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Signature Custom Tenor Saxophone
Review by London freelance saxophone player Mark Buckingham
First Impressions.
The instrument sent to me has a solid silver crook and body, bronze bow and bell. The instrument is supplied in a rugged Hiscox case.
Opening the case of this instrument is an experience in itself. The saxophone is flawless - not one fingerprint anywhere. The finish is exquisite, the solid silver patina is marvellous, the lacquered bow and bell is many-layered and with a wonderful colour, the lacquered keywork is faultless. Looking down the bell (as you do) there is the wonderful colour of natural bronze, lush. The saxophone had no marks, scratches, blobs of solder, not even dust. A fantastic experience, I keep washing my hands so as not to leave fingerprints all over it. An honour to hold it!
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The instrument is 'Made in England' (the only UK saxophone) and is meticulously designed and constructed at the Trevor James Lenham premises. Each Signature saxophone is built to your own
specifications, hence the quality and workmanship is unprecedented in the saxophone world. There is often a short waiting time for instruments however they will custom set-up for you and will adjust and alter keywork if you have particular requirements. Again absolutely unique in my experience!
I could devote many pages to describing the playing and sound of the saxophone and all its nuances, but I will endeavour to be fairly brief. Listening to the recordings I and others have done will really speak the words. |
Performance
I fitted my Bobby Dukoff 9* with a Rico Royal 2 (I'm expecting criticism of my soft reeds) and then spent all day playing it - I only put it down to eat and drink, and even then rushed my food to get back to it. As you may deduce from my soft reeds I demand flexibility from the instruments I perform and record with, so that I can create colour and tone adjustments within phrases very quickly. The Signature Custom response and quality of tone is otherworldly.
Playing pianissimo low Bb and fiddling around all the low notes at PPP and with subtone is always a good test for any saxophone and this instrument is faultless. But it is the tone that got me; most saxes, even top of the range, lose clarity and go sort of woofy, if you know what I mean, but the Signature
maintains an absolutely clear tone and ease to add colour to the tones that I've not experienced before.
Playing the whole range of the Signature at PPP is also an experience, no fluffy notes, no creaking or cracking/splitting of notes. It just does what it's told - again, the depth of tone at PPP and the options available to alter and develop colours and effects is outrageous. I then spent the day working the
Signature through the volume range at all pitches, playing long notes and at speed altering the tones and colours, growling, singing the same pitch as the note I was playing, then singing the 5 above etc. - what fun! Again, the Signature did exactly what it was told to do and just made it sound so clear
and concise and so easy to project. |
Projection on the Signature will inspire confidence, many players these days are not taught to project so when they want to be heard they just blow harder to turn the volume up. Because the tone of the Signature is so broad and focussed, there is an inbuilt projection, I don't know how the Signature does it, I just play it but I'm sure the staff at Trevor James could explain the science of acoustics and metals for you. But however they achieve it the instrument sings, which is what it is all about at the end of the day. I think players that have not had the years of projection training and want to be heard will be astounded with the presence of focus, sound and tone the Signature offers without having to force the volume up and stress everybody.
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When it comes to fff the Signature takes on beastly proportions, the power available is immense, and with no loss of tone quality. Playing medium volume phrases and then punching out a fff in the middle of it is such fun (simple pleasures). The saxophone is there waiting to respond and produce a glorious
sound. Enough of trying to describe sound in words. On the second day of receiving the
Signature I recorded Goodbye Porkpie Hat by Charlie Mingus. It can be heard on
www.gruntproductions.com This improvisation is one take - no edits, no cut-and-pasting of the audio.
When it comes to the action of the Signature it is faultless. Fast, responsive, positive, lightning quick. I did a short improvisation just to see how fast the Signature would go. Anything I tried, worked. This is also available to hear. I have recorded Lover Man and rerecorded Goodbye Porkpie Hat for the CD Solo Mark Buckingham, it also includes the improvisation to see how fast the Signature would play.
In the recordings I have endeavoured to show the complete sonic range that I am capable of creating with a saxophone and which the Signature allows me to achieve, which is far more than any other tenor I have played. I have no doubt that as I work more with the Signature new sound opportunities
will be revealed and recorded. What joy awaits?
A phenomenal saxophone, a work of art that sounds amazing.
Please listen to the results.
Mark Buckingham.
www.gruntproduction.com
Read Mark's review of the Alto Signature Custom |
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