Session Tenor Saxophone – Matte Dark Gold
One of the first people to play the Session tenor was Eric Alexander. He’s now switched over to it as his main saxophone for all performances and recordings. His horn is stock, with no special neck, and nobody hand-picked it for him.
In Eric’s words, “This is the best saxophone I have ever played.”
Eric’s gorgeous tone comes through even better on his Session. The keywork feels like a great vintage horn that’s been broken in over decades, and every spring is set with a force gauge, so every horn feels the same. The high end is clear and open, the low end is rich and deeply resonant, and the intonation is spot on throughout the range.
And we set up every Session tenor twice by hand, with a two-week rest in between, so it’s ready to make beautiful music on day one.
Designed for Saxophonists, By Saxophonists
At BetterSax, we’re saxophonists first. The Session Tenor is the result of years of development by a small team of working players in Indiana and France, with one goal: build the best tenor saxophone in production today. There are no shortcuts and no cost-cutting measures anywhere on this horn. Its price is a deliberate choice, not a compromise. Our mission is to create the highest quality saxophone gear and help musicians of all levels reach their full potential, and pricing the Session Tenor where we did is part of that mission.
We didn’t do it alone. World-class artists, including Eric Alexander played prototypes as the design took shape and gave us feedback at every stage. Today Eric plays a Session Tenor exclusively, completely stock, with no modifications. His horn is the same instrument that ships to every player.
“This is the best saxophone I’ve ever played.”-Eric Alexander
What Sets the Session Tenor Apart
Tone & Bore:
The Session Tenor is built around a French taper bore that follows the French school of saxophone acoustic design. The result is a warm, powerful, focused sound that speaks quickly and stays in tune across every register.
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- Drawn, two-stage leveled tone holes: Each tone hole is drawn, then leveled in two stages with dedicated tooling, so every pad seals precisely.
- A newly designed neck: The neck has its own bore taper and a tone ring, voiced to match the body and balance intonation, tone, and response.
- Internally tapered tenon: Eliminates the usual gap at the neck receiver for a smooth, continuous bore and even airflow.
- Brass where it matters: Lighter-gauge brass through the neck and body keeps the horn free-blowing and responsive. Heavier-gauge brass at the bow and bell adds durability and fills out the low end.
Construction:
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- Mini-rib construction: Key posts that need to stay aligned are mounted on shared plates. The mechanism stays stable for the long haul, while the body tube stays free to resonate.
- Ringless bow-to-bell joint: In place of a traditional clamping ring, the joint is precision-machined and soldered. Less vibrating mass means better response and a quieter, more stable low register.
- Brass rim wire: Reinforces the bell and adds projection.
- Hand-hammered bell: Each bell is formed and hammered by hand.
- Nickel-silver neckstrap ring: A thicker, stronger nickel-silver ring gives any neck strap a secure connection and resists the wear from neckstrap hooks that can wear through a ring over time.
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Keywork:
We designed the action to feel like a beautifully maintained vintage horn: light, fast, quiet, and even.
- Cold-forged keywork: The keys are cold-forged for strength, reliability, and durability through years of daily playing.
- Spring-loaded bushings: They take up side-to-side play inside the mechanism, so keys stay free of clatter and the action stays tight for years, with fewer trips to the repair shop.
- Pisoni blue steel springs: Each spring is set with a force gauge for light, even action across the whole horn.
- Pisoni Pro pads with metal resonators: Added projection and longevity.
- Built to fit your hands: Genuine mother-of-pearl key touches, modern palm key placement, a well-placed front F, and an adjustable investment-cast thumb rest suit small and large hands alike through long practice sessions, gigs, and studio work.
- Underslung octave key: keeps the octave key off the top of the neck and out of the way of your hand. It is one of the most commonly bent parts on a saxophone, and this is a simple way to stop bending it.
Setup: Twice by Hand
Every Session Tenor is set up twice. Our long-time, specially trained artisan team assembles and adjusts each horn by hand. It then rests for a minimum of two weeks, giving the newly shaped brass time to relax into its new form and the pads, corks, and springs time to settle. After that rest, each horn gets a complete second inspection and adjustment before it goes into its case.
That extra step is why your Session Tenor arrives settled, sealed, and ready to play.
Finishes and Engraving:
Choose from three finishes:
- Matte Black
- Matte Dark Gold
- Gold Lacquer
Whichever finish you choose, every Session Tenor is hand-engraved with an intricate pattern designed in-house by BetterSax’s Marcy Lyzun.
Case and Mouthpiece:
- Professional backpack case. Padded backpack straps, a molded memory-foam interior that is enclosed in a durable corrugated plastic shell to support and protect the horn, then tightly wrapped in a durable ballistic-nylon exterior, a large outer pocket plus additional accessory storage, and a rain cover for travel in any weather.
- BetterSax Session Tenor mouthpiece. A hard rubber tenor mouthpiece made to our specification, based on our favorite vintage tenor mouthpiece. Genuinely vulcanized rubber, molded around a core, which is the only way to get a chamber shape a CNC machine cannot reach. Then CNC finished for consistency, because the historical problem with vintage hard rubber is that no two pieces are alike. Then hand finished to a standard you do not normally see in serial production at any price.
| Weight | 5 kg |
|---|---|
| Dimensions | 36 × 26 × 70 cm |
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Key Features
- Tone and Bore: The Session Tenor is built around a French taper bore that follows the French school of saxophone acoustic design. The result is a warm, powerful, focused sound that speaks quickly and stays in tune across every register.
- A Newly Designed Neck: The neck has its own bore taper and a tone ring, voiced to match the body and balance intonation, tone, and response. An internally tapered tenon eliminates the usual gap at the neck receiver for a smooth, continuous bore and even airflow.
- Pisoni Pro Pads with Metal Resonators: Added projection and longevity.
- Mini-Rib Construction: Key posts that need to stay aligned are mounted on shared plates. The mechanism stays stable for the long haul, while the body tube stays free to resonate.
- Built to Fit Your Hands: Genuine mother-of-pearl key touches, modern palm key placement, a well-placed front F, and an adjustable investment-cast thumb rest suit small and large hands alike through long practice sessions, gigs, and studio work.
- Cold-Forged Keywork and Nickel-Silver Neckstrap Ring: The keys are cold-forged for strength, reliability, and durability through years of daily playing. A thicker, stronger nickel-silver ring gives any neck strap a secure connection and resists wear from neckstrap hooks.
- Pisoni Blue Steel Springs: Each spring is set with a force gauge for light, even action across the whole horn.
- Custom Engraving: Whichever finish you choose, every Session Tenor is hand-engraved with an intricate pattern designed in-house by BetterSax's Marcy Lyzun.
- Finishes: Choose from three finishes: Matte Black, Matte Dark Gold, and Gold Lacquer.
- BetterSax Session Tenor Mouthpiece: A hard rubber tenor mouthpiece made to our specification, based on our favorite vintage tenor mouthpiece. It's vulcanized, CNC finished for consistency, then hand finished.
- High F# Key and Brass Rim Wire: The horn includes a high F# key. Brass rim wire reinforces the bell and adds projection.
- Professional Backpack Case: Padded backpack straps, a molded memory-foam interior in a durable corrugated plastic shell, a ballistic-nylon exterior, a large outer pocket plus accessory storage, and a rain cover.
- Drawn, Two-Stage Leveled Tone Holes: Each tone hole is drawn, then leveled in two stages with dedicated tooling, so every pad seals precisely.
- Ringless Bow-to-Bell Joint: In place of a traditional clamping ring, the joint is precision-machined and soldered. Less vibrating mass means better response and a quieter, more stable low register.
- Hand-Hammered Bell: Each bell is formed and hammered by hand.
- Spring-Loaded Bushings: They take up side-to-side play inside the mechanism, so keys stay free of clatter and the action stays tight for years, with fewer trips to the repair shop.
- Underslung Octave Key: Keeps the octave key off the top of the neck and out of the way of your hand. It is one of the most commonly bent parts on a saxophone, and this is a simple way to stop bending it.
- Setup: Twice, by Hand: Every Session Tenor is set up twice. It then rests for a minimum of two weeks. After that rest, each horn gets a complete second inspection and adjustment before it goes into its case.
Frequently Asked Questions
BetterSax saxophones are available at Sweetwater or Amazon in the US, in the EU at Thomann Music, and in the UK at Sax.co.uk.
Yes, BetterSax saxophones, including the Session Alto, are available for international shipping through Thomann Music, Sax.co.uk. and Twigg Musique in Canada.
The P65 sticker refers to something called Proposition 65. This was enacted in 1986, the California Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act, commonly known as Proposition 65, requires businesses to notify consumers about potential chemical risks.
Proposition 65 applies to any products that may be sold in or brought into the state of California. It requires the California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) to maintain and annually update a list of chemicals known to cause cancer, birth defects, or reproductive harm. This list includes a variety of substances found in everyday items, from food additives to dyes, solvents and pesticides, with the goal of keeping consumers informed about their exposure to these chemicals.
If a product contains or is made using any of these listed chemicals, businesses must provide a warning. Manufacturers are responsible for notifying consumers through labels or inserts. You can find more details here.
Yes, BetterSax Classic saxophones come with a 2 year manufacturers warranty.
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