Best Wind & Woodwind Instruments

1 Yamaha YRS-23Y Soprano Recorder, Natural

Score: 97 / 100

Average Price: $7.49

They offer an ideal amount of air resistance for easy control, and feature an accuracy of intonation you would expect to find only one more expensive models. Ideal amount of air resistance for easy control and accurate intonation.

Reviews

"Pros: * Multiple joints that slide well, easy to tune and adjust pinky holes. * Sounds just like I remember from 20 years ago. * I learned how to play the Harry Potter song and I can reliably get 70-80% of the notes correct. Cons: * My roommates have it made it clear that they don't think learning recorder is something a grown man should be doing."

"he had to buy it for his music class at school - guess what - they never taught him a damn thing on it so all i got was a loud whistle blowing around my house while i'm on the phone or watching tv."

"It's literally a fast way into reading music and understanding how to play with finesse and breath control."

"Bought this and a $5 Yamaha plastic recorder for our toddler to play with. •• Yamaha YRS-20BG 3 Piece Soprano Recorder ••. The recorder is very study, almost unbreakable. I do no think it can stand up to the abuse of a toddler using it so we're not letting our son play with it."

"I consider this to be a great starting recorder, especially given the price and the quality."

"Although I haven't tried throwing it at the ground, it has fallen a few times (I use it to introduce my baby to musical instruments and she loves making noise on it, though she's too young to do too much more than that right now)."

"The Recorder is such a simple instrument to play, it should be in every home and treated with as much respect as any other instrument."

"The only con I have is that one of the holes is off a bit which seems odd, I don't know if recorders are supposed to have that but it's a little weird, but besides that it's awesome and great for anyone to learn to play songs and annoy your neighbors!"

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2 Mendini by Cecilio MAS-L+92D+PB Gold Lacquer E Flat Alto Saxophone with Tuner, Case, Mouthpiece, 10 Reeds and More

Score: 85 / 100

Average Price: $229.99

Every saxophone is play tested at Cecilio's factory and re-tested at their Los Angeles distribution center to ensure that their high quality standards are met. Package includes: a plush lined nylon covered hard case with backpack strap and zippered pocket, a neck strap, a mouthpiece with reed and cap, a box of 10 reeds (size 2.5"), a polishing cloth, cleaning rod, and a pair of white gloves to keep your instruments spot free when being played. Gold lacquered body and keys Eb with high F# key alto sax.

Reviews

"I am an older jazz saxophonist and I find variation of the reed and mouthpiece necessary to test different sound qualities. A lot of the great sax players were dirt poor when they started, and these low cost instruments may be all the future musicians have initially. They all are manufactured from a similar/identical CAD design based on a high end Selmer Paris (built with lower quality materials). The key springs were more stiff and the sound less bright than my higher end Antigua pro, but that may be due to the newness of sax."

"This Mendini Alto Saxophone MAS will be a great backup saxophone and settles my curiosity. I disagree with the above review telling you not to buy a Mendini Saxophone. As far as buying a so called old good student name brand saxophone, they usually are junk by now, so derelict as to need a very expensive repair. Mendini is a good buy for what you get. You could put a Mendini Saxophone on a table alongside a name brand of the big four brands and not be able to tell the difference. The tone of the Mendini Saxophone is good with the right mouthpiece and reed. Engravings on bell and bow are simple compared to expensive instruments, but the engravings on the Mendini saxophone are really a nice accent. Mendini sax bell thickness behind the lip about 6 o`clock position is .024, neck socket thk..057. Yamaha YAS 61 bell thickness same approximate location as the Mendini sax, Yamaha YAS 61 bell thickness is .020 neck socket thickness .049. I tried five mouthpieces on the Mendini Alto Saxophone MAS, The one supplied with the Mendini is long shank and the Mendini saxophone neck cork is fitted for this mouthpiece, and it fits like a glove. I will have fun experimenting making a spoiler or baffle out of stainless steel with a little bend at the end near the chamber for this mouthpiece, to see if I can get a louder and brighter sound as I have done for my Selmer S-80 C** mouthpiece for my C-melody saxophone. The Mendini Mouthpiece works. If you don`t want to experiment with modifying the Mendini mouthpiece with a removable baffle or metal spoiler, then get a E. Rousseau jazz mouthpiece for about $69.99 or a Rico Metalite M5 for $20.00 to $30.00 it will make this Mendini sing, and also work on your embouchure as well. All in all a Mendini Alto Saxophone is a good horn. Mendini Alto Saxophone has reasonably good intonation as checked with the tuner. There you go, you can buy four of these saxes for the price of a big brand name student sax, and have a saxophone that took it`s design from a professional model after it`s patent had expired. You`re getting pretty much of a professional saxophone copy of an older model that was very good, and a lot cheaper with new pads and springs. You should be okay with the Mendini Alto Saxophone."

"I know nothing about musical instruments but I do know if you buy something that cost over $200 it should hold up for more than 2 months, it would have been nice to last at least the school year before having to fix it."

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3 Yamaha YRS-20 3 Piece Soprano Recorder, Pink

Score: 83 / 100

Average Price: $4.90

Players of all levels will enjoy the precise, uniform intonation of the 20 series recorders. Key of C. Double holes; C-C#, D-D#.