then this is not the right saxophone for you to choose. A more expensive horn should include a much better case, better quality control, and some sort of manufacturer’s guarantee. Theses things would make the price go up though.

For the price of $270 you can’t really go wrong though. I think that’s a great price for someone who may not have tons of extra cash to throw down for a new instrument. It makes the saxophone more accessible to so many more people all over the world.

Interested in more affordable saxophone reviews? Check out “An Affordable Bari Sax that Plays Like a Pro Horn.”

Also be sure to follow BetterSax on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube to stay up to date with us for news, giveaways, and other saxophone tips and tricks.

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15 Comments

Glenn says:

I have a 2 year old Jupiter Alto and soprano in Australia but a good friend of mine bought me a Lady alto to use while here in the USA. I agree with what you say Jay. My lade plays well and in tune. Often the G# key tends to stick in the beginning but once I warm up it’s ok. Yes, the essential cork grease is not added however I have my own from my Jupiter case. This comparison helps a great deal. I miss my Couf-Armstrong and also my old Selmer from back in the 80s. I’d love to get a Yanagisawa but I’m a retiree and can’t afford it now! Need to save up or win prize money!!!

Glenn says:

I mean LADE alto

Bopsax says:

I think the Yani sounds better and will not only stay in regulation better and last longer . With that being said there is definitely. not over $4000 difference in tone.

Jefferson Jones says:

Hello Jay, I’m in the process of looking for a new soprano sax and trying to stay under $1200. I just wanted to know what your thoughts are. Vintage versus newer model? USA made versus Asian/International?

Jay Metcalf says:

There aren’t any American made saxophones these days those would all be vintage. The horns made in Asia these days are quite good and for that price you can get something decent. You could also try to find a used Yamaha or Yanagisawa in that price range. Vintage instruments often need to be put back into playing shape at an additional cost.

Hope says:

I’m so glad I came upon this blog. I have some (very little) music experience. I played keyboard MANY years ago. It wasn’t really for me. I have always enjoyed listening to the saxophone. I recently decided to take the plunge and buy one for nothing other than the pleasure of playing for myself (and, maybe family and friends). I did lots of research; and, my thinking was that I certainly didn’t need to spend thousands just to play in my basement. So, I spent a whopping $290 on Amazon and when I played it I thought it sounded pretty good. Then, I started seeing lots of posts about how cheaply made the low cost ones are; and, that they are a waste of money. So, thank you for the demonstration and being honest. I look forward to learning all I can from your videos.

Jay Metcalf says:

I’m glad this helped. The saxophone world is still dealing with the shock of the existence of decent playable instruments for so little money. The community is still very old school, and it will take a while before this is accepted.

David says:

I purchased a Lade alto Sax after viewing your video and I’m just going through your beginner videos. Much is said about needing a good mouthpiece. How do you rate the one supplied with the Lade and would there be any advantage to purchase a Yamaha one for a beginner? It seems ok to me and I wouldn’t be surprised if it was a copy of the latter, but I hope you can advise.

Jay Metcalf says:

It is a copy of a Selmer C* design usually. The one that came with my Lade sax played well enough surprisingly. It is still at the very bottom end of mouthpiece quality though. If you want, you could skip the Yamaha 4C and upgrade to something else when you feel ready.

Leon deVose says:

Hey, Jay! I heard about you while reading reviews on Amazon. I appreciated your YouTube review of the Ammoon Slade soprano. I think I am going to take the plunge.

I read on another site that Merano sopranos are better built. Do you have any experience (play, test, repair, etc.) with any of the other Chinese brands that you could share?

Thanks!

Jay Metcalf says:

I have not tried the Merano soprano. I recommend folks on a budget purchase instruments from Jean Paul USA since they have solid customer service.

JB says:

Hi Mr. Jay
I go a suggestion for you. What about if you start making videos about finding out the best cheesiness alto saxophone close to the Yanagisawa’s alto in every aspect. I want to learn to play the saxophone I always wanted but I did not have the money or the support of my parents to play it. I starting to learn when I was in high school and I want to get back to it.
I have another question will be better to buy a professional sax or a beginner’s saxophone. I ask this because I want to buy the best quality sax that will last me for a life time so I don’t have to buy it twice.
I am leaning for the yanagisawa A W10 or the A W037 but they are super expensive. Do you know where I can buy them really cheap like buying it from the same yanawisawa factory?.
Thank you so much for your advise.

hi says:

hey do you have a reccomended model of alto saxophone for under 400$

HERB BUNDY says:

Jay what do you recommend for a good tenor sax

Marcy Lyzun says:

Hello Herb, we are getting ready to release the BetterSax “Classic” tenor, which is going to be in-line with our current alto in terms of quality and affordability. We’re expecting the release to be in December. You can sign up to stay up to date on notifications about its release here. Just scroll down to “interested in the BetterSax tenor?” and click on “Notify Me”.

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