The Jean Paul USA AS-400 has established its name as an excellent student alto sax. It’s a great choice for beginners, and one that’s durable enough to endure the wear and tear of the circumstances of band practice and daily transportation.
For a beginner that wants to try out their luck in playing the sax without spending a fortune or suffering sunk cost from never using the horn again, the Jean Paul USA AS-400, is the best option out there.
Table of Contents
Jean Paul USA AS-400 Student Alto Saxophone Review
Design and Construction
If you’re still a budding saxophonist that’s looking for a combination of flexibility and high-quality sound at an affordable price, the Jean Paul USA AS-400 is an ideal choice for you. It’s easy to play and can help you hit all the right tones and tunes needed for the many genres you’d want to experiment with.
Its keys are easy to grasp and play, while their action is quick and even. And the fact that it’s 16 pounds makes it playable for a long time without getting tired. Moreover, there’s a neck strap that allows the player to distribute its weight more evenly and play it for extended periods of time.
Moreover, it has a solid brass body and its lacquer finish gives it a good balance of the richness of tone and ample response. Not to mention, its strong bell brace only adds to its durability and lifespan.
After a little bit of use, however, the keys on the Jean Paul USA AS-400, might start to get a little sticky, and therefore, make the instrument a little harder to play.
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– Best Alto Saxophones on The Market
– Comprehensive Selmer AS-500 Review
Sound
While the Jean Paul USA AS-400 isn’t a pro horn, its construction and build quality make it comparable to professional models. This is because it comes with outstanding intonation and an amazing tone that’s consistent across all registers.
Not only that, but it’s actually quite affordable for its abilities. At slightly less than $600, the Jean Paul USA AS-400 doesn’t even need any discounts to be a bargain and an absolute bang for your buck.
nice accessories like the strap and mouthpiece. Though if you want high-quality ones, you might want to make an upgrade.
Accessories
The Jean Paul USA AS-400 comes with a carrying strap, a carrying case, gloves, cork grease, cleaning cloth, swabs, a rico reed and a mouthpiece. However, they’re not all of really good quality, so you might want to look for an upgrade if you’re looking for something durable and that brings out your horn’s sound.
Also Read: Armstrong Alto Sax Full Review
Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Excellent construction, including a bell brace
- Very flexible in terms of playability
- Tones are warm
- Extremely affordable
Cons:
- Has a cheap feel compared to other options
Final Thoughts
The Jean Paul USA AS-400 is an amply-priced horn for a student option, but the sound and playability you get from it isn’t anything close to a student-grade one.
Typically, the horns that give you the quality on the Jean Paul USA AS-400 would cost at least $1,200, and it comes at half that price.
It often does get compared to the Yamaha YAS-23, which is one of the low-end Yamaha models, but one that costs double as much as Jean Paul USA AS-400, and both are considered student saxophones.
If you’re looking for something that’s easy enough to play, gives you good sound, and will last with you during school years, the Jean Paul USA AS-400 would serve you quite well. But you can’t expect it to play or feel like high-end, more expensive options, even like the Yamaha we just mentioned.