Soprano Sax Price?

Question

How much does the average Soprano Saxophone cost?

Answer 1

For a good name brand one....   $2250.00 to $3500.00  You can find them less if you buy used and even much less than that if you buy the cheap China made ones.

Answer 2

I know that you asked about a sopranissimo sax- and yes, it takes the pros months to learn to play this because it is such a foul little beast.  I realize now that you probably meant soprano.  You also mentioned in another question that you were fairly new to the sax... I would advise you to get it under your belt a little better before you move to a soprano sax.

The soprano is also tempermental, and it is insanely hard to play in tune and with a good tone... even with clarinet AND sax experience, it is a pain in the butt and takes some time to play it well.  In college, I knew saxophone performance guys that were working on their senior recitals and STILL having problems with the stupid thing! LOL

However- to answer your question, I have seen soprano saxes go from anywhere between $200 (some no-name brand) and $7500 (Yanagisawa).  You can find a decent student model from Jupiter for around $1300, or a Kielwerth for $1250... but for sopranos, I don't recommend buying a student model.  They are already hard enough to play, and having a quality horn takes a lot of the work off your hands so you can concentrate on things like technique.

I don't think that you have to spend gobs of money for a great, professional horn, but it should be a big name brand, something recognizable and with a good reputation... Selmer, Yamaha, Yanagisawa... unfortunatly, you end up paying for the brand.  I think a good price for any of these brands would be around $3500+/-, but pay less for an inferior sax, and you will hear the difference (so will your audience!).

I would definitly try to find a used one at your local music shop... a soprano is not something I recommend buying off the internet unless there is a warranty and guaranteed return policy (wwbw.com is great for this).  But you should always try before you buy.  You may also try searching pawn shops, but be aware that some of those guys DO know their instruments and will charge you what they're worth, and it may be in need of some repairs.

And please let me say this: I am not trying to dissuade you or crush your dream for the soprano (or sopranissimo!) sax... you may end up out-playing me and getting more gigs than I do- and soon!  But I highly advise that you wait another year until you try to tackle the soprano as it is a totally different animal.  It may have "sax" in the name, it may have the same fingerings as another sax, but it really is an instrument all to itself.

Good luck in your search, and I wish you luck in all your musical endeavors!