Musicians are special people…..and when it comes to picking out an instrument……the process can become downright painful. Some musicians covet the classic instruments of old, the horn that was touted to have been played by that one particular player in that one particular orchestra. Or the saxophone that cut through all of the big band sections that created that special sound.

Picking an instrument is very subjective. Beginners need functional, reliable instruments. Educators have their opinions of which instrument is best for the students. Most of the time they can be reliable in their recommendations provided they are up on the latest offerings from manufactures.

Collegiate students are usually steered by their instructors as to what instrument they should be using. Sometimes this choice is steered by the integrity of the instrument and the instructors beliefs, sometimes it’s steered by how much the manufacturer is helping the instructor steer the student. You can read that however you chose.

Professionals usually know what they want in a sound. Professionals don’t always know how to get the sound they want!

The choices today in the market of new instruments are vast. But as the saying goes, they don’t make them like they used too is very true in this industry. We’ll look at older instruments, their characteristics, their charm, their faults and why you should consider new or used.