A review of the RAW XS alto by Stephen Howard...author of the Haynes Saxophone Manual

Some quick snippets:

"....Tonewise I feel the RAW achieves a remarkable balance between the lyrical qualities of the vintage era and the soulful edge of the contemporary, yet it does so with grace, poise and just the right amount of grit. It's also got that 'moreishness' thing going on that I found in the tenor - the sense that every time you pick it up, it has more to give"

"....In mechanical terms the killer feature of this horn is that it's fitted with proper point screws. Not silly pseudo points that only do half the job, or pointless (literally) parallel screws that do little more than hold the keys on - but proper, honest-to-goodness, no nonsense point screws.

What this means for me is that when the time comes to service the horn it'll be a great deal easier to take up the inevitable wear in the keys that pivot on these screws - and what that means for you, the player, is that the action feels more solid, slicker and responsive for longer, there'll be fewer wear-related leaks from the pads...and best of all, it'll cost you a lot less to have the action adjusted down the years. Proper point screws - everybody wins."

"....On the specs alone it's an impressive horn. The build quality, the setup and the whole package adds up to a very credible pro-quality instrument - and when you factor in the feel, the tone and the response I think it's fair to say that the RAW XS raises the standard for the 21st century alto."

Read the full review:http://www.shwoodwind.co.uk/Reviews/Saxes/Alto/tj_raw_alto.htm