Xaphoon Standard C

Hard and uncomfortable to play

I did read some reviews noting the negative aspects about this product that I have now experienced myself, prior to buying it.

But I thought I should give it a go.

But my experience is that the fingering is quite difficult and awkward, and the mouthpiece is very big and uncomfortable to put in my mouth compared to a regular saxophone mouthpiece.

I wonder if the fingering holes could have been easier to cover if there was a kind of rubber along the edge of the holes.

And why can't the mouthpiece be the same sleek shape as a regular saxophone mouthpiece?

Maybe I just need to give it some more work, but it being so difficult and uncomfortable does not compel me to do so.

No similar instrument to compare but fave me a satisfying feeling with many hours of practicing.

A travel sax

My wife loves the gift. I'm sure I will grow to love it after she has practised a little more. Perfect for on the go.

May not meet the expectations

Pros:

Good response, rigid build.

Cons:

Not accurately tuned

Fun and and a nice warm sound

This instrument is a lot of fun. The reed I received with the instrument was chipped, but once I replaced it, it has a really nice warm sound! The C# is a bit difficult to ring out probably and the overtones don't sound all that great. But super fun regardless.

A fun piece of kit

This is a fun instrument to play, even though the fingering takes a bit of getting used to.

It comes supplied with a reed, though I found it way too hard and swapped it for one of my own tenor sax reeds.

The sound is very distinct but not unpleasant and with the right style of music can provide the highlight of a set.

Fantastic little instrument

I was always curious how playing the sax feels, and I like its sound very much. So, without breaking the bank to get a sax which I may or may not use, I got a Xaphoon.

It's a very interesting instrument. I like the fact that it's very small and unpretentious, virtually maintenance free. Despite its size, it produces a nice full sound.

I also bought a 1.5 rico royal reed, as some have recommended for beginners. I will experiment after I become reasonably adept to see if I like that better than the original 2.5 reed.

I only rated it 4 stars for quality, because on the sides you can see the lines where the plastic was molded. However, that does not influence the playing or comfort, since you never touch that area during playing. So the finish isn't anything to write home about, but then again, you get the instrument for playing, and that it does very well.

Pros: small, nice full sound, relatively easy to learn, lots of fun, moderately priced compared to sax/clarinet;

Cons: the finish feels a little cheap (unlike 10e Yamaha recorder), it could've included a cloth bag (like aforementioned recorder).

Not what I expected.

This produce is well made and meets the specifications as listed. As a sax player I was looking for something that I could practice on, that was small and easy to play. I found the mouthpiece was too thick even for my big mouth. If a standard sax mouthpiece could be fitted, then it would be perfect. There is nothing wrong with this produce, just not ideal for me. Hardly use, not the best decision I made.

A rather nice reed instrument!

A bit harder to play than the clarinet, but a choice of reeds is a contributing factor and after a bit of adjusting it's nothing too hard. Now the sound is on the clarinet/saxophone-axis, although more duck-like slightly, but again, the choice of reeds affects that and of course, the embouchure. Construction is solid, ABS-plastic is tough and it will not break easily. You could even play it in the rain with a synthetic reed if you want to! So it's perfect to bring with you on your camping trip or have your children to play with it without much concern.

In my opinion it's a really good option for introducing yourself or others to reed instruments and for practice before buying a saxophone, for example.

Quirky, and fun

Still learning how to work this dooflik- and having a ball in doing so. Great fun and a very interesting spectrum of sound........... Worth a punt, for fun too.