The BetterSax Classic - Curved Soprano Saxophone

A sumptuous sounding soprano that plays effortlessly!

Completing the range of Classic instruments, as with the others, the curved soprano delivers on quality of tone production and playability.  Price in the upper student bracket this instrument will be a welcome option for those looking to buy their first soprano sax, or upgrade from a lower-level sop with poorer sound and intonation.  Designed with a Japanese-style bore taper, and a close key action this contributes to its deep and focussed tonal character.  It features blue needle springs for a light and fast key action and Pisoni pads with domed metal resonators to give the sound that extra sparkle.

Aesthetically, the Classic curved soprano stands out from the crowd by virtue of its classy cognac appearance and its stylish underslung octave mechanism.  As part of its body design, it features a 'mini-ribbed' construction (which we see on their Premium-level Session models) and this enables us to strike the balance between ease of response and solidity of build.

Finally, the Classic soprano includes BetterSax's custom-designed Classic mouthpiece, produced in the infamous J J Babbitt factory in Elkhart.  This mouthpiece produces a responsive, mature and warm tone, perfectly complimenting the qualities of the soprano.

Features

• Material: Brass

• Finish: Cognac-tinted lacquer

• Key Touches: Simulated Mother of Pearl

• Neck: Better Sax underslung design!

• Engraving: Classic-style, vintage theme

• Case: Stylish rectangular case with back-pack straps

• Mouthpiece: BetterSax Classic, hand-finished at J J Babbitt

• Made in: Partner factory, China.  

• Free Professional Set Up & Free Check over within a Year

• Recommended for: Students, Intermediate players, or pros looking for a backup horn.

Review

We're now starting to get a feeling of continuity within the line of BetterSax Classic instruments, having progressed from alto to tenor to baritone, and now to soprano.  There is a strong sense of tonal identity throughout the series - a strong tonal core with a nice depth and a 'vintagy' nature.  I was intrigued by BetterSax's decision to put out a curved soprano as their first soprano, rather than go with the straight.  But now I get it - they are putting the emphasis on the practicality side of things.  The idea that we're not battling with the physical aspect of holding up a heavy soprano; it can take a toll on the right arm, and if this is your first outing on a soprano why not start out curved, where you can let the neck strap do all the work for you.

In addition to this, there really aren't so many curved sopranos out there, and by producing one at this sweet price point, I think it will be a very attractive proposition.  It blows incredibly well, it's highly responsive and, crucially for a soprano (particularly around this price point) it's IN TUNE!  Ergonomically everything is laid out well.  My only slight gripe would be that I had the tendency to foul the key arm to the low B key with my E key finger.  On some curved sopranos the bell keys are moved to the opposite side of the sax to avoid any conflicts in this area.  BetterSax chose to keep the traditional modern right-hand-side bell key look. This may be fine for most, and I'm sure I would soon get used to it by adapting the angle of my middle finger to accommodate (coming in at an angle).  It's also a good way to make you play with the best technique - spider fingers glued to the sax!

All in all, this curved sop is a great addition to the Classic family.  And we should spare a shout-out to the Classic mouthpiece (made at the Babbitt factory) that comes with it.  Considering it's a budget piece, it's made to a very high standard producing a tone full of depth and precision.  I would happily gig with this mouthpiece over and above a number of higher-level ebonite pieces.

Jim Cheek