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Unregistered
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Review Date: 1/23/2004
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Would you recommend the horn? Yes |
Price you paid?: Not Indicated
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Great resonance, but with slightly more focus than the Concept TT.
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Cons:
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Large bore will require a mouthpiece adjustment by many players.
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My primary horn is a Selmer Paris Concept TT. I found the TT at the DFW TrumpetFest in November of last year, where it was sitting right next to an 80J. I tried both, but was attracted strongly to the TT immediately.
Since buying the TT several people have asked me about the 80J and how the two horns differ. In response to these queries I decided to borrow an 80J from Brook Mays and take a closer look at the differences (and similarities).
First, you must understand that, in general I'm a large horn kind of guy. When my parents purchased my first pro horn for me I selected a King Super-20 Symphony which had a "dual-bore" with the final bore at .468". All my subsequent horns have had large bells (if not large bores), so you see that I lean toward free blowing horns.
Here are the main physical comparisons between the 80J and TT:
The TT has a 5" bell, while the 80J is 4 7/8th" (both one-piece, hand-hammered).
Both bells have fairly fast flares.
The 80J's bell is "silver-brass 703" and the TT's is unspecified.
They both have a bore just over .463".
The TT has no brace between the 2d-valve casing and the leadpipe.
The TT is 3" wide (outer edge of the bell to outer edge of the leadpipe) while the 80J is 2-3/4".
The TT weighs 140kg more than the 80J, mostly in the leadpipe (according to the hype).
Both have excellent balance.
The 80J's leadpipe has a fairly prominent taper that culminates in a traditional somewhat squared tuning slide, while the TT culminates in a rounded reverse tuning slide. (I can't see if the TT's leadpipe is tapered and I don't have the proper instrument to measure.)
Both horns have Selmer Paris' relatively heavy valve-block with a super sweet action.
Construction quality is impeccable on both horns, comparable to custom-built horns.
As you see, there are quite a few detail differences between these horns. They are close enough in tonal character and response that the differences only become readily apparent with A/B comparison. They both have a big, bold, warm tone. The 80J is slightly more focused and more "traditional" in tone. While the 80J should work well as a jazz horn and the TT should work well as a "legit" horn, if I had to characterize each I'd say that the 80J leans more toward legit and the TT leans more toward jazz and lead. Remember that I said these differences are not real big.
I think that a big difference is in the feel of the two horns. The 80J is considerably more resistant than the TT. It's not anywhere near as tight as a Xeno 8335 and ml horns of that ilk, but it feels much like you'd expect from a .463" horn. OTOH, the TT feels larger than .463" to me, blowing as freely as some much larger horns (in measure). The other big difference is the resonance of the TT is among the very best I've ever experienced. The player gets more feedback from the TT and hears the horn better. Perhaps that resonance perceived by the player comes at the expense of projection. Unfortunately I didn't have anyone to help me judge that by listening to me and vice versa. Sorry 'bout that. I do know that the TT projects well, having heard it compared to several other leading horns at the DFW Trumpetfest; however, I didn't do a direct comparison of the 80J and TT in this regard.
Bottom line, if you want the ultimate in resonance, then the TT is the way to go, IF you can manage a large feeling horn. However, if you need a slightly smaller feeling horn (the bell is smaller and the main tuning slide certainly impacts feel) then the 80J is probably the way to go. Wind ensemble and orchestra players may prefer the 80J (in fact there are a couple of other "Chorus" models with different leadpipes and be
lls that might be worth investigating. See www.selmer.fr for more details of those horns). These horns are definitely brothers, with a very similar tonal character, but they're different. I their relationship is similar to that of a B1 Schilke to a X3L Schilke, with the 90J being the B1 and the TT being the X3L.
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Unregistered
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Review Date: 4/9/2004
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Would you recommend the horn? Yes |
Price you paid?: $1,875.00
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Great sound - ease of bending of notes - quick vAlves
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Cons:
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Had to adjust mouthpiece to compensate for bore size
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Great Horn! Responds quickly and has a warm, beautiful sound. The valves are typically Selmer quality. Very easy to bend notes and a joy to play. I played a medium bore before this and it took me a little bit to get used to it. Adjusted my mpc set-up to a tighter backbore. Highly recommend.
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Unregistered
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Review Date: 2/10/2005
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Would you recommend the horn? Yes |
Price you paid?: $2,350.00
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Great jazz sound. Very smooth and warm.
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Cons:
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You need to find the right mouthpiece for it.
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I would say that the Selmer 80J is one of the best or maybe the best small group jazz horn on the market. It does have a little larger blow than most ML horns, but not to big. The valves are fast and smooth. The sound is dark and very solid. I think that's what I like about this horn . It has very solid slots throughout the full range of the trumpet even at pp. All of the notes feel close together,and it's very easy to bend or adjust the sound.
I don't know if this horn would be a great lead trumpet. But I think it could handle the second book. If your looking for a small group jazz horn or maybe jazz/legit you should try this horn.
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ackman13
Junior Member
Registered: October 2005
Location: Atlanta, GA
Posts: 9
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Review Date: 10/30/2005
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Would you recommend the horn? Yes |
Price you paid?: $1,400.00
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Wonderful sound and control, quick valves
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Cons:
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Has an open blow that takes a little while to get used to
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I bought mine used and felt it was a terrific buy. Though, this is not my primary horn I find myself mesmerized by this horns potential. I can bend notes and color my sound easier on this horn then any horn I have ever played. When I have a sound in my head the horn allows me to get that sound. Quite frankly, this really shocked me at first since I am not used to being able to do this. The horns blow was a little free at first until I got used to it. You need to consider this horn when you are looking for a new horn.
This is an update to my original post. I still love the 80J. It is a great jazz horn. My sound and my ability to color my sound with this horn is unsurpassed by any of my other horns. I don't find that it is suitable for classical playing. It lacks the crispness and the sound for more legit playing but it is a great jazz horn.
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Unregistered
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Review Date: 12/20/2005
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Would you recommend the horn? Yes |
Price you paid?: $2,400.00
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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excellent resonance, intonation, slotting, and control
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Cons:
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none
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I recently purchased a new Selmer 80J in silver. I also currently own a Bach Strad and a Yamaha Xeno RGS. The Selmer 80J is far superior to either the Bach or the Yamaha in all respects. What stands out most with the Selmer is the resonance, warmth, and color of the sound, which can easily be controlled and altered. The result is that it is possible to project much more emotion and feeling in the sound, and this can be done with the 80J more than any other horn I have played. In addition, the slotting and intonation of the horn are excellent and the valves are extremely fast. I can't say enough about this horn, and it is well worth the price.
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Unregistered
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Review Date: 6/6/2006
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Would you recommend the horn? Yes |
Price you paid?: $1,800.00
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Plays like a dream, great sound, amazing response
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Cons:
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Upper-register slots take awhile to get used to
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I purchased a Selmer 80J with matte finish back in January, and I have never looked back! When I first played the horn, I immediately noticed an improvement in response over my old axe (a Bach 37). The sound was also much smoother and had a darker edge to it. The tapered leadpipe gives the horn a wonderful blow, and the valves are extremely smooth. The one problem I had was getting used to the slotting in the upper register. The high F (three lines and a space above the staff) took me an especially long time to get used to. Other than this, I have no complaints with this wonderful trumpet.
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Unregistered
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Review Date: 6/13/2006
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Would you recommend the horn? Yes |
Price you paid?: Not Indicated
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Big, Warm, Dark sound, Great Valves, Open Feel
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Cons:
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Open Feel takes time to get used to
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I recently bought this unique restored Selmer 80J with a 703 bell. Its been refinished in a heavy matte laquer by taylor trumpets (england) which gives it a very warm and centred tone in the middle register, becoming brighter in the higher register. On first playing I found it to feel much more open than my old ML Yamaha and other ML Bore instruments in the shop (eg Bach Strad 43s), I was amazed at how easy to blow it was and how it could be played with such a nice tone. I think this may be a combination of the large bore and wide bell flare. It is wearing me out quickly playing a large bore instrument, however it could be I am not realising how much more I am playing! I cannot recommend this Trumpet more, the valves and slides are faultless, the tone is unique and the response is 2nd to none, great jazz horn!
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Unregistered
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Review Date: 6/13/2006
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Would you recommend the horn? Yes |
Price you paid?: Not Indicated
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Big, Warm, Dark sound, Great Valves, Open Feel
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Cons:
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Open Feel takes time to get used to
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I recently bought this unique restored Selmer 80J with a 703 bell. Its been refinished in a heavy matte laquer by taylor trumpets (england) which gives it a very warm and centred tone in the middle register, becoming brighter in the higher register. On first playing I found it to feel much more open than my old ML Yamaha and other ML Bore instruments in the shop (eg Bach Strad 43s), I was amazed at how easy to blow it was and how it could be played with such a nice tone. I think this may be a combination of the large bore and wide bell flare. It is wearing me out quickly playing a large bore instrument, however it could be I am not realising how much more I am playing! I cannot recommend this Trumpet more, the valves and slides are faultless, the tone is unique and the response is 2nd to none, great jazz horn!
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Unregistered
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Review Date: 6/13/2006
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Would you recommend the horn? Yes |
Price you paid?: Not Indicated
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Big, warm, dark resonance, great valves, open feel
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Cons:
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Open feel takes time to get used to
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I recently bought this unique restored Selmer 80J with a 703 bell. Its been refinished in a heavy matte laquer by taylor trumpets (england) which gives it a very warm and centred tone in the middle register, becoming brighter in the higher register. On first playing I found it to feel much more open than my old ML Yamaha and other ML Bore instruments in the shop (eg Bach Strad 43s), I was amazed at how easy to blow it was and how it could be played with such a nice tone. I think this may be a combination of the large bore and wide bell flare. It is wearing me out quickly playing a large bore instrument, however it could be I am not realising how much more I am playing! I cannot recommend this Trumpet more, the valves and slides are faultless, the tone is unique and the response is 2nd to none, great jazz horn!
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Unregistered
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Review Date: 6/13/2006
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Would you recommend the horn? Yes |
Price you paid?: $975.00
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Big, warm, dark resonance, great valves, open feel
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Cons:
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Open feel takes time to get used to
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I recently bought this unique restored Selmer 80J with a 703 bell. Its been refinished in a heavy matte laquer by taylor trumpets (england) which gives it a very warm and centred tone in the middle register, becoming brighter in the higher register. On first playing I found it to feel much more open than my old ML Yamaha and other ML Bore instruments in the shop (eg Bach Strad 43s), I was amazed at how easy to blow it was and how it could be played with such a nice tone. I think this may be a combination of the large bore and wide bell flare. It is wearing me out quickly playing a large bore instrument, however it could be I am not realising how much more I am playing! I cannot recommend this Trumpet more, the valves and slides are faultless, the tone is unique and the response is 2nd to none, great jazz horn!
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Unregistered
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Review Date: 6/13/2006
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Would you recommend the horn? Yes |
Price you paid?: $975.00
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Big, warm, dark resonance, great valves, open feel
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Cons:
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Open feel takes time to get used to
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I recently bought this unique restored Selmer 80J with a 703 bell. Its been refinished in a heavy matte laquer by taylor trumpets (england) which gives it a very warm and centred tone in the middle register, becoming brighter in the higher register. On first playing I found it to feel much more open than my old ML Yamaha and other ML Bore instruments in the shop (eg Bach Strad 43s), I was amazed at how easy to blow it was and how it could be played with such a nice tone. I think this may be a combination of the large bore and wide bell flare. It is wearing me out quickly playing a large bore instrument, however it could be I am not realising how much more I am playing! I cannot recommend this Trumpet more, the valves and slides are faultless, the tone is unique and the response is 2nd to none, great jazz horn!
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Unregistered
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Review Date: 6/13/2006
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Would you recommend the horn? Yes |
Price you paid?: $975.00
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Big, warm, dark resonance, great valves, open feel
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Cons:
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Open feel takes time to get used to
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I recently bought this unique restored Selmer 80J with a 703 bell. Its been refinished in a heavy matte laquer by taylor trumpets (england) which gives it a very warm and centred tone in the middle register, becoming brighter in the higher register. On first playing I found it to feel much more open than my old ML Yamaha and other ML Bore instruments in the shop (eg Bach Strad 43s), I was amazed at how easy to blow it was and how it could be played with such a nice tone. I think this may be a combination of the large bore and wide bell flare. It is wearing me out quickly playing a large bore instrument, however it could be I am not realising how much more I am playing! I cannot recommend this Trumpet more, the valves and slides are faultless, the tone is unique and the response is 2nd to none, great jazz horn!
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Unregistered
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Review Date: 6/13/2006
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Would you recommend the horn? Yes |
Price you paid?: $975.00
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Big, warm, dark resonance, great valves, open feel
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Cons:
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Open feel takes time to get used to
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I recently bought this unique restored Selmer 80J with a 703 bell. Its been refinished in a heavy matte laquer by taylor trumpets (england) which gives it a very warm and centred tone in the middle register, becoming brighter in the higher register. On first playing I found it to feel much more open than my old ML Yamaha and other ML Bore instruments in the shop (eg Bach Strad 43s), I was amazed at how easy to blow it was and how it could be played with such a nice tone. I think this may be a combination of the large bore and wide bell flare. It is wearing me out quickly playing a large bore instrument, however it could be I am not realising how much more I am playing! I cannot recommend this Trumpet more, the valves and slides are faultless, the tone is unique and the response is 2nd to none, great jazz horn!
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Unregistered
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Review Date: 6/4/2007
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Would you recommend the horn? Yes |
Price you paid?: $2,000.00
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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Fabulous bendability of sound
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Cons:
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Slots less obviously than Strad
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I have a TT and a Custom LB Strad. They are both fabulous horns but the strad suits me at the moment because I need my horn to help me by slotting. This makes it less flexible and 'bendy' in those emotive jazz solos. The TT has great charisma, flexibility and I love to play it, but you should buy a TT when you have worn out your strad because then you will be able to get the best froom the TT.
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Unregistered
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Review Date: 1/8/2008
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Would you recommend the horn? No |
Price you paid?: $1,800.00
| Rating: 1
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Pros:
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Gorgeous horn. Excellent valves. Rich sound.
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Cons:
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Will not securely slot F above high C
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Yes, the horn is gorgeous. Yes, the valves are excellent. Yes, the sound is rich. The problem is that the horn will not securely slot on the F above high C. So, if you need that note to be solid (and I do) you are in trouble with this horn. One of the reviewers above reported this same problem. Other reviewers stated that slotting in the upper register takes some getting used to with this horn. Why would you want to bother struggling with slotting on this horn when so many other horns are available that produce an equally rich sound but slot easily? It is so difficult to slot the F above high C that, for all intents and purposes, this horn is missing that note in its scale. I own a collection of 37 Bb trumpets. This is the only one that won't securely slot the F above high C. I thought that maybe this was a gap problem so I tried my Reeves mounthpiece with all 7 sleeves and the horn still would not securely slot the F above high C with any of them. What good is a horn that is missing an essential note? My 1956 Selmer Paris Balanced Action Model 24A kicks the Chorus 80J big time in terms of flexibility, response and ease of playing, and it solidly slots the F above high C. I had such high hopes for the 80J, especially after I heard Terell Stafford play his. I am profoundly disappointed in the horn and cannot recommend it.
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brechelt
Junior Member
Registered: August 2008
Location: Las Vegas, NV
Posts: 1
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Review Date: 8/21/2008
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Would you recommend the horn? Yes |
Price you paid?: $1,500.00
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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Very Free Blowing!!!
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Cons:
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I played a Conn Vintage One before this horn and I can't tell you how wonderful the Selmer 80J is. It is so freeblowing and smooth. The Matte finish goes pretty quickly, but the sound stays the same and it is wonderful.
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Mindlink
Junior Member
Registered: March 2009
Location: Oslo
Posts: 1
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Review Date: 5/20/2009
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Would you recommend the horn? Yes |
Price you paid?: $885.00
| Rating: 8
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Pros:
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Sound, valves, look
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Cons:
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Takes a lot of air
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Beautiful horn with a smooth dark sound. Very good intonation, and valves are crazy good. I bought mine used (built in 1996), and it still works like a new horn. Fantastic trumpet!
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