support Tutorials CDs PPT mouthpieces

Saxophones new here..trevor james??

flukeyluke

Well-Known Member
Messages
173
Locality
hampshire
Hi people,ive just joined :) and just started to learn the sax,i have a sms accadamy sax at the moment but im not that happy with it,i like the tone in the mid range but not the high so im thinking of getting another.

Ive been offered a like new trevor james revolution 1 sax for £200 and was wondering if it would be an upgrade from my sms seeing as it costs more new? or do you think it would be better to save a bit more and see what else comes up on the secondhand market?

Thanks luke :)
 
Hi Luke, why not stop by and introduce yourself in the doorbell section.

Believe it or not, you're the most important factor in the sound, followed by mouthpiece/reed and lastly the sax itself. Your call on the upgrade, probably worth while, but don't be surprised if the TJ doesn't sound any better than the sms.

You don't say what mouthpiece/reed you're using, but going up half a strength on the reed will help a lot, if you're playing a very soft setup.
 
Welcome Luke.

By all means get a new sax if you really want one. But you won't really know how your sax plays in the upper range until you've been at it for at least a few months. Also, if you're playing on the mouthpiece which came with the horn, it may well be rubbish (I don't know what SMS supply with their saxes, but if it's a Yamaha it's probably OK) and you might want to upgrade it. There are some excellent mouthpieces out there for less than £30 or so. I'll leave it to others (hello, Tom!) to recommend models if you think that might be an issue.
 
thanks for the replies,its not that my sax sounds terrible and i know a more experienced player would get a better sound but i just dont feel happy with it 100% if you know what i mean.

Im not expecting to be a jazz star if i upgrade but just wanted a better model sax to start off on that sounds a bit deeper in tone and will last me many years untill i will need to upgrade.

Hope that makes sence?

Thanks luke :)
 
The TJ Rev I has been around for a long time now, the Rev II has been around half a dozen years but if it's in the condition you say then you should have a half decent sax you won't out grow for at least 2 or 3 years minimum. The price seems fair if it is as described. I don't know the SMS but you may find, as mentioned above, a change of mouthpiece might be a better investment.

Cheers,
Mark
 
Last edited by a moderator:
The TJ Rev I has been around for a long time now, the Rev II has been around half a dozen years but if it's in the condition you say then you should have a half decent sax you won't out grow for at least 2 or 3 years minimum. The price seems fair if it is as described. I don't know the SMS but you may find, as mentioned above, a change of mouthpiece might be a better investment.

Cheers,
Mark


Thanks for the reply,mmmmm what to do....are the rico mouth pieces any good? i only ask because they have them in my local music shop,only problem is im not sure i will still be 100% happy with the sax ive got,tone isnt terrible infact it is quite nice it just dosnt have the deepness of other saxes i hear.

Thanks luke
 
Most music shops will let you take your Sax and try out a few mouthpieces. Are you sure you're not listening to people with Tenor saxes and you have an Alto, you didn't say which you have.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Hi Luke. When I started playing tenor ( about 9 months ago) I used a Yamaha 4C mouthpiece and Rico 1.5 reed. I have now progressed to the Bari Esprit piece ( which came with the sax ) and Rico no 2 reed. My sax is now a completely different animal. I love it! Reading on this forum, the path to the ideal sound/tone is long and maybe never ending. Could be a lifes work. Enjoy. Alan.
 
The mouthpiece, reed and ligature combined with your embouchure make the tone/sound. The big brass tube provides the mechanics to play. If your current instrument plays ok mechanically then changing the sound creation set up will give you the change you're looking for.

Try different makes of reed. Buy them in ones till you find something you like. Try the ligature in different positions.

Rico mouthpieces play well and more importantly easily. The graftonite is ok and cheap enough to try as an experiment. The metalite is better (in my opinion) and only a little more cash. The Bari esprit is cheap and easy to play.

Most people seem to get on with the Yamaha in a 4C and it's not a bad price. Beware of cheap imitations though.

Further down the line you will know what you want and what you can cope with to get the best sound you can get out of you.

I've spent far more on mouthpieces than actual saxophones.

Search saxophone mouthpiece on ebay to see the vast range in age, price, material, shape.
 
Hello luke, like you I am a newbie on sax (just passed 3 months) and also found the upper octave notes sounding less than pleasing and starting to blame my gear. I've found it's simply me not playing well enough to make the upper octave sound good, gradually as I practice more with the higher notes (and the lowest notes which will improve your air support) I learn to control the tone and make it sound closer to what I want to hear. My tip is don't let your doubts about your equipment get the better of you, just keep practising and working at it and you'll improve gradually. A worthwhile thing to test is a cheap but still good mouthpiece like Hite Premiere (my current mouthpiece), Yamaha 4c, Bari Esprit II etc, you'll find a lof of info if you search for cheap/beginner alto mouthpieces.
 
Thanks alot guys,you have saved me money :) found a vid of a guy playing my sax and he gets a beautiful tone out of it in all registers :) defo going to save my money and just try a different mpc,thanks again :)

Luke
 
Thanks alot guys,you have saved me money :) found a vid of a guy playing my sax and he gets a beautiful tone out of it in all registers :) defo going to save my money and just try a different mpc,thanks again :)

Luke
Looks like he's doing that with the stock mouthpiece...
 
yes i think he is,but he is obviously a pro and i need all the help i can get lol
 
Take a listen to this:

 
Last edited by a moderator:
Hi notes are always harder to get at first as they require that much more control of your embouchure. I remember having this problem on clari when I was in my teens but the tone develops over time. Go with a new mouthpiece first, it should improve things drastically once you find one you're comfortable playing on. A mouthpiece can completely alter the sound of a sax. A TJ rev 1 isn't that new any more but then TJ are good saxes and they have a good reputation for consistency etc. I have a silver plate horn rev 2 alto and I play this as lead alto in my big band with clarinet. It has a lovely tone :)
Good luck!
 
I do think they should have given Mr Menza a warmer toom to play in, though, so he could take his coat off.
 
Back
Top Bottom