Really fun instrument for a beginner. I caught on quickly and enjoy playing jazz on Friday nights along with the radio.
20 years ago I got my first bamboo Mini Pocket Sax; it had a warmer timbre than the current injection-mold pocket sax, but it was pitched a wee bit sharp, making it difficult to play with other musicians.
The current pocket sax is pitched more consistently (not being hand-made, as the bamboo Mini Pocket Sax was). Since tenor sax is my favorite horn, it is nice that such a small horn uses such a big, familiar, fairly easy-to-control tenor reed.
The ligature & reed that come with the horn are OK, but one may benefit from exploring different ligatures & reed-strengths. As some reviews have stated, the 2nd register is more difficult to control, pitch-wise, but there is an octave + a fourth of effective low-register range (that 'in-between-registers' sharp 11th requires embouchure tricks to blow correctly).
And, yes, the fingering is tough to master at first (any holes not completely closed will sink the ship), plus it seems best in the key of 'F' due to the 'Bb vs. B' fingering, but that is quite similar to the the manner in which East Indian 'bansuri' flutes are named in terms of tonic pitch. Or you could call it 'C mixolydian,' with an easy to hit flatted 7th.
But you do get 2 octaves, low C through mid C to high C, if you can adjust your embouchure enough for accurate pitch, especially as more holes are open (pocket sax creator Brian Wittman's 'Jungle Jazz' CD has some 'pitchy' moments too, while being a nice listen). And some semitones require 'half-holing,' sometimes less accurate at faster tempos, but there are easy enough alternate fingerings for most of them.
This horn is in my pocket every day at work. Over-worked employees often request songs, which I am happy to oblige, given such a versatile instrument. And it has been likened to the Armenian 'duduk' from some 'in-the-know' listeners, given the mellow tone I have found through reed/ligature/embouchure adjustments.
Work with it, and you may find that 'sweet spot' that works for you. A few moments of music each day is good medicine for the soul.
I play this horn every day! I love it.
The Maui Mini Pocket Sax is one of the greatest things to come out of Hawaii. Originally made by Brian Wittman, strictly out of bamboo, these high quality ABS plastic ones, licensed by him, are the only official Mini Pocket Saxs, and much better instruments than competing "pocket saxophones". They are amazing instruments. They are said to have a two octave range, but I can play mine a full two and a half from a Bb below middle C to a high F (on a good day).
A little background information. I have a soprano recorder that I've had for over twenty five years. I used it to introduce my daughters to playing music. Now adults, they play the violin and the clarinet. I also have a Yamaha alto and a Yamaha tenor recorder. I played trombone in middle school and have had one for fifteen years. I have played all of these instruments off and on over the years. I played alto sax in middle school so It's been a long time since I played a reed instrument. Based on a few of the reviews, I was skeptical and half way expected to be disappointed with the Mini Pocket Sax. However, within minutes of opening the box, I could produce sound from the Mini Pocket Sax. By day two(this evening) I have started to learn the fingering and it isn't difficult to play the right notes. Yes, the mouthpiece is thick. I have long fingers so it feels cramped but other than that it has been a breeze. Will it require more time to play proficiently? Yes but I spent an hour with it today and it was such a pleasure to play that I lost track of the time. Had it not been for my fingers getting tired I would have probably been at it for at least another hour. I think the issue is that some can't get their mouth positioned right on the mouthpiece. If you can figure that out, it sounds really good. It's been described as a cross between a clarinet and an alto sax. I agree with that description. So I'm very happy with this purchase. I can't wait to show it to my daughters.
I played alto saxophone for most of my younger life. Of course, when I moved out of my parents house the saxophone was one of those things that ended up getting sold for well less than what it was worth in order to pay some random bill at some point in time.
Fast forward to today, and I was longing for something to play some music on. My wife plays the piano, but I have no idea how to play that. I have a ukulele, but I'm not very good at it. I was wanting a woodwind to play to make some music on.
I began searching for another saxophone, and of course I found that for anything of even remote quality I was going to have to spend several hundred dollars. Yes, there are cheap ones out there, but the quality is VERY bad. I was beginning to think that I might have some trouble trying to find something to play.
I stumbled across the Maui Mini Pocket Sax one afternoon while searching the net and the price was right. There are some nicer ones out there that are made of actual bamboo, but since I didn't know an awful lot this instrument so I figured I'd go with the plastic one to start. I ordered it and several days later it came in the mail.
Upon getting it out of the box, I was pretty impressed with it right off the bat. The finish on it is nice, the reed was a good quality, the ligature is nice, and the overall feel of the instrument belies the price paid for it.
I put it all together and blew in it, just like I used to with the saxophone. Amazingly, all these years later, I was easily able to produce a good sounding note with very little effort.
Of course, the fingerings for the notes are completely different than the saxophone, so I'm trying to actually learn the different notes on the Mini Pocket Sax. It's a bit of a task that I wasn't ready for, as I still remember very well all of the fingerings for the saxophone, so trying to play a "G" on the Mini Pocket Sax, my fingers automatically try to play the "G" from my old saxophone days. But I'm getting better at it, and it's coming to me slowly. But like any instrument, it takes time to learn the things about it like the fingerings and the way to hold your lips and such.
