My first soprano sax ???

I played the clarinet... pretty well (i think) for years and then just stopped about 5 years ago.

I've suddenly found the motivation again but this time i really want to give the soprano a go.

I have absolutely no idea where to start with buying a soprano sax. What are your reccomendations for a sax in the region of £500 ??

Have you tried ebay?

Copper is right that you can find some good deals on eBay. One word of caution though; make sure you're buying from a reputable seller or a music store on eBay that guarantees the instrument. It would be a drag to buy a used instrument at a good price only to discover that it needs several hundred dollars of repair work to make it playable. If you are purchasing from an individual, they may have a beautiful instrument and not even know it's in need of a pad job.

My main suggestion to you, however, is to learn to play alto first. You'll most likely find the alto embouchure easier at first helping with pitch and control issues. Another advantage is that you can rent an alto while you learn the instrument, making you a more knowledgeable buyer later on.

Either way-soprano or alto, good luck.

Randy
jazz books www.randyhunterjazz.com

maryanneparnell, hopefully you'll take randyhunter's advise seriously (if you'll read this). it's all a matter of the soul. if the soul isn't involved no matter what instrument you play: it won't sound good

buy a pro model if you get a soprano, the beginner models are just not worth the trouble because they sound awful