Saxophones Trevor James vs Keilwerth & Bauhaus

Emma

Member
Hi can anyone help me?
I have been renting a Trevor James Horn revolution II alto and now the time has come to decide whether to pay the balance and buy it, or look at other horns. I like the TJ but there have been some problems - I have had to get the neck cork replaced as it fell off, various other bit of rubber & cork have also fallen off and the rod that holds the left hand pearlkeys keeps coming out - I have to screw it back in on a weekly basis & this is depite me being very careful with the horn. 🙁
It is the silver plated version and I'm not 100% sure I like the brightness and prefer a more smoky sound. I know that my playing and things such as mouthpiece will affect this though.
My teacher likes the keilwerth horns and recommended an ST90 but I also know that there have been really good reviews of the Bauhaus walsteins.

Does anyone have any advice?

Thanks
Emma
 
Hi Emma, I cant give you advice on any particular horn, but one thing I can say is that at least with this TJ, all the defects should be found and sorted by now so you know you've got a good horn. As for the keys that keep coming out, undo the screw a bit and dab on a touch of clear nail polish. It'll act like a weak thread lock!
I hope this helps ( a little)
 
Hi Emma,

I've got a TJ Revolution II alto, which I bought 10 months ago and find it perfectly good as a starter instrument. I've only had a couple of minor problems, such as a plastic insert falling out and a small pad coming loose, both of which were solved with a dab of glue. The shop offered a free service after a year, which I will use as there are some screws that need a tighten. You are right about the mouthpiece; you may want to try some decent ebonites, such as Otto Link or Meyer as they do make a difference.

I cannot comment on the Walstein alto but I have the tenor and play this much more than the TJ alto. IMO the Walstein has a better build quality and produces a very nice sound. The only thing to be careful of is the phosphor bronze models are quite heavy, although I don't find this a problem. I would suggest trying a few out before you buy using the same mouthpiece and reed to get a direct comparison. Good luck and have fun looking.
 
Hi,

I plan to go and try both - but neither supplier is remotely close to Cambridge!!
I use a Selmer C* mouthpiece because the one that came with the Sax was awful and plan to use the same mpc to compare. It is very helpful to hear other people's experiences of the horns after having played them for a period of time.

Thankyou
Emma
 
Hi,

I plan to go and try both - but neither supplier is remotely close to Cambridge!!
I use a Selmer C* mouthpiece because the one that came with the Sax was awful and plan to use the same mpc to compare. It is very helpful to hear other people's experiences of the horns after having played them for a period of time.

Thankyou
Emma

Very sensible to use a known quantity, good quality mouthpiece to test. I have a Walstein curved soprano, and although the horn is great, the supplied mouthpiece was (as is par for the course) awful.

The T James and Keilwerth ST90 are both established, reasonable quality Taiwanese student saxes. The Walstein, one of the new generation of Chinese saxes feels to me to be better quality, although to be honest I'd think all three would be perfectly reasonable. I haven't played the ST90, but have played the other two, and I'd say that there would be likely to be little between the T James and the Keilwerth (although that's a bit of a guess, to be honest), and that the Walstein would probably be better. The Walstein is an amazing bargain too - at £500 for the phosphor bronze model it's a load cheaper than the other two, particularly the Keilwerth, which is quite pricy for a student sax.

Have fun choosing, and let us know what you get.
 
Not saying whether the TJJ is good or bad, because I don't know them, but I had a similar worry many years ago when I rented my first sax. I really couldn't afford to lose the hire cost and give it back, but at the same time I wasn't entirely happy with it.

I didn't want that to spoil my playing in future with "well, it's not that good a sax so I can't be expected to play well..." at the back of my mind. So I bit the bullet and gave it back.

That was an expensive decision in my impoverished days (having just bought my first flat) but in part that helped the decision - I knew there was no way I'd be able to fork out for another one for some years so if I kept it that was it for the foreseeable future.

Anyway, I gave it back, dipped into the credit card and bought one I that really did like. And I've still got it over 20 years later...

Phil
 
I played a TJ "Revolution II" tenor for two years. I found it a good horn. A few screws came loose occasionally, but a weekly inspection covered that. I now have a Bauhaus Walstein which I find a LOT better. The ergonomics are much better for me, i.e. the keys fall much better to hand, the action feels better (unquantifiable, that one). As for the tone, while this is largely subjective, the middle "D" is clearer and stronger, and the lower register sounds much better while the upper register is at least as good. The low notes are really rich and resonant on the BW. It has a mellower sound overall, compared to the TJ, but it can honk if you wnat it to. It requires more breath (it has a larger bore crook and neck), but is more controllable. I've had the BW for nine months or so now, and haven't touched the TJ in that time.
I've never played a Keilworth, unfortunately.
 
Thanks for all your replies,
I am finding the TJ very difficult with the low notes which I didn't find as hard with a borrowed Yamaha & You have hit the nail on the head Phil, I am reluctant to lose the rental I have paid already but know that I will kick myself if I don't make sure I am entirely happy with it! Everyone is saying how good the bauhaus walsteins are and to buy one would be less than the balance on the TJ, so I have contacted Woowind & Brass and am off to Portsmouth for a try out!

Emma
 

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