Jean Paul TS-400 Tenor Unbox and Review

By Jay Metcalf
Saxophone Equipment Reviews, Saxophone Reviews

Jean Paul Tenor Saxophone

Today I am going to review the Jean Paul TS-400 Tenor Saxophone. I was very impressed with the Jean Paul AS-400 Alto Saxophone, so I’m expecting good things from this instrument.

Selling currently for $899 (price can change from date of video release) the Jean Paul TS-400 right out of the box is set up very well, much like it’s alto saxophone counter part. There’s a little bit of mechanical play in some keys, but that’s me being nit picky. The case is very well made and is absolutely going to hold this tenor sax in its place. For this price, the fact that you’re getting a decent case is huge! Many affordable and cheap saxophones come with poorly made cases, which at the end of the day, is going to send to you the repair tech more frequently.

The mouthpiece it comes with is okay, but it is definitely a beginner/stock mouthpiece.

Overall it plays really well in tune, it’s well made, and it has a great case. My only thought is to eventually upgrade your mouthpiece, but the one it comes will get you started and well on your way.

You can check out the video to hear the difference between this saxophone and my professional horn with a few different mouthpieces – just to give you a taste of what this horn is capable of compared to a professional tenor saxophone.

If you’re starting out and don’t have a huge budget, you cannot go wrong with this saxophone.

Have the Jean-Paul Tenor Saxophone? Let me know in the comments below what you think!

While you’re shopping for a new tenor, check out the “Best Tenor Sax Mouthpieces Under $200.”

Also be sure to follow BetterSax on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube to stay up to date with us for news, giveaways, and other saxophone tips and tricks.

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Jay Metcalf

As the founder of BetterSax.com Jay’s mission is to help developing saxophone players break away from traditional music learning methods and discover a more efficient, practical and fun way to become a Better Sax player. The BetterSax YouTube channel’s videos have been watched by millions and thousands of students have made meaningful progress on their instrument thanks to BetterSax courses.

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3 Comments

Mike A. says:

April 10, 2021 at 10:31 pm

Thanks for your reviews of the Jean Paul alto and tenor sax – I bought the silver plated TS400SP. One important factor in my decision to buy Jean Paul was the 1 year warranty and service reputation (plus the fact that their main office is just a half hour away from where I live). There was one issue out of the box. The long screw for the roller on the Bb key was off but I was able to fix it myself with a jewelers screwdriver. Still something seemed off and after calling for an appointment, I took it to the Jean Paul headquarters in Miami for their service. I met the owners and got a tour of their facility. Everyone was super nice and their service tech is a sax pro, who did some adjustments. When I returned to pick it up we both played the sax to test it out and it sounded great. It’s a beautiful instrument with more higher end features than on my Yamaha YAS-23. The mouthpiece that came with it is their own TS-4 model (which they sell separately for $70) and might be different (better?) than the one in the review.

James E. says:

December 1, 2023 at 3:12 am

I had one of these tenors for a couple of years. I used it as my travel horn and downtown-L.A.-near Skid-Row gigging horn. All of the superlatives are warranted. The only things that seem to never get mentioned is that the horn is heavy and the overall feel is a little larger than my Mark VI. Having said that, the action was good, the intonation was good, etc etc.