Thomann TSS-380 Soprano Sax

I bought the Thomann TSS-380 as a budget replacement for my very expensive soprano, that has been lost by a courier when it was sent for repair.

I have to be honest, given that this instrument cost close to 1/10th of the price of the lost sax, I was not expecting great things from it. But, I have been very surprised.

It is generally well built, and there was no loose cork or 'play' in the rods and keys, so far. It does feel quite light, but that is not as issue as there is less strain on the neck when being played. The sound (with my Selmer mouthpiece) is solid and round, and not dissimilar to that of my lost 'name brand' sax.

I checked the intonation with a tuner and when the mouthpiece was placed a long way onto the cork, the sax was never more than 2 cents out, from top to bottom of the range. I was able to 'lip' it back every time.

An initial issue was that the neck screw was not keeping either of the 2 provided necks tight, even when it was fully tightened. This (it seems) was causing some 'motor-boating' one some low notes, and notes above Eb on the palm keys would not 'speak'. I removed the screw, greased it and the neck was then secured and the faults went away!

My 3 * for quality reflects that I had to make these adjustments, and for a short while fully expected that I would need to send it for repair.

But, overall, I am delighted with this soprano and think it is worth more than the budget price I paid for it. Well done Thomann!

I really like the sound and would have given a better rating if it wasn't for the fact that the horn wasn't adjusted correctly in the middle F key. This prevented me from hitting the lower C down to Bb. It only took a minor adjustment of two screws to correct but if you are a beginner this could be impossible to deduct/discover. Also one of the springs is weak so the E is hanging after release... again many years of Sax playing resolves this by bending the spring a little further away from the seat to tighten the response but a beginner wouldn't know this. A quick playing check over before you sell/ship would resolve such minor faults. Otherwise it's a bargain for such a sound and instrument complexity. My two Selmer SA80 horns are obviously way better but nevertheless I'm duly impressed