If you want to play the saxophone, you need a good instrument, but maybe you can’t justify spending thousands of dollars on something you might quit next week.
Here’s Whether Eastar is a Good Saxophone Brand:
Eastar is a good saxophone brand for beginners who don’t have much money to spend. You can get a decent sound out of the saxophone and make sure you enjoy playing music, but you should upgrade to something better as soon as you can afford it.
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Are Eastar Saxophones Considered High Quality?
Unfortunately, Eastar saxophones aren’t very high quality.
The brand is one of many cheap musical instrument brands you’ll find online but not in most reputable music stores.
Of course, Eastar claims to produce high-quality saxophones. However, most musicians will tell you that the brand isn’t worth buying or playing unless necessary.
Many other brands are of better quality. Some of them, especially on the used market, aren’t that much more expensive than Eastar.
Does Eastar Make Good Intermediate and Professional Instruments?
Some product listings for Eastar saxophones include “professional,” but that doesn’t mean they are.
Even the “pro” models are too cheap to be well-advanced instruments.
Most professional saxophones from better brands, such as Yamaha, start at three to four times the cost of an Eastar. The reason for that has to do with the materials and manufacturing process.
Eastar and other cheap brands have to cut some corners to make their instruments. While that may be okay for a student model, it’s inexcusable at the professional and intermediate levels.
If you’re looking for an advanced saxophone, you shouldn’t buy an Eastar.
The sax might play, but it’s probably not going to get you to a higher level of playing.
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Do Eastar Saxophones Sound Good for Their Price?
Now, the one area where Eastar saxophone shine is the fact that they’re quite affordable.
If you buy one, you can get a decent sound for the cost.
The sound can be good for beginners and other casual players who aren’t looking to sound like Charlie Parker. However, you’ll probably want to get a better tone.
Like many other cheap saxophones, Eastar models can make it difficult to sound super good.
Still, when you compare the price tag to a more expensive model, the sound is better than you might expect.
Do Music Schools and Teachers Use Eastar Instruments?
Most music schools and teachers don’t use Eastar instruments.
The teachers are most likely at a professional level, so they probably have an instrument from a professional brand, like Selmer.
Music schools also most likely won’t use instruments from Eastar. Students will also have professional or intermediate models from better brands at the collegiate level.
And when the school buys instruments to loan to students, they’ll also probably buy more advanced models.
That way, the students can get the best sound possible in school.
However, there may be some exceptions to this rule. If a music teacher can’t get school funding, they might use their own money to buy instruments to lend to students, and Eastar is a cost-effective option.
Where Are Eastar Saxophones Made?
Sadly, I couldn’t find a concrete answer regarding where Eastar makes its saxophones.
The brand website mentions their US, UK, Canada, Germany, and Australia warehouses.
The company says its warehouses store products “coming fresh out of our factory.” They may have factories close to their warehouses.
However, I’d guess that they most likely produce their instruments in China, like other cheap instrument brands.
The cost to manufacture instruments is cheaper overseas, allowing them to keep the purchase price down for customers.
Does the Eastar Brand Endorse Any Professional Players?
The Eastar brand doesn’t appear to endorse any professional players.
In many cases, a brand endorsement is a two-way agreement between the brand and the performer.
Because of its bad reputation, an endorsement from Eastar would be a big embarrassment for most professionals. So the brand might try to work with players, but professionals will probably decline.
The Eastar website doesn’t mention artists or other players they work with. It makes sense considering the brand is primarily for beginners.
Even if a professional recommended Eastar to a student, the professional wouldn’t play the brand.
So why would they want an endorsement from a company they don’t use?
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Do Any Famous Saxophone Players Play Eastar Instruments?
It’s unlikely that famous saxophone players own and play an Eastar instrument.
As mentioned, the brand doesn’t make the best models, and famous players need the best.
However, some famous players may have played an Eastar instrument.
They may not play an Eastar as their main horn, but the brand is good as a backup when the main horn needs repairs or while traveling (but not needing a good sax).
Similarly, maybe a saxophone player wants to learn other instruments. If they don’t want to spend a ton of money, they could use Eastar to see if they like the trumpet, clarinet, or something else.
What Types of Saxophones Does Eastar Make?
Eastar makes multiple alto saxophone models with different types of lacquer and supposedly at different levels.
The company also makes a soprano saxophone and a tenor saxophone.
You can purchase the soprano saxophone through the Eastar website. Meanwhile, the tenor sax is only available through third-party sites like Amazon.
If you’re looking for an alto sax from the brand, it’s available from Eastar and other retailers.
Of course, the stock can vary, so be sure to shop around if you want to try a saxophone from this company.
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How Does Eastar Compare to Other Brands?
Eastar is one of the cheapest saxophone brands online, but it’s not the cheapest.
Unfortunately, the price does affect the quality, so it’s far from the best brand.
It’s probably similar to other cheap makers, such as Glory and Mendini. You can’t compare it to Yamaha or Selmer since the brands cost significantly more.
But if you have to compare them, Eastar is quite a bit worse than the reputable brands.
It fills a void for people with small budgets, but it’s not ideal for serious players.
Are Eastar Saxophones All Bad?
Eastar saxophones are near the bottom of the list of saxophones by quality.
However, they do have a purpose for beginners and students on a budget.
Saxophones from reputable brands, such as Yamaha and Selmer, cost thousands of dollars.
If you want to try the sax, it can be hard to justify spending that much money on something you aren’t sure you’ll stick with.
On the other hand, you might not have access to a rent-to-own program through a music store. In that case, you can spend a bit of money on an Eastar saxophone.
You can try it out for a few months or a year to ensure you like the instrument.
Then, you can save up for something better and know that you’ll get good use out of it.
Who Should Play an Eastar Saxophone?
The only people that should play an Eastar saxophone are the people for who it’s the only option.
A reputable brand, like Yamaha, makes a much better beginner sax.
However, the brand can be very expensive unless you find a used one for sale. If you live in a major city, you also probably have access to a rental program through a music store.
But not everyone has that option, or the store might not have any more saxophones to rent out. In either case, you might want to try an Eastar saxophone, at least for now.
Once you learn the fundamentals, though, it will most likely be time to upgrade.
That way, you can get the best possible sound and enjoy learning and improving your skills.
How Long Will an Eastar Saxophone Last?
Since it’s a pretty cheap brand, most Eastar saxophones won’t last as long as other brands.
However, you should be able to get up to two years of use, if not more.
The Eastar brand offers a two-year warranty on all of their saxophones. So if your saxophone breaks in that time, you should be able to replace it, as long as the damage is due to normal use.
Like any other brand, though, the lifespan of your saxophone depends on you. If you take good care of your saxophone, swab it out after playing, and don’t knock it against anything, it should last for a while.
But it will probably break sooner if you never swab out the inside and you’re careless with where you leave the sax.
Then, you may need to replace the instrument.
Can You Repair an Eastar Saxophone?
As a player, you shouldn’t repair any saxophone yourself, Eastar or otherwise.
Instead, you should take your saxophone to a repair technician, but that’s not always an option with cheap brands.
For one, some technicians refuse to work on cheap instruments. It’s not worth their time or your money because the repairs can easily cost more than the value of the saxophone.
However, some cheap saxophones use parts that are a different size from the same parts on reputable brands.
That means the technician would need to place a special order, which can repair take longer and cost even more.
In most cases, repairing an Eastar saxophone isn’t worth it. You’re better off putting the money you’d spend on repairs toward purchasing a better saxophone.
Final Thoughts
Eastar might not be the worst saxophone brand in the world, but it’s far from the best. It’s a cheap brand that does make it easier for more people to play the instrument.
However, you shouldn’t plan on playing one throughout your saxophone career. As soon as you realize you like the sax, start saving up for an upgrade to a Yamaha or Selmer.