Trevor James Signature Custom Tenor Sax (Made In England)
Specification: Brass gold lacquer body, bow, bell & neck.
"Presented
in a Hiscox Pro case, this sax appeared impressive even before I put it to the
test. Like it’s alto cousin, the body of the instrument has full length
ribbing plates on to which the posts for the mechanism are soldered (like the
YAS 62 and Yani 991). This immediately gives me the confidence that we are
dealing with a serious contender for a pro level sax. After having a quick
blow, my initial impression of this new release from Trevor James was of a tenor
sax with a big personality, a very powerful sound, free speaking and with a nice
even response throughout the range.
For my test, I thought it appropriate to compare it with the Yanagisawa T901, a well-established brand and model, which is in a similar price bracket. In general you might say that there are a lot of similarities. The build quality is something that TJ are ever improving, and with their new Custom Signature range (as I detailed in the alto reviews) they have put out a sax which is right up there with the best pro models. I really do believe that. Both saxes have that contemporary edge in sound and ease of tone production. The Yani's to me have a particularly smooth and slightly more contained sound than any other brand – the TJ is bolder and punchier than the Yani and it’s in the middle and upper register that this characteristic comes into its own. Whilst testing this tenor I was also getting to grips with a new Lebayle ebonite mouthpiece – pretty nice blowers themselves, with plenty of richness and power on hand. The more I got used to the combination of sax and mouthpiece the more I fitted into the ‘groove’ of this sax. To me, it naturally lends itself to playing funk and blues riffs – particularly around the upper register and into the altissimo, I think largely because this is where the sound ‘opens up’ the most on this sax. I suppose this will suit the section tenor player nicely as this is the register that he mainly chooses to cut across the other amplified instruments! I also noticed that there was a nice amount of ‘sting’ behind the attack, great for playing those punchy funk and rock ‘n’ roll phrases with plenty of conviction – some of this may be attributed to the fact that the sax has metal pad reflectors, like the Yani 992 or the Selmer Series II or III. It’s just great fun to play a sax that responds like this.
With any professional level instrument, it is essential that it is solidly built and with a nice, smooth-working key mechanism. In this shop I have dealt with saxophones of all levels, and you instantly feel the difference between a cheaply made student model and a high quality pro instrument. This is normally obvious from just simply running your fingers up and down the sax. A well-built sax will give you a clean, even and smooth action with a nice ‘poppy’ sounding pad response – Yanagisawa's are fantastic for this. The good news is that I found the Signature Custom to be right in line with the best. But it’s not just this alone – it’s also the standard to which they are set-up that impresses me. I have been down to the workshops where these instruments are assembled in Kent and have always been impressed with the level of care and accuracy that goes into the final ‘setting-up’ on each instrument. Any discerning player with a light touch will appreciate this immensely.
I suppose that lastly it needs to be said that potential buyers of these instruments should cast their prejudices aside and seriously consider Trevor James as a valid producer of pro-level instruments. I think that it is always difficult for an established manufacturer of student level instruments to gain a reputation for a new line of high-level saxes, especially when you are competing with the likes of Yanagisawa and Selmer, for example. It’s amazing how people can be subliminally influenced by a brand name, and I suppose I am asking you to take a step back and think about what you want from a saxophone – perhaps this new Custom Signature will provide the answers!" Tested by Jim Cheek, November 2005
Trevor James “Signature Custom” Tenor
Saxes
Tested by Will at sax.co.uk in Feb.2006 using an Otto Link
ebonite 7*, metal ligature and Rico Royal No.3 reeds.
“Trevor James are now
producing truly professional sounding tenors, which rise admirably to the
standards set by brands such as Selmer, Yanagisawa and Keilwerth.
Overall these instruments have a warmth of tone that will be recognised by intermediate/advanced players as being of a far superior quality to TJ’s student models, the Horn and the Classic.
Gold
lacquered brass: This instrument is quite simply
a pleasure to play! It has fantastic projection and feels reliable under
the fingers. The key work has a ‘new’ springy character, which is similar
in response to a Yanagisawa and suggests to the player that it could pick up
speed quite comfortably, yet remain smooth (as any pro horn should). The
ergonomics of the keys may feel a little jagged for those used to playing
Selmers or any vintage instruments (particularly G# or Eb fingerings) but this
is to be expected from a newer instrument and a preference for many players.
Thankfully the intonation is consistent top to tail and the look, although not remarkably distinguished, is stylish in is simplicity. I can see no reason why this instrument wouldn’t be the one to spend the rest of your life with.
Clear
lacquered bronze: The most startling first
impression of the bronze is its beautiful, rich, vintage (esque) complexion,
which for me personally makes it the best looking of the four metals. The
reason for using phosphor bronze is best demonstrated in its comparison to the
brass – giving it many tonal characteristics of a vintage instrument; warm and
moody lower notes with a nice and even-tempered tone further up the register.
This really is a fantastic choice for those favouring an older ‘swingy’ sound
and rates respectably against the bronze Yanagisawa’s.
Clear
lacquered red brass: Now this is an interesting
variation on the usual metal mix that is traditionally used in making
saxophones. The red brass colouring (a deep cloudy reddish) is due to a
higher content of copper in the brass alloy. To my ear this produces a
slightly more compressed sound than the other two i.e. perhaps not quite as rich
in high harmonic content. But what it lacks in this brightness it more
than makes up for in punch and dynamic. I’d imagine that given the time to
get to know this instrument properly you could exploit these differences to
create a strong individual voice. Definitely worth trying for those that
are looking for something a bit different…
Clear
lacquered solid sterling silver: As you might
expect from a solid silver instrument the resonance of the metal is much faster
and excitable than the standard brass. On first impressions this results
in a louder and broader sound and perhaps a wider range of dynamics. It
has all the trappings of the others (key work, tuning etc.) but is considerably
brighter in projection; something experienced players will certainly enjoy,
whilst others may find more difficult to tame. This instrument would sound
fantastic as part of a loud horn section or a blues/rock’n’roll outfit and out
of the four this is certainly the ‘monster’ – perhaps offering a little less in
subtleties but a little more of everything else.