Thomann TSI-350 Sopranino Saxophone

La fattura dello strumento è sorprendente in rapporto al prezzo, dato che questo è il Sopranino più economico sul mercato.
Innanzitutto è esteticamente splendido, con il corpo in ottone rosso (presumo per un’alta percentuale di rame) in contrasto con le chiavi dorate.
La realizzazione è perfetta, non sono riuscito a trovare la minima imperfezione, mentre la meccanica è ottimamente a punto, silenziosa e senza giochi anomali.
Relativamente a quest'ultima, è necessario abituarsi alla posizione (diversa dal solito) della tavola del mignolo sinistro, spostata molto più verso l'interno, quasi sopra al corpo dello strumento: inoltre, anche la posizione dei 4 tasti è diversa, quindi certi passaggi risultano un po' ostici.
Come quasi sempre, il bocchino in dotazione è super economico, un pezzo di plastica rifinito in modo molto approssimativo, mentre si salvano la discreta legatura ed il buon tappo in metallo.
L’apertura del bocchino non è nota, ma ad occhio sembra decisamente elevata: nonostante tutto, abbinato ad una ancia Legerè Signature 2.0, ho ottenuto facilmente un buon suono intonato, dalle note più basse alle più acute, pur non avendo mai suonato prima un Sopranino (suono il soprano da oltre 40 anni però).
Ovviamente ora acquisterò un bocchino professionale Selmer o Yanagisawa, in abbinamento alla legatura Rovner: presumo che si possa avere un ulteriore sensibile miglioramento.
La custodia è accettabile, meglio di altre custodie tipicamente cinesi, anche se surdimensionata e lo strumento ci balla dentro.

As a professional saxophonist of with over forty years playing experience I couldn't resist purchasing this sopranino just to see what it was like. I currently play on a Buffet Prestige Copper-body Alto, Selmer Balanced Action Tenor, Yanagisawa Sop and Bari and have owned Selmer MK6s,Conns, Yamahas etc. over the years. I have only ever played on Selmer Sopraninos and found them to have 'wild' intonation and not to speak well in the highest register.
What a revelation this little Thomann instrument was. Straight from the case, and with the mouthpiece and reed provided, it sang from top to bottom. It was easy to control the intonation and to produce a rich and full tone. The key action is smooth and fast..... what more can I say except what a bargain this is.
Down points, well only that the finish, although well plated and looking great with the red-brass body, is a little rough in places on the side keys but I play the thing and don't just look at it so.....
Warning! Just because this instrument is small doesn't mean that it's good for children to learn on. Sopraninos are very difficult to play in tune and to produce a good sound on. A highly developed embouchure is required and a good ear. Without these things you might wish you'd bought your child a violin, it would be less painful to the ear!

I bought the Thomann TSI-350 Sopranino Saxophone on the strength of the previous positive reviews and am very glad to be able to report back that it really is excellent value for money and 'good enough' regardless of you playing ability and the other saxophones in your collection. I have a collection of Selmer Paris SA80ii / Yamaha YTS-475 ii / P Mauriat Le Bravo / Conn-Selmer etc so I am used to good quality instruments, but didn't want to spend too much on a Sopranino because I primarily bought it as a travel saxophone and to play in outdoor tunnels under roads and other strange places in remote locations away from people that have good acoustics that I have found whilst on bike rides or out walking, so I wanted something light and cheap ish but of still good enough quality that I would want to play it and record these free improv sessions, and am pleased to say that this Sopranino fits the bill perfectly. It is a really nice size and weight and feels really good quality for the money. I bought the Selmer SA80 c* mouthpiece and a range of reeds at the same time, and just wanted to point out that the tuning is very sensitive to the position of the tiny mouthpiece on the neck - so watch out for that - pushing the mouthpiece in or out adjusts the centre note which determines if your lower and higher notes are sharp or flat. I thought initially that there was a tuning issue, but there wasn't once I adjusted how far pushed onto the neck the mouthpiece was. Yes, of course, you have to adjust your embouchure when playing, it is not perfect, but it is not bad at all. The sound is really rather nice, not shrill or thin! It can play quietly which is excellent for 'noodling' on around the house because it is so cute and tiny it's nice to have around you. It is not a toy or a cheap Chinese made waste of money though, it is a decent enough instrument to last you unless you are intending to play Sopranino as a specialist, and I add my voice to the many others who would recommend this one. I am very pleased with it. The case is excellent too - lightweight, has plenty of space for things and can be carried in multiple ways making it perfect to travel with which is what I wanted. You can play the Sopranino quietly enough to take to a hotel room to get some practice in whilst on holiday and it is small and light enough to not be a problem carrying it as an additional 'handbag' type of baggage. The only minor annoyance is that the Selmer SA80 c* mouthpiece comes with a Selmer teeth guard pad which is too big for the Sopranino mouthpiece, so the sides protrude which is annoying considering how expensive the mouthpiece is and how cheap a teeth guard is by comparison - you would expect Selmer to have checked that already. So I had to trim it down with scissors and it isn't perfect which is a bit annoying, but apart from that, I am very happy with the purchase and would thoroughly recommend it.

Having played mostly soprano for a couple of years I was tempted by the cuteness of this little Eb instrument as a Bb Soprillo was well out of my budget. It was so easy to play straight out of the case on the supplied mouthpiece and reed. With a Vandoren Classic 2 reed it improved again. I found low notes very easy to get and the tuning surprisingly good throughout the range. It was going to be a novelty instrument for me, but the way it actually plays means it will get some serious use too. The finish, as stated in the other reviews, is not perfect but this does in no way detract from the playability. Quite frankly it is such a fun instrument to play and so nimble on the fingerings I'm hooked!

I'm so glad I decided to risk it, thanks Thomann another very satisfied customer!