New Atlantic Tenor Sax | What is it like?

Atlantic Saxophones is a brand new brand, just available in 2024.

I’ve been sent a new Atlantic Tenor Sax to test out. So together today we’re going to have a look at what these saxophones are all about. We’ll have a play, have a listen, discuss what comes in the box, and see if they’re the right saxophone for you.

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First impressions

I’m itching to start playing this Atlantic Tenor Sax, but a couple of things stand out to me right out of the gate. Check out this metal protector at the top of the saxophone. It’s not a plastic cap, it’s a metal one. That’s a nice touch. 

Also, I was looking for the neck, but there’s a little secret compartment in the bottom of the case, and that’s where your neck lives. This is perfect in a shaped case to keep your neck really safe and secure. And there’s also a space in here for a mouthpiece.  Nice. 

Look at these key guards around here. Also, I love the pearls. 

Okay, I need a mouthpiece. 

Introducing Atlantic Saxophones

So in case you’re wondering about who Atlantic Saxophones actually is, well, it’s a new British brand who are trying to do something a bit different.

It’s a British design saxophone manufactured in Taiwan, like pretty much every pro saxophone these days, apart from Selmer, I suppose.  And what’s really interesting to me is that one of the guys behind the brand is also one of the directors of sax.co, which is a huge retailer of saxophones – probably the biggest in Europe actually.

So there’s a lot of knowledge and expertise that’s behind this brand.

let’s have a play. 

Play Test

What do you think of the sound? I think it sounds beautiful.

One of the things I’m always looking for first when I’m testing out a new saxophone is if the bottom register is a sealing well. And you can hear it’s just purring out. In fact, it’s effortless to get low C, B, and B flat on this saxophone.

And the second thing I’m looking for is altissimo right to the very top. So you can hear I pretty easily got first try right up to the super altissimo, high F up there, and it all pops out really clearly. So for me, all of the altissimo and the overtones are great. It tells me that the sax is sealing really well, and I can feel that underneath my fingers as well. 

Now I love to make these saxophone review videos. I hope you like to watch them. And I appreciate your support on the channel here with a like or a subscribe.

But the reason I do them too is for our thousands of members who are learning with us inside Sax School. That’s our private membership community and we’re helping people all over the world to improve their playing.

And they’re always asking us about tips on how to choose a better saxophone. So, I want to know what’s available on the market and what might be a good buy. And I’ll tell you in a minute, actually, who I think this saxophone might be suitable for.

But if you want to check out how we’re helping people inside Sax School, there’s a 14-day trial running at the moment, which you can find here.

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The Atlantic Tenor Sax design

Now, right from when I first grabbed this saxophone out of the box, it just feels fantastic. It’s so beautiful to play. Everything feels really good underneath your fingers, and the mechanism is super smooth.

So, obviously, this is a modern saxophone, it has just been made, but it’s kind of got a vintage look to it. I love the unlacquered finish here. I’ll tell you about the finishes in a second, actually.

There’s also some really nice design touches. The engraving is beautiful all the way around the bell, and this is super sharp, hand-cut engraving too. I really like it. I think it gives it an interesting look.

Plus these wire key guards are here look very interesting too, quite retro.

But the fingering and the mechanism certainly don’t feel retro. It feels very modern and it feels very, very comfortable under your fingers. So unlike some vintage horns, the palm keys feel really good. These table keys down here feel super smooth. And the same with the right-hand little finger, so I can really easily move between all those notes. 

The finish

Now, I’m not going to pretend to know what all the differences are with the way the saxophone is built. But whatever they’re doing here, it definitely works well. And as I look around all the soldering and all that sort of stuff, it definitely looks well finished.

One thing I always like to check though on saxophones is inside the neck here. Believe it or not, even on some expensive saxophones, the solder joint in the neck can be left rough. Now that feels really good, really well finished. I’ll be honest with you, I’m finding it hard to find things I don’t like about this saxophone. 

Atlantic tenor sax: two finishes

Now I mentioned at the start that they sent me two tenors to review, and these are the actual two finishes that they do for the Duke from Atlantic Saxophones at the moment.

So we’ve got the unlacquered version here. And this one’s called Vintage Amber. What do you think of the colour of that? It’s beautiful, isn’t it?

So it’s not as bright as Yamaha Gold lacquer, but this Vintage Amber has got a lovely, dark, warm feel to it.

In terms of the way they sound and play, the mechanism is identical with both of these saxophones.

They both seal perfectly, and they both play great.

My favourite is the unlacquered though, I really love the look of this one.  And maybe for me, there’s a little bit of an extra warmth in the sound that I like too, but what do you think? Which do you like the look of best? 

What’s in the case

Now one thing I was really impressed with with this saxophone is all the stuff that comes in the box with it.

So yes, of course, you’re going to get a neck strap, but not just any old neck strap. This is an Atlantic Saxophone branded neck strap, and it’s even got the little spacer thing down the bottom here.

You get a sticker. Now, inside my case was also a T-shirt. Look at that, Atlantic Sax. Little logo on the back.  Although, they did send me a medium. Don’t they know I’m a big, muscly large? 

The mouthpiece

But I was really impressed with this. This saxophone comes bundled with a Syos mouthpiece and ligature. It’s their own Atlantic sax model and it’s in a size 7 and you also get a Silverstein Works mouthpiece cap.

These are actually pretty cool. I use these all the time. So that’s a really nice addition with a saxophone in this price range and it means you’re up and running straight away with a mouthpiece that’s going to last you without having to upgrade straight away. 

The case

Now a lot of people forget about the case. But it’s a really important thing, because, obviously, it protects your saxophone. But, if you’re a busy player, you’re going to be lugging this case around with you for years. And this is a beautiful case to be taking with you. I mean, I love the silver finish on it.

A shaped case is so much easier to live with. And this, I don’t know if it’s a BAM case, but it’s definitely got that BAM quality feel to it. The leather strap is here. I love the extra grab handle, but also inside the box were some shoulder straps that you can attach to the case as well.

So it comes with a single handle. You can also use these two hooks at the top and these two hooks at the bottom to put your shoulder straps on. And what impressed me about these shoulder straps is that they’re really secure, like proper high-quality luggage straps where you’ve got a carabiner for either end. But you’ve also got this security wire, which is great because the last thing you want is for something to come unclipped and the saxophone case to drop on the ground. So those are actually a really great idea. Look, you’ve got a little reflective strip on it. I like this a lot.

Definitely, everything about the saxophone feels really well thought out, and well made. It’s just great. It feels quality through and through, which I’m really impressed with, particularly for this price point.

The Price

So this saxophone is £3,200, which is around about $4,000 USD. So that puts it in the same price category as a few competitors, actually. It’s a similar price, maybe two or three hundred pounds cheaper than a Yamaha 62 – one of the reigning champions of the sort of lower end of the professional saxophones and I’m a massive fan of the Yamaha 62. 

Also, you could think about the Cannonball T4. What else is there? There’s the Eastman 52. There’s the Trevor James Custom RAW. I did a review of that saxophone, also the 62 actually, and you’ll find those on my channel. 

So there are a few other saxophones you could consider. But do they have as much character as this saxophone, and do you get as many extras in the case that feel like you’ve got everything that’s set up?

I think the other thing is, are you looking for something that’s a little bit different? And to me, everything about this just feels like it’s really well put together, and  feels like it should be a more expensive horn if I’m honest. 

Who are these saxophones for?

So who are these saxophones for? Well if you are upgrading from a starter saxophone and looking for a pro-quality tenor saxophone then this would be a great choice. And it’s also more affordable than going at the really high end Selmers or Yanigasawas, but you’re still getting a saxophone that plays so well. It just feels great. It will never really hold you back. 

Also, if you are coming back to saxophone or getting started with saxophone, But you want a tenor sax that’s going to last you basically forever, then this would be a great choice. And I actually think that’s quite good value for money. 

I think the other people who might be interested in this saxophone are pro players who are looking for a second horn that they take on the road with them instead of their precious Mark VI.

And believe me, loads of people do that. I had a great conversation with Andy Snitzer who tours with Paul Simon and the Rolling Stones and Billy Joel and all these sorts of people. And he has a Trevor James, actually, that he takes on the road with him. Because he’s actually got Michael Brecker’s Mark VI, but he leaves it at home.

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Final thoughts

I think the only thing I’m sad about with this saxophone is that I’m going to have to send them back. I really, really love it. So, I hope that’s been useful to you, and it’s given you some ideas of what That’s what the Atlantic Saxophone is all about.

If you enjoyed this, though, let me know because I’d love to know your feedback on it, too. Maybe you’ve played one of these and you’ve got some opinions on it. I’d love to know.

And of course, if you want to go and check out what we’re doing at Sax School and how our lessons amazing tutor support and incredible worldwide community can help you play better, then grab that 14-day trial.

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