Jean Paul USA AS-400 Alto Saxophone – Golden Lacquered

The item works perfectly

My background: musician for over 30 years, started on a Vito alto sax when I was 11 and played it until I graduated high school, then switched to various string instruments

I have a Vito sax (a brand that is not made anymore by Conn-Selmer but is the sound equivalent of a Yamaha YAS 23) that was bought new in 1989 and is quite banged up from being dropped a couple times (faulty case and marching band). It still sounds good but it needs an overhaul (pads and springs) before it’s fully playable, so I bought this one in the interim to see if I still “had it.” I was really pleasantly surprised by the sound quality of this alto sax straight out of the box!

My first impression of this sax was not favorable. It’s a weird color and the cork on the neck is really thin so I thought oh man how am I going to get this to tune properly? Surprisingly, though, I had it in tune within 30 seconds with hardly any adjustment to the mouthpiece on the neck (pro tip: middle C on a piano is a middle A on an alto sax if you don’t have a tuner). Embouchure has a lot to do with whether your sax plays in tune, but If you don’t have the mouthpiece situated on the neck properly, it will never be in tune. So move that mouthpiece around if you’re constantly just a little flat or sharp (pull back if you’re sharp and push it farther on if you’re flat).

Suffice to say I really didn’t have high hopes for this cheap saxophone, but the sound quality is very, very good. It is equivalent to my Vito in sound (if not looks) and this is honestly a horn that a student could play all the way through high school if it holds up. The thinness of the cork on the neck makes me think that eventually the cork on the neck will have to be replaced because over time the cork smooshes down and I think you’ll have to keep pushing it on farther and farther to get it to play in tune, but that is a cheap fix. I really don’t know how it would hold up to everyday play for a student, but right now I’m very happy with this purchase.

I would say if you want a horn that is really and truly for sure going to last your student for their whole school career, invest $1,205 right now in a Yamaha YAS 26, which you can also get on Amazon. That is going to be a horn that for sure will hold up, which this one I definitely can’t guarantee. But if you don’t know if your kid is going to play for long, it’s worth the investment because you can turn around and sell this one used and still recoup most of your money. Saxophones cost about $75 a month to rent, so if your student plays for 9 months and quits, it’s still cheaper in the long run to just buy this one outright rather than rent and return.

I bought this as my first alto saxophone coming from learning on the tenor version by the same company. The reason why I chose to go with the Jean Paul instead of other student saxophones is because of my customer service experiences when addressing issues with my tenor – I honestly don’t believe any other musical instrument company on the planet puts that much effort into taking care of customers who have already given them their money.

Pros for this instrument:
-Price – even after the price increases it’s still a better dollar-to-value ratio than any other sax on Amazon.
-Came set up perfectly from the factory, plays well with no leaks or weird intonation issues.
-Stock unbranded mouthpiece plays surprisingly well – about on-par with the Yamaha 4C that comes stock on their student models.
-Well-built for the price. With regular maintenance and a little TLC I could easily see this instrument lasting a generation or two.
-Excellent customer service.

Cons for this instrument:
-Lots of tooling marks, scratches, and blemishes in the physical appearance of the sax – especially on the backs of the keys. Does not impact sound or playability in any way, nor would an audience be able to see them from a stage but still – something to be aware of if that matters to you.
-Key travel isn’t great compared to other student models.
-Base model only comes with one reed. If you are buying this for a child or if you are a beginner who isn’t used to how careful you have to be with reeds you will definitely want to pick up some extras along with the sax.
-Plastic travel insert for the neck receiver came a little oversized – it was difficult for me to remove and I couldn’t get it back in afterward.
-included ligature is a bit finnicky. This one could just be a personal preference thing, but I dislike two-screw ligatures because they can be a little time-consuming to set up.

Who I believe this instrument is for:
-Beginner to intermediate players of all ages who need something that just plain works, is reliable, and don’t mind a few cosmetic blemishes.
-Performing artists who want something inexpensive to gig with so they don’t expose their high end instruments to the elements, risk of damage, or theft.

Buen sonido y muy bonito. Jean Paul usa buena marca