Model: PM-350
Location of playtest: Long & McQuade downtown Vancouver at Main & Terminal
Condition: Used (looks pretty much brand new)
Price: $17, 950.00 Cdn. On their inventory product page it is listed as: “Used, Cannot Rebox”. Don’t know if that means they can’t ship it to another province or not, but it certainly has been in Vancouver for a long a time. At the time of writing +/- 12 months.
Update: Just after a month since trying this horn out, the PM-350 no longer appears in L&M’s inventory. Not sure what happened, but after languishing on their sax wall for 18+ months, it appears to have vanished—at least for now.
It reappeared. It is now in Calgary. Same price. Same serial number.
Price for a new horn of the same model at same dealer: $28,699.00 Cdn. However, they have none in stock.
Date of manufacturing: circa 2022
Date of review: 2024
How I got here, and the burning questions I had about this P. Mauriat PM-350 bass sax
In 2023 sometime, someone on SOTW or other sax site or group, tagged me and let me know about this P. Mauriat bass sax. They wondered if I had played it yet. I said no, but that I would make an effort to get there.
In an effort to do my homework before the playtest, I reached out to P. Mauriat. I had numerous questions I was hoping to get answers to. Their response was: Try the horn at L&M. However, before I could make arrangements to try the sax out, as it will do, life intervened, and the bass completely slipped my mind.
Fast forward to May 2024, when a colleague of mine involved with a different saxophone company, asked if I had ever gotten around to trying out the PM-350. This was the kick in the ass I needed to organize my thoughts and go try the P. Mauriat bass.
Over the Victoria Day long weekend in May, my friend and fellow bass player, Rob, came with me and we made the 40 minute trek downtown to try out this bass sax. I hoped to finally get answers to some of the questions that I had had about these horns ever since I first heard about them nearly 3 or 4 years ago. Questions such as:
- Are these P. Mauriat bass saxes merely upmarket Jinbao bass saxophones?
- What could possibly justify their cost, to put them so close in price to the new Selmer Paris Series II horn that they appear to be copies of?
- How much do they in fact differ from the Jinbao-made Sakkusu bass I have played weekly for months now?
- How much do they share in common with the Sakkusu bass?
Specs
- Tuned in the key Bb – one octave below a Bb tenor
- Keyed from low Bb to high F#
- Golden honey lacquer with hand engraving on the bell
- 10″ bell rim
- Ribbed construction
- Nickel silver rods
- Threaded octave pips
- Drawn tone holes
- Leather pads with rivetless, domed metal resos.
- Blue needle springs (for the most part)
- Adjustable right metal thumb rest
- Triple strap ring
- 1-piece bell
- Weight +/- 20 lbs
- Metal peg with cork foot. Foot also pivots and swivels for added comfort and playability
- Appears to be a copy of the current production Selmer Series II bass saxophone
Specs according to P. Mauriat
I am not at all clear why the company is so secretive about these instruments. Given what the price for the PM-350 is, you’d think P. Mauriat would make some effort to be a bit more transparent about its specifications. That said, both the official printed docs and website offer up the following for potential buyers:
- Professional Class
- Bb
- Standard
- Brass
- Hand Engraved Bell
- Genuine Abalone
- PM Traveller II Case
- Gold Lacquered
- Non-Slip Holder
A recent video from P. Mauriat featuring Preston Cummins, does shed a bit more light onto both the tonal characteristics, as well as the specs:
Case
We did not see the case at Long & McQuade, and the Traveller II Case is not shown on any PM-350 materials. That said, a bit of creative sleuthing did turn up some pics—albeit not for the bass sax case. However, based on what I read in Uwe Ladwig’s review that he wrote for the German music journal Sonic (6.2022), it is indeed the same style case. It should be noted however, that the bass version of this case has 4 swivel castors, as well as eyelets for attaching a strap so you can pull the instrument behind you.
Set-ups we tried for the playtest and how they rated
Helen’s playtests
Vandoren V5 bass sax MP
This is the MP that sounded the best on the horn. Although I didn’t use it for most of playtest, it by far and away had the best tone, richest series of overtones, and great intonation across the entire range of the horn.
Back in 2023 when I wrote the review of the Sakkusu the first time I first played it, I had similar results with the piece. Since early 2024, I have been playing the Jinbao-made bass weekly, and have learned how to play the Selmer Series II copies quite well. I am sure that’s why the Vandoren went from the #2 to the #1 spot in my MP choice.
Overall, the Vandoren is a great choice for bass saxophones of all stripes. Short wrap players swear by them. I know lots of long wrap players that do as well. I even started using it on my Couf with great success in a saxophone ensemble.
Rosie bass MP by Fred Labayle #7
Last year when I did my review of the Sakkusu bass I did not have this MP yet. Since I got it from Lebayle’s U.S. distributor, it has become my #1 bass saxophone MP on short-wrap horns. Why? You’ll have to read the review. It’s almost finished.
(The review for the Rosie MP was nearly done when my site required massive software updates; went boom; and then underwent major housekeeping to make it a bit more slim and trim. I’ll update this with a link to the review once the link is live.)
Although being only my #2 choice for the PM-350, this is the the MP I did the majority of the playtest on. Since it is my primary bass MP on shortwrap horns, I felt it would give me the best results.
Tuning was good, but compared to the Vandoren, the Rosie MP just sounded stuffy the first time I tried it. When I came back to it, it was much better with more overtones and a cleaner tone, but still the Vandoren was my preferred choice.
Runyon #7
This is my primary bass saxophone MP. (Shown here together with the Geo Bundy mentioned below.) It was customized specifically for bass saxophones the same way Santy Runyon did for the great bass players back in the day.
How is it customized? As described in detail by Paul Coats himself on my website, the usual baritone MP facing of 24mm – 25mm has to be lengthened to about 29mm – 30mm. This allows for more of the reed to vibrate freely, and the bottom end of the horn to speak properly.
Overall I would rate this MP as fair to OK for this P. Mauriat bass sax. It allowed for lots of overtones—the most of any of the 4 MPs I tried out. However, it made the bass a bit harder to control in the tricky middle range, and especially over the break (C2-D2).
The horn tended to break a lot with this modified bari piece, and it was very easy to crack notes. If I had been able to spend more time playing the horn, I would likely rate this MP as good. But given the time restraints I had, I could only rate this MP as #3 overall.
Geo Bundy bari/bass #3
This vintage hard rubber bari/bass MP by Geo Bundy is stamped with a 3. (Shown here with a Conn Eagle bari/bass MP.) Truth be told, although I got it for my Buescher bass, I never used it with the True Tone. I have never been overly impressed by what it can do when compared to my modified bari pieces.
I don’t know what happened, but despite it being my #1 choice on the Sakkusu bass when I playtested it last year, on this P. Mauriat bass there were so many tuning issues that I couldn’t bear to play it more than a minute.
Despite it having by far and away arguably the best tone, from A2 upward the tuning went 20 cents flat on each and every note. As a matter of fact, the higher I played, the flatter it got. The flatness could not be corrected with embouchure or air support changes.
Since I’m not a tech, I can’t speak to whether this could be corrected with some tweaking, but it is interesting that the fact that it happened at the point where the second octave key engaged, indicates to me that there is somewhat of a mismatch between the Bundy MP and this PM-350.
If I didn’t have other MPs that played perfectly in tune, I would think it was the horn—or me. 😉 However, since all the other MPs I tried played more or less in tune, to me I get the feeling this is more a compatibility issue.
Rob’s playtest*
Selmer S80 C* Bass Sax MP
This is the only MP that Rob used, as its his primary piece that he uses on his Sakkusu bass. With it the intonation on this P. Mauriat was with 10 cents over the entire range.
He sounded good with the C*, and the instrument responded well to the MP.
Overall this Selmer bass sax MP seems to be a good fit for the P. Mauriat PM-350 bass.
*Rob’s comments and views have been incorporated into this article.
Overall MP results
If you are looking for a good MP for the P. Mauriat bass, you can’t go wrong with either the Selmer or Vandoren bass sax MPs.
What we didn’t test
This particular horn was displayed without a MP, and we were asked if we had a reed. Presumably they would have supplied us with a MP if we didn’t have one. I don’t know if that would have been the stock MP, or something else.
Uwe Ladwig’s Playtest for Sonic
As mentioned above, my colleague from Germany, Uwe Ladwig, playtested a PM-350 in 2022, for the German music journal Sonic. He did record a couple of tracks in his studio with the P. Mauriat bass.
Stock HR bass sax MP
This first recording is done with the HR bass sax MP that is supplied with the PM-350.
ROUSSEAU HR BARI JDX7 (1/2)
This second recording features a different MP choice altogether. The JDX7 in the MP is the one Uwe normally uses on both his Tubax and bari saxes.
Reeds
For my playtest of the PM-350, I used 2 different kinds of Harry Hartmann Fiberreeds. Both are the reeds I always use when I play bass saxophone.
1. Carbon Onyx M baritone
This is the reed I use on both my bari, and many of my bass saxophone MPs. It is simply fantastic. Four in rotation will easily last a year+ of full time playing. Yes they are expensive, but so are a box of reeds, and how many do you go through during the course of a year?
I used a Carbon Onyx Medium on the Vandoren bass, modified Runyon #7, and on the Geo Bundy bari/bass #3 MPs.
2. Fiberreed Natural bass saxophone MS
This is the reed I did the majority of the playtest on, since it is the reed I use on my Fred Lebayle Rosie Bass Sax MP. Although some bass players I have spoken to who play a Rosie use a bari reed, I find the bass reeds work better for me personally.
For my everyday playing, and this playtest, I used a MS bass reed combined with the #7 Rosie bass MP.
Tone in comparison to the Jinbao-made Sakkusu
I play Rob’s Sakkusu every Tuesday night at rehearsal, and you know what? This P. Mauriat reminds me A LOT of that Jinbao stencil horn.
Note: Because we playtested this P. Mauriat bass in a store, we didn’t have Rob’s bass along to compare the two instruments side by side. The trial rooms at L&M are incredibly small. The one we were put in was made even smaller by being used as the storage room for rental keyboards. Therefore when comparing tone, I am basing this on what I remember I sound like week to week on the Jinbao bass.
From a tonal perspective, there was really nothing to distinguish this PM-350, from the Sakkusu bass that Rob owns.
As noted above, I use the Fred Lebayle Rosie MP for bass sax with a tip opening #7, with a Fiberreed MS for bass sax. That is my regular setup on these short wrap basses. Using this setup, the PM-350 sounded no better, no worse, than the Sakkusu bass.
The P. Mauriat bass had lots of overtones, and lots of oomph. It sounded like a bass saxophone should. It could go balls to the wall when pushed, or, depending on the setup the player chooses, produce a very lovely and pleasing tone that would be suitable for everything from classical to concert band, or sax ensemble playing to hot jazz.
Response
This PM-350 by Mauriat was very easy blowing. From 
to 
the sax was equally easy across all dynamic ranges.
Like the Sakkusu, it was very easy-blowing, and felt more like I was playing a bari. It was definitely much easier than my Couf, or other long-wrap bass saxophones I have played.
Like the Sakkusu, it is very quick to respond, and its scale is relatively even. I would say its scale was overall a bit more even than the Jinbao-made Sakkusu I play.
Where this PM-350 had evenness of scale issues though, was around D2, and then again in the left palm keys. To be honest, this is somewhat surprising given the amount of hype that Mauriat has done about these horns.
That said, this bass has also been hanging on the wall for nearly a year on display, so likely needs to visit the tech’s bench for adjustment. My experience however, is that evenness of scale is usually inherent in the instrument, and while some tweaking on the workbench might help a bit, it will never solve the problems entirely.
To keep things consistent, I again did the two warm-up exercises I always do after I’ve done my long tones. I do these regardless of which saxophone I’m playing, and what voice of sax it is.
1. Going Over the Break
Here you tongue the G and slur to then end of phrase. Then tongue the first G again. You start out slowly, and keep going faster and faster, making sure your air is supported, and you don’t crack your D2.
2. Pivot on the break
Here again you start out slowly, and build up your speed until you are lightning quick.
How did the P. Mauriat bass do on these exercises?
With the Rosie MP I was able to do both of these exercises with absolutely no difficulties on the PM-350. The horn played these exercises perfectly. I was easily playing them as quickly and cleaning I do on the Sakkusu by Jinbao, my Superba I by Keilwerth, or even my smaller baris.
Feel
Ergonomically the bass was quite comfortable, and there was A LOT I liked about its overall feel. That said, it had a number peculiarities that I just didn’t care for. They either made the sax difficult to play, or feel just downright cheap and flimsy.
Things I didn’t like about the PM-350’s feel
- The high F# is placed in such a way that it is difficult to locate. Like on the Jinbao, it’s like the designers thought: Oh damn, we were going to add a high F# key to horn. We’ve used up all the available space. We are we going to put it where? Oh I know, how about burying it here? It’s not like anyone plays high F# on a bass anyway.
- Because the high F# key is so low, and positioned where it is, it is difficult to reach fluidly—and not at all intuitively, even if you know that it is there.
- Although better than the Sakkusu bass sax, there is still a far amount of sponginess in the feeling of the keys. Presumably these support feet under the stack keys were intended to reduce this sponginess, but when I compare it to my Keilwerth bass, there is just no comparison. Even though the JK has no support feet, its feel is as tight and solid as my smaller horns.
- The rollers are made of thin, black, cheap plastic. Since P. Mauriat is marketing this as a “pro horn”, they should have sprung for better material here. Thin black plastic with gaps cheapened the horn. Even a thicker black rubber like on the JK feels better, if they didn’t want to spring for abalone or MOP rollers.
- The high D key is really wobbly and gives a lot. There wasn’t play in the key, it was just a material/design issue.
Things I did like about the PM-350’s feel
- The concave, abalone key touches
- The left thumb rest
- Right thumb rest
- Pivoting head on the peg
- Spatula front F key
Bottom line: It is hard to pin down and put into words, while closer to feeling like a “pro” horn than the Sakkusu, this bass just didn’t feel like one when I compare it to the feel of my Keilwerth. Since I haven’t had an opportunity to play a Selmer Series II bass, or even a Mark VI, I have no reference point for what a known pro, short-wrap bass should feel like.
Given that a new Selmer Series II costs $41,150.00 Cdn through L&M, and a new P. Mauriat costs $28,699.00, we are looking at a difference of $12,451.00 Cdn at today’s hyper-inflated prices.
However, if you live in other countries you may well find the price difference not nearly so great. Add in the option of an Eppelsheim bass, and the Mauriat really doesn’t look like a bargain if you live in Europe. Factor in a Keilwerth SX90 bass, and again the PM-350 isn’t a screamin’ hot deal. Sure it’s cheaper, but it simply doesn’t feel like a pro bass. And for the price of a new one, it really needs to.
Build
Let me start with the standard disclaimer I always provide when I do reviews such as this:
I am not a tech, nor do I play one on TV. 
I am however, a sax player with over 3 decades of playing experience who has spent a great many hours with my techs, talking with them, learning from them, and applying that knowledge to the saxophones that I purchase either for myself, and my students. I also recently spent 4 years working PT for my tech at Matterhorn Music, doing everything from Education Rep duties, to retail sales and rentals, to website work.
When I picked up this horn I found that it had approximately the same weight as the Sakkusu I play weekly.
Factors contributing to weight:
- It has a great deal of ribbed construction.
- It has a peg guide with peg attached.
- There are multiple bracing points spread over the entire length of the instrument.
- The bell to body brace.
- A brace that separates the main body tube from the pigtail.
What I didn’t like
Just like with the Sakkusu, there were a number of things I didn’t like when it came this bass sax’s build.
- Because it doesn’t have a bell to body brace on the lower portion of the horn like the Jinbao-made Sakkusu has, there was no good way to pick the horn up. Trying to find a way to pick this monster up without putting pressure on the keys was a real challenge. Both Rob and I worked real hard not to knock things out of alignment more than they may have already been.
- The D3 key had way too much side to side wiggle to it. ( It seemed to be quite flimsy in construction, and I could see it be broken off by students, or by repeated laying down on its side without proper padding.
- The F3 key was shaped with a bend in it after the rocker, to line up properly with the other left palm keys. The result is a visual distraction that makes it appear as if they key is bent. We actually thought we bent it by laying it down (no stand was provided). When compared to the Sakkusu, or the Selmer Series II keywork, it just looks wrong, and somewhat cheap.
- In general, the left palm keys felt squishy, and too flexible. (The keys themselves, not the springs.)
- The single peg holder pushes the peg very close against the bell when retracted. This will result in scratches whenever the peg is bumped, or even just retracted. The less expensive Jinbao-made horns have double peg guides.
- The low Bb was quite spongey. Rod flexing was evident.
What I liked
Despite my list of dislikes, there were many things I did really like about the P. Mauriat PM-350 bass sax. It’s almost like their designers tried to correct many of the short-comings of the cheaper, Selmer bass saxophone copies.
- The left thumb rest is made of metal, and is the right level to be at the same height at the octave lever. Big improvement from the cheap, black plastic one on the Sakkusu that was too short.
- The key action was tight, and relatively snappy. There was no up and down movement of the long rods and hinge tubes.
- The right thumb rest is a sturdy, metal one. Not the cheap, flimsy black plastic one we are used to seeing. It is more comfortable to move the horn around, and not going to break.
- The pivoting head on the peg is a very nice feature, and makes playing it with the peg more comfortable and ergonomic.
- The triple strap ring is nice.
- I do very much like the range going to high F#. Having my bass top out at high Eb is sometimes a bit of a pain in the ass.
- Having a bis Bb is lovely. I am now used to it, but for a vintage player who has never had one before, this is a lovely feature to get on their bass saxophone.
- I really liked the golden honey lacquer finish.
- The hand engraving on the bell was lovely touch.
Photo gallery
As noted above, these pics were taken in a very tiny practice room at L&M that was also used to store their rental keyboards. With Rob and I, as well as a human-sized saxophone in the mix, it made for tight quarters, and a less than ideal photo booth. 
Who would this P. Mauriat PM-350 bass be well suited for?
According to their website, they say:
The P. Mauriat Professional Bass Saxophone is a must have for any military band, professional woodwind doubler, collegiate saxophone arsenal, or ensemble looking for serious low reed presence. With fully ribbed professional construction, mother of pearl key touches, and heavy duty bracing throughout, this instrument is designed to withstand a lifetime of service. Players will appreciate the ergonomic placement of the left and right-hand pinky tables, deep pinky key scoops, easy-access side keys, and overall ‘smaller hand feel’ that facilitate easier key manipulation.
Huh. Well that sounds good. And quite frankly if I didn’t have the experience I had playing both a Jinbao bass and a Keilwerth I’d maybe be interested. However, in my opinion, the price is simply too high for what you’re getting.
I am seriously picky when it comes to my own personal horns; what I demand of them in the long haul; and therefore what I expect from them based on the price I am willing to pay. I also understand that not everyone looks at things the same way I do, or demands the same thing from their instruments. For that reason, when taken in its totality, I would give this P. Mauriat bass an 8 out of 10 for all the reasons I have outlined above.
Lingering Questions &Thoughts
At the top I listed the 4 key questions that informed my research into the PM-350 bass saxophone. Here they are again, with some answers.
- Are these P. Mauriat bass saxes merely upmarket Jinbao bass saxophones?
- No they are not Jinbao horns. They were apparently made by P. Mauriat. (See below)
- What could possibly justify their cost, to put them so close in price to the new Selmer Paris Series II horn that they appear to be copies of?
- R&D, prototype creation, trials, start-up costs, materials, manufacturing, shipping, distribution, customs & brokerage fees, etc., etc. are crazy expensive. Add to that the markup that dealers make, and you have a partial explanation of the price.
- Are these P. Mauriat bass saxes worth this price? That is up to the individual buyer to decide. I gave my 2 virtual cents on the topic already.
- How much do they in fact differ from the Jinbao-made Sakkusu bass I have played weekly for months now?
- I noted the characteristics I noted above. (Feel, Build) Visual characteristics are partially illustrated below.
- How much do they share in common with the Sakkusu bass?
- I noted the playing characteristics above. (Tone, Response) Visual characteristics are partially illustrated below.
Possible Answers
Unfortunately my playing this PM-350 bass didn’t provide me with answers to all the questions I had before I started this exercise. I still wasn’t even sure if P. Mauriat designed and built this horn on their own.
In order to answer the questions I reached out to some craftsmen I know who are designers and builders of musical instruments. A couple of these people also work extensively with factories and companies in Asia. These specialists in the field gave me an intro course on instrument design, R&D, the making of tooling, and the availability of parts and other resources in Taiwan, China, and Vietnam.
Based on the what I gleaned from the designers and musical instrument makers, the mystery of the PM-350 is a less murky now.
- Did P. Mauriat really build this horn on their own?
- It would appear that yes, yes they did.
- If P. Mauriat did build this horn on their own, where did they get their tooling from?
- They may have made it, which would have taken months to complete. Yes, that would have been rather expensive.
- Or, they could have bought the parts they needed from companies with factories specializing in what they needed. EG: There are companies that do nothing but make keys. There are other companies that turn out posts on ribs. Key guards can come from still another company. And so on, and so on. This is similar to the way Selmer’s SeleS is being built now. Why not this horn?
- Why is there almost no difference between the PM-350, and the much cheaper Jinbao-made Sakkusu?
- The reason is that both are reverse engineered copies of the Selmer Series II bass, so they have the same acoustical properties. Basically they are acoustic copies of the same horn.
- Does the fact that these short wrap bass saxes from P. Mauriat have a 1-piece bell like long wrap (vintage American style) horns, make any difference?
- P. Mauriat claims it improves the horn’s resonance. Does it? I didn’t notice a difference, but then I didn’t have the Jinbao to playtest right beside for comparison.
- Let’s not forget that Jinbao holds a patent for short wrap bass saxophones. In order to not infringe on this patent, P. Mauriat’s design would have to have been different enough that it isn’t a patent violation. What’s so different?
- I can’t read the original Chinese, and the translated English of the patent application simply sucks. Sadly, this is rather a dead end information-wise, but an important one none-the-less.
- Asian instrument manufacturers are especially secretive about almost all aspects of their design and manufacturing process. This makes comparing the PM-350 to the Jinbao-held patent very tricky—even if someone would be able to read the original Chinese.
Thoughts
- Given the economics of bass saxophones, soaking a lot of $$ into R&D doesn’t make sense, when the average bass player is looking to spend +/- 7K or for a horn. Very few players are willing to spend what it takes to get a Selmer, Keilwerth, or Eppelsheim. The P. Mauriats are not that much less than these true pro horns—depending on which part of the world you’re in, and which currency you’re paying in.
- None of the 3 European companies mentioned above makes many bass saxophones. I don’t know what Selmer’s or Eppelsheim’s production numbers are, but Keilwerth produces approximately 1 or 2 per year. Of the 3 companies, I can only see Selmer perhaps producing more than 5 or so per year—and even that is a stretch.
- Given the price tag of the P. Mauriat bass saxophones, logic dictates that once the initial buying frenzy is over, sales for them too will fall back down to single digit sales, or at best very low double digits. Unless they are trying to tap into the Asian saxophone market? Regardless, like the 3 European sax makers, P. Mauriat makes their bass to order, with delivery about 1 year out from order date—according to dealers.
- Given that it appears that P. Mauriat did indeed design and build the PM-350, then it will presumably take years before they recoup their original investment, let alone make $$ from the sale of any bass saxophone.
Lastly, you be the judge
I have created a series of jpegs in which I compare/contrast the PM-350 with the Jinbao-made Sakkusu. I offer them up here for you to take a look at these 2 horns for yourself.
A couple of points about these photos:
- The Sakkusu was photographed with my DSLR camera in my studio in HDR format. A tripod was used.
- The P. Mauriat was photographed in a small, cramped practice room at L&M with my iPhone.
- I didn’t have the Sakkusu pics in hand when I shot the P. Mauriat pics, which is why they are not entirely from the same angle. Through Photoshop I did the best I could in getting them lined up right, and showing what I needed them to show.
- Did I get all the differences and similarities in each of the photos? Most likely not. That’s where you come in. Leave your comments below and let me know what you see/think. Thanks!
I want to give a huge shout out to all the people who were involved in helping me write this review. In these days of Internet posers, it’s more important than ever to have experienced people you know and trust to rely on. Ryan, Rob, Uwe, David, Steve, you guys are all the best friends a girl can have in the sax world. 
