Im still a beginner and I purchased the Tenor Sax. There were some issue but they took care of it right away. Even sent me a new Sax before I had even shipped the other one out. Then on top of that, they let me play them both for a weekend to make sure I was satisfied. Grade A+ in customer service. They even went as far as to give me one of their personal cell phone numbers to make sure my exchange went off without a hitch!! I wish I could comment on sound quality but I’m just not that good to be able to tell you how good the horn sounds, but with customer service like this, they gained a client for life.
Exactly...amazing customer service. It's like: what? Really? Yes, really. I hope they become the go-to source for really good saxes that don't cost a small fortune. :-)
I purchased an alto after seeing this video. I was skeptical but kept an open mind. The care taken in packaging the horn was impressive on its own. The horn played as well as my $4500 horn. Impressed enough to order a tenor the same day. They offered 5% discount for school (but I’m 58), upgraded case and mouthpiece. Also had a D’addario ligature and cover. And sent a silver horn for the same price as the gold as it didn’t show on the website. Paid $665 total for the silver model with no shipping charge. Mouthpiece is almost as good as my Selmer C*. The review he gave was DEAD ON !!!!!!
Wait, so you got a Silver one for the same price as the Golden one??? AWESOME!!! On Amazon the silver ones are $799.00 ?? I’m so down to buy one.. so impressed on this Brand “JEAN PAUL”..
Eliseo Chavez I purchased the tenor direct from Jean Paul. They didn’t show the silver tenor on the website. I used the chat feature. They do offer the silver. The chat person modified order to give me silver for same price as gold. Since it wasn’t on the site.
Awesome! Good for you.. I’m so excited to get one... last question: WAS THE TENOR WELL PACKAGED AND DID IT PLAYED AS GREAT AS THE ALTO?? thanks for sharing your thoughts 👍🙏
Eliseo Chavez came in a box that was beat up by UPS. Use the coupon code of “backtoschool” and get additional 5% off along with upgraded case and mouthpiece. Silver version still not listed on site. Contact them direct and they may give you the silver at the gold price like they did for me.
Great review. Bought one for my son to learn on a while back. I liked it so much I got one for myself to learn on. Both sounded great, to us, anyway. I had a small issue with mine, but the customer service was unbelievable. The guy called me (didn't just email back). I sent the sax to them (free shipping). They sent me a new sax! I dented up the neck on that one (totally my fault)...they sent me a new neck (free)...the fit was too tight, so they said 'send us the sax and the neck', which I did (free shipping). They re-fitted the new neck, and now it's perfect. Even got a couple of calls from a fellow who (I think) is the owner (or one of the owners?) of the operation in Florida...he spent, like, 20 minutes on the phone talking about music in general, and also about a couple of TH-cam things my son had posted that he'd taken the time to check out. Amazing customer service; and I feel like they actually do care about what they're doing. Great sax. Great Company. Thanks again for the confirmation, Jay. --I forgot to add...ours DID come with white gloves :-) I've actually used 'em while cleaning it up (probably have too much time on my hands).
@@bettersax When you get the Tenor I'm curious how you would feel about the Jean Paul Tenor vs a YTS-23. I keep oscillating. I've played bassoon since 85 and a little bit of tenor in HS but would like to start again.
Best tenor under 500 would make my day. I’m a dishwasher and I’ve been saving for awhile and need recommendations. I trust your opinion thoroughly so if you can I’d appreciate it.
Just an update from my comments below. As a hobbyist still using this a lot, like it. Key action started getting a bit noisy after 200 hours of play. Did a full lubrication on it and both pinky group keys work easy now. Registration still good. No leaks. Am going to replace all the pads with Pisonis, replace some of the cork and felt. Stock pads, felt cork etc,usable, average. Will add extra felt to some of the body where bumper keys connect. Then more registration as needed. My embouchure is really mature now. Can really control the sound even more with some different reeds. Venting between side C and left middle finger C a bit different but if you start your practice by tuning it. All good. Same when using palm key D as middle D. All in all a great horn if one is obsessed with the hobby. Prefer darker sound of this horn.
There are cheap Chinese bari's out there. The 1300-1600 dollar range. It's a pretty tempting price, but I would definitely expect to have to work on it from time to time, if not right out of the box.
Just got one 3 months ago after a 43 year pause. 1973 to 1980 alto and tenor high end Yamaha machines. If you get through the non-pro aspect of this horn and put in the work of daily practice, the AS-400 will deliver big time. Really like it. Great sound. Am now up to capability again. Maybe I will do a mouth piece upgrade (Burnin' 5?) But not there yet.Thank you for all your hard work Jay! Happy user.
I got this saxophone a couple weeks ago after watching your video comparing the cheapest amazon sax and the $4,500 one. After playing it for a couple weeks (it was my first time playing a saxophone EVER) and now watching this video, I am very satisfied with my purchase. Looking at mouthpieces now!
Sir There are three models in Jean Paul 1) AS-400 INTERMEDIATE WEIGHT 5 LBS 2) AS 400 Brass weight 11lbs 3) AS 400 GP weight 13 lbs I am beginner and my Age is 64, Please advise me, which model should I purchase?
One of my students just bought one of these, and when she brought it to her lesson, I was intrigued. Not so impressed with the mouthpiece but mechanics sounded great. Put my Vandoren V16 small chamber mouthpiece and Vandoren red reed on it and tried it myself; WOW!! I play a Selmer soprano, Yamaha Z for tenor for my gigs and Yamaha YAS 62iii alto which doesn't get used much during gigs. Once I got used to a slightly firmer key action and resistance, this thing was superb! Intonation was near perfect all through the registers, the metal tone booster helped accentuate the "edge" of tone from the v16 and reed combination, and after a short time, I actually found myself liking this more than the near $3000 Yamaha alto!!! I cannot believe this is a "Student" entry level sax, and I've been playing jazz for 40 + years! As I said, I don't use the alto as much as my tenor and soprano during gigs, but this has me seriously thinking of selling my YAS 62iii and getting one of these instead; better intonation all throughout the range than the Yamaha, and once I got used to the slightly firmer resistance on the keys response it was a sheer joy to play! I cannot believe the quality at THIS price point! AND it's a USA company (made in Tiawan, yes, but still American). Yes, not using the stock mouthpiece and my choice of reed certainly helped with the tonal color, but even still, I cannot see how ANY student or even intermediate sax player can go wrong with this horn!
Sir There are three models in Jean Paul 1) AS-400 INTERMEDIATE WEIGHT 5 LBS 2) AS 400 Brass weight 11lbs 3) AS 400 GP weight 13 lbs I am beginner and my Age is 64, Please advise me, which model should I purchase?
UPDATE: I decided to sell my Yamaha YAS62iii and buy one of these for the occasions I do play alto on gigs, using the same Vandoren V16 mouthpiece (different reed selection though), and it has proven to be SO reliable I've actually been asked who it's made by, how many "thousands of dollars" it cost me (LOLOL) etc.
@TheOldMonkTraveler the nickel finish gives a slightly warmer, darker tone, so it all depends on the kind of music you want to play and the tonal color you are looking for. Bear in mind that your mouthpiece and reed selection will also have a major influence on the tonal color of the music being played.
I bought one of these for my clarinet playing daughter who wanted to learn alto for jazz. The one we got we are quite happy with and it is suiting her very well. Her jazz instructor hasn’t complained about it either and is happy with the sound she produces. It’s perfect for what we needed.
I brought the silver AS-400SP as a result of seeing this. It is a heavier instrument and has a great tone throughout the instrument, the mouthpiece was difficult to fit out of the box unlike Jay,s original inspection and struggled initially to play in tune. Upgrade mouthpiece provided for free by Jean Paul (AS-4) and a big thank you to the support team - worked perfectly and within a short period of time managed to keep the horn in tune. I tried a Yamaha and truly prefer the Jean Paul, the tone is richer, the action as consistent, and is a slightly heavier instrument. I sold the Yamaha on. now one year down the line, playing with a second hand Selmer C star ebonite and daddario jazz reeds around 3 soft filed/2 hard, I am totally satisfied with this instrument and the tone it produces. All comments about the case are spot on. It will stay with me, no upgrade required!
I've been obsessed with the clarinet and saxophone for years, but I didn't know where to start when it came to buying a saxophone. They all looked the same! After watching your ammoon/lade video I was about to buy it, but I watched your video comparing three beginner saxophones and instantly bought the jean paul. It was more than twice the investment, but watching this video on it really gave me a good review on what to expect quality-wise. Im so excited to start a journey on such an amazingly versatile instrument. I've played the full spectrum of string instruments, and I've performed classical oboe for around 3 years now. Learning such a classy jazzy instrument is going to be fun. Hard work, I imagine, but if I even get the fraction of pleasure from this instrument as I get watching youtubers like you play and have fun with it, It will be a worthwhile investment ten-fold.
Thanks Jay. As a sax newbie I really appreciate the variety and depth of information that you so freely share. After renting an instrument for a few months, I just purchased the Jean Paul AS-400. Looking forward to many years of enjoyable playing. Now back to my pentatonics and long tones 😉
I found out like 4 days ago that I was going to play alto saxophone in middle school and ever since I found out I’ve been super happy and watching you a lot (I was really really happy bc only 4 people get it out of my entire school and sax was my first choice) any who please Keep posting alto sax vids I absolutely love them ❤️
I just purchased one and am super happy. I have a $3000 Tenor and wanted an alto to try out. Wow. The review is correct. High quality. ribbed construction. Great seal. nice tone. I highly recommend it.
I purchased an alto last week and received the horn two days ago. I am totally satisfied with the response and the craftmanship of this horn. I bought mine on Ebay and it was a factory refurbished horn. This horn looks brand new and there are no apparent blemishes. The case and accessories are brand new, the horn looks brand new and it plays great. I am not a pro by any means. As a retired band director, I needed a horn to use for demo purposes as I teach private lessons in the schools. This is the way to go without breaking the bank. $400 for a sax like this is a great deal for such a solid horn. I would totally recommend this horn for beginners and intermediate players as well.
Yep. Pretty impressive sax. Beautiful, professional look. Dark and resonant sound. I could own about eight of those saxophones for the price of a yanagisawa. Wow! Hats off to Jean Paul.
I used to play saxophone alto when I was in high school back in 1994 and now after so many years of not playing anything I want to give it a new try and get back into music, so I was looking for the best saxophone 500 dollar-budget can buy and all my searches took me to this video. Thank you so much for an excellent video review of this amazing horn piece,... I'll definitely buy one of those for me and introduce my daughter into wind instruments, I bet this will be a very good piece of instrument to inherit to her in the future! Thanks a lot!
I just ordered this saxophone based on this and other reviews that I watched. I've never played before. I play many other instruments but no wind/brass. This should be a fun adventure!
Finally got mine today! I was amazed to feel and see how great the quality of the horn is in person. I used to have a black nickel-gold Mendini by Cecelio MAS-BNG alto sax which recently after 5-6 years came to its death due to its somewhat mediocre build quality and mostly the cheap garbage case it came with. I must say the quality of the Jean Paul case AMAZES me, it feels like the case a pro horn would come in. Overall I guess after 4 years, the Jean Paul AS-400 is still the king of the $600 class (although it used to be a little shy of $500 5 years ago). If you can’t afford the Conn Selmer Better Sax EAS-112, then the next best thing is the Jean Paul AS-400. Who knows maybe Jay agrees with my statement, hopefully 😂😅
I just bought one for Christmas after my Cannonball Big Bell broke...I couldn’t believe the horn was $500...plays almost as well as my Cannonball! Thanks for your suggestion, Jay!
Sir There are three models in Jean Paul 1) AS-400 INTERMEDIATE WEIGHT 5 LBS 2) AS 400 Brass weight 11lbs 3) AS 400 GP weight 13 lbs I am beginner and my Age is 64, Please advise me, which model should I purchase?
Looking into a sax to get back in the groove, but don't want to break the bank (not playing often or professional level). Saw your review on a few and you hooked me to consider this one.
Sir There are three models in Jean Paul 1) AS-400 INTERMEDIATE WEIGHT 5 LBS 2) AS 400 Brass weight 11lbs 3) AS 400 GP weight 13 lbs I am beginner and my Age is 64, Please advise me, which model should I purchase?
Great to hear this. I bought their tenor saxophone a couple of months ago, the Jean Paul USA TS-400, and am so very happy with it. For me, as an absolute beginner, it was incredibly easy to get started. Yes, these people are creating fantastic instruments, - and the salespeople are extremely helpful. They really deserve the good reviews they get. Thanks for this review, Jay. I already own a Yamaha Alto student saxophone, otherwise I would have purchased the AS-400 as well.
I'm really blown away with how much that horn sings. I have a Jean Paul clarinet and I'm happy to hear about their quality in this video. I've been using it to learn for a while and it plays really well!
I Knew zero about Saxophones a Year ago. Did allot of research and hesitated to by the AS-400 until a week ago. Found you since the purchase. So glad to know I made a well informed decision to buy this Jean Paul as my first ever. And yes I had decided after initial sticker shock of high end sax cost ($$$) to limit my first purchase to just around $500 + - $100. Time to go practice.. :Now -)
I was looking for an Alto that was not too expensive for a while. being that I mainly play tenor, I didn't feel the need to spend much on a horn that I wasn't going to play a lot but the alto I had was not up to snuff when whenever it came to gigs that required serious performance beyond the typical pop horn section stuff. so thanks to your video about saxes under $500, I was able to make a decision and purchased the Jean Baptiste AS400.out of the box, it played very well and I can see that it is made very well. Thank you for your videos. I always learn a lot of valuable things from. them.
I just started learning how to play the piano over a year of practicing. Watching this video and looking at other musical instruments I’m wanting to make a saxophone my 2nd instrument in the future. I want to learn more about the sax thanks for sharing your input.👍🏾👍🏾👍🏾😊
Thanks, Jay, for your review. Although I have a 1959 Buffet Crampon I like a lot, it's in need of some TLC, and since I'm getting back into playing, I'm fighting it a lot. Rather than spend $ on it right now, I decided to purchase a Jean Paul AS-400 Alto based on your review. I'm really glad I did. Solid horn and makes playing enjoyable with the Yamaha 5C mouthpiece I already have.
I haven't played saxophone since high school and ive been missing it a lot lately at 29, this video convinced me to by the Jean Paul, that price tag is just too good to pass up.
Thanks, Jay, for sharing. Now I have another sax to recommend my students on a budget. I was recommending the Buffet Crampon Series 100, which is about $300 to $400 more. But now I have another option to recommend for those on even tighter budgets.
Few months ago I bought a 150$ chinese saxophone (costs less here since I live in asia) which has been great so far (just had to fix the screw to hold down the G# pad pressing F) and I've just realised it's the exact copy of this one. They probably make it in the same factories and brand it differently...
My parents got the John Paul after reviewing this video. I have been practicing for more than an year on it. Now playing for my school band. Great instrument.
Thanks for recommending this Jay! After this video and your comparison video with the AS-400, Yamaha and Ammoon, I bought one of these today. Long story, but I haven't played in over 30 years. Recently I pulled out my wall-hanger brass clarinet and decided to refurb it myself. A few pads, and it started playing again. Then I thought, man it would be cool to have a sax again! I sold my tenor to pay rent in 1989 and have missed it since. I just play for me, so all it has to do is function well and sound nice (once I get my embouchure back). By the way, you can get 5% off at Jean Paul USA right now. Shipping is free as well, and they are already $10 cheaper than Amazon for the same instrument.
@@auliikaauamo7397 no major complaints so far. Plays great. I plan to buy another in about 6 months to a year once I get better. But for beginners it's a great Sax
10:37 for a great Christopher Walken impression. Just ordered mine. Got a used one in mint condition for 375. Cannot beat that. Gets here tomorrow. Can't wait. Been playing sax professionally for over 20 years.
Update - 3 weeks of playing on it. Love it. Hard to call it a student model when it's so professionally setup and has almost all the features you could ever ask for. Great horn. Bought the Tenor to go with it.
I actually have this saxophone and it is definitely great for someone who is a beginner or in middle school advanced band or even in high school band definitely great saxophone
Great advice on reeds for beginners! When I got my first sax, the salesman told me nothing about reeds and gave me a hard 3; I spent the first 2 weeks trying to figure out why the reed wouldn’t cooperate with me! No hard reeds for first time players trying to learn! Important!!! Mouthpiece a 7 top opening with a 3-3- 1/2 reed won’t work for a first timer!!! Best, Rocket 🚀
I am have been thriving off your videos to inspire me more than the rest. I will be buying this nickel plated. I subscribe to you and Am looking to your lessons. Love you, Bryan
You know Jay, I think this is the design that was marketed by Conn-Selmer as a student model about ten years ago, and that was great value as too. The model number was...AS-400. Fancy that!
J M. I saw your recommendation about JP AS400 and got a silver type from eBay. Best thing I have done! Love to buy and repair mid age Sax. But JP AS400 is perfect out of the box. Thanks JM
Fantastic review , extremely detailed, I’m thinking I’m going to purchase one before the year is up. I’ve had a Yamaha for a long time but she’s tired, it’s time to roll up to gigs with a solid new horn. Thank you for a solid review! Hello from Miami 💪🏼🤝🏼
You busted me up with your first comment when you opened the case and there were NO GLOVES!!! I am happy to say that my Series II Paris did not come with gloves either. On a funny side note, my German car's little tool kit has a pair of gloves in it! I have had the car for 12 years and I have never used the gloves. I have bent the factory lug wrench, but without the gloves.
Sir There are three models in Jean Paul 1) AS-400 INTERMEDIATE WEIGHT 5 LBS 2) AS 400 Brass weight 11lbs 3) AS 400 GP weight 13 lbs I am beginner and my Age is 64, Please advise me, which model should I purchase?
Just my luck, thought l would buy myself a good Sax, so 2 weeks ago shopped around the reputable established music shop GJ Windows in Newcastle, and bought a Yamaha YAS62, on special £1883.00, very happy but at $500.00 my bank account might have been happier. Thank’s for the excellent videos Jay keep them coming.
I want to be as good at something as you are with these instruments. To be able to open and feel and look and just know if it’s good or bad. I’m not being facetious, I wish I could be as astute. Maybe one day I will be. I applaud your skill and passion
I'm sixteen and I'm in band I play bass drum but I have been experimenting with the woodwind instruments and I am definitely going to purchase this saxophone
I enjoyed this video. I bought this on sale a few holidays ago, so got it even cheaper! My sax coach played it and she love the sound. I think mine sounds a lot brighter. I loved that I could hear a difference when you changed mouth pieces, and that further makes me want to get a new mouth piece. I love a deep dark tone- any recommendations?
What would you recommend for somebody who's been playing tenor sax for 5 years (with an addition of 2 years from clarinet) but wants to add alto sax? I have temporarily played alto sax in my band one time for few months. Loved playing it. I've been playing on a professional tenor sax for about a year. Would getting a professional alto sax be the way to go or simply something like this? Just curious about your answer. I'm really liking this saxophone too by how well it's made and everything. I love the tone. It's nice and warm.
Thanks for you review, it made it really clear for me what I should get for my son. He's at his 2nd year band at school and it was too costly to rent from them.
Closest to a budget bari would be the Taishan bari I have used one for 3 years now it plays great and was the cheapest new I could find but still not cheap at $1500
I just bought one of these and I was amazed...it was hard for me to play my classic Conn in tune over 3 octaves ..not so with this one ..plays great and in tune. I can even play along with Jay and be in pitch..it would be great if you did a review comparing the AS 400 and the AS 800. I asked the company about the difference and they said personal taste. So for the money difference I went with the 400. Great Job Jay...Tks
I love mine. Like this alto, it's killer for the price. I decided on the tenor after a friend got an alto & he let me try it. I was flabbergasted at the quality. Tenor, same.
I got mine a few months after seeing this review, and it's not bad. The sound is good, and everything mechanical was fine for the first several months. However, very recently, the spring on the octave key snapped, so changes from the low register to the high register don't work very well. I've noticed a few other minor degradations over time similar to this one, so I can't really say these horns are build to last. As someone on a budget, however, I really can't complain.
Thanks for reviewing this one! I've been curious about the tenor. The 2-step QA is a huge advantage and well worth the slight mark-up, otherwise you're just left crossing your fingers hoping to get a good, playable one. I'd pay more for Squier guitars if someone in the states would just check the darn things before shipping out. Your tone is excellent btw ... thanks for all the excellent videos.
Thanks for this review, u play ok and i have recently been studying ur style, not only that, my first sax is the jean Paul as 400 silver, hearing u play it makes me more confident with my purchase, I am new so, thank u for your generosity, keep up the good work ur dope
Im still a beginner and I purchased the Tenor Sax. There were some issue but they took care of it right away. Even sent me a new Sax before I had even shipped the other one out. Then on top of that, they let me play them both for a weekend to make sure I was satisfied. Grade A+ in customer service. They even went as far as to give me one of their personal cell phone numbers to make sure my exchange went off without a hitch!! I wish I could comment on sound quality but I’m just not that good to be able to tell you how good the horn sounds, but with customer service like this, they gained a client for life.
Exactly...amazing customer service. It's like: what? Really? Yes, really. I hope they become the go-to source for really good saxes that don't cost a small fortune. :-)
What particular store did your purchased?
@@aileencatacutan4987 Directly from Jean Paul.
L0p8
@Aarav Dallas I will! What's her name?
I purchased an alto after seeing this video. I was skeptical but kept an open mind. The care taken in packaging the horn was impressive on its own. The horn played as well as my $4500 horn. Impressed enough to order a tenor the same day. They offered 5% discount for school (but I’m 58), upgraded case and mouthpiece. Also had a D’addario ligature and cover. And sent a silver horn for the same price as the gold as it didn’t show on the website. Paid $665 total for the silver model with no shipping charge. Mouthpiece is almost as good as my Selmer C*. The review he gave was DEAD ON !!!!!!
This is great to hear. Thanks for commenting.
Wait, so you got a Silver one for the same price as the Golden one??? AWESOME!!! On Amazon the silver ones are $799.00 ?? I’m so down to buy one.. so impressed on this Brand “JEAN PAUL”..
Eliseo Chavez I purchased the tenor direct from Jean Paul. They didn’t show the silver tenor on the website. I used the chat feature. They do offer the silver. The chat person modified order to give me silver for same price as gold. Since it wasn’t on the site.
Awesome! Good for you.. I’m so excited to get one... last question: WAS THE TENOR WELL PACKAGED AND DID IT PLAYED AS GREAT AS THE ALTO??
thanks for sharing your thoughts 👍🙏
Eliseo Chavez came in a box that was beat up by UPS. Use the coupon code of “backtoschool” and get additional 5% off along with upgraded case and mouthpiece. Silver version still not listed on site. Contact them direct and they may give you the silver at the gold price like they did for me.
Great review. Bought one for my son to learn on a while back. I liked it so much I got one for myself to learn on. Both sounded great, to us, anyway. I had a small issue with mine, but the customer service was unbelievable. The guy called me (didn't just email back). I sent the sax to them (free shipping). They sent me a new sax! I dented up the neck on that one (totally my fault)...they sent me a new neck (free)...the fit was too tight, so they said 'send us the sax and the neck', which I did (free shipping). They re-fitted the new neck, and now it's perfect. Even got a couple of calls from a fellow who (I think) is the owner (or one of the owners?) of the operation in Florida...he spent, like, 20 minutes on the phone talking about music in general, and also about a couple of TH-cam things my son had posted that he'd taken the time to check out. Amazing customer service; and I feel like they actually do care about what they're doing. Great sax. Great Company. Thanks again for the confirmation, Jay.
--I forgot to add...ours DID come with white gloves :-) I've actually used 'em while cleaning it up (probably have too much time on my hands).
How has it held up?
Can you do a similar video for a tenor sax? It would help out a lot.
I'll try to get my hands on one soon.
Yes! I´d like to know your opinion for TS-400 please.
@@lubomirmojzisik
Yes please!
@@bettersax When you get the Tenor I'm curious how you would feel about the Jean Paul Tenor vs a YTS-23. I keep oscillating. I've played bassoon since 85 and a little bit of tenor in HS but would like to start again.
Best tenor under 500 would make my day. I’m a dishwasher and I’ve been saving for awhile and need recommendations. I trust your opinion thoroughly so if you can I’d appreciate it.
Just an update from my comments below.
As a hobbyist still using this a lot, like it.
Key action started getting a bit noisy after 200 hours of play.
Did a full lubrication on it and both pinky group keys work easy now.
Registration still good. No leaks. Am going to replace all the pads with Pisonis, replace some of the cork and felt. Stock pads, felt cork etc,usable, average. Will add extra felt to some of the body where bumper keys connect. Then more registration as needed.
My embouchure is really mature now. Can really control the sound even more with some different reeds.
Venting between side C and left middle finger C a bit different but if you start your practice by tuning it. All good. Same when using palm key D as middle D.
All in all a great horn if one is obsessed with the hobby. Prefer darker sound of this horn.
Watching this makes me feel like I'm an expert on sax, despite I've never even touched one in my life
Jay has a way of doing that with ALL saxes he reviews!
If they made a reasonably priced Bari sax too I would buy that in a second
Lucas’s Stache I’m looking at their site right now and I don’t see any bari saxophone
Sami Batescoff umm did you read my comment?
There are cheap Chinese bari's out there. The 1300-1600 dollar range. It's a pretty tempting price, but I would definitely expect to have to work on it from time to time, if not right out of the box.
Lucas’s Stache sorry I miss read it, but I actually talked to one of their representatives and they DO sell a bari sax for 3000$
Sami Batescoff it’s all good and if that Bari could play comparable to there other saxes that would be very tempting
Just got one 3 months ago after a 43 year pause. 1973 to 1980 alto and tenor high end Yamaha machines.
If you get through the non-pro aspect of this horn and put in the work of daily practice, the AS-400 will deliver big time. Really like it. Great sound. Am now up to capability again.
Maybe I will do a mouth piece upgrade (Burnin' 5?) But not there yet.Thank you for all your hard work Jay!
Happy user.
I got this saxophone a couple weeks ago after watching your video comparing the cheapest amazon sax and the $4,500 one. After playing it for a couple weeks (it was my first time playing a saxophone EVER) and now watching this video, I am very satisfied with my purchase. Looking at mouthpieces now!
Sir There are three models in Jean Paul
1) AS-400 INTERMEDIATE WEIGHT 5 LBS
2) AS 400 Brass weight 11lbs
3) AS 400 GP weight 13 lbs
I am beginner and my Age is 64, Please advise me, which model should I purchase?
So glad you reviewed this! I bought one of these for the start of my school year! It plays amazing!!
Good to hear.
One of my students just bought one of these, and when she brought it to her lesson, I was intrigued. Not so impressed with the mouthpiece but mechanics sounded great. Put my Vandoren V16 small chamber mouthpiece and Vandoren red reed on it and tried it myself; WOW!! I play a Selmer soprano, Yamaha Z for tenor for my gigs and Yamaha YAS 62iii alto which doesn't get used much during gigs. Once I got used to a slightly firmer key action and resistance, this thing was superb! Intonation was near perfect all through the registers, the metal tone booster helped accentuate the "edge" of tone from the v16 and reed combination, and after a short time, I actually found myself liking this more than the near $3000 Yamaha alto!!!
I cannot believe this is a "Student" entry level sax, and I've been playing jazz for 40 + years! As I said, I don't use the alto as much as my tenor and soprano during gigs, but this has me seriously thinking of selling my YAS 62iii and getting one of these instead; better intonation all throughout the range than the Yamaha, and once I got used to the slightly firmer resistance on the keys response it was a sheer joy to play! I cannot believe the quality at THIS price point! AND it's a USA company (made in Tiawan, yes, but still American). Yes, not using the stock mouthpiece and my choice of reed certainly helped with the tonal color, but even still, I cannot see how ANY student or even intermediate sax player can go wrong with this horn!
Sir There are three models in Jean Paul
1) AS-400 INTERMEDIATE WEIGHT 5 LBS
2) AS 400 Brass weight 11lbs
3) AS 400 GP weight 13 lbs
I am beginner and my Age is 64, Please advise me, which model should I purchase?
Only aware of 2 models: one in high polished gold finish and the other in the high polish Nickel Silver finish
UPDATE: I decided to sell my Yamaha YAS62iii and buy one of these for the occasions I do play alto on gigs, using the same Vandoren V16 mouthpiece (different reed selection though), and it has proven to be SO reliable I've actually been asked who it's made by, how many "thousands of dollars" it cost me (LOLOL) etc.
@@trevorbrit2300 Sir, Thank you very much. please advise which should I purchase urchase? Gold Finish or Nickel Silver Finish? 🙏🏿
@TheOldMonkTraveler the nickel finish gives a slightly warmer, darker tone, so it all depends on the kind of music you want to play and the tonal color you are looking for. Bear in mind that your mouthpiece and reed selection will also have a major influence on the tonal color of the music being played.
I bought one of these for my clarinet playing daughter who wanted to learn alto for jazz. The one we got we are quite happy with and it is suiting her very well. Her jazz instructor hasn’t complained about it either and is happy with the sound she produces. It’s perfect for what we needed.
I brought the silver AS-400SP as a result of seeing this. It is a heavier instrument and has a great tone throughout the instrument, the mouthpiece was difficult to fit out of the box unlike Jay,s original inspection and struggled initially to play in tune. Upgrade mouthpiece provided for free by Jean Paul (AS-4) and a big thank you to the support team - worked perfectly and within a short period of time managed to keep the horn in tune. I tried a Yamaha and truly prefer the Jean Paul, the tone is richer, the action as consistent, and is a slightly heavier instrument. I sold the Yamaha on. now one year down the line, playing with a second hand Selmer C star ebonite and daddario jazz reeds around 3 soft filed/2 hard, I am totally satisfied with this instrument and the tone it produces. All comments about the case are spot on. It will stay with me, no upgrade required!
I've been obsessed with the clarinet and saxophone for years, but I didn't know where to start when it came to buying a saxophone. They all looked the same! After watching your ammoon/lade video I was about to buy it, but I watched your video comparing three beginner saxophones and instantly bought the jean paul. It was more than twice the investment, but watching this video on it really gave me a good review on what to expect quality-wise. Im so excited to start a journey on such an amazingly versatile instrument. I've played the full spectrum of string instruments, and I've performed classical oboe for around 3 years now. Learning such a classy jazzy instrument is going to be fun. Hard work, I imagine, but if I even get the fraction of pleasure from this instrument as I get watching youtubers like you play and have fun with it, It will be a worthwhile investment ten-fold.
Thanks Jay. As a sax newbie I really appreciate the variety and depth of information that you so freely share. After renting an instrument for a few months, I just purchased the Jean Paul AS-400. Looking forward to many years of enjoyable playing. Now back to my pentatonics and long tones 😉
I found out like 4 days ago that I was going to play alto saxophone in middle school and ever since I found out I’ve been super happy and watching you a lot (I was really really happy bc only 4 people get it out of my entire school and sax was my first choice) any who please Keep posting alto sax vids I absolutely love them ❤️
congrats! I remember middle school days with the limited saxophones!
I just purchased one and am super happy. I have a $3000 Tenor and wanted an alto to try out. Wow. The review is correct. High quality. ribbed construction. Great seal. nice tone. I highly recommend it.
Yes! glad you're happy with it.
I purchased an alto last week and received the horn two days ago. I am totally satisfied with
the response and the craftmanship of this horn. I bought mine on Ebay and it was a factory
refurbished horn. This horn looks brand new and there are no apparent blemishes. The case
and accessories are brand new, the horn looks brand new and it plays great. I am not a pro
by any means. As a retired band director, I needed a horn to use for demo purposes as I
teach private lessons in the schools. This is the way to go without breaking the bank.
$400 for a sax like this is a great deal for such a solid horn. I would totally recommend this
horn for beginners and intermediate players as well.
Hi. I got this exact sax for Christmas this year and I tried the 2.5 reed and so far I haven't had any trouble with it.
Yep. Pretty impressive sax. Beautiful, professional look. Dark and resonant sound. I could own about eight of those saxophones for the price of a yanagisawa. Wow! Hats off to Jean Paul.
I used to play saxophone alto when I was in high school back in 1994 and now after so many years of not playing anything I want to give it a new try and get back into music, so I was looking for the best saxophone 500 dollar-budget can buy and all my searches took me to this video. Thank you so much for an excellent video review of this amazing horn piece,... I'll definitely buy one of those for me and introduce my daughter into wind instruments, I bet this will be a very good piece of instrument to inherit to her in the future! Thanks a lot!
I just ordered this saxophone based on this and other reviews that I watched. I've never played before. I play many other instruments but no wind/brass. This should be a fun adventure!
Finally got mine today! I was amazed to feel and see how great the quality of the horn is in person. I used to have a black nickel-gold Mendini by Cecelio MAS-BNG alto sax which recently after 5-6 years came to its death due to its somewhat mediocre build quality and mostly the cheap garbage case it came with. I must say the quality of the Jean Paul case AMAZES me, it feels like the case a pro horn would come in. Overall I guess after 4 years, the Jean Paul AS-400 is still the king of the $600 class (although it used to be a little shy of $500 5 years ago).
If you can’t afford the Conn Selmer Better Sax EAS-112, then the next best thing is the Jean Paul AS-400.
Who knows maybe Jay agrees with my statement, hopefully 😂😅
I just bought one for Christmas after my Cannonball Big Bell broke...I couldn’t believe the horn was $500...plays almost as well as my Cannonball! Thanks for your suggestion, Jay!
Sir There are three models in Jean Paul
1) AS-400 INTERMEDIATE WEIGHT 5 LBS
2) AS 400 Brass weight 11lbs
3) AS 400 GP weight 13 lbs
I am beginner and my Age is 64, Please advise me, which model should I purchase?
Thanks a lot Better Sax, it really helps me in my 5th grade band class. So glad I saw this video!
Looking into a sax to get back in the groove, but don't want to break the bank (not playing often or professional level). Saw your review on a few and you hooked me to consider this one.
Just purchased one through the link you’ve provided. Love your videos and thank you for sharing your knowledge.
Sir There are three models in Jean Paul
1) AS-400 INTERMEDIATE WEIGHT 5 LBS
2) AS 400 Brass weight 11lbs
3) AS 400 GP weight 13 lbs
I am beginner and my Age is 64, Please advise me, which model should I purchase?
Great to hear this. I bought their tenor saxophone a couple of months ago, the Jean Paul USA TS-400, and am so very happy with it. For me, as an absolute beginner, it was incredibly easy to get started. Yes, these people are creating fantastic instruments, - and the salespeople are extremely helpful. They really deserve the good reviews they get. Thanks for this review, Jay. I already own a Yamaha Alto student saxophone, otherwise I would have purchased the AS-400 as well.
Hans, thanks for the comment and letting us know the horn is working out for you. Glad you are enjoying it.
I'm really blown away with how much that horn sings. I have a Jean Paul clarinet and I'm happy to hear about their quality in this video. I've been using it to learn for a while and it plays really well!
I am blown by its voice :-)) Plays like a tenor sax, warm and deep.
I bookmarked their page for this sax. Sounds like a winner to get back into playing with.
I Knew zero about Saxophones a Year ago. Did allot of research and hesitated to by the AS-400 until a week ago. Found you since the purchase. So glad to know I made a well informed decision to buy this Jean Paul as my first ever. And yes I had decided after initial sticker shock of high end sax cost ($$$) to limit my first purchase to just around $500 + - $100. Time to go practice.. :Now -)
Got mine today and I'm very excited! It's really a beautiful instrument.
Ordered mines today. Due on Saturday. I’m very excited.
The tenor is just as good. Great tenor right out of the box.
I was looking for an Alto that was not too expensive for a while. being that I mainly play tenor, I didn't feel the need to spend much on a horn that I wasn't going to play a lot but the alto I had was not up to snuff when whenever it came to gigs that required serious performance beyond the typical pop horn section stuff. so thanks to your video about saxes under $500, I was able to make a decision and purchased the Jean Baptiste AS400.out of the box, it played very well and I can see that it is made very well. Thank you for your videos. I always learn a lot of valuable things from. them.
I’m going into 8th grade and needed a new saxophone I’ve watched your videos and decided on this one thanks a lot 🙂
The thumbnail makes me uncomfortable
michael brecker -dont try this at home
Oh
I can't wait to get a sax haven't played in years but love this channel
I just started learning how to play the piano over a year of practicing. Watching this video and looking at other musical instruments I’m wanting to make a saxophone my 2nd instrument in the future. I want to learn more about the sax thanks for sharing your input.👍🏾👍🏾👍🏾😊
Thanks, Jay, for your review. Although I have a 1959 Buffet Crampon I like a lot, it's in need of some TLC, and since I'm getting back into playing, I'm fighting it a lot. Rather than spend $ on it right now, I decided to purchase a Jean Paul AS-400 Alto based on your review. I'm really glad I did. Solid horn and makes playing enjoyable with the Yamaha 5C mouthpiece I already have.
I haven't played saxophone since high school and ive been missing it a lot lately at 29, this video convinced me to by the Jean Paul, that price tag is just too good to pass up.
I have just started saxophone and have got this it is a great horn and fun to play.
Thanks, Jay, for sharing. Now I have another sax to recommend my students on a budget. I was recommending the Buffet Crampon Series 100, which is about $300 to $400 more. But now I have another option to recommend for those on even tighter budgets.
This is definitely a great option at that price. Probably better than some other more expensive horns.
Few months ago I bought a 150$ chinese saxophone (costs less here since I live in asia) which has been great so far (just had to fix the screw to hold down the G# pad pressing F) and I've just realised it's the exact copy of this one. They probably make it in the same factories and brand it differently...
My parents got the John Paul after reviewing this video. I have been practicing for more than an year on it. Now playing for my school band. Great instrument.
I've had this sax since 6th grade and there's no problems and I like it a lot
Thanks for recommending this Jay! After this video and your comparison video with the AS-400, Yamaha and Ammoon, I bought one of these today. Long story, but I haven't played in over 30 years. Recently I pulled out my wall-hanger brass clarinet and decided to refurb it myself. A few pads, and it started playing again. Then I thought, man it would be cool to have a sax again! I sold my tenor to pay rent in 1989 and have missed it since. I just play for me, so all it has to do is function well and sound nice (once I get my embouchure back). By the way, you can get 5% off at Jean Paul USA right now. Shipping is free as well, and they are already $10 cheaper than Amazon for the same instrument.
Glad I found this video before I purchased a sax. I'll be ordering this one right now
Daniel Morson is it good
@@auliikaauamo7397 no major complaints so far. Plays great. I plan to buy another in about 6 months to a year once I get better. But for beginners it's a great Sax
Daniel Morson thx
hey how was the sax?
Even though jay blow a straw, it will sounds like thousands dollar sax
Just got AS-400 today and I love it thank you
Thank you I now know what to buy for my first saxophone!
10:37 for a great Christopher Walken impression. Just ordered mine. Got a used one in mint condition for 375. Cannot beat that. Gets here tomorrow. Can't wait. Been playing sax professionally for over 20 years.
Update - 3 weeks of playing on it. Love it. Hard to call it a student model when it's so professionally setup and has almost all the features you could ever ask for. Great horn. Bought the Tenor to go with it.
In my band, we start on 3s. It helps you shape up your embouchure and things of the sort real quick
Just purchased a used one partially based on this review, so thank you! I'll share my experience
I actually have this saxophone and it is definitely great for someone who is a beginner or in middle school advanced band or even in high school band definitely great saxophone
Good to hear this feedback. thanks
Better Sax thanks for replying your videos are awesome love your channel
Great advice on reeds for beginners! When I got my first sax, the salesman told me nothing about reeds and gave me a hard 3; I spent the first 2 weeks trying to figure out why the reed wouldn’t cooperate with me! No hard reeds for first time players trying to learn! Important!!! Mouthpiece a 7 top opening with a 3-3- 1/2 reed won’t work for a first timer!!! Best, Rocket 🚀
haha that must have been frustrating!
Yeah i got their tenor sax with a rico ts1 mouth peice and been playing it now for a good while no issue beautiful instrument
This november. Id get one. I like the darker sound of the mouthpiece that came with it.
I have the Jean Paul ts 400 and I don't know much about saxophones but it's very well made and sounds good
I am have been thriving off your videos to inspire me more than the rest. I will be buying this nickel plated. I subscribe to you and Am looking to your lessons. Love you,
Bryan
You know Jay, I think this is the design that was marketed by Conn-Selmer as a student model about ten years ago, and that was great value as too. The model number was...AS-400. Fancy that!
Great sound! I was wondering if you could demo some affordable mouthpieces. Great information and value, keep rocking dude
I have a videos about less expensive alto and tenor mouthpieces here on TH-cam search my channel for that.
Better Sax thanks a lot, appreciate it 🎷
J M. I saw your recommendation about JP AS400 and got a silver type from eBay.
Best thing I have done!
Love to buy and repair mid age Sax. But JP AS400 is perfect out of the box. Thanks JM
Thank you for justifying my purchase from a week ago!
Haha! I felt the same way.
Fantastic review , extremely detailed, I’m thinking I’m going to purchase one before the year is up.
I’ve had a Yamaha for a long time but she’s tired, it’s time to roll up to gigs with a solid new horn.
Thank you for a solid review! Hello from Miami 💪🏼🤝🏼
You busted me up with your first comment when you opened the case and there were NO GLOVES!!! I am happy to say that my Series II Paris did not come with gloves either. On a funny side note, my German car's little tool kit has a pair of gloves in it! I have had the car for 12 years and I have never used the gloves. I have bent the factory lug wrench, but without the gloves.
GREAT review, once again. Awesome. I'm a 5-12 band teacher. I'll probably order one of these for next year, if the budget allows.
Sir There are three models in Jean Paul
1) AS-400 INTERMEDIATE WEIGHT 5 LBS
2) AS 400 Brass weight 11lbs
3) AS 400 GP weight 13 lbs
I am beginner and my Age is 64, Please advise me, which model should I purchase?
Just did a review. But forgot this part. Responded to an email in less than 20 minutes. And immediate respond on a chat. Again, impressive!
Just my luck, thought l would buy myself a good Sax, so 2 weeks ago shopped around the reputable established music shop GJ Windows in Newcastle, and bought a Yamaha YAS62, on special £1883.00, very happy but at $500.00 my bank account might have been happier. Thank’s for the excellent videos Jay keep them coming.
Just bought mine today WISH ME LUCK
good luck
I just got mine! My boyfriend and I are going to start practicing once it arrives :) Thank you!
I have a Jean Paul trumpet student model and it’s high quality, they sell good stuff.
I want to be as good at something as you are with these instruments. To be able to open and feel and look and just know if it’s good or bad. I’m not being facetious, I wish I could be as astute. Maybe one day I will be. I applaud your skill and passion
Can't wait to get mine in the mail. Picking up a sax for first time after many years only playing the trumpet and clarinet. A bit nervous but excited
You should try one of the sakkusu altos!
And Sakkusu tenors. They're sax.co.uk own brand of Chinese sax. My one plays great and it cost me £330.. which is around 400 US
I'm sixteen and I'm in band I play bass drum but I have been experimenting with the woodwind instruments and I am definitely going to purchase this saxophone
Have you tried\played the Jean Paul Soprano Sax? Is it as good as the alto sax? Would love to watch a review on that!
Haven't tried that one yet, maybe I will review it in the future though.
I enjoyed this video. I bought this on sale a few holidays ago, so got it even cheaper! My sax coach played it and she love the sound. I think mine sounds a lot brighter. I loved that I could hear a difference when you changed mouth pieces, and that further makes me want to get a new mouth piece. I love a deep dark tone- any recommendations?
What would you recommend for somebody who's been playing tenor sax for 5 years (with an addition of 2 years from clarinet) but wants to add alto sax? I have temporarily played alto sax in my band one time for few months. Loved playing it. I've been playing on a professional tenor sax for about a year. Would getting a professional alto sax be the way to go or simply something like this? Just curious about your answer.
I'm really liking this saxophone too by how well it's made and everything. I love the tone. It's nice and warm.
this sax is crazy good for the price.
Thanks for you review, it made it really clear for me what I should get for my son. He's at his 2nd year band at school and it was too costly to rent from them.
Gracias por tu revisión, estoy empezando y es genial tener opciones confiables. Saludos desde Cuba.👍🏻
One arrived at my house today. We like it. They don't include a swab anymore.
I was considering getting this horn... Now there's no doubt
I got one Jean Paul AS-400 last October from Amazon. Playing it everyday. So far so good. But I’m just a beginner.
How would this be compared to a Yamaha YAS 280. Would you go for a used Yamaha for 6-700. Or would take a brand new JP for 500?
I want to know the same!!!
Believe it or not i had bought a Jean Paul AS-400 a month before i saw this, too bad mine didn't come with a swab. Great video by the way!
Mine didn't either! I would have felt jilted, but I got it on sale at amazon.
Gotta say that sax arrived in better condition than mine did😅 but even with the little flaws I was able to fix it and it’s a pretty solid sax👍
Jay, could you test a budget Bari.
Alan Costin no such thing
George Woolley lol
Closest to a budget bari would be the Taishan bari I have used one for 3 years now it plays great and was the cheapest new I could find but still not cheap at $1500
Found the gloves! Amazon UK list the tenor version as having them. Phew... had me worried for a while.
Lol
Make sure they say their edible, I had to return my last sax because I couldn’t eat the gloves
Hows your jean paul?
Some people get defective instruments.
Carlo Isidore Salcedo 7
Jay I looked up the same sax on amazon and it says it comes with gloves. Also the case shown isn’t the same as the on you showed in the video.
I just bought one of these and I was amazed...it was hard for me to play my classic Conn in tune over 3 octaves ..not so with this one ..plays great and in tune. I can even play along with Jay and be in pitch..it would be great if you did a review comparing the AS 400 and the AS 800. I asked the company about the difference and they said personal taste. So for the money difference I went with the 400. Great Job Jay...Tks
I'll look into that. Thanks for the feedback on your horn.
Thank you for posting this video I’ve been looking for a good alto saxophone for a cheap price and I have decided that I’m going to get one of these.
I think you'll be happy with it.
Tenor worth picking up for $700? Haven't played in 10 years and I want to get back into it but I like Tenor the most.
I love mine. Like this alto, it's killer for the price. I decided on the tenor after a friend got an alto & he let me try it. I was flabbergasted at the quality. Tenor, same.
i dont own one but my freind dose, it definitely compares to a pro horn in my opinion.
I got mine a few months after seeing this review, and it's not bad. The sound is good, and everything mechanical was fine for the first several months. However, very recently, the spring on the octave key snapped, so changes from the low register to the high register don't work very well. I've noticed a few other minor degradations over time similar to this one, so I can't really say these horns are build to last. As someone on a budget, however, I really can't complain.
I must say i played one back in high school and im getting one soon and im so glad i found you're video its helping alot
Please review the Grassi profesional alto i haved a Selmer S3 and now this. I think is so cheap and sound good.
Thanks for reviewing this one! I've been curious about the tenor. The 2-step QA is a huge advantage and well worth the slight mark-up, otherwise you're just left crossing your fingers hoping to get a good, playable one. I'd pay more for Squier guitars if someone in the states would just check the darn things before shipping out. Your tone is excellent btw ... thanks for all the excellent videos.
Thank you!
Awesome video, could we hear/see the tenor too please?
I guess they will be getting a few more orders. Looks great, might get one for my daughter. Nice review Jay!
Mark did you get one for your daughter? How is it?
Thanks for this review, u play ok and i have recently been studying ur style, not only that, my first sax is the jean Paul as 400 silver, hearing u play it makes me more confident with my purchase, I am new so, thank u for your generosity, keep up the good work ur dope