Brass & Woodwind Buying Guide

Why Baritone Saxophones Command Such a Premium Over Alto and Tenor

V Rated by Vincent Vandegans · Updated Sep 2026

Baritone sax pricing surprises a lot of players moving up from alto or tenor — it's not a bigger version at a proportionally bigger price, it's a genuinely more expensive category of instrument. More metal, more complex keywork covering a wider range, and a smaller total market of players all push the price up disproportionately to its size.

The ten baritones below are real, currently-listed professional instruments, checked for seller reliability and priced against comparable recent sales.

At a Glance — Our Top Picks

Editor's Top Pick

Yamaha YBS-62 Professional Eb Baritone Saxophone in Gold Lacquer SN 011322

Score 95/100 · $7,999.00 · Used

See details ↓

Best New

Protec Contoured Baritone Saxophone PRO PAC Case

Score 95/100 · $264.99 · New with tags

See details ↓

Best Used

VINTAGE NEW YORK MEYER BARITONE SAXOPHONE MOUTHPIECE - RARE ORIGINAL 10M = .120"

Score 95/100 · $999.99 · Used

See details ↓

Top 10 Brass & Woodwinds on eBay & Amazon

Ranked and rated by Vincent Vandegans — verified you can buy.

Yamaha YBS-62 Professional Eb Baritone Saxophone in Gold Lacquer SN 011322

Rating Score: 95/100 · $7,999.00 Used

4 photos

Color: Gold
Finish: Lacquered
Key: Eb
Experience Level: Expert
Set Includes: Bag
UPC: 0086792500645

•Condition: Used
•Seller rating: 99.8% positive (30381 ratings)
•Shipping: $100.00
•Returns accepted (30 calendar day)

Check on eBay Check on Amazon

Customer reviews on eBay ›

Jupiter JBS1000 Baritone Saxophone Eb Low A Professional Bari Sax Gold Lacquer

Rating Score: 91/100 · $4,668.00 Used

4 photos

Color: Gold
MPN: JBS1000
Set Includes: Case, Mouthpiece
Brand: JUPITER
Type: Baritone Saxophone
Unit Type: Unit

•Condition: Used
•Seller rating: 100.0% positive (383 ratings)
•Free shipping
•Returns accepted (30 calendar day)

Check on eBay Check on Amazon

Customer reviews on eBay ›

VINTAGE NEW YORK MEYER BARITONE SAXOPHONE MOUTHPIECE - RARE ORIGINAL 10M = .120"

Rating Score: 95/100 · $999.99 Used

4 photos

Brand: Meyer
Era: 1960's
Custom Bundle: No
Color: Black
Instrument: Baritone Saxophone
Model: New York, USA

•Condition: Used
•Seller rating: 100.0% positive (9705 ratings)
•Shipping: $20.00
•Returns accepted (14 calendar day)

Check on eBay Check on Amazon

Customer reviews on eBay ›

Yamaha YBS-61 Baritone Saxophone Low A Pro Bari Sax with Selmer Mouthpiece

Rating Score: 91/100 · $4,768.00 Used

4 photos

Color: Lacquer
MPN: YBS-61
Set Includes: Case, Stand
Brand: Yamaha
Type: Baritone Saxophone
Unit Type: Unit

•Condition: Used
•Seller rating: 100.0% positive (383 ratings)
•Free shipping
•Returns accepted (30 calendar day)

Check on eBay Check on Amazon

Customer reviews on eBay ›

Yamaha YBS-41 II Eb Baritone Saxophone Low A Gold Lacquer Professional Bari Sax

Rating Score: 91/100 · $4,656.00 Used

4 photos

Color: Gold
MPN: YBS-41II
Set Includes: Case
Brand: Yamaha
Type: Baritone Saxophone
Unit Type: Unit

•Condition: Used
•Seller rating: 100.0% positive (383 ratings)
•Free shipping
•Returns accepted (30 calendar day)

Check on eBay Check on Amazon

Customer reviews on eBay ›

Professional Matte Black nickel Baritone Saxophone Sax Low A With 2 Necks

Rating Score: 77/100 · $1,650.00 New

4 photos

Set Includes: Case, Mouthpiece
Brand: MATATA
Experience Level: Expert
Country of Origin: China
Instrument: Saxophone
Type: Baritone Saxophone

•Condition: New
•Seller rating: 100.0% positive (6 ratings)
•Shipping: $199.00
•Returns accepted (30 calendar day)

Check on eBay Check on Amazon

Customer reviews on eBay ›

Protec Contoured Baritone Saxophone PRO PAC Case

Rating Score: 95/100 · $264.99 New with tags

3 photos

Brand: Protec
Type: Case
Color: Black
MPN: PB311CT
Item Length: 45.000
Item Width: 17.500

•Condition: New with tags
•Seller rating: 99.8% positive (453443 ratings)
•Free shipping
•Returns accepted (30 calendar day)

Check on eBay Check on Amazon

Customer reviews on eBay ›

Solid Silver Baritone Saxophone Neck Professional Handmade Baritone Sax

Rating Score: 88/100 · $360.00 New

4 photos

Brand: Eastern Music
Type: saxophone neck
Color: Silver
For Instrument: Saxophone
Material: Brass
To Fit: Baritone Saxophone

•Condition: New
•Seller rating: 99.5% positive (211 ratings)
•Shipping: $10.00
•No returns accepted

Check on eBay Check on Amazon

Customer reviews on eBay ›

1924 The Martin Low Pitch Saxophone Matching Neck Orig Case Professional Extras

Rating Score: 89/100 · $300.00 Used

4 photos

Brand: Martin
Type: Baritone Saxophone
Body Material: Brass
Color: Gold
Instrument: Saxophone
Pitch: Low

•Condition: Used
•Seller rating: 99.6% positive (287 ratings)
•Shipping: $28.89
•No returns accepted

Check on eBay Check on Amazon

Customer reviews on eBay ›

Protec Contoured Baritone Saxophone PRO PAC Case

Rating Score: 95/100 · $264.99 New with tags

3 photos

Brand: Protec
Type: Not Available
Color: Black
MPN: PB-311CT
Model: PB311CT
UPC: 750793410530

•Condition: New with tags
•Seller rating: 99.8% positive (271167 ratings)
•Free shipping
•Returns accepted (30 calendar day)

Check on eBay Check on Amazon

Customer reviews on eBay ›

Buyer's Guide: How to Pick the Best Brass & Woodwind

What to know before buying a professional baritone secondhand.

Low A vs. Low Bb

Modern professional baris typically extend to low A (one semitone below Bb), which most big band and concert charts now expect — check this specifically, since older or student-tier baris often stop at low Bb.

Weight and Stand Requirements

A baritone is genuinely heavy to hold on a neck strap for a full session — a proper harness (not included with most secondhand horns) is close to essential, and factor that into your total budget.

Case and Transport

Baritone cases are large and the horns don't travel as casually as an alto — confirm the case is in good shape and think through how you'll actually transport it before buying, not after.

Brass & Woodwind FAQs

Why is baritone sax so much more expensive than alto? +

More brass, longer and more complex keywork covering a wider range, and a much smaller total market of buyers all combine to push the price up well beyond what the size difference alone would suggest.

Do I need low A for community band? +

Increasingly yes — many modern charts written for concert band and jazz ensemble assume a low A baritone, though plenty of older repertoire only requires low Bb.

Is a used baritone a good instrument to add as a second horn? +

Very common move for experienced alto/tenor players wanting to diversify into big band or pit work — the fingering system is nearly identical, so the technical transition is easier than switching to an unrelated instrument.

What does a baritone harness cost? +

A proper harness runs $60-150 separately from the horn — worth budgeting for immediately since holding a bari on a standard neck strap for a full rehearsal is genuinely hard on the neck.

Top Sellers Rank

Rank	Seller	Price vs. average	Rating
#1	musiciansfriend	-90% vs. avg	★ 5
#2	music_and_arts	-90% vs. avg	★ 5
#3	themightyquinnbrassandwinds	+208% vs. avg	★ 5

Why Should You Trust Us?

Every baritone is cross-checked against live eBay listings, with specific attention to low A vs. low Bb range as stated in the listing — a detail that meaningfully changes what repertoire the horn can cover.

Written by Vincent Vandegans

Vincent has spent years buying, selling, and researching gear across live marketplaces. He personally tests a portion of the products featured on this site — hands-on with the exact model, checking build quality, sound, and feel for himself. For the rest of the lineup, each pick goes through the same in-depth research process rather than being taken at face value from a listing photo.

Follow on X › Connect on LinkedIn ›

How this guide was researched

Hands-on testing, when possible

Whenever Vincent owns or can source the exact model, he tests it directly — evaluating build quality, sound, playability, and how it holds up against the manufacturer claims.

Technical spec sheets, compared side by side

For every other pick, the manufacturer datasheets, manuals, and published specifications are read in full and compared against competing models in the same price range — not just skimmed from a listing summary.

Real owner reviews, mined from blogs and forums

Vincent digs through long-running gear forums, owner blogs, and marketplace review threads to find recurring, repeated feedback from real buyers after months of actual use — not just the top review snippet or a manufacturer-friendly quote.

Live marketplace data, checked at publish time

Price, seller reputation, condition, and availability shown on this site are cross-checked directly against live eBay and Amazon listings, so the ranking reflects what is actually being sold, not a historical average.

This article contains affiliate links.