[panosgr]

I'm intrested on buying a soprano; currently playing alto.

Since the market here in Greece is limited and i don't want Selmer or Yamaha (couldn't find any Antiguas, P. Mauriats, R&C etc. read on this forum are good) I'm going to try one of the Chinese ones.

I have my eye on a Stagg sop wich I haven't tried yet (haven't mp).

Does anybody knows this make? It's suposably a German company and manufactures in China.

Suggestions on mouthpiece would be welcome also.
Thanks

 

[Saxplayer67]

Stagg is a company that puts their name to many musical instruments an accessories. The saxes are Chinese and are poor - average quality, in my limited experience with them - one of my students bought a tenor, before approaching me for lessons. It had some problems, like the octave mechanism went out of whack (mind you, the same fault occured on other students' new saxes from Trevor James, Jupiter and Yamaha anyway!)which I rectified. They're okay but I probably wouldn't recommend them.

With cheap sopranos, the intonation isn't great and it would take an experienced player to be able to keep it in tune across the range.

 

[panosgr]

The mechanism as far as I can tell isn't that bad.

I thing I start concidering Jupiter also.

 

[Dave dix]

For soprano i would try getting a better made horn
Dave

 

[panosgr]

I couldn't find any antiguas here. Any suggestions?


Also what IMHO stands for?

 

[DJCBR]

My first Sop was a Stagg. It was bought just to play for fun & at Jam Sessions & for that it did me just fine. If you want it for anything more than that, forget it. First off the stock mouthpiece renders the instrument unplayable - but that's not uncommon.

After getting hold of a decent mouthpiece, even as a clarinettist of 20+ years with a strong embouchoure, intonation was a swine.

"Out of the box" all the pads & keywork needed resetting before it was playable, there were one or two screws that would KEEP working themselves loose after lengthy sessions (keep a small screwdriver handy!!) and it shed felt & cork like a tree in Autumn so be prepared to replace those too!

For gigging the bottom line is that it's simply not up to the job.

PS: "IMHO" means "in my honest opinion."

 

[Enviroguy]

I couldn't find any antiguas here. Any suggestions?


Also what IMHO stands for?

Can you not buy on-line and have it shipped to you? Here's an Antigua selling on eBay in the US:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=170113821880&ssPageName=

 

[Saxplayer67]

Can you not buy on-line and have it shipped to you? Here's an Antigua selling on eBay in the US:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=170113821880&ssPageName=

If he's like me, I wouldn't buy without trying, so online sax buying is a no no for me.

 

[panosgr]

DJCBR thank's. I've been reading that a lot.
Based on what I've read here it has a very good value for money. I'm concidering buying it on line(from sax.co.uk) but if I don't like the sound of it or the action....

 

[Connical]

More Stagg here ! A bit tinny up top, and a little boomy through the bottom end !

 

[littlemanbighorn]

More Stagg here ! A bit tinny up top, and a little boomy through the bottom end !

The Vegetable Garden is my favourite model.

 

[Russ]

I'm concidering buying it on line(from sax.co.uk) but if I don't like the sound of it or the action....

Panos,

I've yet to hear anyone say they don't like the action or the sound of their Antigua 590 soprano. I sold mine because I got fed up polishing the silver plating, but the horn sounded just as complex as my Selmer soprano with a Yanagisawa mp, and the ergonomics were better.

Get the Antigua 590. They really are unbeatable, and punch well above their price.