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Saxophones Curved Soprano

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Päng

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Sweden
Hey guys,

Looking into getting curved soprano mostly just as a fun side thing to play. Also for travel.
So I have been looking though Gear4Music.

Any thoughts on Their Gear4Music Curved Soprano?
Curved Soprano Saxophone by Gear4music på Gear4Music.com
In the cheaper range they also have
Elkhart
Elkhart 100SSU Curved Soprano Saxophone på Gear4Music.com
Conn
Conn SC650 Soprano Saxophone, Curved på Gear4Music.com
and Odessey Premiere
Odyssey OSS650C Premiere Bb Curved Soprano Saxophone på Gear4Music.com

Though and experiences?
Thanks
 
HAven't tried any of those, but add John Packer to your list - I've got a cheapish soprano from them (although straight, not curved), and like it. Had to put some tape around the neck as it was loose, but that's the only problem I've found with it.
 
Just in case anybody here doesn't speak Swedish.

Curved Soprano Saxophone by Gear4music at Gear4music.com

I have their curved sop. I bought an ex display model at a much reduced price. Recently they've stopped using that euphemism and call their returns B grade. There were some issues with the instrument which I sorted. The quality of the sop was far below their alto and tenor. It plays well after taking some time to get a mouthpiece to match. I settled on a Selmer S80 G. Might be an F, can't remember.

The soprano is not a fun thing to play. The notes are pitched so close together it plays like a Swanee whistle. I would go for a clarinet as a fun sized thing to play. It's only frustrating as an instrument ,whereas the sop is absolutely exasperating.
 
By definition all Bb sopranos are pitched the same.

There are of course C sopranos.

The dinky doo sopranino pitched in Eb an octave above alto comes in curved form. However for ultimate portability there's the soprillo sometimes called the sopranissimo. Bb an octave above soprano. A little bit bigger than a kazoo and mainly used for performances to dogs and bats.
 
I once had an Elkhart 300 curved soprano - the predecessor to the Elkhart Deluxe - made in Taiwan and excellent value for money.
I have played an Elkhart Deluxe soprano and it was even better.
The 100 series are made in mainland China I think, so I don’t know how good they are in comparison.
 
I too had a 300 sop. Used but mint, cost me £150 I recall. BUT... sop wasn't for me!

The frosted DeLuxe retails around £799 so if it's to your taste aesthetically an offer on the ebay one might prove fruitful?
I have no connection to it by the way!
 
I tried a few curved sops in sax.co.uk and struggled with them all on the bottom notes, as a straight sop player I'm not sure why that should be or maybe they weren't set up but hard to believe they all had leaks, I didn't spend long on them. Perhaps a longer trial would have been fairer.

I'd say try before you buy

Jx
 
Hey, guys.

For now I decided on the Elkhart 1000SU.

Happy right now. Only issue is one pad is kinda sticky. I would think that the tonehole edges cut in and stick to the inside of the pad.
Does anyone know of a solution for this?

Might post another thread for this.

Thanks for all the tips guys. If i decide that soprano is fun Ill get another one later.
 
Päng said:
Happy right now. Only issue is one pad is kinda sticky. I would think that the tonehole edges cut in and stick to the inside of the pad.
Does anyone know of a solution for this?
Click to expand...

Get a small piece of extremely fine sandpaper.
Put some lighter fluid on the back.
Place it between the pad and the tone hole with the sandpaper side towards the tone hole.
Hold the tone hole closed with your hand.
Pull out the sandpaper.

This smooths the top of the tone hole and cleans the pad, in case it is sticky.
If you are sure the pad is not sticky then you don't need the lighter fluid.

But make sure you put the sandpaper the right way up or you will ruin the pad!
 
I used to put naptha (lighter fluid) on the back of the sandpaper, but I have since gone to rubbing the pad with a Q-tip/cotton bud soaked with the solvent. I found it does a better job of cleaning for me. I use 1000 grit wet or dry sandpaper to clean the tops of toneholes. It is available at most auto repair shops over here. There are cases where the burrs around the tone hole are not removed when the tone hole is made flat at the factory, and these can also grip the surface of the pad and make it feel and sound sticky.
 
thomsax said:
A new sax with sticky pads?
Click to expand...
Absolutely. The waterproofing used on pads can make them sticky even before they are played. I used to work in the repair shop of a music store where part of my job was to unpack and set up new saxophones before they were put on the shelves. You would be amazed at how many issues some brands have right from the factory. The only exception were the Cannonballs simply because the trained staff at Cannonball headquarters go through them once they arrive from overseas and address any issues they find before they are shipped to the dealers.
 
Päng said:
Hey, guys.

For now I decided on the Elkhart 1000SU.

Happy right now. Only issue is one pad is kinda sticky. I would think that the tonehole edges cut in and stick to the inside of the pad.
Does anyone know of a solution for this?

Might post another thread for this.

Thanks for all the tips guys. If i decide that soprano is fun Ill get another one later.
Click to expand...

Which pad is it? On some old horns some pads, held in by their spring, can get a deep groove which does tend to hold onto a tone hole edge.
You wouldn't expect a new sax to be groovy though? Can you post a photo?
 

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