[Alan Brinton]

I have recently posted about Yamaha and 1970s Suzuki soprano models and made some sound comparisons under the Yamaha P-S25. Some may not hear much difference in the comparison clips; I hear more when playing them. What surprises me, though, is that, contrary to my expectations, I prefer the sound and feel of the Suzuki, whose key action is also smoother and more even. Just as the Yamaha P-S25 has its alto mate, the familiar P-25, so is the early 1970s to mid-1980s Suzuki S-25 paired with the alto A-25. These two were commonly marketed as the the Study 25 and Soprano 25. They are both excellent performers. This iteration of the Study 25 is fairly easy to find at reasonable prices on auction sites. I have bought three, and all were in reasonably good playing condition. The Soprano 25 is rarer but sells at comparable prices. I highly recommend this handsome couple.

Notice the short mouthpiece on the soprano. This is just the fitting from the melodica end of a Suzuki tube and is my preferred mouthpiece for the short Suzukis.