Antigua Intermediate Soprano Saxophones – Gold Lacquer

Available Finishes All 3 models are available in traditional lacquer. The 4290 model is also available in black nickel plate and silver plate (silver plate is a special order). We also have Antigua make for us the 3286 model in black nickel plate as well for additional value. Finish codes are added to the back of the model number.

• LQ – Gold Lacquer
• BQ – Black Nickel Plated Body, Lacquered Keys
• SG – Silver Plated Body, Gold Plated Keys (special order)

For all models/finishes of Antigua Sopranos, take a look here:

The Antigua intermediate sopranos are wonderful instruments. The design that they chose to base their sopranos on (the Yanagisawa S9 design) is one of the world’s most highly respected in terms of tone, intonation, ergonomics & intonation stability. Plainly put, they simply play easily! However, they do play a bit brighter and thinner than the actual Yanagisawa models. There are many reasons behind this, but suffice it to say that for the financial savings of the Antigua, most players wouldn’t complain. However, we wanted to offer something more. So we worked with Antigua to have them develop a model of their soprano made out of Red Brass – a brass alloy with a higher copper content – in order to produce a richer tone closer to that of the Yanagisawa models. The SS4290RLQ is that horn and is our overall favorite of the line. The performance and value is second to none.

Soprano Saxophones are very misunderstood instruments. They are commonly considered more difficult to play than an alto or tenor saxophone. In reality, the problem with soprano saxophone has more to do with how they are played rather than the soprano sax itself. Plainly put, you cannot play a soprano sax the same way you would an alto sax as they are not the same instrument! Dave Kessler wrote an article about this very issue and details:

• Why is soprano harder to play?
• How to choose a soprano
• How best to approach playing soprano

Take a moment and read the article here: Dave Kessler’s Music Blog – Choosing a Soprano Sax Every soprano sax that we send out includes a copy of our “Soprano Sax Playing Tips Guide” that will help players achieve the best performance out of their soprano sax. You can also download a PDF copy of that guide by clicking here.

Every Antigua intermediate soprano sax we send out to a customer is not released from us unless it has been completely setup in our shop first. This is because the setup on the horn is of the utmost importance! Sometimes, a saxophone (regardless of who the manufacturer or the price point is) comes in needing 20 minutes of adjustments and then the very next one can require 2 hours! So if you were to get 5 of the same model right out of the box, they will all play different which leads people to believe that they are “good” or “bad” saxes… but the reality is that the one that was the best out of the 5 was likely the one that needed the least amount of work and on the flip side, the “bad” sax was the one that needed 2 hours worth of adjustments! Once the same 5 saxophones are properly regulated and adjusted to perfection, they become near identical saxophones that even the pickiest of players would be challenged to pick a true “favorite” horn. However, since most stores do not or even can not perform this setup, the player never knows this and is simply relying on the luck of the draw. This is why we perform our setup (in our www.SaxophoneRepairs.com ProShop) on them before delivering your new sax to you. You trust us with your purchase and we want to make sure that you are rewarded by giving you your ideal saxophone setup flawlessly!

Series :	Antigua
Key :	Bb
Construction :	Fully ribbed
Auxiliary Keys :	High F# or High G Depending on Model
Neck Material :	Yellow Brass (or Red Brass for 4290RLQ)
Body Material :	Yellow Brass (or Red Brass for 4290RLQ)
Pads & Resonators :	PISONI pads & metal resonators
Bell Decoration :	Hand engraved
Mouthpiece :	4C