The BetterSax Classic - Baritone Saxophone

A fantastic baritone - affordable, stylish and with a full-bodied tone that you will love!

The BetterSax Classic Baritone follows the same mantra as the alto and tenor models, offering quality in all departments while being affordable at the same time.  Many student baritones can have a slightly lacklustre tone and inconsistency through the range, but the BetterSax Classic has none of that.  The Japanese-style bore design helps to bring about a tone that is rich, sophisticated and even through the range.  Intonation is stable and consistent from the low A to the top F#.  The keywork has been designed with great ergonomics in mind; the low A key is slender and easy to manipulate, the table key cluster is small and set close to the Left-hand main stack, the low Eb/C is similarly accessible in relation to the Right-hand stack.  The overall key action is light, and close to the body, allowing the player to freely manoeuvre around the instrument with ease.

For a high-end student instrument, the BetterSax Classic does very well in the looks department.  The lacquer has a deep lustre and depth that is immediately appealing.  Regarding build quality and componentry, again there is attention to detail.  Pisoni Leather pads with metal domed resonators offer a good seal between pad and tone-hole, corks and felts are premium-grade, blue steel springs ensure an even key action, and the overall mechanism is sturdy and fluid in operation.

Another great aspect to this baritone is the inclusion of the BetterSax Classic mouthpiece - a full-bodied and responsive beginner's mouthpiece that out-performs most 'stock' mouthpieces that come with many instruments.  These are made in the Babbit factory in the USA, famous for the production of the classic American Links and Meyers.  The pairing of this mouthpiece with this sax gives the player a free-blowing, rich and vintagy tone - a great way to start out if you're new to the baritone!

Besides the mouthpiece, the sax comes with an accessories package that includes a ligature, cap, neck strap, cork grease and polishing cloth.

FEATURES

• Material: Brass

• Finish: Cognac-tinted lacquer

• Key Touches: Simulated Mother of Pearl

• Neck: Better Sax design!

• Engraving: Classic-style, vintage theme

• Case: Stylish rsoft-shell rectangular case with wheels - ample accessories/sheet music storage - with back-pack straps

• Mouthpiece: BetterSax Classic

• Made in: China. 

• Free Professional Set Up & Free Check over within a Year

• Recommended for: Students, Intermediate players, or pros looking for a backup horn.

Review

As I write this, I'm hot off the heels of doing a video review for the Classic baritone and have a strong overall enthusiasm for this entry into the market. Given its price point - not too cheap, but certainly not in the realm of the pro horns, I believe it offers a lot.  I believe a great many players look to take up the bari because they are curious about the experience of playing such an instrument, or they are looking to play it in some kind of band, perhaps in conjunction with alto or tenor.  For this, it's not always necessary to break the bank and go for those high-end instruments.  It's true that on a Yani or Yamaha you will notice an extra notch of power and projection and refinement in mechanism, but again the law of diminishing returns applies - you can spend half (or less) the money and get a baritone that has an extremely mature, and in my view, vintage-sounding tone.  The BetterSax Classic is also highly playable - the mechanism is solid and the keywork is comfortable with a great action.

Given the success of the alto and tenors, and the trust the sax community holds in Jay Metcalf and the BetterSax products, I can see this baritone being an extremely popular addition to the range.

Jim Cheek