Saxophone Accessories List - What You Need to Have
This essential gear guide focuses on what you need to play the saxophone, including recommended brands, budget options, and more. While there is plenty of cool saxophone gear out there, we'll stick to the core essentials that will set you up for success.
Checklists:
Essential Equipment
These supplies are needed in order to start playing the saxophone (click each for detailed recommendations):
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Mouthpiece (plastic or hard rubber)
Get a walk-through of each of these supplies in our YouTube video below.
Disclaimer: Some links below are affiliate links, meaning we may earn a commission on those purchases. This will NEVER influence the recommendations that we give students but does help support the Play platform when purchased through this link.
Saxophone Buying Guide - Models, Brands, and More
Here are our recommendations on saxophones, primarily focused on alto and tenor saxophone options (learn more here on which saxophone to start on (alto or tenor, or other saxophones).
Best Bang for Your Buck (The best new saxophone for the price- starts at $749)
Jean Paul AS-400 (student model) - Starts at $749
Jean Paul saxophones have earned a reputation for great value for the price. You can currently expect to pay $599 for an alto, which is much cheaper than a new saxophone from our other reputable brands listed below. These are solid beginner horns.
Best Premium Brand Student Model (currently starts at around $1,349 for alto)
Yamaha 280 (student model)
The reason we recommend this Yamaha horn (instead of the Yamaha 26) is that it has a high F# key, which means you be less likely to feel like you've outgrown this saxophone as you get better. Although this is a student/intermediate level horn, you could choose to play this through a long-term gigging or semi-pro career if you wanted. to.
Buy Used
A great name brand saxophone at a lower price point
The reason that my other saxophone recommendations are student models simply comes down to the more approachable price point. But even if you're brand new to the saxophone, you don't need to limit yourself to student models only. Buying used allows you to explore other models of saxophones within a similar price point to new student models.
For buying used, I recommed shopping Getasax's inventory. The product descriptions will tell you if more repairs are needed (such as a repad for old pads, or an overhaul). Reach out to their team with any questions and they'll definitely help you out!
If you buy something used locally, be sure to ask about the key pad health and get any information on recent overhauls that might have been completed (you may have to have repairs or even a full overhaul done).
Renting a Saxophone
Many local music stores offer instrument rental. We recommend calling different music stores in your area to ask if they offer saxophone rentals and to get pricing information.
Cost:
Based on our research, you could expect to pay around $50/month for a saxophone rental.
Recommended Mouthpieces
While there are many, many mouthpieces on the market to try, let’s just start with the basics. Beginners should start on a plastic or hard rubber mouthpiece, not metal or any other material. (By the way, a hard rubber mouthpiece will look and feel very similar to plastic).
Although we recommend beginners start on alto or tenor saxophone, some students may have inherited a soprano or baritone, so we've included recommendations for that as well.
First Choice: The Mouthpiece that Came With Your Saxophone
If a mouthpiece came with your saxophone (and is made of a plastic-like material), then that is most likely good enough to start with and you won't have to spend any additional money.
Baritone Saxophone: Yamaha 5C Mouthpieces
If you're one of the few beginning on baritone saxophone, you would be more likely to find Yamaha's 5C model for Baritone instead of the 4C, and that will work.
Reeds
The reed recommendations below are tailored to pair well with the mouthpiece recommendations above (classical mouthpieces).
A note about reed sizing: Unfortunately there isn't a sure-fire way to know what reed size you should start on. I've provided some suggested starting points below, but ultimately you'll rely on how it feels to know if it's the right size. If it feels too easy and feels like you're "blowing the speakers out" or you're getting a lot of cracked notes, try sizing up. If it's really difficult to play or you feel like you have to bite or pinch to get a sound, then try sizing down. In addition, as you continue to play, you'll size up.
Cane Reeds - Vandoren Tradtional (Blue Box)
Cane reeds (a wood-like texture) are the traditional option for saxophone reeds. Sizing: As a general starting point, kids 10 and under could start on a 1.5, kids over 10 could try size 2.
Adult beginners can try 2 as a starting point. Many of my beginner students are ready to upgrade to a 2.5 after a couple of months, so really tune in to how it feels.
Plastic Reeds - Legere Signature
Plastic reeds may not have as warm of a sound as traditional cane reeds (in my opinion) but offer better handling in dry environments or outdoors, and offer a bit more durability. They are also lower maintenance than a cane reed. Sizing: If you already know what reed size works best for you in cane reeds, use this size conversion chart to find your Legere size. If this is your first reed or you're not sure what size to get, adult beginners should start on 2.25 and kids should start on a 2.
Humidity Control and Reed Storage (Optional, for use with our DIY reed storage kit)
When using cane reeds, you will need to pay attention to how they're stored in order to manage the effect that humidity has on their playability. I recommend purchasing one of these inexpensive reed vitalizer / humidity control packs and making your own DIY reed storage box as outlined here.
Ligature
Your saxophone likely came with a ligature (which holds the reed to the mouthpiece), so you probably won't need to buy one. But if you do, you can keep it simple and inexpensive. A "fancier" ligature won't make a noticeable impact on your tone and playing experience at this stage in the game.
Basic Yamaha Ligature
This will serve your purposes just fine. Getting a more expensive ligature is not going to have a noticeable impact on your tone and playing at this stage. For advanced players, my favorite ligature is the Vandoren M/O ligature.
Note: If you've previously visited my Gear Guide, you saw my old recommendation of the D'Addario H ligature - this is still perfectly fine, however I've been preferring other ligatures lately and changed my recommendation for beginners to something more simple.
Buy a ligature WITH the cap.
Neck Strap
Our only rule on neck straps is that they do not stretch. With a stretchy neck strap (like those made of neoprene), the saxophone will move and “bounce” while playing, which may hold you back a bit in your playing.
Harness
A harness helps to take the weight off your neck and distribute evenly. Because the weight is being distributed differently, I have found that a padded harness isn't necessary, so you can save a few dollars by getting a more basic model.
Note: They make different versions for men and women, so be sure to select the option you want. They also make a kids size.
Build Your Own Maintenance Kit
Your saxophone may come with some of these items, but probably not all of them. Maintenance and cleaning is highly important and cost-saving, and will primarily keep your key pads in good condition (the leather or leather-like circular pad under each key). These can be expensive to replace and can cause a lot of frustration, so keep them clean!
This kit will cost about $40-$80 to build depending on what you already have.
Required: Cleaning Swab
This is a poofy piece of cleaning cloth attached to a weighted ribbon. Lesson 4 of our Saxophone Fundamentals Class shows you how to use this.
Required: End Cap (if not included with your saxophone)
This is included with almost all saxophones, but if not, you'll need to buy one. It protects the octave key post when your saxophone is in the case (place the end cap in the end of the saxophone before you put it away).
At this time, the Key Leaves Gap Cap is our recommended product, as this will have the most universal and safe fit (and vents air for better key pad health).