New to playing the sax?

Have you got a hankering to play the sax? fancy yourself as the next Stan Getz? whats stopping you then? Ah you don't have a horn to call your own. So what options are open to you then. Well, you can either buy, borrow or rent one.

Buying can be risky as you don't know what is a good saxophone or a bad one and you could end up spending a fortune on a heap of junk.

Renting is less of a risk as you pay rent each month and this will normally cover servicing costs too. Some shops will only let you rent for a specific peiod and then expect you to buy the sax. Others will let you rent and if you decide to buy, then they will allow some of the rental money against the purchase price. Be aware that this is not always a good option as the purchase price can be inflated. You may be better off checking other shops for the same horn and just accepting the rental money gave you the chance to decide if the sax is right for you .

If are thinking of playing the soprano saxophone, you may find it difficult to rent one as they are seen as specialist instruments or you pay extra for the privilege.

I normally recommend a shop based in Taunton, called John Packer (www.johnpacker.co.uk) as their rental costs are very reasonable and they allow up to six months rental against the purchase price. They also rent Sopranos too and they are happy to deliver the instrument to your home.

It is worth doing your research before you make any commitment before signing an agreement.

Borrowing one can be useful as it is free, however the sax may have been under the bed for a few years or been played constantly for ages on rock gigs. Well like most things that have been heavily used or in storage, it may need a service for it to work properly. You, as a novice, would probably not know there was anything wrong with the instrument and feel that the reason it is making funny sounds is your fault. It would be worth getting a technician to give it the once over, and this is a nice way to say thank you for being lent the sax.