This alto is teal good and worth the price. I have a Bach 39 alto before and had heard about theese Chineese made Thomann stencils. I just bought it to know if the rumor is correct, because it was that cheap The answer after test is YES. This horn is very nice, good response, good slide, easy blow and doesn't sound cheap at all. My Bach 39 is picky about mouthpieces and needs a small alto mouthpiece like a Bach 12E or 15E but ths horn also works great with mouthpieces like Bach 12C or 11C and probably other small shank mouthpieces too. The sound is larger compared to a Bach 39 alto. It is absolutedly worth the money if you want a cheap and good alto, especially if this is your first alto.