I bought a straight bell soprano from cannonball a while ago and I am very pleased with it. It does, as you say, have extremely good intonation and I like the sound a lot. I found that the stock mouthpiece was of good quality and haven't gotten a different mouthpiece yet. I have had only one problem however. About six months after I bought the horn one of the stones that attatches to the left hand palm keys fell off. It was an easy fix, however, just a thin layer of super glue. If you end up buying the instrument I would take it in to get it checked for leaks. This is standard procedure for all saxes fresh off the market and after it is checked it will be like a dream come true. A very good instrument. Cheers, Dark Eyes (unloved thesis)