Jean Paul USA Soprano Saxophone, Silver (SS-400SP)

This is my 3rd Jean Paul saxophone, I have their Alto, and Tenor as well and it's as high quality as the others. The horn blows in tune and there are no intonation issues. All the springs are strong enough for fast playing without slop, and the keywork is responsive. I had previously purchased an Ammoon straight soprano and it was junk, keywork bent from use, intonation and tuning were all over the place, and the springs were too weak on some keys.The pack in mouthpiece looks like a 4c knock off and it's brandless. I tossed it to get a real Yamaha 4c mouthpiece. It includes a neck strap in the box, cork grease, a Rico reed, and those white gloves nobody ever uses.Cosmetically there is 1 flaw on the left hand trill mechanism, The brass in one part has a dark blemish like tarnish that won't come off. It's not in an easy to see part of the horn though at least. The rest of it is cosmetically fine. No scratches, dings, or anything like that.The octave key mechanism that switches octave holes for throat tones was very slow when moving from A to G like it literally took a full second for the neck octave pad to move back and forth. It didn't have the problem if the fingering was done first then the octave key depressed. It turned out it was the silicon covering on the octave pin binding on the octave key itself. IE silicon doesn't slide super fast across brass. I put a drop of oil on the silicone sleeve and that instantly resolved the problem.The sound and playability of the instrument are excellent. I've used it in a few recordings already and I love how the tone cuts through the mix but without being harsh. It sounds more like a normal saxophone than the almost clarinet like sound of some sopranos. It's my first curved soprano and I worried it would feel like a toy in my hands but so far it's just a smaller, more comfortable and easy to hold, but full sized saxophone. No adjustment at all in my playing. I also like that I can hear myself easier compared to a straight soprano. It is a little hard to use a sax stand though. I use a Hercules and it works in spite of the small size of the bell but it doesn't hold it as well as the alto or tenors. It won't fall off or anything but it's not held very securely and it can move if touched.Jean Paul instruments are basically Yamaha type quality, but at a much lower price point. I'm not a shill, I have just never been disappointed with their instruments in spite of their low price.

I bought this saxophone 18 months ago, and it was one of the best purchases I have made at Amazon. It has given me 18 months of real pleasure. Some background may be instructive. I learned to play the clarinet when I was about 14 and enjoyed this instrument throughout my life. When I became a Senior Citizen, it became more difficult to play the notes in the high register. I then stopped playing the clarinet for 20 years. I inherited an alto saxophone after these 20 years and with the help of some books and you tube, I learned to play it. Because of its keys and the conical bore, I found the alto saxophone easier to play than the clarinet. The clarinet has a cylindrical bore, and many of the holes are occluded with fingers rather than keys. I found this curved saxophone to be of high quality and it comes with an excellent case and the backing of a responsible company. I enjoyed playing the lighter curved soprano saxophone so much, that I decided to also buy a straight soprano saxophone. As this company did not sell a straight saxophone, I bought a considerably more expensive Yamaha Model YSS-47511 straight saxophone. This is also an excellent instrument, and I also enjoying playing it. However, even with the neck strap the straight soprano saxophone is more difficult to hold in the proper position for this senior citizen. I usually play the straight soprano sitting on the couch and resting the bell on my new knee. I include these personal details, as most experts say that when playing the soprano saxophone, maintaining the proper pitch is more difficult than with an alto. This is probably true, so it is best to learn the basics on an alto. Once you do this, and you want to try to play the lighter soprano saxophone, I think this instrument is an excellent place to start.

The sax looks really nice and solid. Unfortunately, its quality is not up to the price with low register issue (air leak) and all notes are out of tune (lower from a haft to a full note) regardless how much to try with different mouthpieces.

I liked that the horn was set up very well and I didn't feel like I needed to do any major adjustments to it just to get it to play. There were no real leaks in the pads and everything else seems to be properly in place. While the instrument does come with a mouthpiece, I suggest that you shop around for a better one and ligature to really let your sound shine. The neck strap that is included is too long to be used without choking yourself so you will need to try to find some solution for that.Soprano sax is difficult in general and the curved format magnifys these difficulties. If you can't position the horn properly on your body due to neck strap issues, it's impossible to playing tune because you will never create a proper embrouchure.Once you get past the setup issues, the horn is really a joy to play. From the lows to the highest notes, it's very responsive and I would have no qualms with using this on any gig in place of my Yamaha.My only real negative is the thumb rest is uncomfortable for me. While it's adjustable, it's still metal and it is hard. This may not be your experience. I wish they had a plastic version of it. While it's wouldn't be as aesthetically pleasing to look at, it's easier on you when playing a long time. My solution was to put a rubber cover over it.In conclusion, The Jean Paul Amateur Soprano Sax should drop the amateur from the name. It's a solid horn for people on a budget and if you are a great player, you will sound fantastic on it.

Outstanding horn. Just got it 3 days ago and already played it on a gig and getting ready to play it all this weekend. I’ve been playing tenor for 40 years so I thought I’d finally get me a soprano. No regrets here. Easy to play even with the stock mouthpiece.