Jean Paul AS-400 Alto Saxophone - Golden Brass Lacquered

It's been some time since I purchased this, and I've been playing it ever since. Before this sax, I had used ones and they are not even comparable. I also played several other saxophones of my friends but Jean Paul was still better than them. I have not tried the really good ones like Yamaha so cannot say anything about them. After a couple of years, it's still working great. I clean it after every practice, so probably that helps too. There are no broken or non-functioning pieces. However, the only problem is that sometimes the G# key gets stuck. In that case, I am using the dollar bill trick to fix it. I recommend this saxophone to all beginners. UPDATE AFTER A VERY LONG TIME: Reliability: From the moment I unboxed the AS-400SP, its silver-plated finish stood out, giving it a sleek and professional look. The build quality is impressive for a student-level saxophone, with sturdy keywork and a comfortable feel. The instrument came ready to play, requiring no additional setup, which was perfect for a beginner like me. Consistency: Throughout my practice sessions, the AS-400SP has delivered a robust and resonant tone. Its playability has remained consistent, and the intonation is reliable across the range. I make it a point to clean the saxophone after every practice, and I believe this maintenance has contributed to its longevity. Even after extensive use, there are no broken or non-functioning parts. Minor Issues and Maintenance: The only recurring issue I've encountered is the G# key occasionally sticking. However, using the "dollar bill trick" to clean the pad resolves this quickly. It's a minor inconvenience that doesn't detract from the overall quality of the instrument. Ideal for Aspiring Saxophonists: Having tried several other student saxophones, the AS-400SP stands out in terms of sound quality and build. While I haven't had the opportunity to compare it directly with higher-end models like Yamaha, this saxophone has exceeded my expectations for a beginner instrument. It's an excellent choice for those starting their musical journey. Final Thoughts: The Jean Paul AS-400SP has been a dependable and high-performing saxophone throughout my learning experience. Its quality and durability make it a worthwhile investment for any beginner.

I played alto sax in elementary, junior high, and high school, first chair in all bands as well as playing a stage band, a Dixieland band, and solo performance, but gave up sax after high school graduation. That was 52 years ago. I longed to return to the sax but found that reconditioning my old alto would cost as much or more than a new one so I decided to do some research on what might be a good new sax to invest in. After weeks of reading reviews, watching videos and comparing prices, the Jean Paul AS-400 seemed to be the sweet spot between affordability and high-quality, so I took the plunge. Less than a day with my new sax and I could not be more pleased with my purchase! It is everything the dozens of great reviews claim it to be and right out of the case, I started feeling at home, again, with an instrument I once loved and felt guilty for abandoning so many years ago. I should note that I remained a musician, mostly on piano and voice, but I have also picked up flute and clarinet along with guitar and a bit of violin. But it is good to be back home in Saxophone Land and with such an immediately comfortable and excellent-sounding horn. My only disappointment is not in the sax, itself, but rather, the neck strap which I am expecting a replacement for that I ordered yesterday. But for anyone wanting to start out on the sax or who, like me, wants to dive back into it, please do consider the Jean Paul AS-400 as a choice you can be confident in. At its price point, I cannot imagine a better quality instrument and considering a number of the reviewers stated it performs better than their more expensive student or intermediate model, I'm able to understand just why they make that claim. I've got a lot of work to do to get my embouchure back and more agile fingering and technique, but it certainly is going to be a pleasant journey. Beyond just the sound of the AS-400, the fit and finish on a very solid instrument are excellent, as well.

I bought my first sax five years ago. It is a chinese tin can that sounds ... bad. I learned to play on that tin can. I remember discovering how to place the reed, how to place my fingers, how to manage my breath. I remember how I felt when I was finally able to play the low B flat. How can you not love the tool that you learned to play on? I love my tin can. However, it was time to play a real instrument and so I went online and researched and I decided that I was finally able to afford a Jean Paul. I thought about it and I researched and weighed the situation and I jumped in and bought the Jean Paul. It was the cheapest quality instrument I could afford. It sounds great. You may not know the joy of listening to yourself play and hear a real instrument sound, as opposed to a tin can sound. I was really overjoyed to listen to me producing a lovely sound... The Jean Paul sounded like a Yamaha to me. I can't afford a Yamaha, but I was able to afford a Jean Paul. The excitement running through my breath and my fingers and my ears when I heard a well rounded tone. I was in heaven... poor man's heaven butn heaven... Until... I played a middle D... It squeaked, and I panicked, I tried again and it squeaked again and I tried for about three hours until it was too late to continue playing (I live in an apt building). Next day bright and early I decided to find out what was happening. Long story short, I spend about 4 hours until I found out what was happening... the octave key was going too far down... I made the D squeak... I looked further and it was a piece of cork... a tiny, teenie weenie piece of cork... it was a miniscule little piece of nothing that was not glued right and therefore the octave key went too far down and uncovered the hole and squeaked on the D. So: I got pissed... this wonderful instrument that I love, this instrument with which I was finally able to produce a beautiful sound, this tool which should have been my heaven, was a source of pain and a source of frustration because some worker was sloppy, and some turkey who was in charge of checking quality did not care enough. So Jean Paul... listen up... I can not afford better, but you should care about me because to me you are the best I will ever have. There are many more like me out there and they deserve the beautiful experience that was denied to me. I deserve to have a 5 star instrument and you denied me that. I had to drop you down to a four star because of sloppy work, and sloppy quality check. I love my Jean Paul. I truly do. I will cherish it and maybe even place it on the pillow next to me when I go to bed. You have to understand that I really wanted a better sound than the tin can I had and you gave it to me but you made me fix the sax and it was difficult, it took a long time, and I hope the repair will last but I am not a sax technician so I am in fearful. Thank you Jean Paul for making affordable saxes that have nice round sounds. That was nice. ... at the same time... FU Jean Paul for making me panic and making me work for it. I really wanted to give you a 5 star but I have to be fair. I love my Jean Paul, but they could provide better workmanship. Picture of my new JP and my old tin can, a picture of the JP bell, and a picture of the stupid cork that was lose. Update: the next day the Middle G, F, and E sounded funny... It turned out to be a steel wire that acts like a spring which is loose and I do not date to attempt to repair it... so with pain in my heart I will return the instrument. It really does hurt, but I need a good instrument and not a source of constant pain and disillusionment. I will write Jean Paul and ask whether there is a way i can buy it again but with a guarantee, an assurance that it will be a properly checked instrument... the sound was so lovely... I am so hurt.

Back in 1996, I played in College on my baby. A YAS 62 purchased in 94. In the intervening 24 years, I haven't gotten to play at all, and I lost my "baby". I've lost 100% embasure(sp?) and 80% of my fingering muscle memory. But mentally, I still know alot about the instrument. I finally have the time to try to get music back into my life, and rolled the dice on this very affordable student saxophone. I am, frankly, in shocked awe at this instruments fit and finish. Other than the lowest few notes, and the altissimo range(which is probably due to my lack of mouth muscle tone) only the D is 1/8 of a note flat. All of the other notes are in tune with each other. I was NOT expecting that. The right hand index finger side key, only used for a few notes in the upper register, clicks a little, as it contacts the key below it. Also. The one thing keeping this from being 5 star all around, is bottom post on the D# key(r hand top pinky key, see picture) has had the soldering fail. The case holds the instrument securely enough that I do not believe this was transportation damage. (After I have time to register the instrument and contact the company, I will update this review based on the results of that contact.) Other than that, all of the keys are the same height. All of them have the same tension. All of the little cork and what looks like silicone pads on all of the keys are attached well, and are even slanted to make flush contact with the body when depressed. This is something that is as good or better than when I got my YAS 62 so many years ago. Some of the springs on the low (left thumb) notes, are even bent to allow for clearance of the other keys to be at the same height, something I remember being very much a problem on my first beginners Saxophone in the mid '80's....and is something I thought would not possibly be done on this instrument, given it's price point. I had read some of the bad reviews, and I scoured this saxophone for scratches, water damage, or water marks on the cork, and it is clear this is a new instrument. I ran my finger along the holes for as many of the holes as I could reach, and I found no dents or burrs. Though the bottom (r hand bottom pinky key) hole has a bit of a rough spot that might wear the pad in time. The swab that it came with is high quality. The neck strap it came with seems cheap but is very comfy. I do wish that it came with a swab for the neck, and that will be my important first purchase before I play the instrument much. I remember reeds being a low% hit and miss thing, back in the '90's, so I did not have much hope in the one that comes with the instrument, but mine was actually quite good, with surprisingly even grain that makes me suspect it was hand picked by someone who knows what to look for. I may be wrong, it may just be luck of the draw. The mouthpiece it came with fit very nicely on the neck's cork. For me, it seemed as if either the reed was too soft, or the mouthpiece gap (distance from the mouthpiece to the reed) was too small, or both...as I found myself squeaking alot. But it is also likely a result of 2.5 decades of not playing. I do believe that the smaller opening and softer reed is a good idea for children just learning. The case seems to hold the instrument securely, I can not speak to it's durability. It has some nice features that my yas62 case in the mid 90's didnt come with. I plan on putting a number of hours of work, re-learning scales and muscle tone, over the next few weeks, and will update this review with durability information. (Pending repair requirements for the popped post solder) But as it is, I think any beginning player (or old man trying to recover some youth in a mid-life crisis like myself) would be lucky to have an instrument like this, even if it was at double the price. (It is my assumption that the post soldering is an easy, inexpensive fix, that might be just a few minutes with a technician.) ****post Customer service update**** After registering my Saxophone with Jean Paul, I sent an email with a photo of the popped solder. They sent me a pre-paid label, and I sent it UPS to they service center in Miami. They let me know when it was shipped back, and I received it back today in wonderful condition. It plays like an instrument worth much more money, which I attribute to their technician's setting up the keys correctly. To be honest, I was going to just pay a local shop for the solder job. But because of the covid, it would have been in quarantine at the local shop longer than it took to send it back to Jean Paul to get it fixed for free. Due to the positive interaction I had with their customer service, I'm increasing my review to 5 stars.

I find nothing to criticize about the JP Alto Sax. It is well made, has a really good sound and is easy to play. It is normally expected to toss the mouthpiece in the trash and buy a decent one to replace it. But you don't have to do that with this one. The mouthpiece which comes with the sax is quite good for a beginner. The ligature is okay, but I prefer a Rovner to keep the mouthpiece from getting scratches. Even the case is good quality. And the price is the best part of the deal. You pay at least twice the price for a sax of equal quality from any other manufacturer. This product is a no brainer. If you are looking for an entry level sax for band class, this is the one.

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 play clarinet and wanted to start on sax - watched a lot of you-tube reviews and was a bit leery of ordering an instrument on-line - however - this sax was given consistent good reviews as a great beginner instrument and I concur. It is evaluated and adjusted by specialists before it goes out and it is obvious. My horn is wonderful - sounds great out of the box. I have put it through its paces and it generates a very pleasant sound and is very well built. I can vouch for the quality of the build and its great sound. It may be a beginners instrument - however, I would (and will be) proud to play this instrument in a band - in church or just gigging - I love this instrument - thank you, thank you, thank you.... Jean-Paul I am having a lot of fun with this great alto saxophone.

I have to admit I was very skeptical about purchasing this sax purely based on the price (which is pretty snobby on my end, I admit). I read all of the positive reviews on Amazon but when I asked my son's private teacher about this sax, he said he never heard of this brand. That made me nervous. I continued to research the Jean Paul and really could not find any negative reviews. In fact, I found a few sites that ranked the sax as a great starter sax for the money. One professional sax player even said that he would not hesitate using the Jean Paul as a stand-in for one of his other saxes that cost 5 times as much. Rather than purchasing the sax, I figured I would rent it from Amazon for one month so my son (and I) could try it out. First of all, the sax is beautiful! Secondly, this sax sounds SO much better is MUCH easier to play than his current high school band sax. He could not wait to take it to school now that he is in "concert band season". As a sax player myself, I gave it a spin and was very pleased with it. I am not a sax professional but I know what a decent sax should sound like. I would not hesitate to recommend this sax to anyone who is looking for a step-up sax for their child without having to break the bank. You can spend twice as much on another brand. However, unless your child is already playing professional gigs and is looking to go to the Berkley School of Music, why would you? You can give them a brand new sax that looks and sounds great! As a side note, one of the benefits of renting through Amazon is that your rental fees can be put toward the purchase of the instrument, which we definitely plan on doing. The only issue I have is that the sax that Amazon sends you may be previously used, as was the one that was sent to me. Since I am buying the sax, I considered returning it and then purchasing it brand new. However, now that my son is using the sax, I will not be able to pry it away from him to send it back. My only recommendation for Amazon is to consider knocking off a few dollars in situations when someone decides to purchase a previously used instrument at the end of the rental period.