Xaphoon XAPH Maui Pocket Saxophone, Black & Rico RKA0315 1.5 Strength Reeds for Tenor Sax (Pack of 3)

Nice sound

Very good quality. It takes time to learn mouth position.

Nice product as descriped.

I didn't originally intend to buy this instrument. I purchased a Nuvo Jsax from Amazon on 6th December and it still hasn't arrived yet, so I decided to buy one of these as well so I've got something portable to take away with me over Christmas in case the Jsax doesn't arrive for a while. I used to play saxophone, clarinet and flute to intermediate standard but no longer own a sax or a clarinet. I was missing them, and thought this instrument would be a suitable, cheaper alternative as it sounds like a cross between the two instruments, is lightweight and portable, and would be fun to play once I'd got the hang of it. Not so!I found it relatively easy to sound all the notes on the first octave (I haven't tried the second octave yet) but the fingering is hellish. In order to get a good sound you do have to properly cover all the sound holes, which is very difficult to do when the fingering jumps so much from one note to the next, and the finger spacing isn't particularly comfortable. For 'C' you only cover one hole at the top and one hole at the bottom of the instrument. For 'B', from the top, it's cover the top hole, open the next, cover the next three, leave two open and then cover the bottom one. For 'A' you cover the top three holes, leave the next four open, then cover the bottom one. It then gets a whole lot more complicated when you add in the sharps and flats and go up an octave. For me, unlike both the saxophone and the clarinet, nothing about this instrument is intuitive. I thought that it wouldn't take me that long to master it but, given the fingering, it feels like it could take an eternity. Saxophones and clarinets are easy peasy by comparison.With regard to producing a sound, that seems to be a matter of trial and error. As my embouchure has seriously deteriorated since last playing the sax/clarinet I decided to order some strength 2 Rico tenor reeds as it stated that the reed supplied with the instrument is a 2.5. I personally don't think that's a good choice to include with the instrument as many people who have never played a reed instrument before will seriously struggle with a 2.5, and would be much better with a 1.5. The mouthpiece is quite deep compared to other single reed instruments and does take a bit of getting used to. You also have to put a lot more of it in your mouth to produce a sound, and there is a fine line between enough and too much, in which case you just produce an unpleasant squeak.I think the xaphoon is probably best suited to someone who plays or has played both a reed instrument AND an instrument with open holes or someone who is happy to put in the time learning a complex fingering system from the very beginning. I can only hope that I do manage to find a Jsax before Christmas because I definitely won't be mastering this instrument that quickly!With regard to the three stars scoring, it gets four stars for sound but only one star for fingering so averages out at two and a half... I've been generous...UPDATE - Sunday 17 Dec 2017 - I decided that this instrument would never be as easy to play as I would like, however much I practise. Consequently, I am returning it and have purchased a Nuvo DooD instead (£55 cheaper) which is way easier to play. It has sensible, intuitive, simple fingering that makes perfect sense to me - and blowing is easier too! I plan to have lots of fun with it over Christmas and will be giving it a glowing review!

The original.. very fast shipping even to the other side of the world..

£90 and it comes in a previously used box uncovered and resting on two screwed up pieces of paper. it appears not new , its dusty inside the pipe so has obviously been uncovered for some time and there is not a shred of information or instructions. Something you are going to put in your mouth during a pandemic and its completely open to anyone touching it or the reed. Furious that something I was buying as a present and looking forward to giving someone is sent to me in this manner and condition.

More practice makes perfect. Solid and well made. I hope the more I practice the better I'll get

This little insrument is capable of producing some nice sounds. But in two months of practice I could not get used to the eccentric finger positions. I could play a lot of tunes but my fingers ached at the end of a session. It was not fun, so I gave up and bought a Jsax. I am an experienced woodwind player and have a variety of plastic instruments. But none of them is as easy to play as my clarinet and alto sax. The plastic instruments - such as the Jsax, Venova and Clarineo - are used for fun and because they require little maintenance.

Me gusta que es pequeño y lijero, y miy fácil de utilizar,

Tutto in plastica: tiene l'accordatura a prescindere dal meteo, comodo da lavare in quanto basta togliere l'ancia e metterlo sotto il rubinetto.Il timbro e' gradevole, tra il clarinetto e il sax. Il volume rispetto a questi con l'ancia da 2.5 RICO e' basso, adatto a essere suonato in casa. Costa poco, facile da suonare (in C o in Dm), sta nella custodia di una chitarra. Un limite il range un po' limitato: 1.5 ottave senza "tirare" nel secondo registro che comunque porta solo a 2 ottave totali, si fa perdonare con l'accordatura in C e la comodita' della manutenzione.

Brilliant invention. Very high-quality product. Made in USA.

This is a beautiful instrument. It came in great condition for being used, exactly as described. It is very fun to play. The mouthpiece takes some practice to get a good sound, but it is fine once you get used to it. I would really recommend this to anyone who would like to try a new, affordable instrument.

Si nunca has tocado un instrumento de viento (especialmente de lengüeta) te costará la primera hora ... pero viendo algún tutorial y poniendo empeño se le quita partido muy rápido. Tenéis tutoriales en youtube y sobre todo un grupo en facebook para obtener ayuda. El cuidado que requiere es mínimo, fácil de transportar pero recomiendo aprender sobre el cuidado de las lengüetas. Cuando se sabe usar medianamente hay que buscar unas lengüetas de mayor dureza y calidad, las que trae obviamente son para principiantes. Recomiendo para no pasar trabajo y comprar unas legere signature series (las mismas que las del saxo tenor en si bemol) son sintéticas, no tienen mantenimiento y duran muchísimo.