Saxophones Soprano - curiosity.....

[LisaP2026]

Currently learning alto but thinking about hiring a sop just to see what it's like but have a couple of questions.....

1) is sop more difficult to play than an alto?

2) have heard that they are more prone to going out of tune - is this the case?

3) would you recommend a straight or a curvie to try?

Or would you suggest sticking with the alto until more competent......?

 

[LostCircuits]

There's a Fortissimo student sop on eBay at the moment (straight) currently at £81 - anyone heard of that brand?? Photos are diabolical though... can't seem to paste the link, not sure why??

Saxophones - Fortissimo Torino saxophone

My son now wants take the sax and i have agreed to fund a student horn. I been looking into buying him a Chinese one after reading some positive reviews. Has anyone had seen these ones before...

cafesaxophone.com

 

[Jeanette]

Saxophones - Cheapest soprano ??

Mine wasn't too bad for a cheap sax, but as it was hired from my then tutor I had to hand it back when I went elsewhere for lessons.

Jx

 

[JayeNM]

There's a Fortissimo student sop on eBay at the moment (straight) currently at £81 - anyone heard of that brand?? Photos are diabolical though... can't seem to paste the link, not sure why??

So, i think if you are gonna go the Soprano route...and the concerns on how finicky they can be have been addressed well in other replies...you really should budget for a reputed maker one. The obvious pricey choices of Yani, Yama, Selmer, etc may not be financially feasible...but Jupiter, Allora are two which pop into my head as cheaper ones, used, but still quite respectable. A few others which folks may have had good experiences with can surely be added.

But budget sopranos, no real established track record ? intonaional quirkiness and questionable build quality (resulting in horn not staying in regulation) are gonna be common attributes of most of those.

 

[Stephen Howard]

There's a Fortissimo student sop on eBay at the moment (straight) currently at £81 - anyone heard of that brand?? Photos are diabolical though... can't seem to paste the link, not sure why??

It might be OK, but it probably won't be - until you've spent the best part of £80-100 on having it fettled.
But then that's likely to be the case with any cheap soprano, perhaps even a new one.
The Gear4Music Rosedale at £399 looks to be a copy of a Yamaha and is probably your best bet at the lowest end of the spectrum. Anything else relies on luck or throwing more cash at the project unless you really know what you're doing.
Thing is though...if you buy a cheapo used horn from eBay there'll probably always be someone else who will buy it off you.

 

[LisaP2026]

Thing is though...if you buy a cheapo used horn from eBay there'll probably always be someone else who will buy it off you.

That was my thinking.....

 

[Wade Cornell]

I'm selling a King curvy soprano that is listed on this site. It's "vintage" in gold plate, so a collector's horn that plays well. Will hold it's value or possibly increase.
Saxophone FS - H N White King Cleveland Curved Soprano Saxophone

 

[JayeNM]

The Gear4Music Rosedale at £399 looks to be a copy of a Yamaha and is probably your best bet at the lowest end of the spectrum. Anything else relies on luck or throwing more cash at the project unless you really know what you're doing.

You have familiarity with these ? Have serviced one ?

 

[JayeNM]

That was my thinking.....

But...add to that thinking, this:

You buy an eFlay cheapie, say for I dunno...200-225quid. It needs 75 of tech attention (i am being quite rosy in that estimate).

300 invested, and it turns out not serving well (attributes noted earlier...poor intonation, keys go out of regulation, etc). Yes someone may buy it off of you...but likely not for 300 used, because if that is their price target they might as well buy a 299 new one.

So....you lose 50-100 on resale....

vs. you are willing to invest 400-500 on one, from an established seller with a return policy and a warranty if new, or established seller with return policy if used... the above scenario becomes more of a remote possibility

 

[turf3]

Dont rule out old ones. Holton (my personal hobbyhorse), Martin, King (not the Saxello, that's really meant for experienced players only), Buescher, Conn. Or the old Selmers too. The American makes tend less toward the nasal sound of modern sopranos.

Whatever you end up with, push in more than you'd expect, and be prepared for more backpressure and less air flow rate.

 

[Stephen Howard]

You have familiarity with these ? Have serviced one ?

A few now - and the same model under different brand names. Fairly common in the UK.
Since most retailers got out of selling Ultra-Cheap horns because of QC problems, G4M and John Packer pretty much dominate the market in the UK - but there are still a few 'off-brands' coming in via Amazon etc.
A step up from the basic Chinese fare - still needs a tweak though.

Currently have a JP243G soprano on the bench. Definitely not cheap at about £800 but nonetheless quite respectable.
Stacks are tight, which is always a major plus.

 

[LostCircuits]

Holton and Martin have the "sweetest" tone but for playing I prefer Buescher or Conn.

 

[Nick Wyver]

Another vote for John Packer here. A student of mine had a curvy one from when she started (9 or 10) and was still playing it when she went to university with no maintenance whatsoever.

And a comment that not everyone (me, of course) likes sweet sounding sopranos. Which is not as bad as ‘sounding like a small alto’ . Noooooo!
Sops should be nasal. They should be able to cut through. Otherwise, what’s the point.
I did some recording the other day. I started with a straight Yanagisawa with the mic in front of me. The sound was nice. So I switched to my curvy BW so the mic was getting some sound from the bell. Much more ballsy.

 

[LisaP2026]

Update on the fortissimo - put in a couple of bids but it sold for more than I was willing to pay as a gamble (final price £120) so either someone has got themselves a bargain or I dodged a bullet.....

Guess I'd better start saving for a known brand instead....!

 

[Ivan]

Update on the fortissimo - put in a couple of bids but it sold for more than I was willing to pay as a gamble (final price £120) so either someone has got themselves a bargain or I dodged a bullet.....

Guess I'd better start saving for a known brand instead....!

Sensible thinking... Not going above your notional price limit

Wish I could do that

 

[LostCircuits]

And a comment that not everyone (me, of course) likes sweet sounding sopranos. Which is not as bad as ‘sounding like a small alto’ . Noooooo!
Sops should be nasal. They should be able to cut through. Otherwise, what’s the point.
I did some recording the other day. I started with a straight Yanagisawa with the mic in front of me. The sound was nice. So I switched to my curvy BW so the mic was getting some sound from the bell. Much more ballsy.

Yep, there is a place for everything. I used to have the vinyl release of Luminescence by Keith Jarrett / Jan Garbarek. Anything but sweet and I put it on every time I had folks over who couldn't find the door. It was like a beacon towards the exit!

And sounding like a small alto - love that expression. But I agree, it's a tradeoff between "nice" and "brutal, in your face, presence", there is a time for both.

 

[PigSquealer]

Holton and Martin have the "sweetest" tone but for playing I prefer Buescher or Conn.

You just prefer green felts🤪

 

[PigSquealer]

@LisaP2026 if you want to hear a pig squeal, give it a soprano. I’m honestly the worst on a SOP. Cats & dogs run away. The trash man avoids the street for a week. It’s bad…
On the other hand I’ve had some fun and achievement on an affordable clarinet…..$30 invested and some oil on a Vito 3. A thrift store buy to explore the option. I am able to play somewhat respectable. Still I’m a car wreck on a SOP. even those I’ve serviced. Straight or Bent….all of cheap builds. Bad, bad and worse than terrible.

My best suggestion is to find someone local who is an avid and knowledgeable SOP player. Ask for a honest introduction to the instrument. Maybe a local teacher ?
With the right person you may love it or discover it’s not your cup of tea.
Regardless, do by all means explore your interests. After all, it’s a musical journey 😉

 

[EdJ]

1) In favour of Curved
a) They are good for travel. In the right case they will go in Large Borough Brompton bag and are suitable for plane hand luggage.
b) Also good for microphones (same a the other bigger curved ones - one mic clipped to the bell picks up the sound coming from bell and open tone holes well which isn’t so true for straight sops).
c) You can hang them around your neck when not playing more easily than a straight one

2) In favour of straight sops
a) I may be wrong but my impression is that for the same amount of money spent (on purchase and improvement by a good repair / maintenance professional) on average a straight will be easier to play in tune than curved. Both have good and bad examples and my Bauhaus curved is actually better than my Bauhaus straight contrary to my minimally evidence based impression.
b) Steve Howard says that the straights are easier to work on and he will know.

3) Personal preference
Ergonomics some find curved more comfortable (less effort on the R thumb and arm) others find straight more comfortable (less hunched playing position)

Bottom line = ideally try both and see which one you prefer ergonomically / for size.
If the first one of the right shape seems to play well you might want to just go for it or maybe try a couple of your ergonomic favourite and buy the one that plays best.

 

[Dr G]

3) Personal preference
Ergonomics some find curved more comfortable (less effort on the R thumb and arm) others find straight more comfortable (less hunched playing position)

Why would the curvy demand a hunched position? If the mouthpiece is too low, raise the neck strap.

I’m 6’4” on a good day, and stand tall when I play a curved sop. I also stand upright to play flute. I find it important to always keep an open airway. Stand up straight and bring the mouthpiece to your face regardless of instrument.

 

[PigSquealer]

Steve Howard says that the straights are easier to work on and he will know.

I second this comment even with my limited SOP repair experience. These buggers are small and tedious things to work on.