Sound is decent, but not amazing. Tuning is good in the lower and middle register, but gets a bit flat in the upper register. This can be overcome by the use of alternate fingerings (specifically Eb and E at the top of the staff and B and C above the staff). It's not a bad instrument for the price, but it's by no means a professional quality instrument. I could see this being good enough for a beginner or intermediate player, but look elsewhere if you want something to perform with. The valves are excellent, but the slides are very stiff and take a bit of force to remove. I also purchased the Classica II GMS which is a far superior instrument in every way. Save some extra cash and get the Classica. I plan on returning this instrument and buying an identical Classica to the one I purchased.