About us

Sax.co.uk was started in 1995 by Managing Director Phill Straker (pictured in corny pose), originally trading as The Sax Rental Company.  Phill had spent 30 years working in the music business (he's older than he looks!) importing, buying, selling and playing in numerous bands. 

The original intention, other than just making a living, was to make saxes easily available to all the adults who kept bumping into him at gigs declaring, "I wish I could play the sax." 

Music shops can be intimidating places, some have only one token sax on display and often no one in the store can play it!  Phill put together a comprehensive sax-pack containing all you needed to get started and made it readily available by mail-order and on an inexpensive hire basis.  The sax-pack hire was an immediate success and guess what - over 90% of these wannabe sax-players found they could play and bought their hired instruments. 

With the growth of the Internet the business became Sax.co.uk and evolved into the leading supplier of saxophones on the world wide web.  The website has several hundred pages of sax related information and has thousands of visitors each week. Nowadays over 50% of customers are confident to buy outright rather than hire and the product range has grown to cover all leading makes of saxophone and sax-related accessories.  The Internet has brought customers from all over the world and each week saxes are shipped to the USA and beyond.  Sax.co.uk has a reputation such that professional sax players worldwide are confident to buy direct and be supplied mail order.

In 2005 Sax.co.uk moved into it's purpose built 5,000 sq.ft. showroom in Crowborough which is the World's biggest sax store.

In 2008 Sax.co.uk opened a London branch in Denmark St, a.k.a. "Tin Pan Alley"

Company Director Chris (Christine) Straker oversees finance, administration and the 500+ customers currently hiring their first saxes.  This is the foundation stone on which the company is built requiring a high degree of personal attention.

Company Director & General Manager Jim Cheek oversees the smooth running of the operation from the Crowborough branch of sax.co.uk!  Previously a classically trained oboist (care of Birmingham Conservatoire and the Royal College of Music) he decided that a life of making double reeds was no way to go and converted to the more relaxed lifestyle of sax-playing!  Other than being obsessed with cycling he plays regularly with various funk and soul outfits in and around the Brighton area, the most recent of which was a 60's soul covers band which included Prog-rock star Bill Bruford in the line-up.  He is currently enjoying recording and producing his own material and will soon be releasing his first solo album.

Company Director Jamie Straker is in charge of IT, the website & e-marketing.

Really a guitarist but he is learning to play the sax. 

Assistant Manager (Crowborough) Jules Lawrence has been a member of numerous blues, jump-jive and rock bands along the South Coast for several years. A player of the tenor and baritone sax & blues harmonica, he is also one of the very few people who's ever bothered to work out how to get a tune out of a musical saw.

As a member of country blues outfit, The Swamp Things, he has shared stages with Jools Holland's Rhythm and Blues Orchestra, Paul Jones' Blues Band, RL Burnside and Alabama 3 as well as touring Europe on several occasions. As a member of The Dime Store Jive Revue, he also spent time playing in New Orleans as part of a Burlesque festival. He has also worked on producing live soundtracks for silent movies, performance art pieces & is currently a member of Jump Jive/ Rock & Roll Big Band- Fat 45 www.fat45.com

Saxophone Specialist Scott Jenkins joined the Sax.co.uk team after spending 3 years at Middlesex University doing a BA in Music (Jazz), and a year of teaching. Serving several years with the Kent Youth Jazz Orchestra, and working with the National Youth Jazz Orchestra, Scott's jazz led him down the funk and fusion line. He toured professionally with soul band "Loose Change", and now conducts a 40+ strong big band, Invicta Jazz Orchestra. He is in his final year at Merton College studying brass & woodwind repairs. When he isn't advising sax players, or doing sax repairs, Scott has taken over the sax chair from Phill in "The Big Kahuna" band, as well as organising two of his own bands, "Rac-a-saX", saxophone quartet, and "Rusty Action", Jazz quartet mainly focusing on funk and fusion music. Scott's a busy boy!

Head Technician Colin Jones (based in Crowborough & pictured with Mornington Lockett) deals with complete re-builds of vintage horns, simple "on the spot" adjustments and expert advice on any repair/rebuild related questions.  You can have confidence that Colin will complete all repair tasks to the absolute highest standard. Colin was formerly sax player with The Blunter brothers.

Assistant technician Amy Pilcher completed the World famous brass & wood wind repair course at Newark College in 2008 and has since specialised in sax repairing. She has played alto sax with various local ensembles.

Sax advisor Bill Cox has spent most of his working life touring the world playing sax, guitar, singing and sound mixing with various professional bands including Fast Freddies Fingertips, The Pioneers, Barry Biggs & The Show Stoppers.

Bill is currently singing backing vocals and sound mixing for The Big Kahuna (www.big-kahuna.uk.com).

Sean Stevens looks after administration and distribution, ensuring the safe packaging & transit of all your products bought online & keeping the warehouse running in a tip top shape.

We are pleased to introduce our new head of security Lola (the Labradoodle) who will be looking after all aspects of security.
 

Bill joined the team after taking early retirement from a career in public service.  He still wishes to play a role in public life and would therefore be keen on hearing from any bands requiring a tenor sax player.  He is experienced in big bands, parties, weddings, summit meetings for heads of state, nuclear disarmament negotiations etc.

......and now click here to meet the London staff
 

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May 2nd 2006 we moved to Crowborough, East Sussex, creating the world's largest saxophone showroom. This was the culmination of a two year project during which we sat down with an architect and designed a purpose built facility from the ground up. The 5,500sq.ft. building features four "studios" for play testing, a large fully equipped workshop and a spacious contemporary showroom. Many of our customers are supplied by mail order but we’d love to see you if you prefer to visit. We've even catered for those accompanying you with free refreshments and a comfortable seating area with TV. We usually have over 300 saxes in stock and a large range of mouthpieces and accessories. You are welcome to try them out without pressure or obligation. Please phone if you need directions or to check stocks.

Opening Hours: Monday - Friday 9am - 5pm and Saturday 10am - 4pm.
 

Click here for a map.