Classic Cantabile X-20 pocket saxophone

This is a total re-write of my original review which I posted in 2015 and is now based on 5 years experience of the X-20.First and foremost - this is a lovely instrument. Over the years I have tried several fipple and reed instruments and of all the reed instruments, The X-20 proved to be the one which was easiest to get good tones from almost from Day One. The only ones to come close were the Nuvo 'DooD' and 'jSax', but the X-20 has been my favourite. There are reviews and reviewers which say it can't be played. They're wrong. I am now 75 and I have COPD. However, those are two excellent reed instruments to consider for the beginner.Because I have COPD and asthma, I can't sustain notes for all that long but actually playing the X-20 was and still is very, very easy. By that, of course, I mean, getting clear notes. Practice is still needed for both embouchure and note accuracy. That applies to every wind instrument.The X-20 is a well-made instrument with a barrel that is surprisingly (almost amazingly) thick. The mouthpiece as supplied is comfortable. The ligature is OK, but it can slip.The bi'lingual 'manual' is adequate but very cursory. Fingerings are the same as for a recorder. If you are new to this type of instrument, I STRONGLY suggest that you use Youtube to find tutorials about how to start playing a clarinet as that is a match for this instrument's mouthpiece .... despite it being called a 'pocket saxophone'. The sound is closer to a husky clarinet than a saxophone. (I think the 'pocket saxophone' tag is just a selling ploy to offset the plethora of other types of instrument with the same appellation).So -to put it bluntly and unambiguously - if a 75 year old with poor breathing can get a very reasonable sound out of this instrument within a day or two, then it surely has everything going for it.There is not a lot of information about suitable reeds. The instrument is designed to use cane Bb clarinet reeds. These come in a range of 'strengths'. You can start at 1.0 but I found that 1.5 was perfectly manageable when starting to play. DO NOT BUY CHEAP REEDS. Look for well-known brands such as Vandoren, Rico, Royal.If you're playing on your own and not with others, then clarinet Eb reeds also work well but that will affect tuning.As I commented earlier, the mouthpiece is OK and is perfectly adequate. The ligature is not quite so good. It can slip. Again DO NOT BUY 'A CHEAPO' LIGATURE if you intend to change it. I now use the X-20 with a Yamaha 4c clarinet mouthpiece and a Rovner Light ligature. Make sure you use cork grease when removing or changing the mouthpiece. One of the new photos show the X-20 with a Sans CH04 (German fingering). In that photo I show the Rovner ligature fitted in the usual way. I have found that some reeds work better with the Rovner in reversed position but - as I've said ' I have breathing problems so that probably accounts for that experience.I have retained most of the photos from my original review but have added two new ones for this updated review.

I was delighted with this at first, especially the lowest notes, which have a delightful strong tone while being very much easier to play than on a recorder. However, there are two serious problems with it. Try as I will, I can't play the higher E (although I can get higher notes from this fingering). And now, after playing for 10 minutes or so, the screws seem somehow to loosen and the reed always falls out. So it's a nice novelty (rather highly priced if it is just a toy), but either one of the problems would make it pretty useless in practice. It's difficult to find music which doesn't require that E, or anything serious which is short enough to play before the reed falls out,.If anyone can tell me how to get over these two problems, I would revise my review. I would like it to be good and work properly, but at the moment it doesn't. I have played the violin and various recorders most of my life, and can get a tune out of an orchestral oboe and various reeded folk instruments from around the world. But this one defeats me, I'm afraid.SEVERAL DAYS LATER: I have increased stars from 2 to 3, because I have overcome the problem of the reed sliding up towards the mouth and falling out (which didn't happen when I first had it). The screws should be across the reed, not across the front of the clarinet. This is clear in Mr Sturgess's picture comparing various mouthpieces. It you look at any photograph of somebody seen from the front playing the clarinet, you can see that most or all of the screws are hidden behind the clarinet, along with the reed itself.Unfortunately, and you have to study this carefully and think about it, most of the photographs provided by Musikhaus Kirstein are wrong. They show or imply that the whole screw will show at the front. My attached photo is, of course, a correct one of a clarinettist.I am still not able to play the higher E, not even with a moistened reed held firmly in place.

I was able to play a number of tunes by ear very quickly and it was easy to play in open key in the first octave. I had more difficulty with the accidentals. I also found it was quickly saturated and needed to be cleared frequently but this may just be down to me. Unfortunately having a clarinet mouthpiece it does not provide the facility to practice saxophone embouchure which was the first reason i was attracted to the instrument. I like the wood body which is well finished but would have to try a plastic one to see if this makes any difference to the sound. It would be challenging and hopefully rewarding for a descant recorder player to try as a reed instrument. I will persevere and use it a a travelling companion as it is very portable -the birds will have competition on my walks in future. A useful addition to the range of instruments I play.I like it.

This is a lovely instrument. It sounds lovely and is a pleasure to play. The reeds don't last long so I have invested in some synthetic reeds but haven't received them yet.

I have read positive reviews and I believe they are genuine as I believe also the negative ones to be true.You need to be lucky and I was not.The Reeds are of obscene quality hence - since eventually you will need some get them straight away (Bb Clarinet Reed 2.0 Strenght).Get a tidy ligature as the one on the mouthpiece will work for a random time between a day and a week, then it will fall off.Be careful with the cork, and check that there are no gaps between mouthpiece and barrel.Morale you will spend a lot of time wondering and replacing. Or if you lucky you will get a sound out of it (some sort of).

Nice tone for the price - however it only gives just over an octave of notes comfortably. It comes with a fingering chart - more or less the same as a recorder to play. The second octave is nigh on impossible to play.

Find hard to play, although I play mouthorgan and recorder this totally different.Beautiful instrument, well made, a little over priced and maybe to point out that it’s hard to play.

Braucht etwas Kraft. Für mich ohne Blasinstrumentenerfahrung gewöhnungsbedürftig.Der Ton hängt von der Tagesverfassung ab. Dennoch recht leicht zu spielen.Die Griffweise ist wie bei der Blockflöte. Manche Töne passe ich (wie bei manchen Blockflöten) mit modifizierten Griffen (zusätzliche Löcher) an, damit sie in der Tonhöhe stimmen.In der Lautstärke zwischen Flöte und Trompete. In der Nacht im Wohnblock bitte nicht benutzen!

Sassofono tascabile; arrivato in una imbottita custodia con chiusura a cerniera, che contiene: ovviamente lo strumento; uno scovolino multicolore morbido, con la punta protetta da un tappino in gomma, perchè il manico fatto di metallo non urti o graffi la sfericità interna, quando lo si utilizza per la pulizia; una paginetta, stampata a colori, che spiega le caratteristiche dello strumento... le posizioni o diteggiature per le singole note; una minuscola scatoletta tonda; 2 ance inserite singolarmente nelle lo custodie di cartoncino; et il mini sassofono, comprensivo di bocchino con il suo copri-bocchino.Il corpo dello strumento, fatto in resina, è tozzo e moderatamente pesante, rifinito molto bene anche per quanto riguarda la sfericità pulita dei fori per le ditteggiature.I suoni sono caratteristici e soddisfacenti; limitata è l'estensione delle note, ma pur sempre adeguata per suonarci melodie interessanti...

Je cherchais une flûte qui n'avait pas le son d'une flute. Bingo!! J'ai trouvé un intermédiaire entre la clarinette et le saxo.La qualité de l'instument et le son sont incroyables comparativement au prix.Je recommande!!!!!!! :-)Je ne sais pas si on apprend encore la flûte au collège mais si oui arrêter le carnage et passer au saxo portable.

La relación calidad precio es muy buena. Es un instrumento de madera con aspecto robusto y bien acabado. La boquilla es normalita (con el tiempo se le puede poner otra mejor si se quiere) pero suficiente para empezar. Las cañas que trae son malillas, pero tampoco se puede pedir mucho por ese precio. Con unas cañas algo mejores gana. Según el folleto con instrucciones que trae se pueden hacer prácticamente dos octavas, pero la parte posible de la segunda es complicada porque depende de la manera de atacar la embocadura y de cuanto destapemos el agujero inferior que, en mi caso es menos de la mitad o casi nada, según soplemos. Es necesario hacer muchos pitidos desagradables antes de cogerle un poco el punto, sobre todo a las notas más altas.El sonido es, también según usemos la boquilla y la intensidad del aire, entre clarinete y saxo, pero ninguno de los dos exactamente. Cuando le coges un poco el punto tiene un sonido agradable y resultón, sobre todo si lo tocas en un lugar con algo de resonancia. Por el precio está bien para que se inicien los más jóvenes con las boquillas de caña y para que los no tan jóvenes disfrutemos jugando un poco. Con algo de habilidad y práctica puede ser sorprendente lo que se consigue, eso si, asumiendo sus limitaciones. La digitación es sencilla y por poco dinero la diversión está asegurada. Existen otras alternativas mejores como los chalumeau de Sans Luthier, Tupian o Kunath, algunas con más agujeros y con llaves para conseguir una escala más amplia pero bastante más caras y para empezar y para seguir un poco también, es más que suficiente.

Die Saxonetten funktionieren gut. Preis / Leistung passt. Als Einsteigerinstrument geeignet um später auf Klarinette oder Saxophone zu wechseln.