Jean Paul Student Tenor Saxophone TS-400 - Golden Brass Lacquered

Hello, saxophone shopper. I have played he tenor, alto and soprano saxophones since I was in high school from 1968-1971. In those years I have owned Martin, Cannonball, and Selmer saxophones. I actually collect all sorts of musical instruments, many of which I play, some I just enjoy owning as functional art objects. I sold my Selmer MK 7 tenor in 1971 to buy my first cello, which has been my main musical instrument the last 52 years.I gave my last alto saxophone to one of my grandchildren, and I sold my Cannonball Big Stone Raven tenor this year because it was tying up $3500.00 and I didn't have enough time to play it and warrant keeping it. I sold it last year but didn't want to be without any tenor saxophone. I also only wanted a silver finish tenor because I like silver horns more than the more common gold lacquer models.After much careful research, I decided to purchase a Jean Paul Intermediate model tenor from Amazon in their limited edition silver finish. I believe Jean Paul instruments is an American musical instrument company based in Florida, and I believe their band instruments are manufactured in Taiwan. You might want to check that out for accuracy if you care about such things.I have been delightfully surprised by this $1200.00 tenor saxophone. The key work is very smooth and quiet not unlike my beloved 1970 era Selmer Mk 7. Selmer/Paris (the top line Selmers actually hand made in Paris, France) saxophones are probably the most beautiful and coveted saxophones in the world, and my Jean Paul tenor feels much like it in my hands.The sound is excellent, and the horn is very attractive. The bell is lightly engraved, not at the magnificent level of a Paris made Selmer, but those horns cost $10,000 as of this year, out of this amateur musician's ability to own. It is still a very attractive horn, visually, which is important to me.I would certainly recommend the Jean Paul intermediate tenor saxophone for any elementary, junior high or high school band student. Perhaps as an marching band second instrument for a college marching band saxophonist, because many players don't want to expose a $5000.00 - $10,000.00 horn to the rigors and weather of marching band use, even if they are fortunate enough to own one.And for adults who played when in school and are coming back to playing after a multi-decade break but cannot justify spending or afford to spend thousands of dollars on a premium brand like Yamaha, Selmer, Cannonball, et al, he Jean Paul intermediate tenor, and I imagine their alto as well, will serve you well in any application. I have done occasional gigs and played in a Community Symphony band for one year with mine. The price includes a quality mouthpiece, strap, cork grease, and an extremely nice black vinyl, leather like case. I can highly recommend this very affordable, great sounding, great playing and good looking tenor saxophone. Well done, Jean Paul Musical Instruments. I am impressed! Score? 10 on a scale of 10. Highly recommended. Buy with confidence! GCS

My name is Steve Jones and I am a lover of Jazz music. I am very serious when it comes to music and I only use the best products on the market. Not the most expensive – but the best. It is only through quality products and quality playing that I can appreciate the sounds that come from great saxophones, cellos, bass guitars, etc.If I could give Jean-Paul USA a 10-star review I would. This is not only the highest-quality tenor saxophone I have ever owned, but also the highest-quality company I have ever had the pleasure of doing business with. They are customer-focused, quality engineers who are attentive to the needs of musicians.I own the Jean-Paul TS-400 saxophone and it is comparable to the high-end saxophones that people sometimes pay thousands of dollars for. It is a beautiful instrument, and I can tell just by looking at it that a lot of love went into making this saxophone. The attention to detail shows in every key, every engraving on the bell, and every curve of the instrument.First, it is a sturdy instrument, and yet it does not feel very heavy at all when it fits in the hands. And while most saxophones are nearly identical and shape and size, this one feels like it was molded just for me. It feels very natural and sits well when played.Next, it has a very professional sound that you can hear even when not blowing into the instrument. When you take it out of the box and press the main keys, you can tell just by the tones you hear from the bell that the seals are extremely tight and echo a great sound through the body of the saxophone. The sounds are clear, sharp, and indicative of a professional architecture.The keys press very naturally without any heavy pressure needed. Some keys on some saxophones require a little more pressure to work and can feel like a chore, but on this model they press and flow with a minimal pressure and natural feel. Each key has a beautiful pearl inlay with a slight indentation for finger placement. They are well-crafted and look exquisite on the instrument.The case is very high quality and hugs the saxophone tightly to ensure that no damage occurs when moving the instrument from place to another. There is no room for movement of the parts once in the case, so they are protected extremely well. There were also pads in between some of the moveable assemblies on the saxophone to ensure that no banging of the parts occur during shipment (so make to look for those and remove them when taking it out of the box).The product also comes with a warranty that will ensure you can focus on playing music without any additional expenses to fix broken parts.One last thing – I called the company today to tell them just how great this product is for me and I can tell you they genuinely care about the customer. They are very interested in producing high-quality instruments, sharing those products with musicians, and hearing back from the customers about their experiences.It is not very often a person can say that they have 100% satisfaction with a company, but for the first time ever, I can. They care about people and will go out of their way to make we are taken care of. I am working with Jean Paul right now to test and review the AS-400 alto saxophone - so that will be in another review forum. In fact, I will continue my relationship with Jean-Paul knowing that I am getting quality products from people who care and take great pride in their craftsmanship.

The pads on this tenor are little thinner than expected so longevity might be a concern, but it played excellent. I would highly recommend this horn to any beginner or even an intermediate player. Truly excellent value for the money. In fact, I don't think there is a better horn available anywhere near this price. I tested an Allora and an Etude that were more expensive and this Jean Paul played better. The lower notes played easily and intonation was better than average. Keys are a little small for bigger hands but perfect for younger students. The only thing I would upgrade immediately would be the mouthpiece. Start with a Yamaha 4c or 5c. Great match for this horn.

Sweet Tenor Saxophone! (Jazz too). The responsiveness of the keys is amazing. The sound. (Tone) is incredible. It works beautifically with my dark sound TP- SYOS tenor mouthpiece (MP) and JodyJazz MP.The weight is moderate (not heavy).My Jazzlab neck/ shoulder strap supports it well and feels so light and comfortable.Lastly it’s very affordable. I went from checking out a desired $4000 Cannonball tenor Sax, to spending less than $800 (actually $532 on a mint used JP Tenor sax ). So serious wins here!ConsI took off 1 star due to the low Eb key being too close to the low C key. Not ergonomic.However the other keys work great ergonomically