Here is the saxophone I reviewed, I'm a fan. s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_omdT8GL, although here is one that is likely the same horn if the first is out of stock s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_msUIYB1 (affiliate) I've got some non-woodwind reviews coming up, so look forward to those! Any guesses on what's next? 😉
Now that I am officially retired, I've decided to take up music for the first time in over 50 years (jr high and high school band/orchestra/jazz band). I saw your vid on the purple alto sax and decided to try it. My purple alto is an acceptable instrument when supplemented with a decent mouthpiece and reeds. I just got my bright blue flute and have been playing with it - not as nice as the sax, but guaranteed to drive my dogs crazy!!
14:25 I was accidentally bringing every note up the octave the first time I tried a soprano sax, since I was used to clarinet embouchure. Good memories.
Really didn't expect to see any comments about me playing this thing well 😂. I was pleasantly surprised with the intonation of the horn, I wasn't really doing anything special to compensate for anything.
Hey, just to let you know, the two swabs are for are for different things. The bigger one is for the body, and the smaller one for the mouthpiece and neck. Merry Christmas
This is one of the only channels I’m subscribed to that I watch every video on. I love your personality and the levity you being to each review - thank you for always making me smile!
Common practice is no neck strap for soprano sax and clarinet, however in the past 30 years, general practice has changed to be more flexible based on individual needs and wants.
I use it for soprano to help my brain really lock into the fact I’m playing saxophone, not clarinet. It helps me distinguish it and get me in the mindset a little better because the clarinet feels so similar otherwise, and clarinet is my main instrument.
I"ve had a number of these come into my shop. They were bought by both kids and adults who had started on alto or tenor and then decided to buy a soprano for the first time. If they are lucky like you were and get one that plays OK out of the box they will have issues soon. Here are a few that I noticed before you even started playing. . As you showed some pads were already sticking. This shouldn't happen period, likely the horn was put in the case right after a play test if at all all and not given any time to dry out on it's own. The pads are more than likely made from vinyl instead of leather, which is more prone to stick. . The "pad saver" you PULLED out of the body should come out of the bell on a soprano and not go all the way to the top and having to come out of the neck receiver. It would have been better to get it out just enough to cut off the plug with a good pair of wire or bolt cutters and then pull the rest out of the bell. Using a pad saver like this could cause the octave pip to work loose. This was that little pad you had to fix on the body. The pip extends into the body to allow the octave to key to actually work. As you stated get rid of that thing, or even better, bend it at 90 degrees and use it to clean your ceiling fans. . That mute is pretty much garbage. As the saxophone is a metal tube full of holes, the pitch is generated by the first open hole on the horn. The only notes this is going to effect is the low Bb and maybe a little on the low B. . Most modern sopranos come with a neck strap hook. It gives the player the option if they want to use it or not. I like that they provided you with a good neck strap. Likely the only part of this kit you will be using in a year. . The mouthpiece that came with it is not very good. The rails and tip are to thick, resulting in to much resistance. Maybe OK for a person who never played soprano but for an experienced player even if this is their first time playing soprano this will be a serious problem and the mouthpiece will need to be replaced ASAP. . As you noticed some of the corks were already falling off before it was even played. In a few weeks a few more will be falling off throwing the horn out of regulation. . Before you even played it I could tell you were going to be flat. A soprano mouthpiece has to be pushed in nearly to the bottom of the cork to play in tune. It's such a small instrument that small adjustments make a big difference hence there is little room for error. I would have liked to see you test the entire range to see what notes were still in tune. The intonation on the soprano is often corrected by the player with small adjustments to the embouchure. This makes the soprano the most difficult and exhausting member of the saxophone family with the exception of the sopranino, but that is an instrument that reached it's peak of popularity during the Spanish inquisition as prisoners were required to learn it. . As you stated you are not a saxophonist and this is the first time you have played soprano, so you are not really at fault as you don't have the experience of playing one of these in an ensemble. You are using a clarinet embouchure instead of a saxophone embouchure. A soprano sax, like an oboe, needs to be held at about a 45 degree angle from the body with the mouthpiece going straight into the mouth like an alto or tenor. The reason for the curved neck is to allow the horn to be held slightly closer to the body and the mouthpiece still has the correct angle. This is great if you are playing soprano in a concert band or somewhere in close quarters and you don't want to put the soprano into the ear of the person in front of you. Some people feel the curved neck is a bet mellower, but that is players preference. Also by using a clarinet like embouchure you are choking the reed and it causes the instrument to sound a bit like a duck. This is very common for 1st time soprano players, including myself when I started playing soprano. It takes time to find the correct embouchure and get the sound just right. . When these no name SSSO's (Soprano Sax Shaped Objects) come into my shop for repair the primary issue other than corks and felts coming off is bent keys. The factory use a very soft brass on these to save on the cost. Thus it's easy for these to bend and throw out the regulation. I will do what I can to fix them, but if the cost of the repair exceeds what the customer paid for it I will tell them it's just cheaper for them to replace the instrument and in a few months they will be having the same problem. Very soon if they are serious they will go with a better brand name instrument.
I bought the same one, I got it as a present for Christmas, I got it from amazon. I had the same exact problem with the higher notes and you helped me fix it a bit so thank you for that!
Just a tip, if you're going to not use the colorful plum thing, you should cut it off and only use the black part for the top of your saxophone because that black part is used so the saxophone doesn't move in the case!
That's good to know, I had no idea! I'll have to try them both, they looked the same size when I pulled them out...but I could have just missed the differences
My band teacher always tells our class to use the music shop, or Yamaha for where to get our instruments from but people still used Amazon ones and they stick out SOOO much up close but in the audience they don’t
I hear a lot of band directors say that, but unfortunately not everyone has that kind of money for a class in school (that should be free). At least in this case, I doubt anyone is maining a soprano sax haha.
@CHRISTMASSSSS_TIME I'm glad you go to a well to do school which actually has an budget for their music program, my school did not, and I couldn't play saxophone because my parents couldn't afford one and this was 20 plus years ago before Amazon was selling anything other than books and people were wary of purchasing anything online. I'm glad you can hear the difference between cheap instruments, and more expensive ones. As a parent in this time of heavy inflation buying a $100 to $200 instrument is way more affordable than renting something for $50 plus a month, and I'll tell you that cheap Amazon instrument might have been the best thing to have happened to the kid playing it. Also nice edit, trying to make me look like a fool who doesn't read.
Would love to see some re-reviews on stuff that you've gotten that's actually been played in by you or your students! Problems with keys, pads, lacquer etc etc. Every time you make a good review video I want to buy one 😆 They should definitely be paying you a mint for this.
I think those sticky keys were most likely caused in shipping. If moisture wasn’t controlled in the case and since they are cheap pads it’s easy for them to stick.
I prefer to use a neck strap on soprano, for two reasons As a clarinet player, soprano sax would feel too similar and thus I might try and play it like a clarinet. It helps with instrument separation. I also prefer it for the palm keys as it stabilizes the horn up there just a little extra.
If you plan on playing soprano (sometimes clarinet too) for extended periods, it’s important to use a neck strap so you don’t get a thumb indent. Many pro players have one because they refuse to use neck straps
I use 2 swabs. One is for the neck the other for the body - but that only applies to tenor or larger :D The body is hard to swab with a measly neck swab :D
Nothing wrong with the fluffy rod drying stick, you just have to let it sit out of the horn for several minutes to let it dry. I never store mine in the horn anyway, it compresses the dryer fluff too much so let it dry by standing it up in a corner somewhere to dry.
@ correct! However, most of the time to make the horns appear super cheap, they’ll jack up the shipping price to around $80 or so. Yours and soon to be mine had free shipping which is insane!
I bought a cheap curved soprano sax off ebay more than 10 years ago. I wanted it because it was lacquered blue so I was expecting it to play like crap and figured that I could just hang it somewhere to display it. It turned out to play well enough I've used it in a concert but it does have its issues. The bell notes, anything below D, are hopelessly flat so while they do play, I can't play them in tune. Over time I had to make a small spacer as on of the keys started to get loose between the posts and would slide up and down slightly. Also my G# pad has always stuck and even now is still sticky when I pull it out to play. My only other complaint is the neck where over time I couldn't get it to tighten enough so I have to give a wrap in teflon tape to build it up to where I can tighten it snugly. I still love it to pieces but I think at best my particular sax is a good doubling instrument but not a good primary instrument. Also the neck cork doesn't hold cork grease so I have to grease the crap out of it before I play
Sounds like a lot of work, I wonder if it was just that horn or if other cheap curved ones have those issues too. I'll probably get a curved soprano eventually to check it out :)
On these cheap saxes, are you checking to see if the keys are forged? Try to twist a long one, such as the low Bb key, if it twist fairly easy then it's not forged. (Try a long key so that you can twist it back If needed). If there is good resistance then probably forged. If so then you really got a good deal! (Or talk to a technician).
Do you think playing soprano will help my alto playing? I've never played a soprano (I played a tiny bit of clarinet). I've been playing alto a couple years, but I was thinking a cheap soprano would be nice to take when I'm traveling since it's smaller, easier to travel with....
Looks kind of like my Ammoon Lade/Slade soprano. I was also pretty lucky and it works pretty well. I have had to recork the curved neck but so far that's the only repair it has needed in 4 years. Would I prefer a Yamaha 62 or something? Sure, but this is what I've got and it works for now. I wouldn't toss the pad saver, myself. There shouldn't be any mold if you swab it out well first, and it helps the sax fit in the case better and protects the octave mechanism. If you want, cut the brush part off and just use the plug to help keep the sax safe in the case.
Yup same, I played on it for a year and was decent - event played in a community orchestra. Upgraded to Allora Paris after a year. I did swap out the neck eventually. I have awesome mouthpieces. And it needed one small repair - but the tech was super impressed at what I got for $200.
@@MadMusicBand that would work great. I bet there's already something on thingiverse, probably even with a screw adjustment to make it fit perfectly snug
Hey, as a sax player heres some advice when it comes to your reed: When you soak it too much or too little, your sound will be fuzzy or muffled, so try to keep a medium amount of moistness on your reed, so it might not only be the horn effecting your intonation or sound
yes and also soaking in water is not the best option for wetting the reed. Also keep reeds in either a case with a silica gel or a reed case with a build in one to keep moisture out. I keep 2 little silica gel bags one under my palm and upper hand keys and one in my mp and reed bag.
yes and also soaking in water is not the best option for wetting the reed. Also keep reeds in either a case with a silica gel or a reed case with a build in one to keep moisture out. I keep 2 little silica gel bags one under my palm and upper hand keys and one in my mp and reed bag.
Thanks I just got my first ever sax from a pawn shop and I did not know that! I play piano/percussion lol so wind instruments are very different to play
Mendini By Cecilio Flutes - Closed Hole C Flute For Beginners, 16-Key Flute with a Case, Stand, Lesson Book, and Cleaning Kit, Musical Instrument for Kids, Nickel with Gold Keys use this one its 51.99$
I JUST bought the curved soprano from Aliexpress yesterday and then discovered this video today. I'm glad the horn isn't total crap! I will only use it when I am on the road and don't want to bring my Selmer Super Balanced Action tenor. I wanted something small that fits in my carry-on luggage. Even if it doesn't play well, I can use it to practice fingering. I figured the curved soprano would a) fit in a suitcase better and b) would feel more like the tenor. What's nice is that both the soprano and tenor are B flat horns so I won't have to transpose. I figured for under $140, how can you go wrong? I just bought a new case for my tenor and it cost more than that! P.S. thanks for the tip on the reeds. I just bought some fresh ones!
@@MadMusicBand It's arriving soon. I'm sure it looks and feels like a toy. I may never play it in public! But the straight soprano is a bit longer than the 22" allowed for carry-on luggage, and I wanted to mimic the shape of the tenor. I'll post a comment here after I have had a chance to play around with it. Thanks again for this awesome video. I saw your earlier one about the tenor, and that made me very nervous about getting the cheap horn. Fortunately this one gave me some hope! And your videos are just so much fun to watch. Even if I didn't play the sax, I would watch them!
Lol, I did the exact same thing with the Venova. It works way better. Word of Caution: I own a cheap soprano and tenor, and they will play great out of the box. However, as time passes, you will face more problems due to the cheap horn manufacturing. For some reason cheap sopranos are good? I got one on Amazon for 200 bucks and It played better than most Jean Paul Instruments. You should also try reviewing Bettersax mouthpieces and horns, they are awesome! Can we expect a Cheap Bari Sax Review?
I have two cheap sopranos and the were excellent. The second one did like snap off at the neck tenon after a year - just fell apart in my hands. That's when I decided to upgrade,
Here is the saxophone I reviewed, I'm a fan. s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_omdT8GL, although here is one that is likely the same horn if the first is out of stock s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_msUIYB1 (affiliate)
I've got some non-woodwind reviews coming up, so look forward to those! Any guesses on what's next? 😉
Maybe a Euphonium or something?
Singing Saw?
@@MadMusicBand tuba?
@@tguit-fiddler5692 haha probably not that unfortunately
@THEROOKANDMIA 🤔 😉
Something about a band kid watching a band director review different instruments feels right to me
All I wanted for Christmas, a new video from Chase.
Ho ho ho ! 🎅
i bought that same soprano a few years back before i upgraded to my profesional. i have to say it played extremely well
Nice! What horn did you end up going to?
@ yamaha custom
You should try to buy the cheapest sousaphone somewhere when you have enough money.
I also want to see that! :)
Yessss
Yesssss
Yessssss
Yesssssss
Now that I am officially retired, I've decided to take up music for the first time in over 50 years (jr high and high school band/orchestra/jazz band). I saw your vid on the purple alto sax and decided to try it. My purple alto is an acceptable instrument when supplemented with a decent mouthpiece and reeds. I just got my bright blue flute and have been playing with it - not as nice as the sax, but guaranteed to drive my dogs crazy!!
That's awesome to hear! It's easy to dive back in when the instruments are affordable! :)
14:25 I was accidentally bringing every note up the octave the first time I tried a soprano sax, since I was used to clarinet embouchure. Good memories.
Super impressed with your intonation. Amazing for it being the first time you’ve played soprano.
Yeah sopranos sax is not easy…it sounds really nice all things considered!
Really didn't expect to see any comments about me playing this thing well 😂. I was pleasantly surprised with the intonation of the horn, I wasn't really doing anything special to compensate for anything.
“The smaller the sax, the better it must be” 0:08
Wise words coming from an alto player😂
Lol, imagine how great a sopranino sax must be!
Soprarillo players be like 💀
Nice metal clarinet just playing with you man love the videos
Hey, just to let you know, the two swabs are for are for different things. The bigger one is for the body, and the smaller one for the mouthpiece and neck. Merry Christmas
That's good to know! I'll have to test them both when I get my horn back :)
This is one of the only channels I’m subscribed to that I watch every video on. I love your personality and the levity you being to each review - thank you for always making me smile!
That means a lot, thank you for the kind words! ☺️
Merry Christmas Chase!!🎄🎁⛸️❄️☃️
Merry Christmas! 🎁🎄 🌨️
@@MadMusicBandthanks!!
Your videos are so fun I could watch you unbox anything lol
Haha, I'll stick to instruments for now ;)
I see a red clarinet with a saxophone mouthpiece, ok then.
😂
Common practice is no neck strap for soprano sax and clarinet, however in the past 30 years, general practice has changed to be more flexible based on individual needs and wants.
I thought so, I figured in this case, might as well just do what's comfortable.
I use it for soprano to help my brain really lock into the fact I’m playing saxophone, not clarinet. It helps me distinguish it and get me in the mindset a little better because the clarinet feels so similar otherwise, and clarinet is my main instrument.
I"ve had a number of these come into my shop. They were bought by both kids and adults who had started on alto or tenor and then decided to buy a soprano for the first time. If they are lucky like you were and get one that plays OK out of the box they will have issues soon. Here are a few that I noticed before you even started playing.
.
As you showed some pads were already sticking. This shouldn't happen period, likely the horn was put in the case right after a play test if at all all and not given any time to dry out on it's own. The pads are more than likely made from vinyl instead of leather, which is more prone to stick.
.
The "pad saver" you PULLED out of the body should come out of the bell on a soprano and not go all the way to the top and having to come out of the neck receiver. It would have been better to get it out just enough to cut off the plug with a good pair of wire or bolt cutters and then pull the rest out of the bell. Using a pad saver like this could cause the octave pip to work loose. This was that little pad you had to fix on the body. The pip extends into the body to allow the octave to key to actually work. As you stated get rid of that thing, or even better, bend it at 90 degrees and use it to clean your ceiling fans.
.
That mute is pretty much garbage. As the saxophone is a metal tube full of holes, the pitch is generated by the first open hole on the horn. The only notes this is going to effect is the low Bb and maybe a little on the low B.
.
Most modern sopranos come with a neck strap hook. It gives the player the option if they want to use it or not. I like that they provided you with a good neck strap. Likely the only part of this kit you will be using in a year.
.
The mouthpiece that came with it is not very good. The rails and tip are to thick, resulting in to much resistance. Maybe OK for a person who never played soprano but for an experienced player even if this is their first time playing soprano this will be a serious problem and the mouthpiece will need to be replaced ASAP.
.
As you noticed some of the corks were already falling off before it was even played. In a few weeks a few more will be falling off throwing the horn out of regulation.
.
Before you even played it I could tell you were going to be flat. A soprano mouthpiece has to be pushed in nearly to the bottom of the cork to play in tune. It's such a small instrument that small adjustments make a big difference hence there is little room for error. I would have liked to see you test the entire range to see what notes were still in tune. The intonation on the soprano is often corrected by the player with small adjustments to the embouchure. This makes the soprano the most difficult and exhausting member of the saxophone family with the exception of the sopranino, but that is an instrument that reached it's peak of popularity during the Spanish inquisition as prisoners were required to learn it.
.
As you stated you are not a saxophonist and this is the first time you have played soprano, so you are not really at fault as you don't have the experience of playing one of these in an ensemble. You are using a clarinet embouchure instead of a saxophone embouchure. A soprano sax, like an oboe, needs to be held at about a 45 degree angle from the body with the mouthpiece going straight into the mouth like an alto or tenor. The reason for the curved neck is to allow the horn to be held slightly closer to the body and the mouthpiece still has the correct angle. This is great if you are playing soprano in a concert band or somewhere in close quarters and you don't want to put the soprano into the ear of the person in front of you. Some people feel the curved neck is a bet mellower, but that is players preference. Also by using a clarinet like embouchure you are choking the reed and it causes the instrument to sound a bit like a duck. This is very common for 1st time soprano players, including myself when I started playing soprano. It takes time to find the correct embouchure and get the sound just right.
.
When these no name SSSO's (Soprano Sax Shaped Objects) come into my shop for repair the primary issue other than corks and felts coming off is bent keys. The factory use a very soft brass on these to save on the cost. Thus it's easy for these to bend and throw out the regulation. I will do what I can to fix them, but if the cost of the repair exceeds what the customer paid for it I will tell them it's just cheaper for them to replace the instrument and in a few months they will be having the same problem. Very soon if they are serious they will go with a better brand name instrument.
This is all fantastic info, thanks for your detailed comment!
I bought the same one, I got it as a present for Christmas, I got it from amazon. I had the same exact problem with the higher notes and you helped me fix it a bit so thank you for that!
Nice! 🙂
The manual that came with my early 50s, Indiana by Martin says to use petroleum jelly to lubricate the neck cork.
Cork grease wasnt really a big thing at that time and petroleum jelly is p.much the same thing and was MUCH more abundant.
also, is it just a standard alto, what type of sax? ive got myself a handful of martins, mostly altos
I actually appreciate the bracing it had for the various rigging. A nice detail they took care of for shipping.
Please do a Bari sax next, I know they are really expensive but I would love that vid
Singers Day has a baritone for $2700. Is that too expensive?
@ it’s a pretty good price
Just a tip, if you're going to not use the colorful plum thing, you should cut it off and only use the black part for the top of your saxophone because that black part is used so the saxophone doesn't move in the case!
Not a bad instrument.
Merry Christmas from the UK
Merry Christmas from central USA :)
Have a great New Year MM. Thanks for all the fun over the year. You should commit to the alto, and become good with it. Take care.
You too! ☺️
Love your videos. Its got me interested in learning new things
One swab can be used for the horn itself, while the other may be used for the neck piece cleaning.
That's good to know, I had no idea! I'll have to try them both, they looked the same size when I pulled them out...but I could have just missed the differences
OMG, YES!!! ALIEXPRESS PRODUCTS!!! Now you're talking in my budget range. 😂❤
😂😂😂
merry christmas!!! also early congrats on 20k :)
Thanks, so close!! And Merry Christmas to you too 😊
My band teacher always tells our class to use the music shop, or Yamaha for where to get our instruments from but people still used Amazon ones and they stick out SOOO much up close but in the audience they don’t
I hear a lot of band directors say that, but unfortunately not everyone has that kind of money for a class in school (that should be free). At least in this case, I doubt anyone is maining a soprano sax haha.
@@MadMusicBandyeah my band director gives ppl instruments when they don’t have them
doubt any of your parents hear the difference.
@CHRISTMASSSSS_TIME I'm glad you go to a well to do school which actually has an budget for their music program, my school did not, and I couldn't play saxophone because my parents couldn't afford one and this was 20 plus years ago before Amazon was selling anything other than books and people were wary of purchasing anything online. I'm glad you can hear the difference between cheap instruments, and more expensive ones. As a parent in this time of heavy inflation buying a $100 to $200 instrument is way more affordable than renting something for $50 plus a month, and I'll tell you that cheap Amazon instrument might have been the best thing to have happened to the kid playing it. Also nice edit, trying to make me look like a fool who doesn't read.
You should do bass clarinet
I know! Even the cheap ones are so expensive 😂
Estaba esperando otro de estos vídeos ❤🎉🎉🎉
Would love to see some re-reviews on stuff that you've gotten that's actually been played in by you or your students! Problems with keys, pads, lacquer etc etc. Every time you make a good review video I want to buy one 😆 They should definitely be paying you a mint for this.
I will likely do videos like these in the future! :)
Merry Christmas, dude!
Merry Christmas! 🎁
what hurts me as a soprano player is the way hes playing it
Merry Christmas chase
Merry Christmas to you too! 🎄
While not cheap, my soprano I have i absolutely love, its a Kessler and Sons Custom. It plays nice, and I will always recc if you have the money
Merry Christmas love u vids they funny and cool
Thanks! Merry Christmas!! :)
Omg thank u for replying. .:)
Bass sax next!
Bass sax?! I'll have to start saving money 😂
Old band kid here, I really wish I had a band teacher like you when I was in band. I might have continued on in high school...
Just picture me saying "go practice!" and you'll get a feel for what you missed out on 😉
@@MadMusicBand 🤣
You make all my cheap instrument dreams come true.
When you realize the next sax vid is going to be a sopranino or a baritone. *insert thanos sitting on cliff meme*
I think those sticky keys were most likely caused in shipping. If moisture wasn’t controlled in the case and since they are cheap pads it’s easy for them to stick.
I prefer to use a neck strap on soprano, for two reasons
As a clarinet player, soprano sax would feel too similar and thus I might try and play it like a clarinet. It helps with instrument separation.
I also prefer it for the palm keys as it stabilizes the horn up there just a little extra.
We need cheapest bari sax next
If you plan on playing soprano (sometimes clarinet too) for extended periods, it’s important to use a neck strap so you don’t get a thumb indent. Many pro players have one because they refuse to use neck straps
I might get a cheap alto cause I don’t use it in band I’ll use it just for fun cause I use my brothers for practice but I want my own
The perfect use case for one honestly
I use 2 swabs. One is for the neck the other for the body - but that only applies to tenor or larger :D The body is hard to swab with a measly neck swab :D
I would love the cheapest oboes or bassoons
I've got a future video planned about that...
Nothing wrong with the fluffy rod drying stick, you just have to let it sit out of the horn for several minutes to let it dry. I never store mine in the horn anyway, it compresses the dryer fluff too much so let it dry by standing it up in a corner somewhere to dry.
Please do a bari sax!!
Or go back to some more brass instruments. Maybe try a tuba? That is what I play and I would love it!😊
Duuuude!!! I just bought the last Ali Express Soprano!! Thanks for posting! May do my own review of mine! (…?)
They sold out super fast then! Lol. I think a lot of the sopranos on there are basically the same though at least if others are looking for it.
@ correct! However, most of the time to make the horns appear super cheap, they’ll jack up the shipping price to around $80 or so. Yours and soon to be mine had free shipping which is insane!
Merry Christmas!!!!
Merry Christmas to you too! 🎁 :)
merry Christmas!!!
Same to you! 🎄
I love your content ❤
Thanks! 😊
I bought a cheap curved soprano sax off ebay more than 10 years ago. I wanted it because it was lacquered blue so I was expecting it to play like crap and figured that I could just hang it somewhere to display it. It turned out to play well enough I've used it in a concert but it does have its issues. The bell notes, anything below D, are hopelessly flat so while they do play, I can't play them in tune. Over time I had to make a small spacer as on of the keys started to get loose between the posts and would slide up and down slightly. Also my G# pad has always stuck and even now is still sticky when I pull it out to play. My only other complaint is the neck where over time I couldn't get it to tighten enough so I have to give a wrap in teflon tape to build it up to where I can tighten it snugly. I still love it to pieces but I think at best my particular sax is a good doubling instrument but not a good primary instrument. Also the neck cork doesn't hold cork grease so I have to grease the crap out of it before I play
Sounds like a lot of work, I wonder if it was just that horn or if other cheap curved ones have those issues too. I'll probably get a curved soprano eventually to check it out :)
On these cheap saxes, are you checking to see if the keys are forged? Try to twist a long one, such as the low Bb key, if it twist fairly easy then it's not forged. (Try a long key so that you can twist it back If needed). If there is good resistance then probably forged. If so then you really got a good deal! (Or talk to a technician).
After this, please tell me you’re moving onto the double reads. I really want to see you do that.
Do you think playing soprano will help my alto playing? I've never played a soprano (I played a tiny bit of clarinet). I've been playing alto a couple years, but I was thinking a cheap soprano would be nice to take when I'm traveling since it's smaller, easier to travel with....
Do cheapest flugelhorn
I’ve asked this before but can you buy the cheapest euphonium? I was wondering if there is a cheepo that works good.
I may just have one on the way to my house right now 😊
Lest go! Happy holidays.
man i love all saxophone im trying to transition from clarinet to sax
Looks kind of like my Ammoon Lade/Slade soprano. I was also pretty lucky and it works pretty well. I have had to recork the curved neck but so far that's the only repair it has needed in 4 years. Would I prefer a Yamaha 62 or something? Sure, but this is what I've got and it works for now.
I wouldn't toss the pad saver, myself. There shouldn't be any mold if you swab it out well first, and it helps the sax fit in the case better and protects the octave mechanism. If you want, cut the brush part off and just use the plug to help keep the sax safe in the case.
I was thinking I might try 3d printing a plug for the top, would be a fun project.
Yup same, I played on it for a year and was decent - event played in a community orchestra. Upgraded to Allora Paris after a year. I did swap out the neck eventually. I have awesome mouthpieces. And it needed one small repair - but the tech was super impressed at what I got for $200.
@@MadMusicBand that would work great. I bet there's already something on thingiverse, probably even with a screw adjustment to make it fit perfectly snug
I could do a Captain Beefheart imitation with that low dollar horn.
Honestly not bad at all!!
Will you do th cheapest possible pocket trumpet
I love it man maybe you could use the Bari from the school
Show us how to play
Also mutes don’t really work on woodwinds
Hey, as a sax player heres some advice when it comes to your reed:
When you soak it too much or too little, your sound will be fuzzy or muffled, so try to keep a medium amount of moistness on your reed, so it might not only be the horn effecting your intonation or sound
yes and also soaking in water is not the best option for wetting the reed. Also keep reeds in either a case with a silica gel or a reed case with a build in one to keep moisture out. I keep 2 little silica gel bags one under my palm and upper hand keys and one in my mp and reed bag.
yes and also soaking in water is not the best option for wetting the reed. Also keep reeds in either a case with a silica gel or a reed case with a build in one to keep moisture out. I keep 2 little silica gel bags one under my palm and upper hand keys and one in my mp and reed bag.
@fish8life yes, use your mouth not water, and always have a case for them with silica gel packets
Thanks I just got my first ever sax from a pawn shop and I did not know that! I play piano/percussion lol so wind instruments are very different to play
Merry Christmas :3
Merry Christmas! 🎁 :)
PLEASE DO CHEAPEST OBOE!! 🙏🙏🙏 That'd be so good.
I hope to eventually!
Mendini By Cecilio Flutes - Closed Hole C Flute For Beginners, 16-Key Flute with a Case, Stand, Lesson Book, and Cleaning Kit, Musical Instrument for Kids, Nickel with Gold Keys
use this one its 51.99$
I totally have 2 swabs for my saxophones
Welp.. that's 22 minutes I want back....
Hi :) I like your channel :)))
I would kill to see you do a double horn one
Hallo, i got the same Sopran and it brandet the Name "Slade". best regards from Germany
Underrated
I JUST bought the curved soprano from Aliexpress yesterday and then discovered this video today. I'm glad the horn isn't total crap!
I will only use it when I am on the road and don't want to bring my Selmer Super Balanced Action tenor. I wanted something small that fits in my carry-on luggage. Even if it doesn't play well, I can use it to practice fingering. I figured the curved soprano would a) fit in a suitcase better and b) would feel more like the tenor. What's nice is that both the soprano and tenor are B flat horns so I won't have to transpose.
I figured for under $140, how can you go wrong? I just bought a new case for my tenor and it cost more than that!
P.S. thanks for the tip on the reeds. I just bought some fresh ones!
let me know how it is when you get it! I'd like to get a curved soprano some day, they just seem really "cute" to me.
@@MadMusicBand It's arriving soon. I'm sure it looks and feels like a toy. I may never play it in public! But the straight soprano is a bit longer than the 22" allowed for carry-on luggage, and I wanted to mimic the shape of the tenor. I'll post a comment here after I have had a chance to play around with it. Thanks again for this awesome video. I saw your earlier one about the tenor, and that made me very nervous about getting the cheap horn. Fortunately this one gave me some hope! And your videos are just so much fun to watch. Even if I didn't play the sax, I would watch them!
I own an Alto Sax that has a similar neck strap
Me and my friend always play 7 nation army then my band director is just like no seven nation army
Relatable
My band director dose the same, but with Carless whisper💀
@BCBbULB haha, I'm the one annoying my students with that one 😜
@@MadMusicBand my band director banned 7 nation army and the hey song
Someday maybe you'll try a PVC Contrabass Flute...
That sounds pretty cool honestly!
Those swabs are a bit large for the soprano. Careful using them; would recommend using a clarinet swab instead!
You should buy the cheapest oboe, because obviously it’s the best instrument and I’m totally not biased 😅
We want the Cheapest Baritone to close the circle now
I just got a cheep clarinet off line and the only thing weird about it is the joints are tight
My cheap clarinet had the same issue
2 necks , one straight, one curved
We need oboes
one swap its for the body and the other one its for the neck 4:12
That's good to know! 🙂
Need a cheap bari sax review
It ia surprisingly really good apart from the sticky pads that is probably better they aren't good quality.
UPDATE: my concert happened and it went pretty well but my band’s behavior sucked so that was fun👍 MERRY LATE CHRISTMAS
I really wanted to buy it but it's temporarily out of stock so I'll have to keep checking back
Yea, although I bet any of the other cheap soprano sales on AliExpress are probably the same horn. (I don't know this for sure...)
Lol, I did the exact same thing with the Venova. It works way better. Word of Caution: I own a cheap soprano and tenor, and they will play great out of the box. However, as time passes, you will face more problems due to the cheap horn manufacturing. For some reason cheap sopranos are good? I got one on Amazon for 200 bucks and It played better than most Jean Paul Instruments. You should also try reviewing Bettersax mouthpieces and horns, they are awesome! Can we expect a Cheap Bari Sax Review?
I hope to do Bari eventually! Got a few other instruments lined up first though :)
sweet, cant wait!
Also, when you do plan on getting a bari I would recommend the singers day bari.
I have two cheap sopranos and the were excellent. The second one did like snap off at the neck tenon after a year - just fell apart in my hands. That's when I decided to upgrade,
you should try a cheap piccolo
Put the reeds in bolka and there are no problems and they last longer
Please try a bagpipe
Of all the saxophones to cheap out on, arguably the hardest one to play (of the four..).
Soak the reed in vodka, gin or whiskey, or boil the reed in water at 212 degrees.
Could you do a bass trombone?
I sometimes buy from Aliexpress just never bought an instrument from them i bought violin strings from them 😂
cool