Today, I am reviewing the GetASax GS Freddie Gregory Super Deluxe MARK II Copy tenor saxophone mouthpieces in a 7, 7* and 8 tip opening. These GetASax Mark II tenor sax mouthpieces are replicas of great playing, original facing, Freddie Gregory MARK II tenor saxophone mouthpieces. These cool white mouthpieces are made by Brian Curry at GetASax.com. I have already reviewed the GetASax GS RESO tenor sax mouthpiece as well as the GS FG RESO and the GS SLANT tenor sax mouthpieces which were copies of vintage Otto Link Reso Chamber and Slant Signature tenor saxophone mouthpieces. I have been looking forward to reviewing these GetASax GS Freddie Gregory MARK II Copy tenor saxophone mouthpieces as well because I have played some great Freddie Gregory mouthpieces in the past and know how special they can be.

Get·A·Sax GS Freddie Gregory Super Deluxe MARK II Copy Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

Freddie Gregory was a great mouthpiece refacer and creator who died on October 12th, 2014. I have played a number of his fabulous mouthpieces over the years including three hard rubber Mark II tenor sax mouthpieces, one hard rubber Mark IV tenor sax mouthpiece and a metal Mark II and Mark IV tenor sax mouthpiece. I have also owned 3 or 4 mouthpieces over the years that were refaced by Freddie Gregory. These were all great playing mouthpieces (one hard rubber Freddie Gregory 8* Mark II tenor mouthpiece I still regret selling even all these years later)! Freddie Gregory’s mouthpieces were like immaculate works of art that were perfect in every way down to the last detail and played heavenly as well.

The GetASax GS MARK II tenor saxophone mouthpieces are very precise copies of Brian at GetASax’s personal Freddie Gregory Mark II 7, 7* and 8 tip opening tenor saxophone mouthpieces. Brian is the owner of GetASax and has over 750 saxophone mouthpieces in his collection, so when he says that these mouthpieces are replicas of some of his favorite Freddie Gregory tenor saxophone mouthpieces, we should pay attention.

I have seen original Freddie Gregory tenor saxophone mouthpieces sell from anywhere from 1000-3000+ dollars over the last 10 years but these new reproductions from GetASax are only $199 which is a great deal for a copy of a world class Freddie Gregory Super Deluxe Mark II tenor saxophone mouthpiece!

Get·A·Sax GS Freddie Gregory Super Deluxe MARK II Copy Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

Here is how Brian at GetASax describes the GetASax GS Freddie Gregory MARK II tenor saxophone mouthpiece on his website at GetaSax.com:

The GS Mark II tenor saxophone mouthpiece is an extremely precise copy of my favorite Freddie Gregory Super Deluxe Mark II tenor saxophone mouthpiece.

What is this?

Many players may not know much about Freddie Gregory’s Super Deluxe mouthpieces. That’s not a big surprise, as Freddie did not make that many of them, and the ones he did make are mostly still in the hands of their original owners. The few that have come up for sale over the last 5 years that I’ve seen have been priced way out of the reach of most players– typically $2400-$4000– for a mouthpiece! Which is nuts, but those who know these mouthpieces REALLY seem to be willing to pay to get one. And sadly, since Freddie died eight years ago, no more of these are available. (Till now.)

Freddie Gregory was known both for refacing and for making his own mouthpieces. The original Super Deluxe Mark II tenor sax mouthpiece is not a refaced mouthpiece made by someone else , the way my favorite Reso Chamber tenor mouthpiece is. The Super Deluxe model was entirely designed and made by Freddie Gregory.

It was sold in four variations on the same design: Mark I, Mark II, Mark III, and Mark IV. They all have a good amount of projection, but the Mark I is darkest and the Mark IV is brightest. We may copy my favorite Mark IV someday as well, but I wanted to start with the Mark II because it’s bright and projecting but not too bright, and it seems to be one of the most popular ones of these.

Bob Mintzer played a Mark II model for a long time, and may still from time to time. I know he has a lot of Freddie’s pieces. Jeff Coffin plays a Mark IV, which sounds a whole lot like the Mark II that we copied for this project (Jeff was kind enough to make several audio comparison samples of the GS Mark II and his Freddie Mark IV, and they are definitely more similar than different.) Steve Neff has some original Mark II sound clips on his website here. We will do some videos as soon as Tyler is finished with the GS New York alto videos he’s working on.

OK so that should be fairly clear now: The GS Mark II is an extremely precise copy of my favorite Freddie Gregory Super Deluxe Mark II, which is a different design from anything that Otto Link or Berg Larsen or Dukoff made etc. Along with the Mark IV model mouthpiece, it’s his most popular design for sure.

How does it play?

Describing the tone is hard, because people probably haven’t played one of these. They’re also not that similar to other common mouthpieces like Meyer, Dukoff, or Berg Larsen. It’s different from any model of Otto Link, and is not a redesigned Link chamber at all. The baffle curves from nearly flat at the tip rail, into the chamber in a smooth curve, and the throat opens out into a medium-large chamber. Chamber volume is similar to a metal Otto Link, so it tunes great on basically any saxophone. The shank is long enough that you can pull out on a Conn 10M or something that wants a large mouthpiece volume, and it works well. The side walls start out nearly straight and are more scooped as it moves into the chamber. The magic in these pieces is in the baffle, and we spent a long time getting that just right.

Tonally, my best attempt at a verbal description would be to say that this has a more projecting tone than a GS Slant or a vintage Otto Link, but it kind of opens out and gets wider and more robust as you push it. Some mouthpieces get more shrill the more air you put into them. The GS Mark II gets more lush and almost ‘operatic’ as you push it. It’s really fun to play. If you want something different from a Link style tenor mouthpiece, and you want a piece that is brighter but not too bright, and that has plenty of power and projection when pushed without getting thin and shrill, that’s what the GS Mark II really does well.

Facing Information:

Freddie Gregory’s facing curves are usually about .001″ more open than the equivalent Otto Link, so we are reproducing his curves on the GS Mark II. The original that we copied was a 7 measuring .101″ and I also have a 7* and 8 that we used for the .106″ 7* and the .111″ 8 tip. As an interesting side note, most Freddie 8’s are actually stamped 7**, but I think that’s probably because he had them stamped 7* and then would just add another star for an 8. I’ve seen that enough times now to think it’s definitely intentional. They always seem to measure .111-.112″ for me, and we settled on .111″ as it’s closer to what people are used to in an 8.

A word on price: People are *constantly* telling me that I should raise the prices of the GS Mouthpieces. However, they are intended to be a service to the saxophone community, so that as many players as possible can get a great mouthpiece that is entirely faced by hand and that plays as well as a much more expensive original. The GS Mark II tenor mouthpiece would probably sell almost as well at double the price, but we will be keeping the price $199 as long as possible, because that’s the whole point of the project.-Brian Curry

Get·A·Sax GS Freddie Gregory Super Deluxe MARK II Copy Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

The Get·A·Sax GS Freddie Gregory MARK II tenor saxophone mouthpiece is made of white biocompatible dental resin. Here is what Brian at GetASax writes about the material:

“GS Mouthpieces are made of a premium biocompatible dental resin, and printed at an especially high resolution. You don’t see messy print lines everywhere, because the print is so high quality! This dental resin is designed to be in your mouth, so it’s ideal for a mouthpiece.

The density and the hardness are almost identical to vintage hard rubber! So GS Mouthpieces vibrate like hard rubber and feel familiar and comfortable to play. The resin is also extremely durable. I have dropped the prototypes on hardwood again and again, and they just bounce and are fine. They even survive being dropped onto concrete (for a while)! So if you’re hard on equipment, this mouthpiece should be able to take quite a beating and hold up well over time.”-Brian Curry

Get·A·Sax GS Freddie Gregory Super Deluxe MARK II Copy Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

I received three GetASax GS MARK II tenor saxophone mouthpieces in a 7, 7* and 8 tip opening. The facing curve of the GS MARK II tenor saxophone mouthpieces are a copy of the original Freddie Gregory facing curve on the Freddie Gregory Mark II tenor saxophone mouthpieces that Brian owns. Each facing curve of the GS MARK II mouthpieces is measured at ten points to make sure that each mouthpiece produced is an accurate reproduction of the original Freddie Gregory facing curve.

The GetASax GS MARK II tenor saxophone mouthpieces look great to the eye. The tips, rails and tables look even, flat and well crafted. The tip rails and side rails are nice and thin, and the tip rails shape perfectly matches the shape of the Roberto’s Winds tenor saxophone reeds I used on these three mouthpieces for the sound clips below.

Get·A·Sax GS Freddie Gregory Super Deluxe MARK II Copy Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

The baffles of the GetASax MARK II tenor saxophone mouthpieces are what I would consider to be medium rollover baffles. The baffles start at a medium high height and look to be about an inch long before they roll over and descends down at a greater angle into the large chambers. The floor of the baffles during the decent has a slight side to side curve to it.

Going from my memory, I believe the GetASax MARK II tenor saxophone mouthpiece has a higher rollover baffle than the GS RESO and GS SLANT tenor sax mouthpieces I reviewed last year.

The baffle of the GS MARK II travels at an angle down through the chamber of the mouthpiece where it terminates at the beginning of the bore at the end of the chamber. The opening to the mouthpiece chamber looks to be a large sized chamber that is similar in size to other typical hard rubber Otto Link sized chambers I have seen. The roof of the mouthpiece chamber under the table is what I would describe as thin.

The sidewalls are slightly scooped out from where they start near the tip all the way to the chamber where they expand out to round out the mouthpiece chamber. I typically like scooped out sidewalls because they seem to go hand in hand with a fatter more round tenor saxophone tone in my opinion.

All three GetaSax MARK II tenor saxophone mouthpieces had a thick, fat, round tone with both character and focus. There are some differences in tone between the mouthpieces as you will hear in the three sets of recordings.

Get·A·Sax GS Mark II 7* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece next to a vintage Otto Link Slant Signature Mouthpiece

The diameter and beak profile of the GetASax GS MARK II tenor sax mouthpiece feels the same as the diameter and beak profile of a typical hard rubber Otto Link tenor saxophone mouthpiece. All of my ligatures that fit comfortably on hard rubber Otto Link tenor saxophone mouthpieces fit on the GS MARK II tenor sax mouthpiece perfectly.

The weight and consistency of the dental resin feels more substantial than the weight of other materials like Delrin mouthpieces and SYOS mouthpieces I have reviewed in the past. As I hold the GS MARK II tenor sax mouthpiece in my hand, the weight feels similar to a hard rubber saxophone mouthpiece. You can see a side by side comparison photo of the GS MARK II and the Freddie Gregory Super Deluxe Mark II tenor saxophone mouthpiece that it was copied from in the photo below.

Get·A·Sax GS Mark II Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece next to a Freddie Gregory Super Deluxe Mark II Tenor Sax Mouthpiece

I found that the facing curve of the GetASax GS MARK II tenor saxophone mouthpieces seemed to prefer a reed with a 3 Soft, 3 Medium or 3 Hard strength when using the Roberto’s Winds tenor saxophone reeds. I chose the Roberto’s Winds reeds for this review because the Rigotti Gold reeds seemed to brighten up the tone and my BSS (Boston Sax Shop) reeds seemed to darken the tone. The Roberto’s Winds reeds seemed to have more of a neutral tone between bright and dark which I think was best for this review.

The one defining memory I have of the Freddie Gregory hard rubber Mark II tenor saxophone mouthpieces I have played throughout the years, is how smooth and buttery they seemed to play. The full range of the saxophone was very even and uniform in tone from note to note. The GetASax Mark II mouthpieces did indeed remind me of those Mark II Freddie Gregory tenor sax mouthpieces because of how smooth and even the notes were throughout the range of the saxophone.

Get·A·Sax GS Mark II 7* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece next to a vintage Otto Link Slant Signature Mouthpiece

I am glad that Brian Curry sent me three GetASax GS MARK II tenor saxophone mouthpieces to review as I was unsure of which tip opening I would prefer.

The 8 tip opening GS MARK II seemed to be the darkest in my opinion and had a bigger more spread tone to it although still with plenty of focus. The 7 tip opening GS MARK II was brighter and much more focused in tone when compared to the 8 tip opening. The 7* tip opening GS MARK II mouthpiece sat in-between the 7 and 8 tonally as far as sitting between the darker tone of the 8 and the brighter tone of the 7. It also sat in-between the 8 and 7 tip opening mouthpieces as far as focus and spread were concerned.

Get·A·Sax GS Freddie Gregory Super Deluxe Mark II Copy Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

All three GetaSax MARK II tenor saxophone mouthpieces had a thick, fat, round tone with both character and focus. There are some differences in tone between the mouthpieces due to the different tip openings as you will hear in the three sets of recordings. You can judge for yourself what you hear as differences when you listen to those sound clips.

The low notes on all three GS MARK II saxophone mouthpieces were fat, thick and robust while having a nice tight core quality to the tone. I felt like the 8 tip opening had the fattest and biggest low notes with a bit more spread to the tone. All three mouthpieces sub-tones beautifully and had a nice rich, fat and feathery sub-tone down low.

The intonation on all three GetASax MARK II tenor saxophone mouthpieces was very good and all three mouthpieces were a great match for my Selmer Super Balanced Action tenor saxophone (from the 50’s).

The evenness and smoothness of notes throughout the range of the saxophone was nice when playing fast lines. The character and warm tone seemed to blend well as I played faster lines throughout the low, mid and high range of the saxophone. I think you can hear this smoothness in the fast technical lines I play on the sound clips below. It is this same “buttery” smoothness that I always loved about the original Freddie Gregory Mark II tenor sax mouthpieces I have played in the past.

The altissimo register of the saxophone was easy to produce on the GetASax GS MARK II tenor saxophone mouthpiece and the notes were easy to control and manipulate. I have added a short clip with reverb added of each of the altissimo lines for each tip opening just so you can hear how those more modern and bluesy lines might sound with reverb added for each tip opening.

The three GetaSax MARK II mouthpieces had a good amount of power when pushed. I would say the volume was about an 8 to 8.5 when pushed on my 1-10 volume scale. I think that all three mouthpieces were similar in volume and power. I seemed to get the most air through the 8 tip opening to produce more volume but this was hard to judge because the 8 tip opening seemed less bright to my ears than the 7* and 7 did when I pushed the air through them.

Get·A·Sax GS Freddie Gregory Super Deluxe Mark II Copy Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

In my opinion, the GetASax GS Freddie Gregory Super Deluxe MARK II tenor saxophone mouthpiece is a great tenor saxophone mouthpiece for those of you looking for a great playing tenor sax mouthpiece with a rich and robust tenor tone that sits more in the middle of the dark to bright tone spectrum of the tenor saxophone. The GS MARK II tenor sax mouthpieces can get a nice brightness and power when pushed but can also get a great jazz tone (think Bob Mintzer type of tenor sax tone) that would be incredible for straight ahead jazz playing in my opinion. It’s lush full textured tone is also incredible for ballads as I try to demonstrate a bit in the sound clips below.

Although I do try to show what it can do with louder blues and altissimo lines, I am not sure how successful the GS MARK II mouthpiece would be at cutting through in really loud rock and pop settings. I am referring to really loud rock, pop and funk gigs. The truth is, that I have had three Freddie Gregory Mark II tenor mouthpieces that played phenomenally and ended up selling all three because I couldn’t use them on the super loud dance sets. It wasn’t an issue of volume or power, but that they didn’t have enough brightness and focus in the tone to cut through the mix for me on those gigs. The truth be told, if you do these kind of gigs, the only way to test a mouthpiece like this is to try it on a gig and see how it does.

That being said, like I have stated in other reviews, Bob Reynolds plays a hard rubber 9 Otto Link tenor sax mouthpiece while touring with John Mayer and playing with Snarky Puppy and Bob Mintzer played a Freddie Gregory MARK II for many years in a variety of musical settings, so maybe for the right player this mouthpiece could work in that setting as well. You never know until you get it on the “live” gig.

Get·A·Sax GS Freddie Gregory Super Deluxe Mark II Copy Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

If you are interested in the GetASax GS MARK II tenor saxophone mouthpiece you can purchase one from Brian at GetaSax.com for a very reasonable price in my opinion (199 US at the time of this review). Listen to the sound clips below and see what tip opening you prefer.

Brian has said he has about 750 saxophone mouthpieces in his collection and that he would put 20 of those mouthpieces in his “holy grail” category. He is hoping to release reproductions of many of these “holy grail” saxophone mouthpieces in the near future which I am very excited to review! Thanks again to Brian Curry for sending me these great mouthpieces to review.

If you try a Get·A·Sax GS MARK II tenor saxophone mouthpiece or have any thoughts, comments or questions on this review, I would love to hear what you think in the comments below. Thanks, Steve

Get·A·Sax GS Freddie Gregory Super Deluxe Mark II Copy Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece-7 Tip Opening

Get·A·Sax GS Freddie Gregory Super Deluxe Mark II Copy Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece-7 Tip Opening-Roberto’s Winds 3 Soft Reed-No Effects Added

Get·A·Sax GS Freddie Gregory Super Deluxe Mark II Copy Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece-7 Tip Opening-Roberto’s Winds 3 Soft Reed-Reverb Added

**Get·A·Sax GS Freddie Gregory Super Deluxe Mark II Copy Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece-7* Tip Opening**

Get·A·Sax GS Freddie Gregory Super Deluxe Mark II Copy Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece-7* Tip Opening-Roberto’s Winds 3 Soft Reed-No Effects Added

Get·A·Sax GS Freddie Gregory Super Deluxe Mark II Copy Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece-7* Tip Opening-Roberto’s Winds 3 Soft Reed-Reverb Added

Get·A·Sax GS Freddie Gregory Super Deluxe Mark II Copy Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece-8 Tip Opening

Get·A·Sax GS Freddie Gregory Super Deluxe Mark II Copy Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece-8 Tip Opening-Roberto’s Winds 3 Soft Reed-No Effects Added

Get·A·Sax GS Freddie Gregory Super Deluxe Mark II Copy Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece-8 Tip Opening-Roberto’s Winds 3 Soft Reed-Reverb Added

Disclosure: I received the sample mouthpieces reviewed above for free in the hope that I would try them and perhaps review them on my blog. Regardless, I only review mouthpieces that I enjoy playing and believe will be good for other saxophone players to try also. Steve

Today, I am reviewing another tenor saxophone mouthpiece from SYOS mouthpieces in France. This is the SYOS Max Ionata signature model 7* tenor saxophone mouthpiece I will be reviewing today. The SYOS company hit the saxophone mouthpiece scene a few years ago and immediately caught the world’s attention by producing these really bright colored 3D printed saxophone mouthpieces. I must admit, that at first, I was very skeptical of plastic 3D mouthpieces, but after reviewing quite a few SYOS mouthpiece (18 SYOS mouthpiece reviews to date) over the years (SYOS Mouthpiece Reviews), I have come to respect the SYOS business model and the quality and playability of the SYOS saxophone mouthpieces I have played.

Max Ionata on his SYOS Max Ionata Signature Tenor Sax Mouthpiece (photo by Paolo Iammarrone)

This Max Ionata signature model tenor saxophone mouthpiece I am reviewing today is forest green and is a 7* tip opening. Although, I requested the 7* tip and forest green color for this mouthpiece review, the SYOS Max Ionata model mouthpiece can come in any of nine tip openings from 5-9 and in a variety of ten attention getting colors.

If you are a saxophone player, and you don’t know about Max Ionata, you are in for a real treat. Max Ionata is a swingin’ tenor saxophone player who lives in Italy and is one of my favorite jazz saxophone players. I have transcribed a number of his solos over the years that you can check out here: Max Ionata Transcriptions. Max has an amazing tenor saxophone sound but also an amazingly tasteful gift for jazz improvisation. In this age of whomever plays the fastest wins, Max Ionata seems to focus more on the elements of feel, swing, melody and the connection of his lines and vocabulary. He combines the best of the foundational language of jazz improvisation from the past masters with his own individual laid back feel while also mixing in some incredible cool and modern improvisational concepts.

Don’t get me wrong, Max Ionata does indeed lay it out and smoke at times but he does it in such a casual, laid back and relaxed manner, that many times you don’t realize how incredibly technical and difficult what he is playing is. Max Ionata is a tru modern day jazz pioneer and one of my favorite tenor sax players. You can also find out more about Max Ionata and his fabulous recordings at his website. Check it out!

SYOS Max Ionata Signature Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

Before we get to the playing of the SYOS Max Ionata tenor sax mouthpiece, let me give you a few tidbits of info from the SYOS website on these SYOS saxophone mouthpieces.

First of all, you have three choices when you visit the SYOS website and order a sax mouthpiece. You can order a “SYOS Signature Mouthpiece” which is basically what the mouthpiece that the player whose name is on the mouthpiece plays.

If, however, you want to be unique and are on a quest to find your own unique sound, you might want to pick the second choice of ordering a custom mouthpiece from SYOS which I have to say looks like a pretty cool process. Here’s what you do on the SYOS website:

First, you choose what saxophone you play. Soprano, Alto, Tenor or Bari Sax
Second, you choose whether you are a beginner, intermediate or professional sax player
Third, you choose what type of music you play (you can pick more than one category)
Fourth, this is the coolest part, you choose your sound preferences. There is a slider for tone that goes from very dark to very bright. You can choose where in that tone spectrum you feel you would like to be. There is also a slider to choose how powerful you want to be. The slider goes from soft to powerful. Now here’s the coolest part because as you are reading this you might be confused about how you might choose what you want or you might be confused about what your preferences are. SYOS gives you a bunch of examples with sound clips! How cool is that? The following list of player are listed and rated for tone and power. Ben Webster, Chris Potter, Coleman Hawkins, Dexter Gordon, Joe Henderson, Michael Brecker, Sonny Rollins, Stan Getz and Wayne Shorter. (Can I just point out at this point, how awesome Chris Potter must feel about being included in this list!)
You click “Submit” and wait by your mailbox for your custom mouthpiece that will answer all your dreams to be delivered.

A third option, is that you can order a SYOS Originals saxophone mouthpiece. They make three mouthpieces for each saxophone (soprano, alto and tenor saxophone) called Smoky (darker and warmer), Steady (medium) and Spark (brighter and louder). I have reviewed all of these SYOS Originals saxophone mouthpieces in the past and they were excellent.

SYOS Max Ionata Signature Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

Here is a few comments about the material SYOS mouthpieces are made from in case you are curious:

We use ABS plastic to craft our mouthpieces: this material allows us to get the highest degree of precision, with an improved resistance and durability. And you can get that in 18 colors to build a perfect style on stage!

The plastic we use to make Syos mouthpieces has been certified non-toxic in laboratory (EN 71 and CE 1907/2006 standards). In fact, the same kind of plastic is used to make toys for children, which can be put in mouth without any risks. At the opposite, with the “ebonite” plastic, some sulfuric acid releases are observed when the mouthpiece is old, which gives it a yellow-green color.

And finally, here is a quote about the manufacturing process and how the minute details affect your tone which I found interesting:

For wind instruments, it’s the internal geometry of the bore that gives all the acoustic properties. We work at 1/100th millimeter to adjust the shape and the length of the baffle, the chamber section and size, the tip opening, the facing length… We study and compute the effect of all these parameters on the sound, to predict the timbre of each combination of them.

SYOS Max Ionata Signature Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

Ok, so let’s get to the Max Ionata tenor sax mouthpiece I received. The mouthpiece came in the usual SYOS drawstring bag and was well protected in the package it came in. SYOS did not send a slide on ligature with the mouthpiece because they are probably aware that I am not a big fan of slide on ligatures by this point. (I’ve mentioned it in almost every SYOS review…….)

The Max Ionata tenor saxophone mouthpiece felt really light as you would expect a plastic mouthpiece to feel. The table had a little bit of texture to it that I could feel with my fingers and you can see in the photos. Whatever process they use to make these sax mouthpieces does leave some texture marks on the mouthpiece. You can see fine lines going across the table and fine lines going down the baffle as if the machine that cut the mouthpieces left these lines on the plastic. This texture does not effect the sealing of the reed to the mouthpiece on all the SYOS mouthpieces I have reviewed though so I personally wouldn’t worry about it.

SYOS Max Ionata Signature Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

The SYOS Max Ionata tenor saxophone mouthpiece looks well made. The table, rails and tip rail look pretty even to the eye. The curve of the tip rail matches pretty closely with the curve of my tenor saxophone reeds. The outside corners of the tip rail do extend a tiny bit further than the width of the reed but it is nothing to be concerned with as the reed passes the suction test perfectly.

The baffle is what I would consider a medium high baffle that is about 5/8ths of an inch long. At that point, it meets an edge and then the baffle continues at a greater angle down towards the rear of the mouthpiece chamber. That baffle slope, through the chamber, has a slight curve to it from side to side and the baffle floor narrows as it descends towards the baffles termination at the rear of the chamber.

SYOS Max Ionata Signature Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

I would describe the mouthpiece chamber as a medium small or even small chamber. From the bore end of the mouthpiece, the chamber looks smaller than a typical Otto Link sized chamber. When you look from the front of the mouthpiece, it is pretty easy to see how the baffle cuts through the chamber floor to make the chamber even smaller. The mouthpiece chamber is definitely smaller in diameter than the bore of the mouthpiece.

The sidewalls are scooped out nicely from the tip heading towards the chamber area. The sidewalls look to angle in slightly as they connect to the smaller chamber on the sides.

There is a nicely engraved S (SYOS) on the top of the sax mouthpiece and a Max Ionata signature on the side of the saxophone mouthpiece. The tip opening is marked with a 7* on the bottom side of the shank of the mouthpiece.

SYOS Max Ionata Signature Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

The first sax reed I tried on the SYOS Max Ionata tenor saxophone mouthpiece was a BSS (Boston Sax Shop) #3 tenor saxophone reed. The BSS reed played well and is the reed I used for one of the sound clips.

The other sound clip was done with a harder Rigotti Gold 3 1/2 medium tenor saxophone reed. I must write that I was really surprised by the strength of reeds the SYOS Max Ionata mouthpiece preferred for me. Most of my tenor sax reeds are in sizes from 2 1/2-3 strengths and the majority of these reeds felt way too soft on the Max Ionata tenor sax mouthpiece. Even the BSS #3 reed felt a little bit soft but I felt it was good enough to try a sound clip.

The Rigotti Gold 3 1/2 medium reed felt the best on the Max Ionata tenor mouthpiece. I tried a few Rigotti Gold 3 1/2 light reeds as well that felt pretty good but the medium felt perfect. Max Ionata told me that he personally uses D’Addario Select 4S unfiled tenor sax reeds on his 7* SYOS mouthpiece.

I have included a sound clip of the stronger Rigotti Gold 3 1/2 medium reed as well as the softer BSS #3 reed below just because I know there are some players that prefer the sound of a harder reed and some that prefer the sound of a softer saxophone reed.

SYOS Max Ionata Signature Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece with Ligature

I have to admit, I was really surprised when I received the SYOS Max Ionata tenor sax mouthpiece. As I stated earlier, I am a big fan of Max Ionata. In my opinion, he has one of the best tenor saxophone tones in the world. A big, rich, warm, vibrant and authentic tenor saxophone sound. I assumed the SYOS Max Ionata mouthpiece would be similar in design to a classic vintage hard rubber Otto Link kind of design and have a large chamber and a low to medium rollover baffle but was shocked when I saw the baffle height and the smaller chamber size. That being said, after playing the SYOS Max Ionata signature model tenor saxophone mouthpiece, I can understand why Max likes it so much.

SYOS Max Ionata Signature Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

I found the tone of the SYOS Max Ionata signature tenor saxophone mouthpiece to be quite intriguing and perplexing. Normally with a baffle like this and a smaller chamber, I would expect an abundance of brightness. While this mouthpiece did have a certain brightness and edge to the tone for me, it also had a warmness and darker tone that was complex and rich. This balance of the warm, complex and rich with the slight brightness and edge made the brightness and edge more balanced and beautiful to listen to. Although, brighter mouthpieces are cool to play and wail on at times, many times I find myself getting irritated or bothered by the excessive brightness in the tone of those mouthpiece. I didn’t feel this way at all with the SYOS Max Ionata tenor sax mouthpiece.

Usually, mouthpieces with this type of baffle and chamber have a low end that is wanting, but the SYOS Max Ionata mouthpiece had a gorgeous low range of the saxophone that I really enjoyed. When I listened back to the sound clips, I was amused by how I kept playing fast lines and then would end them in the low end of the saxophone as I slowed down at the end of the line. I think I was subconsciously liking that low end so much that I kept ,going down there without thinking about it to enjoy those lush low notes and sub-tones.

The higher baffle and smaller chamber definitely gives this mouthpiece a ton of power and focus when the mouthpiece is pushed. The SYOS Max Ionata signature model has plenty of brightness when pushed but one of the best attributes of this mouthpiece is that the high notes and altissimo notes didn’t get all thin and weak sounding. They still retained a thick, full core to their tone and sounded meaty and strong.

The intonation was excellent and within normal parameters and the tone was even and balanced throughout the range of the saxophone. The articulation was clean, immediate and nice and smooth when playing fast jazz lines with jazz articulation.

SYOS Max Ionata Signature Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

If you like the sound and look of the Max Ionata signature model tenor sax mouthpiece by SYOS, you can find them at the SYOS website. (Neffmusic also gets a small commission from each sale when you use this link which helps support this website). The SYOS Max Ionata tenor saxophone mouthpiece is a great mouthpiece that balances on that fine line between brightness and power while still being able to produce a full, thick and rich tone for jazz playing. Check out my sound clips below as well as the video of Max Ionata playing on his SYOS mouthpiece and decide for yourself.

The SYOS website has a ton of artists and signature models available so if the Max Ionata model isn’t your cup of tea, there are a ton of other saxophone mouthpieces to choose from. Or, like I wrote above, you can be courageous and go for a custom sax mouthpiece made specifically for you. The amazing thing is that SYOS has a 30 day return policy which is unheard of in the sax mouthpiece industry.

If you have played or end up playing a SYOS Max Ionata Signature Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece or have any other thoughts or comments about this review, I would love to hear what you think in the comments below. Thanks, Steve

SYOS Max Ionata Signature Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece-Rigotti Gold 3 1/2 Medium Reed-No Reverb Added

SYOS Max Ionata Signature Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece-Rigotti Gold 3 1/2 Medium Reed-Short Altissimo Clip-Slight Reverb Added

SYOS Max Ionata Signature Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece-BSS (Boston Sax Shop) 3 Reed-Slight Reverb Added

Max Ionata soloing on “All the Things You Are” with his SYOS Signature Mouthpiece

Disclosure: I received the sample mouthpiece reviewed above for free in the hope that I would try it and perhaps review it on my blog. I also receive a small commission when you purchase from the SYOS link above that helps to support this site. Regardless, I only review sax mouthpieces that I enjoy playing and believe will be good for other saxophone players to try also. Steve

Today I am reviewing another great tenor saxophone mouthpiece made by Phil Engleman at Phil-Tone mouthpieces. I have reviewed quite a few Phil-Tone sax mouthpieces on the site already and am always interested when Phil announces a new Phil-Tone saxophone mouthpiece model.

A couple of months ago he announced that he had a new Phil-Tone tenor sax mouthpiece model called the Rift model. I reviewed the Rift alto saxophone mouthpiece about 8 1/2 years ago and absolutely loved that mouthpiece so was excited to hear the news about the Rift tenor saxophone mouthpiece coming out.

Phil-Tone Rift Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

Here’s a quote from Phil about the new Phil-Tone Rift tenor saxophone mouthpiece from his website:

The Phil-Tone Rift tenor saxophone mouthpiece takes after its alto counterpart. The Rift is a full bodied tenor sax mouthpiece with the power of a high baffled mouthpiece. Unlike high baffle tenor sax mouthpieces, the Rift mouthpiece is easy to control and it does not peel paint. It was designed to meet the demands of performing sax players who need a versatile mouthpiece that will blast through the mix when needed.

The Rift tenor saxophone mouthpiece is only sold directly through Phil-Tone. Each chamber is tweaked individually to get the best tone and power you will find in a hard rubber tenor saxophone mouthpiece. Each Rift tenor mouthpiece is also adjusted to make altissimo a breeze. Don’t let appearances fool you, while it has a bullet baffle it DOES NOT sound like a Berg Larsen tenor saxophone mouthpiece.

In terms of tip size, I generally suggest players go up a half size from the tip opening they would play on an Otto Link style tenor sax mouthpiece.-Phil Engleman

Phil-Tone Rift Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

The Phil-Tone Rift tenor saxophone mouthpiece I received to review is made of hard rubber. The exterior of the Rift tenor sax mouthpiece is pretty plain looking. The only engraving on it is “Phil-Tone” hand engraved in gold on the top of the body of the mouthpiece and the name “Rift” engraved by hand into the body of the mouthpiece next to the table. The tip opening of 8 (.110) is engraved by hand on the side of the shank of the mouthpiece. It’s body diameter is similar in size to a modern hard rubber Otto Link tenor sax mouthpiece diameter and I used a Vandoren Optimum ligature on it.

At the end of Phil’s description of the Rift tenor sax mouthpiece above, he writes: “In terms of tip size, I generally suggest players go up a half size from the tip opening they would play on an Otto Link style tenor saxophone mouthpiece.” I usually play a 7* tip opening on Otto Link tenor sax mouthpieces and the 8 tip opening he sent feels perfect for me so his advice on tip opening sizes is perfect in my opinion.

Phil-Tone Rift Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

The Phil-Tone Rift mouthpiece tip rail is very close in shape to all of my tenor sax reeds. The outside edges of the tip rail do extend a little bit farther out than the reed tip width but the mouthpiece and reed performed well when applying the suction test to the mouthpiece.

The table looks flat and the rails look even and thin. The side rails flare out a little bit as they travel towards the tip of the mouthpiece.

I would definitely describe the mouthpiece baffle as a high baffle. The baffle travels at a pretty high height before it reaches a “bullet” chamber. A “bullet” chamber is commonly found in Berg Larsen mouthpieces and describes a chamber that has a bullet shape taken out of the center of the rear of the baffle. The sidewalls are slightly scooped out and look to angle inward slightly as they approach the chamber area.

Phil-Tone Rift Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

The Phil-Tone Rift tenor saxophone mouthpiece has what I would consider a medium chamber. The chamber looks smaller than a typical hard rubber Otto Link chamber size and the floor of the chamber is raised where the baffle terminates. The chamber floor then angles down smoothly until it is even with the bore of the mouthpiece.

The baffle edge, bullet chamber and chamber floor transition to the bore of the mouthpiece are all really smooth to the touch. Maybe it’s all in my head, but I have always found that mouthpieces with smooth edges to the baffle shape always seem to play less edgy and fatter sounding than similar mouthpieces with sharper edges to the baffle. I’m a big fan of smooth edges………

Phil-Tone Rift Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

The Phil-Tone Rift tenor saxophone mouthpiece played great with the first reed I put on it which was a SYOS Arcane #3 tenor saxophone reed. It played so well that after about 15-20 minutes of warming up, I decided to record the sound clips below.

I asked Phil about this beak height and he said it was the same beak height as a hard rubber Otto Link mouthpiece. I compared it visually to a couple hard rubber Otto Link mouthpieces I have and it does look very close to a typical hard rubber Otto Link beak to my eyes.

Phil-Tone Rift Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

When I first saw the high baffle on the Phil-Tone Rift tenor sax mouthpiece, I was worried that the 8 tip opening would not be open enough for me with a baffle that high, but the .110 tip opening of the Rift mouthpiece felt very comfortable to me.

The Rift tenor sax mouthpiece had a tone that I would describe as meaty, husky and thick. I heard the sound as having a mid-range boost that made the tone tough and weighty sounding.

At softer volumes, the Rift had a thick and focused tone that was a lot warmer than I was expecting and when I pushed more air through the mouthpiece the tone seemed to become much more focused and brighter. Although, the tone does become brighter when pushed it still retains that thick, fat and beefy tone.

The altissimo register of the saxophone was incredibly easy to play. Although I can play the altissimo range of the saxophone on every tenor mouthpiece I review, there are tenor mouthpieces that make the altissimo range feel so much easier. This is definitely one of those mouthpieces. I felt like I could play a lot of ideas and lines up there much easier than on other mouthpieces and the “less stable” altissimo notes felt much more stable and solid to me.

The low notes are big and full sounding and sub-toned beautifully. At first, the higher baffle seemed to make these notes a bit more challenging to jump to, but once I figured out the best “voicing” of these low notes in combination with the high baffle they really popped out nicely.

Phil-Tone Rift Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

The Phil-Tone Rift tenor saxophone mouthpiece had a nice smoothness and evenness throughout the range of the horn. I believe the intonation was very good although I didn’t check a tuner after I tuned up initially. I didn’t notice any notes that stuck out as out of tune or much sharper than usual for me. Intonation would be a concern when playing on a mouthpiece with as high a baffle as this one but I didn’t notice anything strange with intonation while playing. * On listening back to the sound clips I did notice a few times where my high G and high A were sharper than usual. This kind of sharpness is easily remedied by becoming aware of it and adjusting my voicing for those notes. Keep in mind that I only played this mouthpiece for about 20 minutes before recording. That sharpness at times is common with my Selmer SBA tenor saxophone and high baffled tenor sax mouthpieces.

Since the Phil-Tone Rift mouthpiece has so much potential for volume and power, I decided to record it at different playing levels to highlight how it can sound while playing at different volumes. I recorded separate clips at soft, medium soft, medium and loud volumes. I have also included photos of the waveform of each sound clip via the program Amadeus Pro so you can visually see the volume difference of each clip.

I think these separate sound clips at different playing volumes are important because some listeners might make the mistake of writing the Rift tenor mouthpiece off as a high baffled “paint peeler” of a mouthpiece when it is much more versatile than that.

Phil-Tone Rift Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

The Phil-Tone Rift tenor saxophone mouthpiece is a great mouthpiece for those of you who value power without sacrificing thickness and depth of tone. Many tenor sax mouthpieces that are built for power lose some richness of tone, thickness and a fat full sound especially in the upper register and altissimo range of the saxophone. The husky and thick sound of the Rift tenor mouthpiece would make it a great choice for Rock n’ Roll, funk, pop and I think even jazz music once you learn to control the unbridled power of the Rift. Listen to the clips below and decided for yourself if it might be a good mouthpiece choice for yourself.

If you like the clips below and the Phil-Tone Rift tenor saxophone mouthpiece interests you, contact Phil Engleman via his website at Phil-tone.com. Phil is very knowledgeable about sax mouthpieces and will answer any questions you might have about the Rift or any of his other mouthpiece models. Thanks for letting me try the Rift tenor saxophone mouthpiece Phil!

If you have played or end up playing a Phil-Tone Rift tenor saxophone mouthpiece or have any other thoughts or comments about this review, I would love to hear what you think in the comments below. Thanks, Steve

1.) Phil-Tone Rift Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece-SYOS Arcane #3 Reed-Soft Volume

This is the softest clip. I blew less air and rolled out more of my bottom lip to get more of a sub-tone effect on this clip. I also played quite a few jazz lines and melodies. At the very end of the clip, I play a C Major scale into the altissimo range and it sounds pretty locked in to me. You can hear some of the untapped brightness underneath the surface of the tone but I tried to keep the tone warmer throughout the clip.

2.) Phil-Tone Rift Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece-SYOS Arcane #3 Reed-Soft Medium Volume

The second clip is with a little bit more air and I would describe it as medium soft. The increased air starts to transform the foo foo sub-tone sound of the first clip into a more solid focused mass of tone.

3.) Phil-Tone Rift Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece-SYOS Arcane #3 Reed-Medium Volume

The third clip is at a medium volume with less roll-out of the bottom lip. You can hear the increased brightness, focus and edge to the tone.

4.) Phil-Tone Rift Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece-SYOS Arcane #3 Reed-Loud Volume

The fourth clip is what I call 80% air. I am playing at 80%. This is the volume I would normally play on a loud gig if I had to wail on a solo. I like being comfortable at that 80% so when needed, I can have 20% more to add for emergency situations.

5.) Phil-Tone Rift Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece-SYOS Arcane #3 Reed-Loud Volume-Reverb Added

The last clip is the same as the fourth clip but I added some reverb to the clip so you can hear what the Phil-Tone Rift tenor sax mouthpiece might sound like with reverb added.

Disclosure: I received the sample mouthpiece reviewed above for free in the hope that I would try it and perhaps review it on my blog. Regardless, I only review sax mouthpieces that I enjoy playing and believe will be good for other saxophone players to try also. Steve

Today, I am reviewing the work of a young mouthpiece maker, refacer and great saxophone player from Russia named Kirill Poudavoff. Kirill is a great young tenor sax player that is in his fourth semester at Berklee College of music in Boston.

If you haven’t heard Kirill Poudavoff yet, check him out in the video at the bottom of this review. Kirill sounds more like Dexter Gordon than any other tenor sax player I have heard, which is very cool!

Kirill sent me four examples of his tenor saxophone mouthpieces made of plastic after I asked if I could perhaps try out his mouthpiece work. Today, I will be reviewing the KPoudavoff Double Ring 7* tenor saxophone mouthpiece which is a copy of an Otto Link Florida Double Ring Super Tone Master tenor saxophone mouthpiece from the 50’s.

KPoudavoff Florida Double Ring Otto Link Copy Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

When I asked Kirill if I could try out some of his mouthpiece work, I had no idea that he would send me four tenor sax mouthpieces to check out. Here is what he sent me:

KPoudavoff Double Ring 7*- copy of an Otto Link 7* Florida Double Ring Super Tone Master
KPoudavoff Florida 7*- copy of an Otto Link 7* Florida Super Tone Master
KPoudavoff Zimberoff Hollywood 7*- copy of a Dukoff Hollywood Zimberoff model
KPoudavoff Zimberoff Hollywood 6* (Dexter’s Curve)- copy of a Dukoff Hollywood Zimberoff (with Dexter Gordon’s 6* facing curve on it)

I will be reviewing all of these mouthpieces separately, one after the other so you can get a complete sense of Kirill Poudavoff’s work.

KPoudavoff Florida Double Ring Otto Link Copy Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece in Solid Silver

First, I have to start with the disclaimer that Kirill Poudavoff told me that he doesn’t make these plastic tenor saxophone mouthpiece models any longer. Right now, at the time of this review, he is only making the tenor mouthpiece models listed above in solid silver for 750 dollars each. I have posted a few photos of the tenor mouthpieces in metal throughout this review so that you can see how the mouthpieces look in solid silver as well.

That being said, Kirill did say that these four tenor saxophone mouthpieces were a good representation of his work and played similarly to the solid silver versions of these mouthpieces.

KPoudavoff Florida Double Ring Otto Link Copy Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

The four KPoudavoff tenor saxophone mouthpieces I received look to have the same outward size (diameter and length), shape and contours of the Otto Link and Dukoff Hollywood tenor saxophone mouthpieces they are copies of.

KPoudavoff Florida Double Ring Otto Link Copy Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece in Silver and Brass

The KPoudavoff Double Ring and Florida models have the Otto Link ridge on top and the lines on the shank that match those Otto Link models. The ridge on the top of the mouthpiece has “KPoudavoff” engraved into it instead of “Otto Link”. The tip opening of 7* is engraved on the corner of the body to the right of the table just like it is on an original Otto Link Florida Double Ring tenor saxophone mouthpiece.

Next to the 7* engraving are the initials WT. These initials were on some vintage Otto Links and from what I understand, they meant that Wolfe Tannenbaum (aka Wolfe Tayne) had put his special facing curve on the mouthpiece. I asked if the facing curve was a WT facing curve and Kirill said that it was not. He included the WT initials just because he thought it was cool looking. The facing curve of this 7* Double Ring tenor saxophone mouthpiece is at traditional factory standards for an Otto Link Double Ring tenor sax mouthpiece.

KPoudavoff Florida Double Ring Otto Link Copy Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

On initial examination, you can see the sanding marks on the plastic material of the mouthpiece where Kirill sanded the table and worked on the baffle area of the mouthpiece. Although the sanding marks look rough, the baffle area and table feel very smooth to the touch.

I know these sanding marks will bother some of you but I am not bothered in the least. In my mind, they don’t matter to me. What matters the most to me, is how the mouthpiece plays. I have played some horrendous looking mouthpieces over the years that played phenomenally, so I don’t necessarily care how perfect a mouthpiece looks on the inside or outside. I have also tried mouthpieces that looked absolutely stunning and perfect to the eye, that didn’t play well at all for me.

KPoudavoff Florida Double Ring Otto Link Copy Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece in Solid Silver

The point I am trying to make, is that Kirill worked on and sent me four examples of his work for free because I asked to try out his work. I believe Kirill’s main focus is making a mouthpiece true to the original version while also making a mouthpiece that plays great. The cosmetic stuff is not as important. Don’t let these plastic samples sway you from what’s most important, how do these KPoudavoff tenor saxophone mouthpieces play?

KPoudavoff Florida Double Ring Otto Link Copy Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

Looking past all the sanding marks, the KPoudavoff Double Ring tenor sax mouthpiece looks to have relatively even side rails similar to an Otto Link mouthpiece. The tip rail looks well made and the curve matches fairly closely to my Rigotti Gold tenor saxophone reeds. All the reeds I tried on the mouthpiece sealed well when using the suction test.

The KPoudavoff Double Ring tenor mouthpiece played great with Rigotti Gold saxophone reeds between the 2 1/2 medium strength to the 3 strong strength for me.

KPoudavoff Florida Double Ring Otto Link Copy Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

The KPoudavoff Double Ring tenor sax mouthpiece is not an altered “Double Ring” or a “Double Ring” on steroids, Kirill Poudavoff has expressed his goal of making these mouthpiece as close to the originals as he can possibly get them. This is an admirable goal and refreshing to hear from a young up and coming mouthpiece craftsman.

KPoudavoff Florida Double Ring Otto Link Copy Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

The KPoudavoff Double Ring played great for me and not surprisingly, like a terrific metal Otto Link mouthpiece. I do have an Otto Link Double Ring here in my collection and the KPoudavoff model looks very similar in the size and shape of the chamber. The point where the baffle rolls over is also similar to my Otto Link Double Ring as well although my Otto Link Double Ring’s baffle rollover is lopsided where the KPoudavoff is even and balanced.

My Otto Link Double Ring chamber floor looks to be slightly higher at the beginning of the chamber than the KPoudavoff chamber floor which looks to be scooped out closer to the beginning of the mouthpiece chamber.

Writing all this, just acknowledges the fact that if you were to get ten original Otto Link Double Ring mouthpieces and line them up side by side, you would probably get these same variations between the ten mouthpieces. Every Otto Link I have owned, whether vintage or new, has had variations between them. It is what it is. I think that is why it is so exciting to try one that is amazing! You might try out a bunch that are just OK or even bad but when you try one that is amazing, it is the best feeling in the world.

KPoudavoff Florida Double Ring Otto Link Copy Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

The KPoudavoff Double Ring tenor sax mouthpiece had a thick, round and rich tone that I would associate with a great playing Otto Link Super Tone Master type of sound. It wasn’t at all tubby or too spread sounding like some modern metal Otto Link Super Tone Master mouthpieces can be.

For me, a great Otto Link tenor sax mouthpiece has a balance between a fat, round sound full of character and warmth with a nice core to the sound. Usually, the tone of these Otto Link “Super” Tone Master mouthpieces sits in a neutral position between dark and bright with some mouthpieces leaning to the darker and warmer side and some leaning to the brighter side. I found this KPoudavoff Double Ring to lean to the darker and warmer side for me.

The intonation on the KPoudavoff Double Ring tenor mouthpiece was excellent on my Selmer Super Balanced Action (SBA) tenor saxophone. The low notes were thick and full sounding and sub-toned beautifully.

KPoudavoff Florida Double Ring Otto Link Copy Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

The KPoudavoff Double Ring tenor sax mouthpiece was very even and smooth throughout the range of the saxophone and the fast lines sounded great.

The articulation was clean and crisp when playing fast jazz lines with jazz articulation and the lines were incredibly smooth and flowing which I really loved.

KPoudavoff Florida Double Ring Otto Link Copy Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

I’ve included two sound clips of the KPoudavoff Double Ring tenor saxophone mouthpiece for you to check out. The first one is with a Rigotti Gold 3 medium tenor saxophone reed. I loved this reed because of the richness and character you can hear in the tone.

The second sound clip is with a softer Rigotti Gold 2 1/2 medium saxophone reed. This reed seemed to give me a fatter sound that I also dug. There is enough difference between these sound clips in tone and response that I thought it was important to include both clips, especially since some listeners like the sound of softer reeds and some like the sound of harder reeds.

KPoudavoff Florida Double Ring Otto Link Copy Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

In my opinion, the KPoudavoff Double Ring tenor saxophone mouthpiece is a great tenor saxophone mouthpiece for those looking for a mouthpiece that is similar if not exact to a vintage Otto Link Florida Double Ring “Super” Tone Master tenor saxophone mouthpiece. It has a full sound that leans to a darker and warmer tenor saxophone sound and has that classic tenor sound reminiscent of Dexter Gordon, Hank Mobley, Johnny Griffin, etc….. I would imagine with a harder reed and more air you could also get a brighter Coltrane kind of sound out of it.

KPoudavoff Florida Double Ring Otto Link Copy Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

Like an Otto Link “Super” Tone Master, the KPoudavoff has a neutral tenor sound that can be manipulated and shaped to the sound the player hears in their head. If your sound concept is brighter, like Coltrane, you can go that way with the KPoudavoff Double Ring mouthpiece. If you like a fatter sound like Dexter Gordon, you can go in that direction with this mouthpiece. The great advantage to Otto Link style tenor saxophone mouthpieces is that they allow you the freedom to shape and mold your own sound just the way you want it.

I wouldn’t choose to use the KPoudavoff Double Ring tenor saxophone mouthpiece on a loud Top 40 kind of gig because I don’t think it delivers enough volume and brightness for that type of gig but the KPoudavoff Double Ring mouthpiece would be right at home on a straight ahead jazz gig.

KPoudavoff Florida Double Ring Otto Link Copy Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

If you like the sound and look of the KPoudavoff Double Ring tenor saxophone mouthpiece by Kirill Poudavoff, you can order one from Kirill himself by contacting him via his email at kpoudavoff@gmail.com.

If you are lucky enough to play a KPoudavoff Double Ring tenor saxophone mouthpiece or have any other thoughts or comments about this review, I would love to hear what you think in the comments below. Thanks, Steve

KPoudavoff Florida Double Ring Otto Link Copy Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece Review – Rigotti Gold 3 Medium Reed

KPoudavoff Florida Double Ring Otto Link Copy Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece Review – Rigotti Gold 2 1/2 Medium Reed

Kirill Poudavoff playing his Florida Double Ring Otto Link Metal Copy Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

Today, I am reviewing another great tenor saxophone mouthpiece made by a young mouthpiece maker, refacer and great saxophone player from Russia named Kirill Poudavoff. Kirill is a great young tenor sax player that is in his fourth semester at Berklee College of Music in Boston.

Kirill sent me four examples of his tenor saxophone mouthpieces made of plastic after I asked if I could perhaps try out his mouthpiece work. I have already reviewed the KPoudavoff Double Ring 7* model. Today, I will be reviewing the KPoudavoff Florida 7* tenor saxophone mouthpiece which is a copy of an Otto Link Florida Super Tone Master tenor saxophone mouthpiece from the late 60’s.

KPoudavoff Florida Otto Link Copy Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

If you haven’t heard of Kirill Poudavoff yet, check him out in the video at the bottom of this review. Kirill sounds more like Dexter Gordon than any other tenor sax player I have heard, which is very cool!

I would also like to add how refreshing it is to hear a young person like Kirill Poudavoff, playing long notes and melodies while improvising. I was listening to Kirill the other day, and like Dexter, he just played one note and held it for like 4-6 beats before continuing on with his idea. I think it was a video from Wally’s in Boston. I saw some Berklee students in the audience who looked totally confused and shocked as they thought, “Wait, you can play long notes when improvising?”. I love long notes and you don’t hear a lot of young guys doing that. For that matter, you don’t hear very many old guys doing it. (If you don’t know what I am talking about, go listen to some Dexter Gordon………)

KPoudavoff Florida Otto Link Copy Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece in Brass

When I asked Kirill if I could try out some of his saxophone mouthpiece work, I had no idea that he would send me four tenor saxophone mouthpieces to check out. Here is what he sent me:

KPoudavoff Double Ring 7*- copy of an Otto Link 7* Florida Double Ring Super Tone Master
KPoudavoff Florida 7*- copy of an Otto Link 7* Florida Super Tone Master
KPoudavoff Zimberoff Hollywood 7*- copy of a Dukoff Hollywood Zimberoff model
KPoudavoff Zimberoff Hollywood 6* (Dexter’s Curve)- copy of a Dukoff Hollywood Zimberoff (with Dexter Gordon’s 6* facing curve on it)

I will be reviewing all of these tenor saxophone mouthpieces separately, one after the other, so you can get a complete sense of Kirill Poudavoff’s work.

That being said, Kirill did say that these four plastic tenor saxophone mouthpieces were a good representation of his work and played similarly to the solid silver versions of these mouthpieces.

KPoudavoff Florida Otto Link Copy Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece in Solid Silver

KPoudavoff Florida Otto Link Copy Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

Looking past all the sanding marks, the KPoudavoff Florida tenor saxophone mouthpiece looks to have relatively even side rails similar to an Otto Link mouthpiece. The tip rail looks well made and the curve matches fairly closely to my Rigotti Gold tenor saxophone reeds. All the reeds I tried on the mouthpiece sealed well when using the suction test.

The KP Florida tenor saxophone mouthpiece played great with Rigotti Gold saxophone reeds between the 2 1/2 medium strength to the 3 strong strength for me. The Florida tenor sax mouthpiece is not an altered “Florida” or a “Florida” on steroids, Kirill Poudavoff has expressed his goal of making these mouthpiece as close to the originals as he can possibly get them. This is an admirable goal and refreshing to hear from a young up and coming mouthpiece craftsman.

KPoudavoff Florida Otto Link Copy Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

I do have a great Florida Otto Link mouthpiece here in my collection and the KPoudavoff model looks very similar in regards to the baffle profile and chamber shape.

In comparison to the KPoudavoff Double Ring mouthpiece that I have already reviewed, as I look at both tenor sax mouthpieces side by side, the KPoudavoff Florida tenor mouthpiece looks to have a longer rollover baffle than the Double Ring tenor sax mouthpiece. It’s hard to tell because of the texture of the plastic material, but I think the Double Ring mouthpiece has a slightly deeper chamber floor than the Florida mouthpiece chamber floor. I’m not 100% certain of this, but that is what it looks like when comparing both tenor saxophone mouthpieces side by side.

The KPoudavoff Florida tenor saxophone mouthpiece played great for me and not surprisingly, like a terrific metal Florida Otto Link tenor sax mouthpiece. The Florida mouthpiece had a round and focused sound that I would associate with a great playing Florida Otto Link Super Tone Master type of sound. It wasn’t at all tubby or too spread sounding like some modern metal Otto Link Super Tone Master tenor saxophone mouthpieces can be.

For me, a great Otto Link tenor sax mouthpiece has a balance between a fat, round sound full of character and warmth with a nice core to the sound. Usually, the tone of these Otto Link “Super” Tone Master tenor sax mouthpieces sits in a neutral position between dark and bright with some mouthpieces leaning to the darker and warmer side and some leaning to the brighter side. I found this KPoudavoff Florida 7* mouthpiece to lean to the brighter side of a tenor saxophone tone, especially in the upper register of the saxophone. (I found the KPoudavoff Double Ring mouthpiece to lean to the darker and warmer side)

KPoudavoff Florida Otto Link Copy Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

The intonation on the KPoudavoff Florida tenor saxophone mouthpiece was excellent on my Selmer Super Balanced Action (SBA) tenor saxophone. The low notes were thick and full sounding and sub-toned beautifully.

The KPoudavoff Florida tenor sax mouthpiece was very even and smooth throughout the range of the saxophone and the fast lines sounded great. In comparison to the KPoudavoff Double Ring tenor mouthpiece, which seemed like it had more of a warm smoothness within those fast lines, the Florida mouthpiece seemed to have more of an aggressive and crisp smoothness within those fast lines. Almost like the Double Ring mouthpiece sounded like it was being played on the other end of the room and the Florida mouthpiece was being played right in front of me with the bell of the saxophone pointed right at my face.

The KPoudavoff Florida tenor mouthpiece was definitely brighter and more focused in tone for me than the Double Ring mouthpiece which sounded warmer and more spread in tone in comparison to the Florida mouthpiece. This was most apparent with the harder Rigotti Gold 3 medium reed as I put more air through the saxophone. The Florida mouthpiece just had more of that “in your face” brightness and volume to the tone when compared to the Double Ring tenor sax mouthpiece.

KPoudavoff Florida Otto Link Copy Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

I’ve included two sound clips of the KPoudavoff Florida tenor saxophone mouthpiece like I did for the Double Ring mouthpiece review.

The first one is with a Rigotti Gold 3 medium tenor saxophone reed. I loved this reed because of the thick, solid core and character you can hear in the tone. The upper register had a nice brightness and crispness to the tone. You can also hear more edge in the tone when I push the volume of the mouthpiece.

The second sound clip is with a softer Rigotti Gold 2 1/2 medium tenor saxophone reed. This reed seemed to give me a fatter more lush sound in the lower end of the saxophone. Although I loved the low notes on this softer reed, I think the softer reed made the high notes a bit thinner and edgier than I usually like. I preferred the thicker sound of the upper register with the Rigotti Gold 3 medium tenor saxophone reeds.

There is enough difference between these two sound clips in tone and response that I thought it was important to include both clips, especially since some listeners like the sound of softer reeds and some like the sound of harder reeds.

KPoudavoff Florida Otto Link Copy Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

In my opinion, the KPoudavoff Florida tenor saxophone mouthpiece is a great tenor saxophone mouthpiece for those looking for a mouthpiece that is similar if not exact to a vintage Otto Link Florida “Super” Tone Master tenor saxophone mouthpiece. It has a full sound that leans to a brighter and more focused tenor saxophone sound.

Although the KPoudavoff Florida tenor sax mouthpiece is definitely brighter than the Double Ring tenor mouthpiece, the tone of the Florida mouthpiece can still be manipulated and shaped to the sound the player hears in their head. If your tenor saxophone sound concept is brighter, like John Coltrane, you can definitely go that way with the KPoudavoff Florida tenor sax mouthpiece. If you like a fatter and darker tenor saxophone sound, you can go in that direction as well with this tenor mouthpiece. The great advantage to an Otto Link style tenor saxophone mouthpieces is that they allow you the freedom to shape and mold your own sound just the way you want it. That is why so many tenor sax players have played on Otto Link tenor mouthpieces over the years.

I wrote in the KPoudavoff Double Ring tenor saxophone mouthpiece review that I probably wouldn’t use the Double Ring mouthpiece on a loud Top 40 kind of gig because I didn’t think it delivers enough volume and brightness for that type of gig. The KPoudavoff Florida tenor mouthpiece and it’s added rollover baffle is definitely getting closer to that brightness and volume line that could be used in that loud type of playing situation. I am never quite sure of that until I get a mouthpiece out on a gig but here in my home, the KPoudavoff Florida tenor sax mouthpiece really has some nice power and brightness when pushed.

Of course, the KPoudavoff Florida tenor saxophone mouthpiece would be right at home on a straight ahead jazz gig. I would love any of these four KPoudavoff tenor saxophone mouthpieces on a jazz gig of any sort.

KPoudavoff Florida Otto Link Copy Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

If you like the sound and look of the KPoudavoff Florida tenor saxophone mouthpiece by Kirill Poudavoff, you can order one from Kirill himself by contacting him via his email at kpoudavoff@gmail.com. Thanks again to Kirill Poudavoff for sending me these great tenor saxophone mouthpieces to play and review here on my site.

If you are lucky enough to play a KPoudavoff Florida tenor saxophone mouthpiece or have any other thoughts or comments about this review, I would love to hear what you think in the comments below. Thanks, Steve

KPoudavoff Florida Otto Link Copy Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece Review – Rigotti Gold 3 Medium Reed

KPoudavoff Florida Otto Link Copy Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece Review – Rigotti Gold 2 1/2 Medium Reed

Kirill Poudavoff playing “More Than You Know” on his Florida Otto Link Metal Copy Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece (he is also accompanying himself on piano)

Today, I am reviewing another tenor saxophone mouthpiece made by a young mouthpiece maker, refacer and saxophone player from Russia named Kirill Poudavoff. Kirill is a great young tenor sax player that is in his fourth semester at Berklee College of Music in Boston.

Kirill sent me four examples of his tenor saxophone mouthpieces made of plastic after I asked if I could perhaps try out his mouthpiece work. I have already reviewed the KPoudavoff Double Ring 7* tenor saxophone mouthpiece and the KPoudavoff Florida 7* tenor mouthpiece. Today, I will be reviewing the KPoudavoff Zimberoff Dukoff Hollywood 7* tenor saxophone mouthpiece which is a copy of a Zimberoff Dukoff Hollywood 7* tenor saxophone mouthpiece from the late 40’s-50’s. I have never played a Dukoff Hollywood tenor saxophone mouthpiece so I am very excited to try out this KPoudavoff copy of this iconic (thanks to Dexter) tenor saxophone mouthpiece.

KPoudavoff Zimberoff Dukoff Hollywood 7* Copy Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

Here is some information about Dukoff Hollywood tenor saxophone mouthpieces as well as the Zimberoff model Dukoff Hollywood mouthpieces from Theo Wanne’s mouthpiece museum page:

“Dexter Gordon played on a Conn 10m and a Dukoff BD Hollywood tenor saxophone mouthpiece during the Blue Note era until the mid-sixties. There has always been a huge debate about which model BD Dukoff tenor sax mouthpiece Dexter Gordon played, the 1945 medium chamber or the 1949 large chamber model. I know there was a 1949 Dukoff BD Hollywood tenor sax mouthpiece stamped “DG Special” on the side with a 6* tip opening. This might have been a ‘Dexter Gordon’ Special model, so I suspect he played on this model. About 100 of these blanks were sold to Zimberoff -House of Note, who produced a mouthpiece under their own name. Some of these had the model name Vibra Metal.”-Theo Wanne

Theo’s page where this quote is from also says there were only 200 1949 BD Hollywoods made (same blank as the Zimberoffs), and then only 100 Zimberoff Hollywoods made. That is only 300 Dukoff Hollywood Zimberoff style tenor saxophone mouthpieces in total. I would love confirmation of this fact if any of you out there have more information on the subject……. If true, those numbers make the Dukoff Zimberoff Hollywood pretty darn rare.

KPoudavoff Zimberoff Dukoff Hollywood 7* Copy Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece in Solid Silver

Here is also a post from SOTW (Sax on the Web) by Doc Tenney about the Zimberoff Dukoff Hollywood tenor saxophone mouthpieces:

“The Zimberoff tenor saxophone mouthpieces are actually “stencil” mouthpieces in that the “real” ones were made by Dukoff and marked “Zimberoff House of Music” with five 5-pointed stars in a circular pattern on the top of the barrel. The actual blank is a one-piece cast brass “B.D.” series Dukoff with a rather unusual and very sophisticated baffle design that has a very distinctive longitudinal concavity or trough running from just behind the tip rail into the back chamber. Many of us refer to any Dukoff having these particular features as a “Zimberoff” even though they are not “stenciled” with the Zimberoff markings. I have had several of these through my shop recently. The “voice” is just as smooth as the original very early “stubby” models and has much more color complexity than any of the later “B.D.” 2-piece models with no loss of center. For many players, including myself, the Dukoff Hollywood Zimberoff model is the most preferred of the California Dukoff designs. Fortunately, I have two of my own!”-Doc Tenney

KPoudavoff Zimberoff Dukoff Hollywood 7* Copy Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

KPoudavoff Zimberoff Dukoff Hollywood 7* Copy Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece in Solid Silver

When I asked Kirill if I could try out some of his saxophone mouthpiece work, I had no idea that he would send me four tenor saxophone mouthpieces to check out. Here is what he sent me:

KPoudavoff Double Ring 7*- copy of an Otto Link 7* Florida Double Ring Super Tone Master
KPoudavoff Florida 7*- copy of an Otto Link 7* Florida Super Tone Master
KPoudavoff Zimberoff Hollywood 7*- copy of a Dukoff Hollywood Zimberoff model
KPoudavoff Zimberoff Hollywood 6* (Dexter’s Curve)- copy of a Dukoff Hollywood Zimberoff (with Dexter Gordon’s 6* facing curve on it)

I will be reviewing all of these tenor saxophone mouthpieces separately, one after the other, so you can get a complete sense of Kirill Poudavoff’s work.

KPoudavoff Zimberoff Dukoff Hollywood 7* Copy Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece in Solid Silver

That being said, Kirill did say that these four plastic tenor saxophone mouthpieces were a good representation of his work and played similarly to the solid silver versions of these mouthpieces.

The KPoudavoff Zimberoff Dukoff Hollywood 7* tenor saxophone mouthpiece has a similar engraving and lines on the shank as an original Zimberoff Dukoff Hollywood tenor mouthpiece but instead of having “Zimberoff Hollywood” engraved on the shank, it has “KPoudavoff Hollywood” engraved on the shank. The tip opening of 7* is engraved on the corner of the body to the right of the table.

KPoudavoff Zimberoff Dukoff Hollywood 7* Copy Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

KPoudavoff Zimberoff Dukoff Hollywood 7* Copy Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece in Solid Silver

KPoudavoff Florida Otto Link Copy Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

Looking past all the sanding marks, the KPoudavoff Zimberoff Dukoff Hollywood 7* tenor saxophone mouthpiece looks to have relatively even side rails. The tip rail looks well made but Kirill warned me that this particular mouthpiece was made from an old blank and the curve of the tip rail doesn’t exactly match the curve of the tenor saxophone reeds. Regardless of this fact, all the tenor saxophone reeds I tried on this mouthpiece sealed well when using the suction test.

Just like Doc Tenney described in his quote above, you can see “a very distinctive longitudinal concavity or trough running from just behind the tip rail into the back chamber.” I have reviewed other tenor sax mouthpieces which I described as having a side to side curve of the baffle but I think the Dukoff Hollywood Zimberoff mouthpiece is unique in design because the side to side curve of the baffle starts much closer to the tip rail of the mouthpiece than other mouthpieces I have reviewed.

I asked Kirill Poudavoff if both the 7* and 6* Hollywood tenor mouthpieces he sent were copies of Zimberoff Hollywoods and what the difference between a Zimberoff Dukoff Hollywood and a non-Zimberoff Dukoff Hollywood was and he wrote, “Yes, both are copied from a Zimberoff Hollywood. Zimberoff Hollywood mouthpieces typically are the same as Dukoff Hollywood blanks, but have higher baffles”.

KPoudavoff Zimberoff Dukoff Hollywood 7* Copy Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece in Solid Silver

The sidewalls of the KPoudavoff Hollywood mouthpiece are scooped out nicely and the roof of the chamber underneath the table is nice and thin. The chamber is what I would consider an extra large chamber in that it looks to be larger than a typical modern Otto Link or Florida Otto Link tenor saxophone mouthpiece chamber. The floor of the Dukoff Hollywood looks a bit deeper to me than on a Florida Otto Link tenor sax mouthpiece. The chamber of the KPoudavoff Zimberoff mouthpiece looks closer in size to the chamber of a modern NY Otto Link model tenor saxophone mouthpiece which I also consider to have an extra large chamber.

KPoudavoff Zimberoff Dukoff Hollywood 7* Copy Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

The KPoudavoff Zimberoff Dukoff Hollywood 7* tenor saxophone mouthpiece played great with Rigotti Gold saxophone reeds between the 2 1/2 medium strength to the 3 strong strength for me. The KPoudavoff Zimberoff Dukoff Hollywood 7* tenor sax mouthpiece is not an altered “Hollywood” or a “Hollywood” on steroids. Kirill Poudavoff has expressed his goal of making these tenor sax mouthpieces as close to the originals as he can possibly get them. This is an admirable goal and refreshing to hear from a young up and coming mouthpiece craftsman.

*For the record, as I wrote earlier, I have never owned or played an original Dukoff Hollywood tenor saxophone mouthpiece up until this point in my life so I have no way to compare this mouthpiece to an original Dukoff Hollywood Zimberoff tenor saxophone mouthpiece like I did for the KPoudavoff Double Ring and Florida mouthpiece reviews.

KPoudavoff Zimberoff Dukoff Hollywood 7* Copy Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece in Solid Silver

The KPoudavoff Zimberoff Dukoff Hollywood tenor saxophone mouthpiece played great for me. The intonation on the KPoudavoff Hollywood tenor saxophone mouthpiece was excellent on my Selmer Super Balanced Action (SBA) tenor saxophone. I believe it was even better than the KPoudavoff Double Ring and Florida tenor sax mouthpieces because the extra larger chamber and scoop in the run of the baffle into the chamber seemed to bring down the typically sharp middle range of my Selmer SBA tenor saxophone. The low notes were thick and full sounding and sub-toned beautifully and the altissimo range of the saxophone popped out nicely.

The KPoudavoff Zimberoff Dukoff Hollywood tenor saxophone mouthpiece was very even and smooth throughout the range of the saxophone and the fast lines sounded great. In comparison to the KPoudavoff Double Ring tenor mouthpiece, which seemed like it had more of a warm smoothness within those fast lines and the Florida tenor mouthpiece that seemed to have more of an aggressive and crisp sound, the KPoudavoff Zimberoff Dukoff Hollywood had more of a fatness to the tone. I think the tone was brighter than the KPoudavoff Double Ring and more along the lines of the Florida brightness of tone (not quite as bright as the Florida). Where the KPoudavoff Florida tenor sax mouthpiece was more focused in tone, the Hollywood mouthpiece seemed to have a much fatter and a more spread tone while still having a nice focused core to the sound.

KPoudavoff Zimberoff Dukoff Hollywood 7* Copy Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

I really dig a fatter tenor saxophone tone, so I absolutely loved that aspect of the tone with the Kpoudavoff Hollywood Zimberoff tenor saxophone mouthpiece. I have always marveled at the fat and thick tenor saxophone tone of Dexter Gordon on his recordings. It just sounded so huge and wide like he was filling up every corner of the room with his immense sound.

That being said, I believe I have more work to do with the KPoudavoff Hollywood tenor sax mouthpiece. The extra large chamber and unique baffle shape makes me think that there are unexplored regions of sound to be discovered with this mouthpiece. That kind of exploration and discovery can only come with time and familiarity with a sax mouthpiece and although I have spent a few days with the KPoudavoff Zimberoff Hollywood mouthpiece, I believe spending a few months with this mouthpiece would really prove even more worthwhile as I get used to this unique mouthpiece design and how to get the most out of it.

I’ve included three sound clips of the KPoudavoff Zimberoff Dukoff Hollywood 7* tenor saxophone mouthpiece. The first one is with a Rigotti Gold 3 medium tenor saxophone reed. I loved this reed because of the thick, rich, solid core and character you can hear in the tone. The upper register had a nice brightness while still retaining that fatness of tone. You can also hear more brightness and edge in the tone when I push the volume of the mouthpiece.

The second sound clip is with the same Rigotti Gold 3 medium tenor saxophone reed. I play the melody of “When I Fall in Love” with a little bit of reverb added so you can hear how the mouthpiece might sound in a more lively room or with reverb added to the mix. I’m not a big fan of excessive reverb so I tried to add “just enough” reverb to sound good without over doing it.

KPoudavoff Zimberoff Dukoff Hollywood 7* Copy Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

In the last sound clip, I am using a softer 2 1/2 medium Rigotti Gold tenor saxophone reed. I personally like the sound of the harder reed a bit more as it seems like the tone is thicker and has more of an interesting character to the sound. There is enough difference between these sound clips in tone and response that I thought it was important to include all three clips, especially since some listeners like the sound of softer reeds and some like the sound of harder reeds.

In my opinion, the KPoudavoff Zimberoff Dukoff Hollywood tenor saxophone mouthpiece is a great tenor saxophone mouthpiece for those looking for a mouthpiece that is similar if not exact to a vintage Dukoff Hollywood Zimberoff tenor sax mouthpiece. (This is purely based on my confidence in Kirill’s knowledge and work as well as the fact that the Double Ring and Florida models were so close in design to the originals) Although, I have not personally tried a Dukoff Hollywood tenor sax mouthpiece, I have had multiple communications with Kirill about this model and he seems very knowledgeable about these mouthpieces.

KPoudavoff Zimberoff Dukoff Hollywood 7* Copy Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

If you like the sound and look of the KPoudavoff Zimberoff Dukoff Hollywood tenor saxophone mouthpiece by Kirill Poudavoff, you can order one from Kirill himself by contacting him via his email at kpoudavoff@gmail.com.

Thanks again to Kirill Poudavoff for sending me these four great tenor saxophone mouthpieces to play and review here on my site. After my sound clips below, is a video of Kirill soloing over “Days of Wine and Roses” with his metal KPoudavoff Dukoff Hollywood Zimberoff tenor saxophone mouthpiece. Make sure you check that video out as well!

If you are lucky enough to play a KPoudavoff Zimberoff Dukoff Hollywood tenor saxophone mouthpiece or have any other thoughts or comments about this review, I would love to hear what you think in the comments below. Thanks, Steve

KPoudavoff Zimberoff Dukoff Hollywood 7* Copy Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece Review – Rigotti Gold 3 Medium Reed

KPoudavoff Zimberoff Dukoff Hollywood 7* Copy Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece Review – Rigotti Gold 3 Medium Reed-When I Fall in Love with Reverb

KPoudavoff Zimberoff Dukoff Hollywood 7* Copy Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece Review – Rigotti Gold 2 1/2 Medium Reed

Kirill Poudavoff playing “Days of Wine and Roses” on his Dukoff Zimberoff Hollywood Metal Copy Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece (he is also accompanying himself on piano)

Kirill sent me four 3-D printed examples of his tenor saxophone mouthpieces made of plastic after I asked if I could perhaps try out his mouthpiece work. I have already reviewed the KPoudavoff Double Ring 7* tenor saxophone mouthpiece, the KPoudavoff Florida 7* tenor mouthpiece and the Kpoudavoff Zimberoff Dukoff Hollywood 7* tenor saxophone mouthpiece.

Today, I will be reviewing the KPoudavoff Zimberoff Dukoff Hollywood 6* tenor saxophone mouthpiece with Dexter Gordon’s unique facing curve applied to it. I have never played a Dukoff Hollywood tenor saxophone mouthpiece before so I am very excited to try out this KPoudavoff copy of this iconic (thanks to Dexter Gordon) tenor saxophone mouthpiece. The fact that this tenor mouthpiece allegedly has Dexter Gordon’s exact facing curve applied to it makes me even more excited to try this mouthpiece.

KPoudavoff Zimberoff Dukoff Hollywood 6* Copy with Dexter’s Curve Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

Here is some information about Dukoff Hollywood tenor saxophone mouthpieces as well as the Zimberoff model Dukoff Hollywood mouthpieces from Theo Wanne’s mouthpiece museum page:

“Dexter Gordon played on a Conn 10m tenor saxophone and a Dukoff BD Hollywood tenor saxophone mouthpiece during the Blue Note era until the mid-sixties. There has always been a huge debate about which model BD Dukoff tenor sax mouthpiece Dexter Gordon played, the 1945 medium chamber or the 1949 large chamber model. I know there was a 1949 Dukoff BD Hollywood tenor saxophone mouthpiece stamped “DG Special” on the side with a 6* tip opening. This might have been a ‘Dexter Gordon’ Special model, so I suspect he played on this model tenor mouthpiece. About 100 of these tenor mouthpiece blanks were sold to Zimberoff -House of Note, who produced a tenor saxophone mouthpiece under their own name. Some of these tenor sax mouthpieces had the model name Vibra Metal.”-Theo Wanne

Theo’s page where this quote is from also states that there were only 200 1949 BD Hollywood tenor mouthpieces made (same blank as the Zimberoffs), and then only 100 Zimberoff Hollywood tenor saxophone mouthpieces made. That is only 300 Dukoff Hollywood Zimberoff style tenor saxophone mouthpieces in total. I would love confirmation of this fact if any of you out there have more information on this subject……. If true, those numbers make the Dukoff Zimberoff Hollywood tenor sax mouthpiece pretty darn rare.

KPoudavoff Zimberoff Dukoff Hollywood Copy Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece in Solid Silver

Here is also a post from SOTW (Sax on the Web) by Doc Tenney about the Zimberoff Dukoff Hollywood tenor saxophone mouthpieces:

“The Zimberoff tenor saxophone mouthpieces are actually “stencil” mouthpieces in that the “real” ones were made by Dukoff and marked “Zimberoff House of Music” with five 5-pointed stars in a circular pattern on the top of the barrel. The actual blank is a one-piece cast brass “B.D.” series Dukoff mouthpiece with a rather unusual and very sophisticated baffle design that has a very distinctive longitudinal concavity or trough running from just behind the tip rail into the back chamber of the mouthpiece. Many of us refer to any Dukoff mouthpiece having these particular features as a “Zimberoff” even though they are not “stenciled” with the Zimberoff markings. I have had several of these mouthpieces through my shop recently. The “voice” is just as smooth as the original very early “stubby” model mouthpieces and has much more color complexity than any of the later “B.D.” 2-piece model tenor sax mouthpieces with no loss of center. For many players, including myself, the Dukoff Hollywood Zimberoff model mouthpiece is the most preferred of the California Dukoff mouthpiece designs. Fortunately, I have two of my own!”-Doc Tenney

KPoudavoff Zimberoff Dukoff Hollywood 6* Copy with Dexter’s Curve Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

If you haven’t heard of Kirill Poudavoff yet, check him out in the video near the bottom of this review. Kirill sounds more like Dexter Gordon than any other tenor sax player I have heard. It is so interesting to watch Kirill play the tenor saxophone because not only does he sound like Dexter Gordon but he also imitates many of the same mannerisms as Dexter Gordon. The saxophone is hanging lower like Dexter held it. Kirill’s head is tilted down like Dexter tilted his head. Kirill’s embouchure and bottom lip position is similar to Dexter’s embouchure and bottom lip. The way Kirill breaths is like Dexter when releasing his lower lip to take a breath. Lastly, I was watching a Dexter Gordon video and took note of Dexter’s eyebrows going up when he jumped into the higher register of the saxophone (If you don’t believe me, check out from 4:00-4:30 of the Dexter Gordon video at the bottom of this review). Later that day, I was watching one of Kirill Poudavoff’s videos and he did the exact same eyebrow movement when jumping up to a higher note on the saxophone. That cracked me up.

All of these commonalities between Kirill Poudavoff and Dexter Gordon go to show the power of imitation when it comes to reproducing an idol’s saxophone tone. All of these factors, go towards reproducing a tenor saxophone sound that is similar to Dexter Gordon’s sound. These are just the things we can see outwardly. I am sure there are many techniques Kirill has discovered through his years of practice and imitation of Dexter Gordon that have brought him closer to sounding like Dexter. Perhaps the position of his tongue, the puff of his cheeks, the strength of his reed and looseness of embouchure, etc……. All this reminds me of a Tony Robbins quote I read years ago: “If you want to be successful, find someone who has achieved the results you want and copy what they do and you’ll achieve the same results.” It looks to me like Kirill Poudavoff is doing just that. Kirill is still a young man and I for one, can’t wait to see where he goes from here.

KPoudavoff Zimberoff Dukoff Hollywood Copy Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece in Solid Silver

When I asked Kirill if I could try out some of his saxophone mouthpiece work, I had no idea that he would send me four 3-D printed tenor saxophone mouthpieces to check out. Here is what he sent me:

KPoudavoff Double Ring 7*- copy of an Otto Link 7* Florida Double Ring Super Tone Master
KPoudavoff Florida 7*- copy of an Otto Link 7* Florida Super Tone Master
KPoudavoff Zimberoff Hollywood 7*- copy of a Dukoff Hollywood Zimberoff 7* model
KPoudavoff Zimberoff Hollywood 6* (Dexter’s Curve)- copy of a Dukoff Hollywood Zimberoff (with Dexter Gordon’s 6* facing curve on it)

I have reviewed all of these tenor saxophone mouthpieces separately, one after the other, so you can get a complete sense of Kirill Poudavoff’s work.

KPoudavoff Zimberoff Dukoff Hollywood Copy Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece in Solid Silver

First, I have to start with the disclaimer that Kirill Poudavoff told me that he doesn’t make these 3-D printed tenor saxophone mouthpiece models any longer. Right now, at the time of this review, he is only making the tenor saxophone mouthpiece models listed above in solid silver for 750 dollars each. I have posted a few photos of the tenor mouthpieces in metal throughout this review so that you can see how the mouthpieces look in solid silver as well.

That being said, Kirill did say that these four 3-D printed tenor saxophone mouthpieces were a good representation of his work and played similarly to the solid silver versions of these mouthpieces.

The KPoudavoff Zimberoff Dukoff Hollywood 6* tenor saxophone mouthpiece has a similar engraving and lines on the shank as an original Zimberoff Dukoff Hollywood tenor mouthpiece but instead of having “Zimberoff Hollywood” engraved on the shank, it has “KPoudavoff Hollywood” engraved on the shank. The tip opening of 6* is engraved on the corner of the body to the right of the table with the initials DG (Dexter Gordon) next to the facing number.

KPoudavoff Zimberoff Dukoff Hollywood 6* Copy with Dexter’s Curve Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

I know these sanding marks will bother some of you, but I am not bothered in the least. In my mind, they don’t matter to me. What matters the most to me, is how the mouthpiece plays. I have played some horrendous looking mouthpieces over the years that played phenomenally, so I don’t necessarily care how perfect a mouthpiece looks on the inside or outside. I have also tried mouthpieces that looked absolutely stunning and perfect to the eye, that didn’t play well at all for me. I believe Kirill’s main focus is making a mouthpiece true to the original version while also making a mouthpiece that plays great. The cosmetic stuff is not as important. Don’t let appearances sway you from what’s most important, how do these KPoudavoff tenor saxophone mouthpieces play? My motto is “Don’t judge a mouthpiece until you play it!”

KPoudavoff Zimberoff Dukoff Hollywood 6* Copy with Dexter’s Curve Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

The KPoudavoff Zimberoff Dukoff Hollywood 6* tenor saxophone mouthpiece looks to have relatively even side rails. The tip rail looks well made and the tenor sax reeds I tried on this mouthpiece lined up perfectly with the tip rail curve. All the tenor saxophone reeds I tried on this mouthpiece sealed well when using the suction test.

I asked Kirill about the “Dexter Facing Curve” on this 6* mouthpiece and he responded, “Dexter’s 6* facing curve is the curve an 8 Otto Link tenor sax mouthpiece would probably have. The curve is very open towards the tip. Dexter’s curve is a longer curve, something you’d see on an 8 Otto Link tenor mouthpiece. I myself play 6* Hollywoods either with La Voz medium or Rico orange 3 tenor saxophone reeds.”-Kirill Poudavoff

When I asked Kirill where he got the measurements for Dexter’s curve, he replied, “From a Ted Klum mouthpiece and Sebastian Knox’s work. As he had been in the shop when Dexter’s mouthpiece was there.” ( I can find no information on the internet about Dexter’s facing curve nor the original Dukoff Hollywood 6* he played still existing out there somewhere but if anyone has information on this mouthpiece please let us know in the comments below)

*Hot Tip-I received this message from Sebastian Knox shortly after posting this review:

“I have to to add some info to make sure there is accuracy and transparency regarding the so-called” Dexter curve”. This facing curve information came after a collector/player came to Ted Klum stating that he had Dexter Gordon’s actual Dukoff Hollywood 6* tenor saxophone mouthpiece. He wanted lost wax copies of it for himself and for it not to be distributed as a production piece. Besides the words of this collector/player at the time (he has since passed away), there is no real way to verify that this was the actual mouthpiece Dexter used and by implication, neither can the facing be verified. Based off the words of this collector/player it seemed plausible at the time but there is no way to know with any certainty whether this was indeed Dexter Gordon’s Dukoff Hollywood tenor sax mouthpiece or just a random heavily refaced BD blank. This facing schedule was applied by request of Kirill Poudavoff when I did some refacing for him in the past and I assume the same facing is being applied here. For those who are interested, the facing had a irregular 27 mm facing length by my own assessment. It is a facing length I would more likely put on an 8* mouthpiece. The piece felt very interesting to play.”-Sebastian Knox

KPoudavoff Zimberoff Dukoff Hollywood 6* Copy with Dexter’s Curve Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece in Solid Silver

The KPoudavoff Zimberoff Dukoff Hollywood 6* tenor saxophone mouthpiece played great with Rigotti Gold saxophone reeds between 3 medium strength to the 3 strong strength for me. Since this mouthpiece is a 6* as opposed to the three KPoudavoff 7* models I have already reviewed, this mouthpiece didn’t play well with the softer 2 1/2 medium Rigotti Gold reeds I used for those reviews. That 2 1/2 medium reed felt way too soft.

The KPoudavoff Zimberoff Dukoff Hollywood 6* tenor sax mouthpiece is not an altered “Hollywood” or a “Hollywood” on steroids. Kirill Poudavoff has expressed his goal of making these tenor sax mouthpieces as close to the originals as he can possibly get them. This is an admirable goal and refreshing to hear from a young up and coming mouthpiece craftsman.

KPoudavoff Zimberoff Dukoff Hollywood Copy Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece in Solid Silver

The KPoudavoff Zimberoff Dukoff Hollywood 6* tenor saxophone mouthpiece played great for me. The intonation on the KPoudavoff Hollywood tenor saxophone mouthpiece was excellent on my Selmer Super Balanced Action (SBA) tenor saxophone. I believe it was even better than the KPoudavoff Double Ring and Florida tenor sax mouthpieces because the extra larger chamber and scoop in the run of the baffle into the chamber seemed to bring down the typically sharp middle range of my Selmer SBA tenor saxophone. The low notes were thick and full sounding and sub-toned beautifully and the altissimo range of the saxophone popped out nicely. I found the altissimo register much cleaner and prettier on the 6* than the 7* Dukoff Hollywood model.

Dexter Gordon on his Dukoff Hollywood 6* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

The KPoudavoff Zimberoff Dukoff Hollywood 6* tenor saxophone mouthpiece was very even and smooth throughout the range of the saxophone and the fast lines sounded great. In comparison to the KPoudavoff Double Ring tenor mouthpiece, which seemed like it had more of a warm smoothness within those fast lines and the Florida tenor mouthpiece that seemed to have more of an aggressive and crisp sound, the KPoudavoff Zimberoff Dukoff Hollywood had more of a fatness to the tone. I think the tone was more in line with the KPoudavoff Double Ring as far as where it sat on the dark to bright spectrum. Where the KPoudavoff Florida tenor sax mouthpiece was more focused in tone, the Hollywood mouthpiece seemed to have a much fatter tone while still having a nice focused core to the sound.

Compared the the KPoudavoff 7* Dukoff Hollywood Zimberoff mouthpiece, the 6* seemed to have a bit more centered core and focus to the tone than the 7* mouthpiece. Usually on a 6* tip opening, I feel like the mouthpiece is too closed for my tastes but with this mouthpiece I didn’t feel that at all. Maybe it was the longer facing curve or the unique Dexter facing curve but the 6* felt quite comfortable to me.

I also felt like the upper register of the saxophone as well as the altissimo notes on the 6* Dexter Curve Dukoff Hollywood tenor mouthpiece had a bit more fatness and roundness to the notes than the 7* Dukoff Hollywood model tenor sax mouthpiece.

KPoudavoff Zimberoff Dukoff Hollywood 6* Copy with Dexter’s Curve Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

I really dig a fatter tenor saxophone tone, so I absolutely loved that aspect of the tone with the Kpoudavoff Hollywood Zimberoff 6* tenor saxophone mouthpiece. I have always marveled at the fat and thick tenor saxophone tone of Dexter Gordon on his recordings. Dexter’s tone just sounded so huge and wide like he was filling up every corner of the room with his immense tenor sound.

Like I wrote in the review for the KPoudavoff 7* Dukoff Hollywood Zimberoff tenor mouthpiece, I believe I have more work to do with the KPoudavoff Hollywood 6* tenor sax mouthpiece as well. The extra large chamber and unique baffle shape makes me think that there are unexplored regions of sound to be discovered with this mouthpiece. That kind of exploration and discovery can only come with time and familiarity with a sax mouthpiece and although I have spent a few days with the KPoudavoff Zimberoff Hollywood 6* tenor saxophone mouthpiece, I believe spending a few months with this mouthpiece would really prove even more worthwhile as I get used to this unique mouthpiece design and how to get the most out of it.

KPoudavoff Zimberoff Dukoff Hollywood Copy Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece in Solid Silver

The sound clip below was recorded using a Rigotti Gold 3 medium tenor saxophone reed. I loved this reed because of the thick, rich, solid core and character you can hear in the tone. The upper register had a nice round brightness while still retaining that fat and full tone. You can also hear more brightness and edge in the tone when I push the volume of this mouthpiece but it seems like the brightness and volume always stays within the limits of that tight round core of tone. It seemed to me like the 6* Dexter Curve Dukoff Hollywood Zimberoff tenor mouthpiece kept more of it’s warm tone and wasn’t as bright and edgy as the 7* KPoudavoff Dukoff Hollywood Zimberoff mouthpiece when pushed to louder volumes. This quality would make the 6* mouthpiece great for jazz playing but I think the 7* model would give more brightness and volume for louder situations.

KPoudavoff Zimberoff Dukoff Hollywood 6* Copy with Dexter’s Curve Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

In my opinion, the KPoudavoff Zimberoff Dukoff Hollywood 6* tenor saxophone mouthpiece is a great tenor saxophone mouthpiece for those looking for a mouthpiece that is similar if not exact to a vintage Dukoff Hollywood Zimberoff tenor sax mouthpiece. (This is purely based on my confidence in Kirill’s knowledge and work as well as the fact that the Double Ring and Florida models were so close in design to the originals) Although, I have not personally tried a Dukoff Hollywood tenor sax mouthpiece, I have had multiple communications with Kirill about this model and he seems very knowledgeable about these rare tenor saxophone mouthpieces.

KPoudavoff Zimberoff Dukoff Hollywood Copy Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece next to an Original Dukoff Hollywood Zimberoff Tenor Mouthpiece

If you like the sound and look of the KPoudavoff Zimberoff Dukoff Hollywood 6* tenor saxophone mouthpiece with Dexter’s curve by Kirill Poudavoff, you can order one from Kirill himself by contacting him via his email at kpoudavoff@gmail.com.

Below that, is the master himself, Dexter Gordon, playing “Body and Soul” on his Dukoff Hollywood tenor saxophone mouthpiece. Be sure to check that video out as it is a real treat and has plenty of close-ups of Dexter’s embouchure. *Kirill Poudavoff also colorized this video which makes it look really cool as well.

If you are lucky enough to play a KPoudavoff Zimberoff Dukoff Hollywood Dexter Curve tenor saxophone mouthpiece or have any other thoughts or comments about this review, I would love to hear what you think in the comments below. Thanks, Steve

KPoudavoff Zimberoff Dukoff Hollywood 6* Copy with Dexter’s Curve Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece with no effects – Rigotti Gold 3 Medium Reed

Kirill Poudavoff playing “Days of Wine and Roses” on his Dukoff Zimberoff Hollywood Metal Copy Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

The master himself, Dexter Gordon on his Dukoff Hollywood Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece (Check out 1:56-3:00 for a full minute of close-ups of Dexter’s embouchure)

Original Zimberoff Dukoff Hollywood 6* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece with a close-up of Dexter’s embouchure

Today, I am reviewing another new Retro Revival tenor saxophone mouthpiece made by Joel Peskin and Bob Sheppard at Retro Revival. This is the Retro Revival Modern Line Cutting Edge tenor saxophone mouthpiece. This is a high baffled hard rubber tenor saxophone mouthpiece with an 8 tip opening designed in the spirit of the vintage Guardala tenor saxophone mouthpieces of the 1980’s.

If you take a look at the Retro Revival site, you will see that they now have 23 different saxophone mouthpiece models available. Last time I did a review of a Retro Revival saxophone mouthpiece, they only had seven mouthpiece models listed, so Retro Revival mouthpieces has been very busy since then.

Retro Revival Modern Line Cutting Edge 8 Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

The Retro Revival Modern Line Cutting Edge tenor saxophone mouthpiece is based off of the Retro Revival Seventh Avenue South metal tenor saxophone mouthpiece which is describes as a replica of an original 1980’s Guardala Michael Brecker II tenor saxophone mouthpiece that Joel Peskin owns. Here is some more details about the Seventh Avenue South model that the hard rubber Modern Line Cutting Edge model is based off of:

“The Seventh Avenue South model is a copy of my own personal MB II tenor sax mouthpiece that Dave Guardala made for me when he first started his operation in the 1980’s. He was making these choice tenor saxophone mouthpieces for Michael Brecker, Branford Marsalis, Tom Scott and others.

The Seventh Avenue South tenor sax mouthpiece has tons of power, core, and center. Not just edge. Unlike many other copies that are available on the market this is a direct replica from a hand made and hand picked mouthpiece by its creator Dave Guardala.

The Seventh Avenue South tenor sax mouthpiece blows very free and has a huge sound. The baffle is very responsive and just takes the air and turns out many RPMs of volume and sound! It has a larger chamber behind that hot baffle and you can produce a really warm fat sound or blow the windows open. This mouthpiece is ultra reed friendly and plays very well in tune. It’s a great mouthpiece for Jazz, Latin, R&B, Blues, etc. It has extreme power and a great tone.”

Retro Revival Modern Line Cutting Edge 8 Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

Here’s a quote from the Retro Revival website about the Modern Line Cutting Edge hard rubber tenor saxophone mouthpiece:

“The Cutting Edge tenor sax mouthpiece is a powerhouse. This higher baffle, medium shelf design produces balanced harmonics with enough cutting edge needed for any contemporary setting. Based on our Seventh Avenue South tenor saxophone mouthpiece, the hard rubber feel is extremely “reed friendly”, super fast responding and amazingly flexible. So impressive is the ease to produce the most subtle sub-tones to screaming rock volumes. You will discover a very special and fun playing experience with our high baffle design made from the highest quality german hard rubber. You can go anywhere on the Cutting Edge. Precision CNC milled, hand polished and quality controlled. Rovner Cap & Ligature are included.”

*If you are wondering what the difference between metal and hard rubber mouthpiece is or if there is a difference, you can check out this article: Does the mouthpiece material make a difference? Theo Wanne Gaia 3 Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece Comparison (That is not what this review is about, but I thought I would add the link for those interested).

Retro Revival Modern Line Cutting Edge 8 Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

Joel was kind enough to send me a Retro Revival Cutting Edge hard rubber tenor saxophone mouthpiece in an 8 tip opening to review. The Cutting Edge mouthpiece came in a strong cardboard cylinder to protect it while shipping. A Rovner ligature and mouthpiece cap were included with the Cutting Edge mouthpiece.

The mouthpiece has RR engraved on the top of the shank of the mouthpiece and “CUTTING EDGE” engraved length-wise on the top of the body. The bottom of the shank has “Modern Line” and the tip opening of 8 engraved.

The thickness of the mouthpiece is wider than a typical metal Guardala but not as wide as a typical hard rubber tenor saxophone mouthpiece. The size of the body looks to be more the size of a hard rubber alto saxophone mouthpiece or clarinet mouthpiece.

Due to this smaller mouthpiece size, ligatures that fit on typical hard rubber tenor sax mouthpieces would be too large for the Cutting Edge tenor saxophone mouthpiece. The Rovner mouthpiece ligature that comes with it fits fine but if you slide it too far back on the mouthpiece body, there is a danger that the tightening screw on the top of the ligature will make contact with the mouthpiece body and gouge into it when you tighten it, so be careful of that (I have gouged many a hard rubber mouthpiece with a Rovner ligature in my early days of saxophone playing).

I think a ligature built for hard rubber alto sax mouthpieces or clarinet mouthpieces would also work fine on the Retro Revival Cutting Edge mouthpiece. For the mouthpiece clips below, I used a Vandoren Optimum alto saxophone ligature. I think most alto saxophone or clarinet ligatures would do the job.

Retro Revival Modern Line Cutting Edge 8 Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

Upon inspection, the Modern Line Cutting Edge tenor sax mouthpiece table, rails and tip look beautiful, even and nicely crafted. The tip rail is very close to the shape of the different tenor saxophone reeds that I tried on the mouthpiece (Rigotti Gold and Vandoren Java reeds).

The Cutting Edge mouthpiece has a familiar looking high shelf baffle that Guardala mouthpieces were known for back in the day. The flat shelf of the baffle is 7/8’s of an inch long as it descend at a slight downward angle toward the ending edge of the shelf baffle. After that baffle edge, the baffle continues at a more aggressive decline into the medium chamber of the mouthpiece.

The bore diameter of the mouthpiece is larger than the chamber diameter and I would consider the chamber to be a medium sized chamber. The inner side walls of the mouthpiece are straight as they travel to the medium chamber.

In the photos below, it looks like the bore of the mouthpiece is smaller in diameter compared to the chamber but this is not true. If you look at the photo of the bore (four photos below this), you can see than the bore is wider than the chamber diameter.

Retro Revival Modern Line Cutting Edge 8 Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

The Retro Revival Modern Line Cutting Edge tenor sax mouthpiece played great with a Rigotti Gold 3 Light tenor saxophone reed. I did try some Rigotti Gold 2 1/2 Strong tenor sax reeds as well but they just felt a little too soft for the 8 tip opening for me. I think the 2 1/2 Strong sized reeds would probably have felt perfect on an 8* tip opening but for the 8 tip opening, the Rigotti Gold 3 Light reeds were definitely the best choice for me.

Retro Revival Modern Line Cutting Edge 8 Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

My first impression of the Cutting Edge tenor sax mouthpiece was that this mouthpiece had loads of power. It is definitely a brighter mouthpiece that can have a good amount of edge as well when you push it. The tone was solid, full sounding and substantial from the very first notes on the sound clips.

The volume was impressive in that even as I was playing with about 70% of my air, the mouthpiece was already playing at about a 10 on my volume scale. That leaves a lot of headroom for volume if you push your air more into that 70-100% range of air. For that reason, I think this would be a killer Rock n’ Roll, pop or funk mouthpiece.

The Retro Revival Cutting Edge tenor sax mouthpiece can do the Michael Brecker kind of tenor sax sound but it could also do the Clarence Clemons kind of tenor sax sound as well. It’s just got that wailing and powerful tenor sax vibe when you really lay into it.

Retro Revival Modern Line Cutting Edge 8 Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

The intonation was great for a high baffle mouthpiece and I didn’t have any issues intonation-wise with any of the notes throughout the range of the saxophone.

The Cutting Edge mouthpiece could sub-tone beautifully or you could put your full air into those low notes and really belt them out forcefully. The altissimo register came out effortlessly and the notes in that range were powerful and could have a brightness and edge if you desire it. The articulation was clean and precise throughout the range of the saxophone with notes coming out immediately and responsively.

Many times, with a high baffled mouthpiece I feel like it is hard to play jazz lines because the volume and power available is so flexible and sensitive to the slightest changes in the player’s air. Sometimes, with other high baffled mouthpieces, I can feel like I am playing at a 3 volume level and then when I push the air a little bit more, it feels like I jump to an 8 volume. I didn’t feel this extreme variance in volume with the Cutting Edge tenor saxophone mouthpiece though, the Cutting Edge mouthpiece felt like I could control the volume more gradually and when I pushed the air a little more from a 3, it would go to a 4, then 5, then 6, etc.

Retro Revival Modern Line Cutting Edge 8 Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

The Retro Revival Cutting Edge did have a good bit of edge in the tone when pushed which is why I envisioned it as a cool Rock ‘n Roll mouthpiece or funk tenor sax mouthpiece. In the first clip, you can hear moment where I push the volume a bit louder and the edge is increased along side the volume. The 2:32 and 2:53 marks are great examples of this increased edginess when the mouthpiece is pushed.

One characteristic that I really loved with the Retro Revival Cutting Edge tenor saxophone mouthpiece was how good it sounds with reverb added to the mix. The second clip has some of the altissimo lines I played in the first “dry” clip with some reverb added and I think the Cutting Edge mouthpiece sounds terrific. The added reverb just takes the “dry” brightness and edge of the sound and adds the perfect amount of fatness and roundness to the sound. I think this would be a great tenor sax mouthpiece to play on a gig where you really have to wail as a sax player and can add some effects to the sound to get that “studio” type sound out of it.

The third clip is me simply noodling around with the melody of “Tequila” a little bit. Notrhing complex or extravagant. I love the :22 mark of that clip as an example of having a bright edgy sound that is also thick and full sounding. Many times I categorize that type of tenor sax sound as being strong, tough and rugged sounding.

Retro Revival Modern Line Cutting Edge 8 Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

The Retro Revival Modern Line Cutting Edge tenor saxophone mouthpiece is a great playing tenor saxophone mouthpiece for those looking for a tenor sax mouthpiece that can really wail and cut through on a gig. It can really scream in the altissimo range of the saxophone but has enough fatness and depth to the sound that it doesn’t get thin in tone like many high baffled metal mouthpieces do in the high end. I really enjoyed how tough, gritty and “in-your-face” the Retro Revival Cutting Edge tenor mouthpiece could get when needed. I’ll say it again, if you are looking for a tenor sax mouthpiece to really wail on the gigs you are doing, then the Cutting Edge would be a great mouthpiece to try out.

If you read this review, listen to the clips, and decide the Retro Revival Modern Line Cutting Edge tenor sax mouthpiece is worth a try, you can purchase one on the Retro Revival website.

Congratulations to Joel Peskin and Bob Sheppard for making a wailing well crafted hard rubber mouthpiece reminiscent of a great Guardala tenor saxophone mouthpiece! Great Job!

Let me know your thoughts in the comments below and if you get a Retro Revival Modern Line Cutting Edge tenor saxophone mouthpiece, be sure to come back and let us know what you think below……..Thanks!!

Retro Revival Modern Line Cutting Edge 8 Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece-Rigotti Gold 3 Light Reed-No Effects

Retro Revival Modern Line Cutting Edge 8 Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece-Rigotti Gold 3 Light Reed-Altissimo Clip with Reverb Added

Retro Revival Modern Line Cutting Edge 8 Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece-Rigotti Gold 3 Light Reed-Tequilla Melody with Reverb Added

Today, I am reviewing an original and uniquely designed tenor saxophone mouthpiece named the “Geller Blackbird” that I received from Max Geller in Munich, Germany.

Max reached out to me a number of months ago to see if I was interested in trying his new Geller Blackbird tenor and alto saxophone mouthpieces. The drawings and photos he sent me of the designs of these two saxophone mouthpieces intrigued me enough that I was very curious to try these two mouthpieces out.

Geller Blackbird 7* Ebonite Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

What intrigued me about the design concept of the Geller Blackbird tenor saxophone mouthpiece was the flowing and smooth medium high baffle, the extra large chamber and the unique outward design of this mouthpiece.

As you look at the photos in this review, you will probably agree that the Geller Blackbird tenor saxophone mouthpiece has a very beautiful, modern and futuristic look to it. The side photo with the big fat body yet thinner beak profile really caught my attention as unique to the saxophone mouthpiece world.

Geller Blackbird 7* Ebonite Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

Here’s a quote from the Geller Mouthpiece website about the Geller Ebonite Blackbird mouthpieces:

“The new Geller Blackbird saxophone mouthpieces are made from German ebonite. The ergonomic design ensures the mouthpiece is suitable for all styles: the very shallow angle relaxes the throat muscles while the rounded edges reduce stress on the corners of the mouth. The mouthpieces have a gold-plated brass sleeve, which gives them a high level of stability in their tones. The blowing angle is flat and allows for a comfortable playing position. The chamber is oval-shaped. The ligature is also made of gold-plated brass.“-Max Geller

Geller Blackbird 7* Ebonite Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

The Geller Blackbird 7* tenor saxophone mouthpiece came well packaged and protected from Germany. The mouthpiece comes in a well made thick white box with the “G” gold logo on the lid and “Geller Ebonit” printed in Gold below the logo.

The bottom of the box has the tip opening of 7* listed as well as more exact measurements of 2.65 mm/.104 inch. Below the tip opening, the facing length is listed as 24mm as well as the description of the chamber as an “oval chamber”.

Inside the box, the Blackbird mouthpiece is nestled in a luxurious thick black velvet bag that has a red velvet interior. The bag feels and looks very classy.

Geller Blackbird 7* Ebonite Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

The Geller Blackbird tenor saxophone mouthpiece is absolutely beautiful to look at as you take it out of that lush velvet bag. The ebonite and gold are smooth and shiny with not an imperfection, fingerprint or smudge anywhere.

The tip, rails and table look flawlessly made and my tenor sax reeds lined up with the tip rail nicely. The outside curve of the tip rail on both sides has a more rounded profile suited to the tip shape of Vandoren reeds as opposed to the Rigotti reed cut that has a sharper decline at the outside corners of the reed tip. Regardless of this, both reeds sealed well on the Blackbird mouthpiece and performed excellently.

Geller Blackbird 7* Ebonite Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

The Geller Blackbird tenor sax mouthpiece has a beautifully smooth medium high and long baffle profile. The sidewalls look straight to my eyes with a scoop in the upper rear corners of the sidewalls as they approach the chamber area.

The chamber looks like an extra large chamber to me as it is larger in diameter than the bore of the mouthpiece. Max Geller describes the chamber as “oval” but as you look at the chamber from both ends of the mouthpiece, it looks round. If you look closer though, you will notice that the roof of the chamber, under the table, is scooped out and the bottom of the chamber has a pretty big scoop out of it as well. I believe that is what gives the chamber an “oval” shape even though it is hard to see.

This “oval” shaped chamber is most likely the reason that the Geller Blackbird tenor sax mouthpiece has such a unique outward body shape. If you look at the body from the top, it has a pretty slim profile but if you look at it from the side, the body profile is much fatter to allow that “oval” chamber shape inside the mouthpiece.

Geller Blackbird 7* Ebonite Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

The Geller Blackbird tenor sax mouthpiece also has a Gold shank to it that looks smooth and beautiful as well. As you can see in the photo below, the gold shank is not just sitting on the end of the mouthpiece but the gold plated brass is designed to line a good portion of the bore of the mouthpiece which I would think would take a bit of craftsmanship and artistry to do it so well.

Max describes the gold plated shank this way on his website:

“Blackbird tenor saxophone mouthpieces by Geller-Ebonit are provided with a gold-plated brass stud, which creates an extremely direct connection to the instrument.”-Max Geller

Geller Blackbird 7* Ebonite Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

As you can see in the side photos of the Geller Blackbird mouthpiece, the beak profile of the Blackbird is very low as compared to most hard rubber or resin tenor saxophone mouthpieces on the market. I wasn’t sure how I would feel about playing on a mouthpiece with a thinner beak like this but once I played on it for a little bit, it felt very comfortable to me (more comfortable than a typical hard rubber Otto Link beak profile …..at least for me).

Geller Blackbird 7* Ebonite Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

Max Geller also sent a beautifully crafted gold ligature with the Blackbird tenor mouthpiece. The contact points of the ligature to the reed are two raised bars. The ligature is not flimsy but made of rather thick brass. Although the screw does tighten and loosen the ligature to a degree, my one complaint about the ligature is that it is pretty tight on the mouthpiece body even with the screw all the way loosened. You can slide the ligature about 75% down the table before it tightens pretty firmly around the mouthpiece body. If you wanted the ligature placed more towards the back of the reed, you would have to push the ligature on further and my guess is that it would put marks on the body of the mouthpiece which really would be a shame for such a beautiful looking mouthpiece.

Geller Gold Ligature for the Blackbird Ebonite Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

Along with everything else, Max also sent a brand new Vandoren Java Red Box #3 tenor saxophone reed because he loves how this reed performs on the Blackbird tenor sax mouthpiece. I haven’t played a Vandoren Java Red reed in a very long time but I gave it a shot and it played great on the Geller Blackbird tenor mouthpiece.

Geller Blackbird 7* Ebonite Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

The first thought I had when first playing the Geller Blackbird tenor sax mouthpiece was: “Wow, that’s a pretty fat tenor saxophone sound!” The medium high and long baffle gives the tone some punch and brightness but the extra large chamber seems to really fatten up the tone nicely.

The tone has more of a pure sound to it than a grainy and textured tenor saxophone sound which I associate more with hard rubber Otto Links and mouthpieces designed like those Otto Links. The bottom range of the saxophone has a fatness that can be focused and pure or you can throw some sub-tone in there and the tone becomes more spread and lush sounding.

Geller Blackbird 7* Ebonite Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

The high notes add some nice brightness to the tone that could be shaped easily for more brightness or less within the fat tone. The altissimo range was easily attained once I got used to the mouthpiece. I will admit that in the first 30 seconds of trying to go into the altissimo range of the saxophone it felt very different. What I mean, is that my normal “voicing” for that range of the saxophone didn’t quite get me to the notes as easily as usual.

After a bit of playing up there, I realized that I just needed to “voice” those altissimo notes a little bit differently and then they popped right out. My guess is that I was probably feeling the difference of that extra large oval chamber. As you can hear in the clips, I soon forgot about this issue once I adjusted to the altissimo “voicing” that this setup needed.

Geller Blackbird 7* Ebonite Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

I found the Geller Blackbird tenor sax mouthpiece to have a unique sound that correlates to it’s unique design. At medium and softer volumes, the Geller Blackbird had a fat and spread tone that was lush and full sounding.

When more volume is added, the tone seemed to center and focus more as the tone becomes less spread and more solid and compact sounding.

The Geller Blackbird tenor mouthpiece articulated well and the intonation was within the normal parameters on my tenor saxophone.

As far as volume, the Geller Blackbird tenor mouthpiece could be pushed to a respectable volume. It is certainly not a “paint peeler”, but it seems to me that Max Geller has designed this Blackbird tenor sax mouthpiece to blend a fatness of tone with power and added brightness in just the right combination. I think it sounds great with the reverb added on the altissimo sound clip.

Geller Blackbird 7* Ebonite Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

If you read this review, listen to the clips, and decide the Geller Blackbird Ebonite tenor sax mouthpiece is worth a try, you can purchase one on the Geller website.

Congratulations to Max Geller for designing and creating a beautifully well crafted tenor saxophone mouthpiece that is indeed unique and original. In this day and age where they say everything has been done and there is nothing new, Max Geller has thought outside the box and created a mouthpiece that is different from all the rest in my opinion.

Let me know your thoughts in the comments below and if you get a Max Geller Blackbird tenor saxophone mouthpiece, be sure to come back and let us know what you think in the comments below……..Thanks!!

Geller Blackbird 7* Ebonite Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece-Vandoren Java Red Box 3 Reed-No Effects

Geller Blackbird 7* Ebonite Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece-Vandoren Java Red Box 3 Reed-Altissimo Clip with Reverb Added

Today, I am reviewing another tenor saxophone mouthpiece from SYOS mouthpieces in France. This is the SYOS “Take the A” signature model 8* tenor saxophone mouthpiece which is modeled after the old SYOS Chad LB model which I reviewed in the past (Chad LB SYOS mouthpiece review).

The SYOS company hit the saxophone mouthpiece scene a number of years ago and immediately caught the world’s attention by producing these really bright colored 3D printed saxophone mouthpieces. I must admit, that at first, I was very skeptical of plastic 3D mouthpieces, but after reviewing quite a few SYOS mouthpieces (20 SYOS mouthpiece reviews to date), I have come to respect the SYOS business model and the quality and playability of the SYOS saxophone mouthpieces I have played.

SYOS “Take the A” 8* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

This “Take the A” signature model tenor saxophone mouthpiece I am reviewing today is dark blue and is an 8* tip opening. Although, I requested the 8* tip opening and the dark blue color for this mouthpiece review, the SYOS “Take the A” tenor sax mouthpiece can come in any of nine tip openings from 5-9 and in a variety of ten attention getting colors.

As I wrote earlier, the SYOS “Take the A” tenor saxophone mouthpiece is based off of the SYOS Chad LB model that I first reviewed years ago SYOS Chad LB Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece Review. The Chad LB model is no longer in production as Chad has moved on to create his own line of mouthpieces but the SYOS “Take the A” is the same design and specifications as the original Chad LB model. Here is what SYOS writes in the description of the “Take the A” tenor saxophone mouthpiece:

“Our best seller is back! This mouthpiece has changed its name but not its quality! Based on the mouthpiece we designed a few years ago for Chad Lefkowitz-Brown (Chad LB), this mouthpiece will give you edge and power with a nice amount of brightness.”-SYOS website

SYOS “Take the A” 8* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

Before we get to the playing of the SYOS “Take the A” tenor sax mouthpiece, let me give you a few tidbits of info from the SYOS website on these SYOS saxophone mouthpieces.

First, you choose what saxophone you play. Soprano, Alto, Tenor or Bari Sax
Second, you choose whether you are a beginner, intermediate or professional sax player
Third, you choose what type of music you play (you can pick more than one category)
Fourth, this is the coolest part, you choose your sound preferences. There is a slider for tone that goes from very dark to very bright. You can choose where in that tone spectrum you feel you would like to be. There is also a slider to choose how powerful you want to be. The slider goes from soft to powerful. Now here’s the coolest part because as you are reading this you might be confused about how you might choose what you want or you might be confused about what your preferences are. SYOS gives you a bunch of examples with sound clips! How cool is that? The following list of player are listed and rated for tone and power. Ben Webster, Chris Potter, Coleman Hawkins, Dexter Gordon, Joe Henderson, Michael Brecker, Sonny Rollins, Stan Getz and Wayne Shorter. (Can I just point out at this point, how awesome Chris Potter must feel about being included in this list!)
You click “Submit” and wait by your mailbox for your custom mouthpiece that will answer all your dreams to be delivered.

SYOS “Take the A” 8* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

Here is a few comments about the material SYOS mouthpieces are made from in case you are curious:

And finally, here is a quote about the manufacturing process and how the minute details affect your tone which I found interesting:

SYOS “Take the A” 8* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

Ok, so let’s get to the “Take the A” tenor saxophone mouthpiece I received. The “Take the A” mouthpiece came in the usual SYOS drawstring bag and was well protected in the package it came in. SYOS sent a dark blue slide on ligature with the mouthpiece as well although I used a Vandoren Optimum ligature on the mouthpiece for the sound clips just because I like to have the ability to move the ligature around and adjust the tightness of it.

The “Take the A” tenor saxophone mouthpiece felt really light as you would expect a plastic mouthpiece to feel. The table had a little bit of texture to it that you can see with the eye but the table feels smooth to the touch when I slide my finger over it. Whatever process they use to make these sax mouthpieces does leave some slight texture marks on the mouthpiece. You can see fine lines going across the table and fine lines going down the baffle as if the machine that cut the mouthpieces left these lines on the plastic. This texture does not effect the sealing of the reed to the mouthpiece on all the SYOS mouthpieces I have reviewed so I personally wouldn’t worry about it.

SYOS “Take the A” 8* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

The SYOS “Take the A” tenor saxophone mouthpiece looks well made. The table, rails and tip rail look even to the eye. The curve of the tip rail matches pretty closely with the curve of my tenor saxophone reeds. The outside corners of the tip rail do extend a tiny bit further than the width of the reed but it is nothing to be concerned with as the reed passes the suction test perfectly.

The baffle is what I would consider a high baffle that is about 5/8ths of an inch long. At that point, it meets a curved edge and then the baffle continues at a greater angle down towards the rear of the mouthpiece chamber. That baffle slope, through the chamber, has a slight curve to it from side to side and the baffle floor narrows as it descends towards the baffles termination at the rear of the chamber.

SYOS “Take the A” 8* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

I would describe the mouthpiece chamber as a medium or even medium-small chamber. From the bore end of the mouthpiece, the chamber looks smaller than a typical Otto Link sized chamber. When you look from the front of the mouthpiece, it is pretty easy to see how the baffle cuts through the chamber floor to make the chamber even smaller. The mouthpiece chamber is definitely smaller in diameter than the bore of the mouthpiece. The sidewalls are scooped out nicely from the tip heading towards the chamber area.

There is an engraved S (SYOS) on the top of the sax mouthpiece and a “Take the A Mouthpiece” signature on the side of the saxophone mouthpiece. Usually, the tip opening is marked on the bottom side of the shank of the mouthpiece on SYOS mouthpieces but this mouthpiece does not have a tip opening engraved on it for some reason.

SYOS “Take the A” 8* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

The first tenor saxophone reed I tried on the SYOS “Take the A” tenor saxophone mouthpiece was a Rigotti Gold 2 1/2 strong tenor saxophone reed. That is usually the strength reed I would use on an 8* tip opening but that reed was way too soft for me. I next tried a Rigotti Gold 3 light reed which played very nicely. The first two recording below were recorded with this reed.

The second two sound clips were done with a slightly harder Rigotti Gold 3 medium tenor saxophone reed. I included these sound clips because the 3 medium reed played nicely as well and gave the tone and response a bit of a different flavor that some might like better than the 3 light reed.

SYOS “Take the A” 8* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

I have to admit, I don’t remember much about the SYOS Chad LB model since I reviewed it a little over four years ago (before Covid was a word in our vocabulary). I remember that the Chad LB model was pretty bright and powerful when pushed and that it played easily for me but that is about it.

Since I don’t remember the details about that mouthpiece, I am not going to try to compare the new “Take the A” SYOS mouthpiece to the old one except in generalities. I will take SYOS’s word that it is the same design as that old Chad LB model tenor saxophone mouthpiece.

SYOS “Take the A” 8* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

I found the tone of the SYOS “Take the A” signature tenor saxophone mouthpiece to be similar in power and brightness as I remember the old SYOS Chad LB mouthpiece being. The tone had a substantial mass to it that I found tough sounding and thick when pushed.

The higher baffle and smaller chamber definitely gives the “Take the A” mouthpiece a ton of power and focus when the mouthpiece is pushed. One of the best attributes of this mouthpiece is that the high notes and altissimo notes didn’t get all thin and weak sounding. They still retained a thick, full core to their tone and sounded meaty and strong.

Usually, mouthpieces with this type of baffle and chamber have a low end that is wanting, but the SYOS “Take the A” tenor saxophone mouthpiece had a focused and fat low range of the saxophone that I really enjoyed. When the low end is played with volume the low notes are thick, full and focused. On the other end of the spectrum, the low end could also provide a lush sub-tone that was very beautiful and expressive.

SYOS “Take the A” 8* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

I do play a few more R&B style lines on these sound clips and I think the SYOS “Take the A” saxophone mouthpiece would absolutely kill on those types of gigs. It has the power and crisp brightness to really cut through the mix in those loud playing situations in my opinion and the altissimo range of the sax just cranks!

As usual with my reviews, I have included two sets of sound clips below. Each set of sound clips has a clip with reverb added which I usually prefer for high baffled mouthpieces and one clip that has no reverb on it so you can hear how the SYOS “Take the A” sounds dry (without effects of any sort).

I personally prefer the sound clips with reverb as that sound is most likely what I would use in a live playing situation. The reverb sound clips also give you an idea of how the SYOS “Take the A” might sound in a big hall, bathroom or garage with a robust natural reverb going on.

SYOS Take the A 8* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

If you like the sound and look of the “Take the A” signature model tenor saxophone mouthpiece by SYOS, you can find them at the SYOS website. (Neffmusic also gets a small commission from each sale when you use this link which helps support this website).

The SYOS “Take the A” tenor saxophone mouthpiece is a great mouthpiece that can really wail for modern pop and funk playing but also can be flexible enough to play in a jazz setting if you like a brighter jazz tenor saxophone tone (Ex. Bob Berg, Michael Brecker and Chad LB). Check out my sound clips below of the SYOS “Take the A” tenor saxophone mouthpiece and decide for yourself if it might be worth a try for you.

If you have played or end up playing a SYOS “Take the A” Signature tenor saxophone mouthpiece or have any other thoughts or comments about this review, I would love to hear what you think in the comments below. Thanks, Steve

*I introduce the clips by stating that this is the “Take the A Train” tenor sax mouthpiece but that is incorrect. The correct name is the “Take the A” mouthpiece.

SYOS “Take the A” Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece-Rigotti Gold 3 Light Reed-Reverb Added

SYOS “Take the A” Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece-Rigotti Gold 3 Light Reed-(Same clip as above but with no effects added)

SYOS “Take the A” Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece-Rigotti Gold 3 Medium Reed-Reverb Added

SYOS “Take the A” Saxophone Mouthpiece-Rigotti Gold 3 Medium Reed-(Same clip as above but with no effects added)

Today, I am reviewing an exciting new tenor saxophone mouthpiece from 10mFan saxophone mouthpieces that is designed with a new innovative octagon shaped chamber by 3-D technology. This is the 10mFan Cabernet 7* tenor saxophone mouthpiece. I have already reviewed a number of great 10mFan tenor, alto and soprano saxophone hard rubber mouthpieces in the past that you can find here as well as the great playing 10mFan Fireball alto saxophone mouthpiece that is made with the same 3-D technology as this 10mFan Cabernet tenor saxophone mouthpiece.

10mFan Cabernet Octagon Series Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

This will be the first 10mFan tenor saxophone mouthpiece I am reviewing that is made with this new 3-D technology as well as the first tenor saxophone mouthpiece I have ever tried with an octagon shaped chamber so I am very curious to see what Mark Sepinuck at 10mFan came up with in regard to this new Octagon Series Cabernet tenor saxophone mouthpiece.

Whenever Mark Sepinuck, at 10mFan mouthpieces, comes out with a new saxophone mouthpiece model, I am always really excited to try it out because all of his 10mFan saxophone mouthpieces that I have tried have been great! Mark is always thinking about how he can meet the needs of the sax playing community with new, uniquely designed and originally crafted saxophone mouthpieces and this new 10mFan Octagon Series of saxophone mouthpieces is no exception to Mark’s standard for using innovative and original designs for each of his saxophone mouthpieces.

Mark sent me a 10mFan Fireball 6 & 7 alto saxophone mouthpiece and a 10mFan Cabernet 7* tenor saxophone mouthpiece to try out. The mouthpieces came well packaged in sturdy cardboard tubes to protect them during shipping. This review is of the 10mFan Cabernet 7* tenor saxophone mouthpiece.

10mFan Cabernet Octagon Series Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

The first surprise about these mouthpieces as I unpacked them was how solid and weighty they are. Many of the other 3-D mouthpieces on the market that I have reviewed have been very light in weight compared to hard rubber mouthpieces of the same size and shape but these new 10mFan Octagon Series mouthpieces felt as solid and weighty as a hard rubber saxophone mouthpiece to me.

Here’s a description of the new 10mFan Octagon Series saxophone mouthpieces from the 10mFan website:

“The most revolutionary and proprietary saxophone mouthpiece chamber design in the marketplace! If you know anything about saxophone mouthpiece design, most of the magic happens at the chamber!!!

That’s why all of my German barstock 10MFAN hard rubber sax mouthpieces play different than any of the vintage saxophone mouthpieces. They don’t blow like a Link or a Berg or a Meyer or any other sax mouthpiece, because of the internal designs, including the chambers. They may not appear super different to you, to your eye, but there’s a lot going on there.…. and that’s why my sax mouthpieces sound and blow like 10MFAN mouthpieces, and NOTHING else.

I wanted to take that further with these 3-D printed mouthpieces, and actually do a super unique chamber design with a totally different shape, size, and added “chamber panels”, that have never been attempted before in the mouthpiece world.

These are saxophone mouthpieces using state of the art 3-D technology and design. These are not done on cheap home machines. These mouthpieces have real weight (they actually weigh more than my hard rubber mouthpieces), a truly unique octagon chamber with “chamber panels” all around on the inside of the chamber, and are 100% infill, so they are stable. This proprietary design concept has never been done in the saxophone mouthpiece world, and it continues to carry on with my 10MFAN design commitment to innovation over imitation.

I have tried many different shapes with the chambers and the octagon chamber was a dream come true. Those of us who got to try these designs here with both a normal round chamber and octagon chamber felt the same exact way too. The octagon chamber with “chamber panels” sounded phenomenal with added clarity and speed. The totally unique chamber and chamber panels give the throat a squeeze like nothing else in the marketplace, ever before. The combination of the sound bouncing off of the “chamber panels”, how the air interacts with the chamber, the size and shape of the chamber, the totally unique “squeeze” throat using 3-D technology has allowed me to make this unique internal design.

I design mouthpieces and I know when something plays great and when the designs work great…..and these two mouthpieces both play great and the designs work fantastic!!!!-Mark Sepinuck

The 10mFan Cabernet tenor saxophone mouthpiece is available in 6 tip openings:

6* – .095
7 – .100
7* – .105
8 – .110
8* – .115
9* – .125

10mFan Cabernet Octagon Series Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

Here’s a more specific description of the Cabernet tenor saxophone mouthpiece from the 10mFan website:

“This mouthpiece was designed for a killer straight ahead classic tenor saxophone sound, with lots of warmth, really good power, nice resistance to push against, and FOCUS. But, it can also be used for pop music which is blowing everyone’s minds right now, because the baffle is low and people don’t understand how I could make a mouthpiece that could do this with this design.That’s what making innovative original designs is all about!!! Because of that focus, the intonation is locked in. If you want less resistance, just go to a softer reed.
Think Bob Berg, Pharoah Sanders, Coltrane, focus! It’s incredibly heartwarming to be able to put out this mouthpiece because it is so different from all my 10MFAN hard rubber mouthpieces. This mouthpiece will have more focus like a vintage metal Otto Link…. and for me, more power and body available.

There are lots of fat sounding tenor mouthpieces out there, and my hard rubber 10MFAN mouthpieces certainly fit in that category, but I’ve been asked by many players over the years to put out something that has much more focus, where the sound stays right in front of the player, and doesn’t get spread…..but still with a really big sound available when you want it! So here it is!!!!!

The Cabernet has resonance, fullness, focus, and power. It won’t be as wide sounding as a Slant or a Reso Chamber, because that’s NOT what I wanted here. I wanted more focus with this mouthpiece, but also really good power. This is different from anything I’ve put out, and I’m very excited about it. This mouthpiece has a low rollover baffle that allows for so much beauty in the sound, but still with plenty of presence and sparkle to carry that beautiful, rich classic tenor saxophone sound.

The vintage Otto Link players who wish their sound had more focus to it rather than spread, will LOVE this piece. This mouthpiece is going to please players who are using a whole TON of different straight ahead tenor mouthpieces. This mouthpiece just KILLS!-Mark Sepinuck

10mFan Cabernet Octagon Series Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

The new 10mFan Cabernet tenor saxophone mouthpiece has the traditional three rings on the shank that all of the 10mFan saxophone mouthpieces have but they are only on the bottom of the shank and are not white. It also has “10mFan” and “Octagon Series” engraved on the top of the mouthpiece. On the bottom corners of the mouthpiece next to the mouthpiece table is engraved “Cabernet” on one corner and “7*” on the other corner.

The mouthpiece looks great and right up to the normal everyday 10mFan standards of excellence. From day one, Mark Sepinuck has been very serious about producing top of the line saxophone mouthpieces of the highest standards. Even though this Cabernet tenor sax mouthpiece is made with a new 3-D technology, the Cabernet still holds up to the standards that matter in regard to the way the mouthpiece plays. The table, rails, tip and baffle area all look perfectly balanced, even and precise. In fact, these mouthpieces, like the 10mFan hard rubber mouthpieces, are all finished by the expert mouthpiece refacers, Brian Powell and Erik Greiffenhagen.

10mFan Cabernet Octagon Series Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

The table, rails and tip rail look as good as any hard rubber mouthpiece I have seen and the surface area of these areas are as smooth and precise as a hard rubber mouthpiece. The baffle is glossy smooth for the first 1/4 inch of baffle and then there is some texture to the material from that point of the baffle down into the chamber of the mouthpiece. Mark address this fact in his description of the mouthpiece where he writes:

“The tables are flat, and the rails are symmetrical and measure properly. The baffles are hand worked so that the mouthpieces play their best. We do not remove all the 3-D lines on the inside floor of the mouthpiece because there is no need to remove more material, when the mouthpieces play perfect after they are hand finished. (To continue to grind the floor makes no sense, so we don’t do that).”-Mark Sepinuck

10mFan Cabernet Octagon Series Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

The 10mFan Cabernet tenor saxophone mouthpiece is what I would consider a low baffle mouthpiece with a nice gradual rollover to the baffle in that first 1/4 inch. After the rollover, the baffle then continues at an angle down to the rear of the mouthpiece chamber where it levels out. As the baffle travels to the bottom of the octagon shaped chamber, it narrows along the way.

The sidewalls on either side of the baffle feel slightly scooped out when I touch them with my fingers. Even though the sidewalls feel like they have a slight scoop to them, as the sidewalls travel inwards as they approach the octagon chamber and the baffle floor narrows, these two factors give the Cabernet mouthpiece a “squeezed throat” as Mark describes above and as you can see in the next two photos below.

10mFan Cabernet Octagon Series Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

The chamber of the 10mFan Cabernet tenor mouthpiece is indeed an Octagon shape having eight sides to the chamber. This is indeed original and unique to the mouthpiece world as I have never seen a tenor sax mouthpiece with this octagon shaped chamber before.

The octagon shape to the chamber area stops where it meets the round bore of the mouthpiece. Obviously, this is necessary for the 10mFan Octagon Series Cabernet tenor sax mouthpiece to fit onto a round neck cork.

One of the best attributes to the 10mFan line of saxophone mouthpieces are the precise facing curves used on each mouthpiece. Mark uses the best mouthpiece craftsman in the business to fine tune every mouthpiece and make sure the facing curves are perfect. A perfectly balanced and even facing curve allows more reeds to play consistently and favorably and that was my experience with the Cabernet tenor saxophone mouthpiece.

*As a side note, I want to write how impressed I am with Mark’s commitment to excellence. He could have just chosen to mass produce these 3-D mouthpieces and sell them as is to the masses for a cheaper price point without any hand work. But instead, he is sticking with his business model of sending every mouthpiece to Brian Powell and Erik Greiffenhagen to have them put the finishing touches on each mouthpiece and to make sure the areas that matter the most in relation to playing are fine tuned and as perfect as can be.

10mFan Cabernet Octagon Series Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

The 10mFan Cabernet tenor sax mouthpiece played great with a Rigotti Gold 2 1/2 strong tenor saxophone reed on it. Playing the Cabernet sax mouthpiece was a very unique experience for me as it has a unique feel and response to it when compared to a typical round chamber tenor sax mouthpiece. I assume this is because of the octagon chamber shape of the Cabernet mouthpiece coupled with the squeezed throat.

I have provided four sound clips below (more than I usually do) because I felt like the Cabernet tenor sax mouthpiece played and sounded different when played at a softer volume as compared to a louder volume and I wanted to provide those sound clips so that you also could hear the difference in the sound between the clips.

At a softer more laid back volume, the Cabernet sounded warmer and had a lushness to the tone that I really enjoyed. It was full and focused but it sounded and felt like the tone was wrapped in a nice velvety blanket at times. Like the outside edges of the tone were soft and buttery to me without being spread sounding. The tone seemed to sit in that midway point between dark and bright to me and could be leaned either way depending on what I wanted from the tone. You can hear what I am describing here in the 3rd and 4th sound clips I think.

10mFan Cabernet Octagon Series Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

When I played the Cabernet at medium to full volume (1st and 2nd sound clips), it sounded and felt like the Cabernet mouthpiece became even more focused like the increased air being blown was having to travel through that squeezed throat and the focus, volume, power and brightness were multiplied. In the first clip, I can hear a bit more edge and brightness in the tone that leans towards a more Coltranesque type of tenor saxophone tone that I don’t hear as much in the softer volumes of sound clips 3 & 4.

When recording sound clip #2 (Wailing Altissimo), I made my self laugh when I recorded because I played for about a minute, then stopped and thought, “How high is this baffle again?” I took the reed off the mouthpiece and looked at the baffle while shaking my head because the baffle looked pretty low to my eyes. I was surprised I could get that much brightness and power out of the Cabernet with that low of a baffle profile. It is amazing what effect a squeezed mouthpiece throat can have!

I felt like that squeezed throat and focus of the Cabernet really allowed me to shape the tone in that altissimo range of the tenor saxophone so that I could more easily manipulate the notes in that range of the saxophone when compared to a mouthpiece with a more spread tone. I think you can hear this clearly in sound clip #2 entitled “Wailing Altissimo” by how expressive and effortless the lines sound. At least, that was my experience while playing and then listening back to sound clip #2.

10mFan Cabernet Octagon Chamber Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

The 10mFan Cabernet tenor saxophone mouthpiece also played great when playing faster jazz lines. The tone was smooth and even from note to note and the articulation was precise and crisp for me. I love how the Cabernet sounded on “Moose the Mooche” on the 3rd clip at the :36-:50 mark of the clip but I also dig how “Donna Lee” sounded on the 1st sound clip at 2:14-2:28 at a super fast speed. On most mouthpieces, I would have to slur the lines at that speed and was pleasantly surprised that I could still use jazz articulation on those lines even at that really fast tempo. I usually can’t do that on most mouthpieces at that speed.

The low notes were nice and round sounding on the recording and sounded beautiful and fat with some sub-tone added to those notes. On the 4th sound clip with reverb, you can hear me go down to sub-tone low Bb a couple of times and fade out the note to ppp with no issues what-so-ever.

The intonation on the Cabernet tenor sax mouthpiece was terrific and the pitch felt locked in and stable on my Selmer Super Balanced Action tenor saxophone.

As usual, I posted two clips with reverb added to them so you can hear what the 10mFan Cabernet tenor saxophone mouthpiece might sound like with reverb added. This is actually very close to how it sounds if I played it in my garage, basement or bathroom. I love how the Cabernet sounds with the reverb, but it sounds just as good on the sound clips with no effects in my opinion. These two clips with reverb are unique and not just taken from the “no effects” clips so worth a listen I think.

10mFan Cabernetl Octagon Series Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

If you like the sound and look of the 10mfan Octagon Series Cabernet tenor saxophone mouthpiece, you can order one of them from Mark Sepinuck at 10mFan.com. I think this is a terrific all-round tenor saxophone mouthpiece choice for those of you who want a more focused tenor sax mouthpiece that can cover all the bases. I would love playing a jazz gig or even a Top 40 gig on the 10mFan Cabernet tenor saxophone mouthpiece and recording these sound clips for this review was so much fun. You can listen to the clips below and decide for yourself. I think they speak louder than any words I can write in this review……..

If you have any questions about the Cabernet model tenor sax mouthpiece or any of the other 10mFan mouthpieces, you can contact Mark Sepinuck through his website. Mark Sepinuck is a treasure trove of information about saxophone mouthpieces and is quite happy to answer any questions you might have about them.

*If you have played or end up playing a 10mFan Cabernet tenor saxophone mouthpiece or have any other thoughts or comments about this review, I would love to hear what you think in the comment section below this review. Thanks, Steve

*To hear the most detail from these clips it is best to listen to them from a computer with nice audio speakers or headphones rather than from an iPhone or laptop speakers. It makes a world of difference!

1.) 10mFan Cabernet Octagon Series Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece-Rigotti Gold 2 1/2 Strong Reed-Full Sound with No Effects

2.) 10mFan Cabernet Octagon Series Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece-Rigotti Gold 2 1/2 Strong Reed-Wailing Altissimo with Reverb Added

3.) 10mFan Cabernet Octagon Series Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece-Rigotti Gold 2 1/2 Strong Reed-More Mellow and Laid Back Playing with No Effects

4.) 10mFan Cabernet Octagon Series Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece-Rigotti Gold 2 1/2 Strong Reed-Laid Back Bluesy Playing with Reverb Added

Today, I am excited to be reviewing the new BSS (Boston Sax Shop) E-Series 7* tenor saxophone mouthpiece released by Jack Tyler at the Boston Sax Shop.

I have already reviewed the excellent Boston Sax Shop S-Series tenor sax mouthpiece and the Boston Sax Shop R-Series tenor sax mouthpiece. Both of which I was very impressed with. When I heard of the new BSS E -Series tenor saxophone mouthpieces Jack was developing, I had to try one!

Boston Sax Shop E-Series 7* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

Jack Tyler is the owner of Boston Sax Shop and has been my saxophone repairman for the last ten years. I usually head down to Boston about once a year for Jack to check out my saxophones and while he is giving them a look over, he always gives me the inside scoop on all the saxophone gossip around the world as well as updates on the new saxophone gear that he is working on. Of course, I always let him know about the latest saxophone goodies sitting on my desk waiting for a review as well.

Besides being a phenomenal repairman, craftsman and incredibly fashionable fellow, Jack is always up to some new saxophone related endeavor. Whether it be straps, cases, ligatures, saxophone necks, reed cases, reeds, etc….. Jack always seems like he has a new project on the horizon.

The other quality I have always loved about Jack is that he is a straight shooter. You ask him a question and he tells you exactly what he thinks whether it helps him get a sale or not. I love this about him!

Boston Sax Shop E-Series 7* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

The Boston Sax Shop E-Series 7* tenor saxophone mouthpiece is described by Jack as being a reference to the “Early Babbitt” Otto Link tenor saxophone mouthpieces of the past. From what I understand from Jack, he wanted to capture the essence, sound and power of the vintage Early Babbitt tenor saxophone mouthpieces but without sacrificing evenness of tone. To quote Jack:

“Modern players playing the Boston Sax Shop E-series can enjoy more of the power and brightness that these mouthpieces deliver when playing in a louder setting but still get the lushness and warmth required in a more intimate jazz setting.”-Jack Tyler

Here is how Jack Tyler describes the Boston Sax Shop E-Series 7* tenor saxophone mouthpiece on his website at BostonSaxShop.com:

“The E Series is the all-rounder, the tenor sax mouthpiece that can both cut through a loud band but still whisper sub-tones on a ballad. Inspired by the tonal characteristics of the coveted ‘Early Babbit’ transitional Otto Links, I really wanted to find that perfect balance of brilliance and warmth that the best vintage tenor sax mouthpieces have. The end result (after many many prototypes) ended up with a interior profile that utilizes a unique longer roll over baffle. As opposed to the shorter and higher baffles found in the vintage EB models, I find the gentle roll over shape to provides an equal amount of power without sacrificing evenness which is so important to me. The end result is once again, incredibly versatile: punchy, warm and easy to play.”-Jack Tyler

Boston Sax Shop R-Series 7* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

The Boston Sax Shop E-Series 7* tenor saxophone mouthpiece is made of quality hard rubber. You can smell a little bit of that hard rubber smell that you typically smell on vintage hard rubber mouthpieces when you hold one up to your nose.

The mouthpiece has the BSS logo engraved in white on the top of the mouthpiece. The tip opening of 7* is not machine engraved on the mouthpiece but is hand engraved on the left corner of the body next to the butt end of the table. “Made in the USA” in engraved on the bottom of the bore of the mouthpiece.

Each of the Boston Sax Shop tenor saxophone mouthpieces (there are three models at the time of this review: the S, R and E Series) have different stylish designs around the shank of each mouthpiece. I like how each model has a different design. The BSS E-Series tenor sax mouthpiece has two white lines with a row of circles between the lines encircling the shank of the saxophone mouthpiece.

Boston Sax Shop E-Series 7* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

The Boston Sax Shop E-Series 7* tenor saxophone mouthpiece looks great to the eye. The tip, rails and table look even, flat, precise and well crafted. The mouthpiece tip rail and side rails are even and thin, and the shape of the tip rail perfectly matches the curve of the BSS (Boston Sax Shop) saxophone reeds I used on the E-Series mouthpiece.

The baffle of the Boston Sax Shop E-Series 7* tenor saxophone mouthpiece is a medium height, long and gradual rollover baffle. The floor of the baffle during the decent is slightly curved from side to side and the scooped-out sidewalls on either side of the baffle floor come inward as the baffle travels down into the chamber.

The BSS E-Series mouthpiece chamber looks to be what I would consider a large sized chamber similar to a typical hard rubber Otto Link sized chamber. The roof of the mouthpiece chamber under the table is thin at the start but then the roof angles down slightly as it travels through the chamber area to the bore.

Boston Sax Shop E-Series 7* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

The diameter and beak profile of the Boston Sax Shop E-Series 7* tenor saxophone mouthpiece is very close to the diameter and beak profile of a typical hard rubber Otto Link tenor saxophone mouthpiece.

All of my saxophone ligatures that fit comfortably on hard rubber Otto Link tenor saxophone mouthpieces fit on the Boston Sax Shop E-Series 7* tenor saxophone mouthpiece. I chose to use the Boston Sax Shop Gold Superlative ligature that I reviewed last year for this review.

Boston Sax Shop E-Series 7* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

I found the BSS (Boston Sax Shop) Black Label and Silver Label #3 and #3 1/2 strength tenor saxophone reeds to play very well on this 7* E-Series tenor saxophone mouthpiece. The BSS #3 reeds worked great right out of the box. I could just slap one on the mouthpiece after wetting it and play.

The #3 1/2 reeds were a bit stiffer as you would expect and I had to play for a little bit and break them in before they were perfect for me. Those three BSS reeds were hard enough to give some healthy resistance to blow against while not being so hard that it felt stuffy or too resistant to me.

I added the BSS Black Label 3 1/2 reed sound clip after I drove down to the Boston Sax Shop to have Jack replace a pad that had fallen out of my tenor sax. I was curious how the E-series tenor mouthpiece would sound with BSS 3 1/2 reeds as well and Jack was nice enough to hook me up with some 3 1/2 reeds to try for this review.

In keeping with the BSS brand, I also used a BSS Gold Superlative ligature on the BSS E-Series mouthpiece as I mentioned earlier.

Boston Sax Shop E-Series 7* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

When first playing the Boston Sax Shop E-Series 7* tenor saxophone mouthpiece, my first impression was that it was definitely brighter than the BSS R-Series and S-Series tenor sax mouthpieces that I have already reviewed.

In the BSS S-Series review, I described the S-Series mouthpiece as having a more focused and dark sound to it as the tone sounded more concentrated and warm to my ears. In the R-Series mouthpiece review, I described the tone as still being a warm tone but the tone sounded more spread and bigger in width when compared to the S-Series tenor mouthpiece.

The new BSS E-Series tenor saxophone mouthpiece is a brighter and more powerful tenor saxophone tone compared to the S-Series and R-Series mouthpieces. This is not like an Otto Link on steroids as many tenor sax players like to describe an Otto Link with an added baffle but more like an Otto Link that leans more towards the brighter even tone that a mouthpiece with a medium high rollover baffle can provide.

I describe it like this because for me, the E-Series is still in that ballpark of a brighter leaning Otto Link type of sound. In my experience, many “Link on Steroids” mouthpieces play and sound very different than a typical hard rubber Otto Link type of tone. When too much baffle is added to an Otto Link, it basically becomes a different mouthpiece which is way too bright even though it still looks like an Otto Link from the outside.

I have also experienced quite a bit of unevenness in tone with those “Link on Steroids” tenor sax mouthpieces. Almost like someone added a baffle to a Link to add brightness and power, but evenness of the timbre from note to note was not a consideration. Very often, these mouthpieces would play with different notes and registers sounding a lot brighter than other notes.

I write all this because I don’t notice this huge difference in timbre from note to note with the BSS E-Series tenor saxophone mouthpiece. The range of the saxophone sounds very even in timbre from note to note to my ears without any notes being substantially brighter than others.

Boston Sax Shop E-Series 7* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

The intonation on the Boston Sax Shop E-Series 7* tenor saxophone mouthpiece was very good and the mouthpiece was a great match for my Selmer Super Balanced Action tenor saxophone (from the 50’s). I actually thought the intonation would be quite a bit sharper on certain notes on my SBA because they usually are with higher baffled mouthpieces but the BSS E-Series was pleasantly close to perfect when I checked my tuner while warming up.

The BSS E-Series did sit out a bit further on my neck cork compared to a typical hard rubber Otto Link but that is because the raised rollover baffle takes up more chamber volume and the E-Series has to be placed further out on the cork to be in tune.

The evenness and smoothness of notes throughout the range of the saxophone was nice when playing fast lines. The E -Series sub-toned beautifully as well down in the lower range of the saxophone.

The altissimo register of the saxophone was easy to produce on the Boston Sax Shop E-Series 7* tenor saxophone mouthpiece and the notes were easy to control and manipulate. That upper range of the tenor sax was definitely brighter and edgier than when playing the BSS R-Series or S-Series tenor sax mouthpieces but it was nowhere near as edgy as most high baffled tenor sax mouthpieces I have reviewed.

Boston Sax Shop E-Series 7* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

The Boston Sax Shop E-Series 7* tenor saxophone mouthpiece had a good amount of power and volume when pushed. I would say the volume was about a 9 when pushed on my 1-10 volume scale. It wasn’t as loud as some higher baffled tenor sax mouthpieces are when pushed to maximum volume, but where those mouthpieces can tend to get thinner sounding the louder they get, the E-Series mouthpiece retains it’s nice full bodied and thick tone as it gets louder.

Boston Sax Shop E-Series 7* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

On the sound clips below, I try to give a good range and variety of saxophone sounds and textures so that you can hear the Boston Sax Shop E-Series 7* tenor saxophone mouthpiece perform in different styles. There are five sound clips.

The first sound clip below is a recording of me playing a bunch of random lines and ideas like I usually do with a BSS Black Label #3 reed and no effects on the sound.

The second clip is a more altissimo centered sound clip with the same BSS #3 Black Label reed with some reverb added. I like adding reverb to a clip so you can hear how the mouthpiece might sound through a sound system with some reverb added to the mix like on a live gig.

The third and fourth clips are similar to the first and second clip but I am using a BSS #3 Silver Label reed on those clips. The BSS Silver Label reeds are a new reed for me and I just reviewed them a few weeks ago here: BSS Silver Box Reed Review with Comparison Clips. You can listen to clips 1 & 2 (BSS Black Label Reeds) and compare them to clips 3 & 4 (BSS Silver Label Reeds) and see what differences the different reeds might make.

The fifth clip is an added clip of the E-Series with a harder BSS Black Label #3 1/2 reed with no effects added. I added this clip because I know there are some of you out there that like to use harder strength reeds and I wanted to provide a sound clip demonstrating the E-Series with that harder reed. *This 3 1/2 Black Label reed was broken in and played on for a few days before recording the sound clip.

Boston Sax Shop E-Series 7* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

In my opinion, the BSS Boston Sax Shop E-Series tenor saxophone mouthpiece is a great tenor sax mouthpiece for those of you looking for a tenor mouthpiece with a hard rubber Otto Link type feel and playing experience to it but with added brightness and power without losing that authentic, full and thick sounding, classic tenor saxophone tone. The evenness of scale between the notes and throughout the range of the saxophone really differentiate and elevate the E-Series above most hard rubber Otto Links I have played throughout the years.

If you go to the BSS page for this E-Series mouthpiece you can hear more samples of some great modern tenor sax players such as Joel Frahm, Chris Bittner, Dayna Stephens, Steve Kortyka and Adam Larson playing the Boston Sax Shop E-Series tenor saxophone mouthpiece as well. *My personal favorite clip is the third one entitled “Chris Bittner E Series Ballad”. This is about as perfect a tenor saxophone tone as I have ever heard! Gorgeous!

If you like the sound and look of the E-Series tenor sax mouthpieces by the Boston Sax Shop, you can find them at the Boston Sax Shop website. *Neffmusic also gets a small commission from each sale using this link which helps support this website, so thank you in advance if you use the link.

If you try a BSS Boston Sax Shop E-Series tenor saxophone mouthpiece or have any thoughts, comments or questions on this review, I would love to hear what you think in the comments below. Thanks, Steve

Boston Sax Shop E-Series 7* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece-Boston Sax Shop Black Label 3 Reed-No Effects Added

Boston Sax Shop E-Series 7* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece-Boston Sax Shop Black Label 3 Reed-Reverb Added

Boston Sax Shop E-Series 7* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece-Boston Sax Shop Silver Label 3 Reed-No Effects Added

Boston Sax Shop E-Series 7* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece-Boston Sax Shop Silver Label 3 Reed-Reverb Added

Boston Sax Shop E-Series 7* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece-Boston Sax Shop Black Label 3 1/2 Reed-No Effects

Disclosure: I received the sample mouthpiece reviewed above for free in the hope that I would try it and perhaps review it on my blog. I also receive a small commission when you purchase from the Boston Sax Shop website using the link in the review above that helps to support this site. Regardless, I only review sax mouthpieces that I enjoy playing and believe will be good for other saxophone players to try also. Steve

Today, I will be reviewing three Selmer S80 classical tenor saxophone mouthpieces of different tip openings that I was able to borrow from a local music store. My goal is to see how they perform for my style of saxophone playing. To be fair, the Selmer S80 tenor saxophone mouthpieces were designed for classical tenor saxophone playing so the whole premise for this review is not really fair to the S80 mouthpieces. At the same time, I know there are a fair share of high school students out there trying to play jazz on a Selmer S80 tenor sax mouthpiece so I thought this review might be informative for them. Let’s give this review a shot and see how the Selmer S80 tenor sax mouthpieces play for me.

The last time I tried one of these Selmer S80 classical tenor sax mouthpieces was in college about forty years ago. Although my memory is patchy on a lot of things these days, I still remember my response to trying that Selmer S80 C* tenor saxophone mouthpiece all those years ago, I didn’t like it at all! As someone who was listening to Michael Brecker, Bob Berg and Bob Mintzer at the time, I remember thinking that the Selmer S80 saxophone mouthpiece didn’t have close to the power, brightness and projection I was looking for from a tenor saxophone mouthpiece. In fact, to my young developing ears, the Selmer S80 sounded way too dark and dull for the sound I was looking for at the time. Now, forty years later, I was curious to try these Selmer S80 tenor saxophone mouthpieces again and see if my opinion of them has changed after forty years.

Selmer S80 C* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

The Selmer S80 tenor saxophone mouthpiece is widely known as a classical tenor saxophone mouthpiece. It is described on the Selmer website as having a very warm grained, broad and full toned sound. The three Selmer S80 tenor saxophone mouthpieces I borrowed were a C*, an E and an F. Here are how those tip openings measure out according to the Selmer website (these are pre-2012 S80 mouthpieces):

Selmer S80 C*= 1.90 mm (.075″)

Selmer S80 E= 2.10 mm (.083″)

Selmer S80 F= 2.30 mm (.091″)

If you were to measure from the tip of the mouthpiece to the break where the mouthpiece starts to bend away from the reed, this would be the facing curve length. Facing curve lengths are most commonly measured in half millimeters, so a standard tenor facing length of 50 would be 25mm.

The facing curve on these three Selmer S80 tenor saxophone mouthpieces is listed as 24 mm which is a 48. These three Selmer S80 mouthpieces were made before 2012. The Selmer S80 tenor mouthpieces made after 2012 have an even shorter facing curve length of 23 mm which is a 46 (for an excellent article on these Selmer S80 mouthpiece changes check out “A Selmer C* is a C* is a C* – or is it?” by David Kessler.) Most of the tenor saxophone mouthpieces that I have reviewed here at Neffmusic have facing curve lengths of 47-54 with most mouthpiece facings curves averaging around a 50 length.

Here is a great informative quote about facing curves from the BSS (Boston Sax Shop) website:

“With a longer facing curve, the reed is more flexible because the fulcrum, or break, is moved back, giving you more leverage against the spring of the reed. As a result, a longer facing curve offers less overall resistance, more efficiency and easier sub-tone. However, there is a downside if you go too far. The mouthpiece begins to feel mushy, loses its crispness of articulation and altissimo suffers.

In comparison, a shorter facing curve is like moving the fulcrum up, presenting less leverage on the spring of the reed. This gives the mouthpiece more cooperative resistance, as it takes more force to seal the reed which makes altissimo easier, gives you more control of articulation and presents the feeling of ‘pushing against something’. However, shorter facings often suffer from harsh low notes and are hard to play loud.”

Selmer S80 C* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

The three Selmer S80 tenor saxophone mouthpieces were in relatively good condition although these three mouthpieces had been used as trial mouthpieces for students who wanted to try them at the local music store so there is some wear and tear on them. All three mouthpieces sealed well with the Boston Sax Shop Silver Label 3 1/2 tenor saxophone reeds I used on them. I used a different reed on each mouthpiece just to avoid issues that might occur by using the same reed on different facing curves.

The diameter and beak profile of the Selmer S80 tenor saxophone mouthpieces is very close to the diameter and beak profile of a typical hard rubber tenor saxophone mouthpiece and the beak height felt very comfortable while playing.

All of my saxophone ligatures that fit comfortably on hard rubber Otto Link tenor saxophone mouthpieces fit on the Selmer S80 tenor saxophone mouthpieces. I chose to use the Sax Clinic SVC Tonus Mundi String Ligature that I reviewed last year for this review.

The Selmer S80 table, rails and tip rail looked even and well balanced. The baffle looks to have a quick rollover baffle near the tip and then what I would describe as a concave low baffle floor that you can see clearly in the photo below. This concave baffle floor is not common on jazz tenor saxophone mouthpieces. Most jazz saxophone mouthpieces with rollover baffles have a rollover baffle that starts high near the tip and gradually curves down to the chamber area of the mouthpiece. As you can see below, the Selmer S80 mouthpiece has a concave curve that immediately curves low and then slides down as it travels through the chamber to the square exit into the round bore area.

The Selmer S80 tenor mouthpieces have straight sidewalls that travel from the tip of the mouthpiece to the square entrance to the round bore of the mouthpiece. The square entrance isn’t really an entrance to the chamber area but seems to me to be more of a square exit from the chamber area into the bore of the mouthpiece. The roof of the chamber looks relatively thick to my eyes.

Selmer S80 C* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

Before I even played the three Selmer S80 tenor saxophone mouthpieces, I had to wonder what effect that concave low baffle would have on the sound. In general terms, I have described a regular baffle like a ski slope that speeds up the air to travel faster over the peak of the baffle and then speed down the ramp of the baffle towards the chamber area. This creates more brightness and power to the sound.

In this case, the concave low baffle floor would seem to have the opposite effect by slowing down the air and creating more darkness and warmth and less power perhaps. I’m sure those reading this with more scientific knowledge can add more details to my layman’s description of saxophone sound production and acoustics………

In general, I have never been a fan of square chambers. I know this will sound rudimentary but I have always been of the opinion that round chambers produced a round sound. Square chambers produced a square and boxed in sound. Scooped sidewall produce a richer and rounder, more 3 dimensional sound while straight side walls produce a more one dimensional focused and pure sound. Even as I type this, I think it sounds pretty simplistic but I have experienced these characteristics more times with these variables than I can mention so I tend to think this way now.

Selmer S80 C* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

The hardest reed I had on hand to try these mouthpieces was a BSS (Boston Sax Shop) Silver Label 3 1/2 tenor saxophone reed. I chose the Silver Label BSS reeds on purpose just to liven up the sound and perhaps give the tone a little more brightness and edge. Although the BSS 3 1/2 reed felt a bit soft on the Selmer S80 C* tenor mouthpiece, it felt very comfortable on the Selmer S80 E and F tip openings.

My first impressions of the Selmer S80 C* upon playing it was that it was way too small of a tip for me. This is of no surprise as I usually play tenor mouthpieces that have a tip opening of .100-.115 on average and the Selmer S80 C* has a tip of .075 which is even smaller than the .080 tip opening I prefer on an alto saxophone mouthpiece.

Selmer S80 C* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

The Selmer S80 C* had a warm tone that seemed to lack the higher partials in the tone that I am used to in my tenor saxophone tone. Players are always seeking out “warm” and “dark” mouthpieces and the Selmer S80 definitely fits in that category in my opinion.

The smaller tip opening really made it easy to whisper the notes and lines at a ppp dynamic level very easily. On the other side of the volume spectrum, I had a hard time pushing the Selmer S80 C* to a louder volume like I am used to. It seemed like it would get to about 5 or 5* on the 1-10 tenor saxophone volume scale and kind of hit a wall for me in regard to volume.

Selmer S80 C* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

Another characteristic I noticed when trying to push the mouthpiece louder was that unlike many tenor saxophone mouthpieces that get brighter the more you push the volume, the Selmer S80 C* just seemed to get more of an increase in the mid-range of the EQ as opposed to the treble side of the EQ. I wasn’t really a big fan of this mid-range boost in tone personally.

The Selmer S80 C* tenor sax mouthpiece really felt at home at softer volumes for me. When pushed, it would become more heavy sounding and at times had an edgy and nasally midrange quality to the tone.

Selmer S80 C* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

The Selmer S80 E tenor saxophone mouthpiece had a bit more “oomph” and focus to it than the S80 C* mouthpiece. I could get more volume out of the E tip opening but the volume was still less than what I am used to from a tenor saxophone mouthpiece. Maybe around a 6 or 6 1/2 on the tenor mouthpiece volume scale from 1-10.

One characteristic I noticed on all three mouthpieces was that the altissimo range was hard to play with volume. I seemed to get the notes in that range easily when I backed off of the volume but if I tried to really push the volume on the high notes they would tend to break and I would lose them. If you seem to notice that the high notes seem softer in volume than I usually play, that is why.

Selmer S80 C* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

The Selmer S80 F tenor saxophone mouthpiece had about the same volume available as the S80 E mouthpiece. I found the tone to be richer and more spread in tone than the E tip opening S80 mouthpiece. It seemed a little closer to an Otto Link type of tone but the tone still seemed boxed in and locked in if you will. Like the notes were more resistant to bending and manipulation by me. This might very well be because of the shorter facing curve. If you think about it, a shorter facing curve will be harder to bend and manipulate the reed where a longer facing curve will give you more of a gradual bend so that you can bend the reed easier and manipulate the tone.

Even though I felt like I could put more air through the F tip opening, I still felt like it was around that 6 1/2 volume level and I couldn’t push it past that point very easily.

Selmer S80 C* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

The intonation on all three S80 mouthpieces was excellent and all three mouthpieces had to be placed pretty far on the neck cork to be in tune. I’ve heard that these mouthpieces are great for classical music because they have excellent intonation.

The low notes were good but again, they weren’t exactly what I hear in my head when imagining tenor saxophone low notes. What I mean by this is that I like more of a round sound from the low notes whether I am playing straight or sub-toning. The Selmer S80 mouthpieces played the low notes fine but again, this analogy probably stinks, but the low notes sounded boxy to me. Like the low notes are very defined and prepackaged within set borders.

An Otto Link round chamber type of mouthpiece seems to have more of a round tone in the low notes and if you push the volume the round circle of rich tone seems to expand outward to fill the room. The square chamber of the Selmer S80 tenor saxophone mouthpiece seems to get more concentrated and mid-range heavy when you push it louder but in my mind the tone doesn’t seem to escape the square borders of the sound. (Feel free to add you own unique descriptions of what you hear and feel in the comments below because I’m not sure I am conveying my thoughts adequately……)

The shorter facing curve definitely seemed to make the low notes a little bit harder to jump to without honking a bit more than I am used to. I noticed this quite a bit on the second line of Donna Lee where the line jumps down from a low F to a low B.

Selmer S80 C* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

On the sound clips below, I try to give a good range and variety of saxophone sounds and textures so that you can hear the Selmer S80 C*, E and F tenor saxophone mouthpieces perform in different styles. There are six sound clips, two for each tip opening.

For each of the three Selmer S80 mouthpieces, I play one long sound clip which is my usual mix of varied lines, melodies and ideas I usually play when reviewing mouthpieces. There is no reverb or effects on each of these sound clips.

On the second shorter sound clip for each mouthpiece, I attempt to play some altissimo and bluesy type lines a bit louder and more aggressively. I added reverb to these examples so you can hear how the Selmer S80 might sound with reverb or in a room with a natural reverb in it.

Selmer S80 C* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

So, in my opinion, can you play jazz on the Selmer S80 tenor saxophone mouthpiece? Sure, you can do whatever you want, but I would say for me, “No way!”

First of all, the Selmer S80 tenor saxophone mouthpiece is a tenor sax mouthpiece suited more for the classical genre. The timbre of the tone is so dark that I think I would have a really hard time cutting through the volume of a band when soloing. Even when pushed to full volume, that increased mid-range boost of EQ in the tone would just get swallowed up in a live performance with electric instruments in my opinion. Secondly, playing these three mouthpieces, the Selmer S80 mouthpieces don’t have the powerful dynamic range that I am personally looking for in a tenor saxophone mouthpiece when playing jazz. Thirdly, the altissimo range doesn’t come close to providing the wailing volume I need to cut through the mix on a gig. Fourthly, I prefer a richer tonal pallet of colors in the sound of the tenor saxophone than I hear in the Selmer S80 mouthpieces. The E and F tip opening were certainly closer to what I like in a tenor saxophone sound but for me but they still didn’t fully reach the rich sound that I was looking for while playing.

For classical music, many classical tenor saxophone players have played the Selmer S80 tenor saxophone mouthpiece through the years and sounded terrific so in that genre of music it has proven its value and excellence. This review is more about my impressions in using the S80 for my personal style of jazz and modern saxophone playing.

If you have tried a Selmer S80 tenor saxophone mouthpiece or have any thoughts, comments or questions on this review, I would love to hear what you think in the comments below. Thanks, Steve

**Selmer S80 C* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece**

Selmer S80 C* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece-Boston Sax Shop Silver Label 3 1/2 Reed-No Effects Added

Selmer S80 C* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece-Boston Sax Shop Silver Label 3 1/2 Reed-Altissimo Reverb Added

Selmer S80 E Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

Selmer S80 E Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece-Boston Sax Shop Silver Label 3 1/2 Reed-No Effects

Selmer S80 E Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece-Boston Sax Shop Silver Label 3 1/2 Reed-Altissimo Reverb Added

Selmer S80 F Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

Selmer S80 F Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece-Boston Sax Shop Silver Label 3 1/2 Reed-No Effects

Selmer S80 F Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece-Boston Sax Shop Silver Label 3 1/2 Reed-Altissimo Reverb Added

Disclosure: I borrowed these three mouthpiece reviewed above for the review on my blog. I returned them to the music store immediately after recording them for this review and I am receiving no commissions for this review. Regardless, I only review sax mouthpieces that I enjoy playing and believe will be good for other saxophone players to try also. Steve

Today, I am excited to be reviewing the new NJS Hummingbird 8* (.115) bronze tenor saxophone mouthpiece made by a young mouthpiece maker named Nick Stahl from the Seattle area. This review wasn’t going to happen but then Nick Stahl sent me a few tempting photos that were too much for me to resist and I had to try this NJS Hummingbird tenor saxophone mouthpiece……….

NJS Hummingbird 8* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

I have to be honest in saying that I very rarely accept mouthpieces from new mouthpiece makers these days. I usually get an email about once a month from someone who is an aspiring mouthpiece maker asking if I would try their saxophone mouthpiece out to see what I think. I usually decline because 1.) I have so many sax mouthpieces already on my desk waiting to be reviewed and just don’t have the time to play test every mouthpiece and 2.) Many times, young mouthpiece makers are usually still working on figuring out the whole mouthpiece making skill and they are just looking for my opinion or confirmation that they are on the right track.

When Nick initially reached out to me, I was ready to compose a response saying I didn’t have time to try his new mouthpiece when I clicked on a link he provided with photos of the saxophone mouthpiece he had been working on. I was honestly blown away by the photos of the mouthpiece he created. Even though I had never heard of Nick Stahl, I decided to respond that I would be willing to try out this beautiful looking mouthpiece.

The NJS Hummingbird Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece Name Inspiration

Here are some words about Nick Stahl and the NJS Hummingbird tenor saxophone mouthpiece from the first email Nick sent to me just so you can get a sense of who Nick Stahl is and the concept behind this tenor saxophone mouthpiece.

“My name is Nick Stahl, I’m a saxophonist and aspiring mouthpiece maker from the Seattle area. I’m writing to see if I could send you one of my mouthpieces to try, and possibly review.

I’ve been playing the saxophone for 16 years, I graduated from CalArts with a BFA in jazz performance in 2019, and moved back to the Seattle area at the start of the pandemic. I’ve used the past three years to learn metal casting and mouthpiece facing/making, and it has become a second love for me.

I’m at the point where I’m ready to try to turn it into a small business, which is something I want to approach with sincerity and honesty (especially with a Guardala-style mouthpiece). I want people to really get their money’s worth with a good playing, good looking, gimmick-free saxophone mouthpiece, where the price is reflected in the amount of work and care that went into it.

I’ve been working on creating a Guardala-inspired handmade tenor saxophone mouthpiece that is warm, not too bright, does not compromise any register of the horn, and can be pushed without the tone breaking up. What I have settled on (for La Voz medium reeds) is a .115 tip opening, long (54) elliptical facing, rounded-over baffle, scooped sidewalls, and a medium chamber. They are single-piece high quality castings, made from lead-free silicon bronze, which are then extensively hand finished. The mouthpieces are entirely made by me, I do everything from alloying my own bronze, to the casting, to the finishing. Each NJS mouthpiece comes with a ligature and a cherry wood box, both of which I also make, and a polishing cloth.”-Nick Stahl

NJS Hummingbird 8* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece Box

Here is another great quote from the NJS website on the NJS Hummingbird tenor saxophone mouthpiece:

“The NJS Hummingbird mouthpiece is a Guardala inspired, handmade tenor mouthpiece designed to be warm, moderately focused, and symbiotic with the player. Each one is meticulously crafted and extensively playtested by me. I’ve played Guardalas for nearly all of my years on tenor, and too much of the time found myself struggling to keep my sound from getting too bright and thin. The NJS Hummingbird is my solution, maintaining character and power from a Guardala, while being richer, warmer, more controllable, and better responding. They are set up to enable the player to really sculpt their sound, sounding better and better the more they are played.”-Nick Stahl

In the above photo is the wooden box that the NJS Hummingbird tenor saxophone mouthpiece comes in. It is evident that Nick is very detail oriented and a craftsman as well as an artist. As you can see in these photos, the NJS mouthpiece comes well packaged and protected. Besides being in these beautiful boxes, the boxes were shipped with ample padding around them in a shipping box as well.

NJS Hummingbird 8* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece Box

As the NJS Hummingbird mouthpiece is made of unplated bronze, Nick sent me a few tips before I even received the mouthpiece in the mail:

– The mouthpiece is unplated bronze, so it will patina as it gets used. If you end up reviewing it, it might be nice to show pictures from before it’s been played, and some after you’ve played it as much as possible. The patina that develops for me after a while shows the crystal structure of the metal, which can be cool.

– If you don’t want the mouthpiece to patina and instead want to keep it bright and shiny, just use the included polishing cloth. It is a true polishing cloth that is embedded with an ultra-fine polishing abrasive, so it should not be used extensively on the facing and table, as it could potentially change the facing after hundreds of uses.

– It can be washed with dish soap and warm water. Like any metal mouthpiece or saxophone it should ideally be swabbed out or left to dry after playing. The silicon bronze I use is more corrosion resistant than brass, but can still corrode if you let moisture sit in it for prolonged periods.

NJS Hummingbird 8* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

The NJS Hummingbird tenor saxophone mouthpiece looked just as amazing and beautiful in person as it did in the photos. It’s one of those mouthpieces you get and then you spend ten minutes just admiring its beauty because you are afraid to play it and put a mark on it in any way.

NJS Hummingbird 8* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

The NJS Hummingbird tenor sax mouthpiece looks terrific to the eye. The tip, rails and table look even, flat, precise and well crafted. The mouthpiece tip rail and side rails are even and thin, and the shape of the tip rail perfectly matches the curve of the saxophone reeds I used. The thinness of the rails remind me of the thin rails Dave Guardala was known for using on his mouthpieces back in the day.

NJS Hummingbird 8* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

One concern I had from looking at the photos as well as admiring the NJS Hummingbird tenor sax mouthpiece in person was the “duckbill” beak of the mouthpiece that you can see in the photo above. (Nick has told me that he also makes the NJS Hummingbird with a Guardala height beak as well)

A “duckbill” beak describes a mouthpiece that has a beak that is really low in height and has a shape to the beak similar to the shape of a duck’s beak. The NJS Hummingbird beak is super low in height compared to most metal tenor saxophone mouthpieces. I can confidently state that it is the lowest beak I have played on a metal tenor saxophone mouthpiece. I have stated a number of times on this website that I do not like “duckbill” mouthpiece beaks so I was worried that this would be a problem for me.

NJS Hummingbird 8* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

After receiving the NJS Hummingbird mouthpiece (and before I had even played it), I sent Nick Stahl an email asking, “Do you really like the low duckbill beak profile?” I found his response interesting so I have included it here:

“I do really like the beak profile, I had tested a bunch of different profiles, and this one really grew on me to the point where I prefer it, although it did feel strange at first. I have been really working on the Joe Allard approach to embouchure and tongue position (disclaimer, I have never studied with Joe Allard or his students, but there are some very good resources out there) so this beak profile is working towards that approach in a few ways:

– The lower lip is supposed to be kept flat to match the shape of the reed, which leaks air out of the corners of the mouth, and the upper lip is supposed to come down to stop the leaks. The lower beak profile better facilitates that upper lip being able to come down like that.

– The tongue is supposed to be kept high (ee/tee), the low beak gets the reed a little higher in the mouth. For me, the profile of the beak also keeps the tip of the reed at a more consistent height when taking in different amounts of mouthpiece.

– The lower beak profile allows me to take more or less mouthpiece to play louder and quieter. The profile of the beak also allows me to slide the mouthpiece in or out easier.

More general stuff:

– The lower beak is more comfortable for me to take in the amount of mouthpiece needed to have my lower lip at the break by default, especially with a long facing.

– The jaw is kept in a more relaxed position.

– My upper teeth are kept more perpendicular to the mouthpiece.

So that’s what I was going for, I appreciate you being willing to give it a chance, please let me know what you think once you’ve spent some time on it. I will have a 7 day trial period for these, so if people don’t like anything about the mouthpiece, they can return it. Because I make my own blanks, I can very easily make people a new mouthpiece with customizations like a different beak, at the same price point.

NJS Hummingbird 8* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

As I had anticipated, the duckbill beak felt very strange to me at first. The height of the beak made it feel kind of like I was playing a soprano saxophone mouthpiece but this big tenor sax sound was coming back to my ears.

Over time, as I played the NJS Hummingbird mouthpiece non-stop over the next couple of weeks, I did get used to the lower beak profile and really ended up loving it.

I found that getting used to the lower beak profile and the different jaw position while relaxing my embouchure really was the key as Nick described. Once I relaxed, the lower beak profile felt even more comfortable than a regular height tenor sax mouthpiece beak profile to me. Relaxing the embouchure allows the reed to respond more freely and the sound of the mouthpiece becomes much bigger, fuller and more resonant.

NJS Hummingbird 8* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

The baffle of the NJS Hummingbird 8* tenor saxophone mouthpiece is of medium high height. The baffle is long and gradually rolls over before descending down into the medium chamber. The sidewalls on either side of the baffle are straight until the point where the baffle rolls down into the chamber. At that point the sidewalls are scooped out as the baffle descends into the chamber area.

For comparison sake, I compared the NJS Hummingbird to two other high baffled tenor mouthpieces I own. Compared to the Liu Shizhao Pilgrimage MB tenor saxophone mouthpiece, the baffle of NJS Hummingbird is a bit lower and not as long as the Pilgrimage mouthpiece.

Compared to my Retro Revival Double Ring tenor sax mouthpiece, the baffle of the NJS Hummingbird mouthpiece is also lower and slightly shorter before it rolls over and descend down into the chamber.

The lower and shorter baffle of the NJS Hummingbird mouthpiece led me to believe that the NJS Hummingbird wouldn’t be as bright as the Pilgrimage or RR Double Ring tenor sax mouthpieces which are two of my brighter tenor saxophone mouthpieces in my collection and when I started to play the NJS Hummingbird I found my assumption to be correct.

NJS Hummingbird 8* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

The NJS Hummingbird mouthpiece chamber looks to be what I would consider a medium-large sized chamber although Nick describes it as a medium chambered mouthpiece. The roof of the chamber is of average thickness as you can see in the photo above.

I found the NJS Hummingbird tenor sax mouthpiece to play great with stronger tenor saxophone reeds of 3 or 3 1/2 strength. Usually on a .115 tip opening tenor sax mouthpiece, I would use a 2 1/2 strength reed but because the NJS Hummingbird mouthpiece has a longer elliptical facing of 54, I believe it can be used with harder reeds like 3 or 3 1/2 strength reeds.

The BSS (Boston Sax Shop) Black Label 3 1/2 strength tenor saxophone reed I used on the first two sound clips below played amazingly well for me. The BSS Black Label reeds are normally a darker sounding reed but they could get pretty bright and powerful on the NJS Hummingbird mouthpiece.

Nick had suggested that I try a Lavoz medium tenor saxophone reed as that is his favorite reed on the Hummingbird mouthpiece so I ordered a box of those to try as well.

I included two clips using the Lavoz medium reed which are clips 3 & 4 below. The Lavoz medium reeds had a very different tone for me that was much warmer and darker than the BSS Black label 3 1/2 reed clips.

NJS Hummingbird 8* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

As I stated above, the NJS Hummingbird 8* tenor saxophone mouthpiece played incredibly well. The mouthpiece was powerful and in your face when pushed but I didn’t find it overly bright and edgy like I have felt about Guardala tenor sax mouthpieces I have tried in the past.

The tone seemed focused and concentrated in power while keeping the core to the sound and the tone didn’t thin out in the higher register. When pushed the NJS Hummingbird would get a bit brighter but it’s EQ sounded like it had more mid frequencies rather than the typical high frequency boost most high baffle mouthpieces have at louder volumes.

At first, I felt like the lower beak was throwing off my tongue position or oral cavity shape and I started to bite to get the altissimo notes. I quickly realized what I was doing, relaxed and then worked on voicing those altissimo notes with overtones while remaining relaxed and quickly got comfortable with how those notes needed to be voiced with this mouthpiece. After this adjustment, the altissimo range was easy to get and play on the NJS Hummingbird mouthpiece.

On the subject of overtones, I have to say that the NJS Hummingbird tenor saxophone mouthpiece plays exceptionally easy when playing overtones. In a couple of the clips, I play some Breckeresque overtone lines and was surprised with how easily they were produced. Usually I have to really work on voicing those overtones to come out correctly and with the NJS Hummingbird mouthpiece I felt like I just put my fingers down and the overtones popped out really effortlessly and in tune.

NJS Hummingbird 8* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece (Patina forming on Bronze-Patina can be wiped off with included polishing cloth)

The intonation on the NJS Hummingbird 8* tenor saxophone mouthpiece was very good and the mouthpiece was a great match for my Selmer Super Balanced Action tenor saxophone (from the 50’s).

The evenness and smoothness of notes throughout the range of the saxophone was nice when playing fast lines. The NJS Hummingbird mouthpiece sub-toned beautifully as well down in the lower range of the saxophone.

NJS Hummingbird 8* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece with Included Ligature

The NJS Hummingbird 8* tenor saxophone mouthpiece had a good amount of power and volume when pushed. I would say the volume was about a 8 1/2-9 when pushed on my 1-10 volume scale. It wasn’t as loud and bright as some higher baffled tenor sax mouthpieces are when pushed to maximum volume, but where those mouthpieces can tend to get thinner sounding and excruciatingly brighter the louder they get, the NJS Hummingbird mouthpiece retains it’s nice full bodied tone that is thick and full sounding as it gets in that louder range.

Of course, part of what carries the sound through the mix of a loud band is the brightness of your sound so seeing how the NJS Hummingbird mouthpiece would perform on the gig can only be tested in a live setting with a band to see how the Hummingbird’s tone carries through the mix of the band. In my home studio, The NJS Hummingbird tenor saxophone mouthpiece seemed to have plenty of power and projection at it’s disposal.

NJS Hummingbird 8* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece with Included Ligature

On the sound clips below, I try to give a good range and variety of saxophone sounds and textures so that you can hear how the NJS Hummingbird 8* tenor saxophone mouthpiece performs in different styles. There are four sound clips.

The first sound clip is a demonstration of the altissimo register of the saxophone while playing some “bluesy” type lines. I added reverb to the sound so you can hear how the mouthpiece might sound through a sound system with some reverb added to the mix like on a live gig.

The second sound clip below is a recording of me playing a bunch of random lines and ideas like I usually do with a BSS Black Label 3 1/2 reed. This sound clip has no reverb or any other effects added to the sound so you can hear how the NJS Hummingbird sounds without effects.

Clips 3 & 4 are more mellow sound clips demonstrating the warmer side of the NJS Hummingbird tenor sax mouthpiece with the Lavoz Medium tenor saxophone reeds.

NJS Hummingbird 8* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

In my opinion, the NJS Hummingbird 8* tenor saxophone mouthpiece is a great tenor sax mouthpiece for those of you looking for a tenor sax mouthpiece that is inspired by the Guardala concept but with less of a baffle to it. The NJS Hummingbird still provides power and focus but without the strident brightness that can many times accompany high baffled saxophone mouthpieces. As I demonstrate in the sound clips, the NJS Hummingbird mouthpiece can sound great for straight ahead jazz paying as well as more popular music like funk or pop music.

Nick Stahl did an absolutely incredible job creating this mouthpiece. His artistry and craftsmanship are evident from his work. I am looking forward to seeing more of his mouthpiece work in the future.

If you like the sound and look of the NJS Hummingbird 8* tenor saxophone mouthpiece by Nick Stahl, you can find them at the Nick Stahl Music website.

If you try a NJS Hummingbird 8* tenor saxophone mouthpiece or have any thoughts, comments or questions on this review, I would love to hear what you think in the comments below. Thanks, Steve

NJS Hummingbird 8* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece – Boston Sax Shop Black Label 3 1/2 Reed-Reverb Added

NJS Hummingbird 8* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece – Boston Sax Shop Black Label 3 1/2 Reed-No Effects Added

NJS Hummingbird 8* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece – Lavoz Medium Reed-Reverb Added

NJS Hummingbird 8* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece – Lavoz Medium Reed-No Effects Added

Today, I will be reviewing a Claude Lakey Original 7*3 tenor saxophone mouthpiece that I was able to borrow from Ellis Music (a local music store here in Vermont). The last time I tried a Claude Lakey mouthpiece on the tenor saxophone was in college about 37 years ago. I remember the mouthpiece I tried out on my tenor sax back then was (in my opinion) too loud, too bright and too edgy for my tastes at the time. Since that time, I have not crossed paths with another Claude Lakey tenor saxophone mouthpiece until now. I decided to give this Claude Lakey 7*3 tenor saxophone mouthpiece a thorough testing to see what my conclusions are 37 years later……

Claude Lakey 7*3 Original Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

Last year, I posted a review of three Selmer S80 classical tenor saxophone mouthpieces which were all on the darker side of the tenor saxophone tone spectrum. Today, I will be jumping to the opposite side of that tone spectrum by trying out one of the brighter tenor saxophone mouthpieces out there on the market, the Claude Lakey 7*3 tenor saxophone mouthpiece. Let’s get ready to rumble.

Claude Lakey 7*3 Original Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

Here is how the Claude Lakey Original tenor saxophone mouthpiece is described on the website at ClaudeLakey.com:

“The Original Tenor mouthpiece showcases the classic Claude Lakey bright sound. Handcrafted for quality, this staple member of our Originals collection was designed by Claude himself to help players reach new highs and lows on their tenor saxophone. The innovation poured into this mouthpiece pioneered a better jazz mouthpiece that can give you a great range with lots of freedom.

While traditionally Claude Lakey mouthpieces have been known for their work in jazz ensembles, that’s not the only genre where you can find this mouthpiece useful. The Original Tenor sounds great in rock, funk, or house music settings as well. The bright, crisp sound can be heard cutting through an ensemble, or blending in to a small section. The versatility and control you have with the Original Tenor is astounding, and you will soon find it is your favorite mouthpiece to play in multiple settings.”-Claude Lakey Website

Here is a breakdown of the Claude Lakey Original tenor saxophone tip openings

• 4*3 (.101) A great mouthpiece for students who need a little resistance. Easy to control.
• 5*3 (.105) Free blowing and easy to control. Clear, even sound with good projection. Very versatile and consistent up and down the horn.
• 6*3 (.109) Nice bright sound. Centered, clear, even, free blowing. Excellent projection.
• 7*3 (.113) Our most popular and versatile tenor mouthpiece. Bright, centered, round and clear sound up and down the horn.
• 8*3 (.117) Bright, free blowing, powerful mouthpiece for those who put a lot of air into the horn. Extremely popular in South American countries.
• 9*3 (.121) Longest facing and largest tip opening. Bright and free blowing.

Claude Lakey 7*3 Original Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

The Claude Lakey 7*3 Original tenor saxophone mouthpiece is made of a composite material (fancy words for plastic). The mouthpiece has a built in white tooth guard on the beak of the mouthpiece that is unique to Claude Lakey mouthpieces. These mouthpieces usually have a white engraved ring design around the end of the shank but that white ring is missing on this Claude Lakey 7*3 tenor saxophone mouthpiece for some reason.

The words “Claude Lakey” are engraved in a box on the middle of the mouthpiece table and the tip opening is engraved on the side of the mouthpiece as “7*3”. The engraving on the table of the mouthpiece pretty much guarantees that the table has a concavity to it at least where the engraving is. This is neither good nor bad as many great playing mouthpieces throughout the last century have had concave mouthpiece tables but many players these days like perfectly flat mouthpiece tables. Whether a concave or flat table, I don’t care as long as the mouthpiece plays well.

Claude Lakey 7*3 Original Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

The Claude Lakey 7*3 Original tenor saxophone mouthpiece was in relatively good condition although this mouthpiece had been used as a trial mouthpieces for students who wanted to try them at the local music store so there is some wear and tear on this mouthpiece with dings, nicks and ligature scratches on the body of the mouthpiece.

The diameter and beak profile of the Claude Lakey 7*3 Original tenor saxophone mouthpiece is very close to the diameter and beak profile of a typical hard rubber tenor saxophone mouthpiece. I used a Vandoren Optimum ligature for the sound clips below and the mouthpiece played well with a Vandoren Java green box #3 tenor saxophone reed.

Claude Lakey 7*3 Original Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

The Claude Lakey tenor sax mouthpiece tip, rails and table look and responded well when playtested. The reed got suction easily when performing the suction test. The left side rail of the mouthpiece seems to flare out and become wider as it nears the tip rail. I don’t see this same flare with the right side rail. The tip rail looks a bit vague and worn but the reed sealed well so everything was working as it should. I don’t know how long this mouthpiece has been used for playtesting so the rails could have some wear to them if thousands of players have been trying this mouthpiece out for years or it could have come like that from the factory.

Claude Lakey 7*3 Original Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

The baffle of the Claude Lakey 7*3 Original tenor saxophone mouthpiece is what I would consider a medium high and long baffle. The baffle terminates at a high height at the entrance to the mouthpiece chamber. If you look at the photo above from the bore end of the mouthpiece, you can see how high the baffle terminates. This makes the entrance to the chamber area much smaller and more narrow. As you look at the photo above, you can see how much smaller that chamber entrance is compared to a typical Otto Link tenor saxophone mouthpiece where that chamber entrance would be a full circle. The mouthpiece sidewalls are straight and the roof of the chamber is of a medium thickness.

The medium high and long baffle, coupled with that squeezed chamber entrance, leads me to believe that this Claude Lakey 7*3 tenor saxophone mouthpiece is going to be one bright mouthpiece……..

Claude Lakey 7*3 Original Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

Upon first playing the Claude Lakey 7*3 Original tenor saxophone mouthpiece, my first impression was that this mouthpiece was very powerful and very bright indeed. Along with the power and brightness in the tone, there was also a buzz and edge that increased as I played louder and higher. Even in the beginning of the first sound clip, you can hear the brightness of tone increase as I play a line up into the higher register of the saxophone.

The tone is in your face and has a grittiness and edge to it that reminded me of that muscular sax player Tim Cappello in the 80’s who was always playing the saxophone without a shirt on (He was in that movie “The Lost Boys” if that helps). I guess if I looked like that, I might not wear a shirt while performing as well……..

The squeezed throat at the chamber entrance definitely made the tone laser beam focused and intense. I’m not even sure the recording captures exactly how powerful, bright and focused this mouthpiece can be but while I was playing it at louder volumes it actually hurt my ears while playing. I would say the volume was about a 13 or 14 when pushed on my 1-10 volume scale. You can really hear that volume, brightness and edge on the altissimo sound clip below but I don’t even think the recording captures how loud the Claude Lakey 7*3 tenor sax mouthpiece was in my studio. In fact, I had to turn the gain on my mic all the way down to as low as it would go just to get the levels on these soundclips which are still pretty hot.

Claude Lakey 7*3 Original Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

When playing my typical jazz lines in the first clip below the Claude Lakey 7*3 Original tenor saxophone mouthpiece wasn’t what I would describe as even throughout the range of the saxophone. I had a hard time keeping some of the notes from jumping out in volume and brightness from note to note. That is probably more of an issue with me not being use to playing a mouthpiece with a smaller chamber entrance like the Claude Lakey 7*3 mouthpiece has. Any slight changes I would make in air on a large chambered mouthpiece like an Otto link seemed like they were magnified on this mouthpiece. You can hear this clearly at the 1:50 mark of the first clip where I start playing “My One and Only Love”. You can hear how some notes really jump out as much brighter and louder than other notes in the melody.

The intonation was surprisingly good on the Claude Lakey 7*3 tenor mouthpiece. I had anticipated the middle register and upper register of the saxophone to have issues with being sharp because of the high baffle and smaller chamber but I didn’t really find that to be as much of an issue as I thought it would be.

Claude Lakey 7*3 Original Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

The low notes on the tenor sax were a little more difficult for me to play at full volume without honking them out but they were easy to sub-tone which is kind of a way to cheat to make the low notes speak easier on higher baffled mouthpieces.

The Claude Lakey 7*3 responded well to manipulation of the notes via vibrato and bending. I didn’t find the articulation as clean and fast as on other mouthpieces but it was ok. It just seemed a tad sluggish to me on the fast jazz lines.

The altissimo range of the saxophone was really easy to get as you would imagine from a higher baffled mouthpiece. I will say, that for me, this kind of mouthpiece really needs some reverb in the sound on a gig. Without that reverb, I think the high notes would be too loud, too bright and too edgy in a dry sound setting. I’m sure that, through practice, you could control that and tame it down a bit but I only had this mouthpiece for a few hours so didn’t have the time to learn how to best control it.

Claude Lakey 7*3 Original Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

In my opinion, the Claude Lakey 7*3 Original tenor saxophone mouthpiece is a great tenor sax mouthpiece for those of you looking for a tenor sax mouthpiece that will help you be incredibly loud, really bright and give you the option of adding a lot of edge to your sound. I typically would not suggest a mouthpiece like this for a high school student just because it could possibly be dangerous in the wrong hands. What I mean by that, is that at a time when they are playing in a concert band or jazz band in high school, you want them learning how to blend and fit into the sound of the section and not sticking out because they are drowning out everyone else in the band. Could a player make the Claude Lakey 7*3 work in those settings? Maybe. But it would have to be mastered and tamed by someone with a temperament that is discerning and self controlled to handle such power wisely.

For the adults, I would personally not suggest the Claude Lakey 7*3 for jazz playing but more for a playing setting where you have to compete with really loud electronic instruments. I’m imagining the sax player from “Lost Boys” again…….. Could it work for jazz playing? Perhaps…. If you dig a brighter jazz tone on the tenor sax like Michael Brecker had. He played jazz on a Guardala tenor sax mouthpiece, so anything is possible…. You can listen to the clips and decide for yourself.

If you like the sound and look of the Claude Lakey 7*3 Original tenor saxophone mouthpiece, you can find them on Amazon at a very reasonable price. *Neffmusic also gets a small commission from each sale using this link which helps support this website, so thank you in advance if you use the link.

If you try a Claude Lakey 7*3 Original tenor saxophone mouthpiece or have any thoughts, comments or questions on this review, I would love to hear what you think in the comments below. Thanks, Steve

Claude Lakey 7*3 Original Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece-Vandoren Java Green Box 3 Reed-No Effects Added

Claude Lakey 7*3 Original Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece-Vandoren Java Green Box 3 Reed-Altissimo Clip-Reverb Added

Disclosure: I borrowed the sample mouthpiece reviewed above for free in the hope that I could try it and perhaps review it on my blog. I also receive a small commission when you purchase from the Amazon link in the review above that helps to support this site. Regardless, I only review sax mouthpieces that I enjoy playing and believe will be good for other saxophone players to try also. Steve

Today, I am excited to review the Les Becs d’Autan Florida model tenor saxophone mouthpiece in a 7* tip opening.

I received an email from Phillipe at Les Becs d’Autan where he described the Les Becs d’Autan Florida model mouthpiece as an “Exact reproduction of a “No-USA” Otto Link Florida tenor saxophone mouthpiece, CNC-machined from the brass with the highest copper content (for a rich sound), refaced and hand-mirror-polished by hand, gold or silver plated with a Green/Black marbled German ebonite bite plate. Carefully and precisely recreated without any modifications. Designed to remain faithful to the spirit and quality of the historic model, down to the smallest detail.”-Phillipe (Les Becs d’Autan mouthpieces)

After reading this description, how could I say “No thanks” to reviewing this Florida model tenor saxophone mouthpiece by Les Becs d’Autan? Could you say “No thanks”? Yeah, I didn’t think so……

Les Becs D’Autan Florida Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

After sending off my email eagerly asking to review this mouthpiece, I received an email back from Philippe asking me for more details in order to prepare the mouthpiece:

“I’ll need some information to prepare a mouthpiece for you:

– What tip opening would you like? (I chose a 7* tip opening which is my preferred tip opening on tenor saxophone mouthpieces these days)

– Do you want gold or silver plating? (I chose the gold plating)

– And finally, do you have a preference for your facing curve length? (48,50, other…, more resistant or free blowing). If you don’t have a preference, the “standard” facing curve is a 48-length free blowing facing. (I chose the standard 48 length facing curve length as I really like facing curves with a 47-48 length curve)

These are the customization options I usually offer to all my customers.” -Phillipe

Les Becs D’Autan Florida Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

The Les Becs d’Autan Florida model tenor sax mouthpiece arrived about 4-6 weeks later. The mouthpiece looked beautiful upon opening the box. The mouthpiece was well protected in the packaging it made the journey from France to the USA in.

The gold plating on the Les Becs d’Autan Florida model tenor mouthpiece looks thick, shiny, rich and excellently done. The green and black marbled bite plate looks beautiful and exquisitely crafted. You definitely want to put a clear mouthpiece patch over this bite plate so you can see that cool green marbled design.

On first inspection, the Les Becs d’Autan Florida tenor saxophone mouthpiece looks very similar to the Otto Link design and body it is replicating. When it is sitting on my shelf with my other metal Otto Link tenor sax mouthpieces, it is hard to tell which one is the Les Becs d’Autan Florida mouthpiece without looking closer at the green bite plate and engraving. The shape and size of the mouthpiece body looks identical to an Otto Link tenor sax mouthpiece design even including the ridge on the top of the mouthpiece body.

Les Becs D’Autan Florida Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

The tip rails and side rails look thin, even and precise. The tip rail curve is very close in shape to the reed tip curves of my BSS, Rigotti Gold and Vandoren Java Green tenor saxophone reeds I used on this mouthpiece. I detected no issues in regard to mouthpiece suction (when performing the mouthpiece suction test) or in reed response.

The table looks flat and even and the window looks similar if not exactly the same shape and size of an Otto Link metal tenor saxophone mouthpiece window.

The mouthpiece side rails are scooped out as they lead to the medium sized chamber which is typical for Florida Otto Link tenor saxophone mouthpieces. The roof of the chamber underneath the table is nice and thin. When looking into the chamber from the tip of the mouthpiece, you can see a ridge where the bore starts at the back of the chamber area which is a sign that the chamber is slightly larger than the bore of the mouthpiece.

Les Becs D’Autan Florida Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

The baffle has a noticeable ridgeline that you can see when you look at the baffle in the right light. You can see it in the photo above and more distinctly in some of the photos of the chamber further down this page where that ridge really stands out. I have only had two No-USA Otto Link tenor sax mouthpieces through my hands all these years and neither of those had this noticeable baffle ridge but those two mouthpiece were refaced before I bought them so who knows what they looked like originally.

I did just do a Google search for No-USA Florida Otto Link tenor saxophone mouthpieces, and I do see some with that same baffle ridgeline when photographed in the right light so there was probably variations in the baffles of these Otto Links as there are in modern day Otto Link mouthpieces as well. Interesting!

*I just found this important bit of info on Theo Wanne’s Mouthpiece Museum page:

“The first Otto Link No-USA tenor saxophone mouthpieces had a very high and deep arced roll-over baffle. This made them very bright. Since this roll-over was completely done by hand, the sound from one mouthpiece to the next varied greatly . The later versions had less of a round, and a bit more of a step shape.”-Theo Wanne

I think, from this description, that the Les Becs d’Autan tenor saxophone mouthpiece might be a copy of a later No-USA Florida Otto Link tenor saxophone mouthpiece. Thanks for the clarity Theo Wanne!

You can see the Les Becs d’Autan Florida tenor saxophone mouthpiece next to the No-USA Florida Otto Link mouthpiece it was copied from in the photo below.

Les Becs D’Autan Florida Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece on Top

Otto Link No-USA Florida Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece on Bottom

Philippe included a letter with the Les Becs d’Autan Florida tenor sax mouthpiece and I’ve included a portion of it below just to convey his obvious passion and heart when it comes to making Les Becs d’Autan saxophone mouthpieces.

“Hi Steve,

Here’s my latest model of metal mouthpiece for tenor saxophone: the Florida 7*/48 gold-plated hand-mirror polished.

As you know, I’ve been following your reviews closely for several years now, and I must say they’ve often inspired me. Your precise and honest look at the material is a real reference for saxophonists. That’s why I’d love to get your opinion on this mouthpiece through a review.

As a passionate French craftsman, this mouthpiece represents the culmination of many hours of work and a love for detail and the history of the saxophone. My aim, over and above creating a high-performance mouthpiece, is to offer musicians real emotions with a genuine hand-crafted replica of a legendary model that is increasingly expensive and increasingly rare, for a much more affordable price. I hope that it will capture your interest, and that of your community of saxophonists.”-Philippe (Les Becs d’Autan website)

Les Becs D’Autan Florida Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

Here is how the Les Becs d’Autan website describes the new Florida model tenor saxophone mouthpiece:

“The Les Becs d’Autan “Florida” mouthpiece is meticulously handcrafted with precision and care. This model is a faithful reproduction of the highly sought-after numbered “Early” Otto-Link STM Florida No-Usa mouthpieces from the 60s. With its large chamber inherited from the Otto-Link STM Florida Double Ring mouthpiece of the ’50s and a subtly reinforced baffle, it offers a unique and versatile sound, appreciated by jazz legends such as John Coltrane, Dexter Gordon, Johnny Griffin, Eddie Lockjaw Davis, Sonny Rollins, Benny Golson, Chris Potter, Joshua Redman…

The sound is broad and buzzy, with the impression of a “natural reverb” built into the mouthpiece. It is homogeneous throughout the range of the instrument, in all nuances. This mouthpiece really lets you shape your own sound, and feels like it’s following you through whatever you want to play. It’s also compatible with all your reeds, thanks to its perfectly flat top. The dynamic range is quite impressive and extensive: low nuances are truly whispers and loud nuances are roars. Highs and lows are very easy in direct or subtone sound… The true vintage Otto-Link sound!

Like the mythical mouthpiece from which it takes its inspiration, the “Florida” is sold new, already traditionally hand-refaced by Philippe, checked and tested before shipping, guaranteeing the highest level of finish and playability.

Manufactured to the highest standards of quality and performance, the “Florida” is the perfect choice for discerning saxophonists seeking a rich, traditional, free-blowing sound with excellent projection.

Treat yourself to an exceptional musical experience with the superior build quality and sound of the “Florida” – Metal Tenor Sax Model.”-Les Becs d’Autan website

Les Becs D’Autan Florida Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

I was looking forward to playtesting the Les Becs d’Autan Florida tenor saxophone mouthpiece. I was also excited to try a 48 length facing curve because I have been thinking of having that 48 length facing curve put on a Florida Otto Link (it now has a 50 facing curve length) tenor saxophone mouthpiece I own, but wasn’t sure if I wanted to have it refaced again. By playtesting the Les Becs d’Autan Florida mouthpiece with that 48 length facing curve, I could test if I really liked that 48 facing length as much as I thought I did.

I have found that shorter facing curve lengths (such as 47 or 48) on tenor saxophone mouthpieces allow me to use a softer reed while still feeling some healthy resistance to blow against while playing. For example, in four of the clips below, I am using a strength 2 1/2 reed. Conversely, a 2 1/2 reed on a 50 length facing curve would most likely feel too soft and flimsy for me but on this 48 length facing curve the 2 1/2 Hard Roberto’s Winds reed felt very comfortable.

Les Becs D’Autan Florida Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

The Les Becs d’Autan Florida tenor saxophone mouthpiece played great for me. I was a little worried by looking at that rollover baffle that it was going to be too bright for my tastes but I really enjoyed where it sat on that scale from dark to bright in the tenor saxophone tone spectrum. I would say that this Les Becs d’Autan Florida tenor sax mouthpiece leaned to the darker side of that tone spectrum. While playing, the tone seemed to remain mostly warm and fat while up in the second register and altissimo register the tone didn’t get annoyingly bright and edgy for me.

I also felt like the tone of the Les Becs d’Autan Florida tenor saxophone mouthpiece balanced nicely between being focused and spread sounding. I have played Otto Links that were laser-beam focused and others that were way too spread in tone for my tastes. For me, a spread tone can be large and fill the room, but to my ears, it is hard to hear the center or edges of that spread sound. It’s like the notes are filling the whole room with a wash of sound but I have trouble hearing the details of that sound if that makes sense. The Les Becs d’Autan Florida mouthpiece seemed to sit in the middle of those two extremes. It has a big sound that I would describe as spread but also a beautiful focus to the tone that allows me to hear more of that centered core of the sound I like to hear.

I also loved how each reed I tried on the Les Becs d’Autan Florida mouthpiece gave a different vibe and tone in my opinion. I usually don’t included six sound clips in a review, but each of those reeds played really well on the Les Becs d’Autan Florida mouthpiece and I felt they each offered slightly different sounds, textures and responses. I loved bits and pieces of each sound clip and decided to offer all six of them for your discerning ears as well.

Les Becs D’Autan Florida Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

I would say that the Les Becs d’Autan Florida tenor saxophone mouthpiece is a great example of a terrific Florida Otto Link style tenor saxophone mouthpiece. In my opinion, it straddles that midway point between dark and warm to brighter and in-your-face in a great way.

For jazz ballads, it can be so warm and lush sounding with the foo foo sub-tone sounding so beautiful. The tone is round and full sounding with the tone having a character and weight to it that is substantial.

By hardening your bottom lip and blowing a bit harder it can morph into a more in-your-face brighter tone while still retaining that core “Link” sound and roundness of tone. Don’t get me wrong, it is not at all similar in tone or power to a Guardala or Ponzol M2 tenor sax mouthpiece, but it is a great playing Otto Link style mouthpiece that can be pushed in that brighter direction when needed.

Les Becs D’Autan Florida Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

I found the Les Becs d’Autan Florida tenor saxophone mouthpiece to give me a similar volume as I would typically get from a great Florida Otto Link tenor sax mouthpiece. On my volume scale, a great Otto Link style tenor mouthpiece usually gives my an 8 out of 10 for volume. The truth is, that writing that doesn’t mean much to those of you who haven’t played a great playing Florida Otto Link tenor mouthpiece. I will say that for me, a great playing Otto Link style tenor mouthpiece can bridge a bunch of styles of music. You can kill it with a warm and sultry jazz tenor sax tone on a ballad or rip into a brighter R&B solo like Clarence Clemmons or Michael Brecker. Again, to reiterate, not like a Guardala mouthpiece or other high baffled tenor sax mouthpiece but could I push it in that direction? Yes. That being written from the comfort of my home office is one thing, the true test is how the Les Becs d’Autan Florida mouthpiece performs on a stage with a loud band and whether this mouthpiece has the volume and brightness to cut through the mix in that setting. The only way to test that, is to try playing it in that setting for yourself.

Les Becs D’Autan Florida Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

The intonation on the Les Becs d’Autan Florida tenor saxophone mouthpiece was excellent and the tone was even and smooth throughout the range of the saxophone when playing fast jazz lines. The articulation was responsive and crisp and the mouthpiece responded immediately to vibrato and bends.

The altissimo register was great and all the notes in that higher register responded as expected. I did have some altissimo issues on the softer Roberto’s Winds 2 1/2 Soft reed at first that made it hard to reach the altissimo notes but after a bit of playing, I figured out the altissimo voicing needed as you can hear in the altissimo clip for that reed. In my opinion, that struggle was more an issue of using too soft a reed than anything to do with the mouthpiece.

One of the best aspects of playing the Les Becs d’Autan Florida tenor saxophone mouthpiece for me was the low notes. I just felt like they were so rich, warm and full sounding that I really just enjoyed sitting on those low notes while playing. This, in my mind, is a key characteristic of a great playing Otto Link tenor saxophone mouthpiece. Those hearty, full of character low notes that just vibrate and ring around the room whether played at full volume or a sultry sub-tone.

Les Becs D’Autan Florida Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

I’ve included three sets of sound clips for you to check out. The only difference between the clips is the strength of reed I used.

The first two were recorded with a BSS (Boston Sax Shop) #3 Silver Box tenor saxophone reed. I recorded a clip of my usual lines and licks I play in every mouthpiece review for the first sound clip. The second sound clip is more of an R&B altissimo style clip with reverb added.

The second set of clips (clips 3 & 4) is with a Roberto’s Winds 2 1/2 Hard tenor saxophone reed. I really enjoyed playing on this reed as well. It felt similar to the BSS #3 reed as far as strength to me but where the BSS 3 seemed to have more thickness to the sound, the Roberto’s Winds 2 1/2 Hard reed seemed to have more focus to my ears. I also recorded an altissimo clip with this reed with reverb added as well.

Lastly, the third set of clips (clips 5 & 6) is with the Roberto’s Winds 2 1/2 Soft tenor saxophone reed. This reed felt a bit soft for me but there are some lines, tones and sounds in this clip that I really liked as well so I left it in. As mentioned above, I also included an altissimo clip with this reed as well.

Les Becs D’Autan Florida Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

In my opinion, the Les Becs d’Autan Florida 7* tenor saxophone mouthpiece is a great tenor sax mouthpiece for those of you looking for a tenor saxophone mouthpiece that is inspired by a vintage No-USA Florida Otto Link. An original, vintage No-USA Otto Link tenor saxophone mouthpiece is hard to find, and when you do find one online, they are incredibly expensive, so having an option to buy an excellent mouthpiece along the same lines as a No-USA Otto Link at a much more affordable price is nice.

The body and design of this mouthpiece is in the Otto Link style but the true test is how the Les Becs d’Autan Florida tenor mouthpiece performs for the player. You have heard tenor sax players claim that there is nothing better than a great playing Otto Link tenor mouthpiece and in my mind this is what this mouthpiece is. It is a beautifully crafted tenor sax mouthpiece that in my mind captures that amazing vintage Otto Link quality even though it doesn’t have the Otto Link name engraved on it.

Phillippe at Les Becs d’Autan did an absolutely incredible job creating this tenor saxophone mouthpiece. His artistry and craftsmanship are evident from his work. I am looking forward to seeing more of his mouthpiece work in the future.

If you like the sound and look of the Les Becs d’Autan Florida 7* tenor saxophone mouthpiece, you can find them at the Les Becs d’Autan website.

If you try a Les Becs d’Autan Florida tenor saxophone mouthpiece or have any thoughts, comments or questions on this review, I would love to hear what you think in the comments below. Thanks, Steve

Les Becs D’Autan Florida Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece-Boston Sax Shop 3 Silver Box Reed

Les Becs D’Autan Florida Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece-Boston Sax Shop 3 Silver Box Reed-Altissimo Clip with Reverb Added

Les Becs D’Autan Florida Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece-Roberto’s Winds 2 1/2 Hard Reed

Les Becs D’Autan Florida Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece-Roberto’s Winds 2 1/2 Hard Reed-Altissimo Clip with Reverb Added

Les Becs D’Autan Florida Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece-Roberto’s Winds 2 1/2 Soft Reed

Les Becs D’Autan Florida Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece-Roberto’s Winds 2 1/2 Soft Reed-Altissimo Clip with Reverb Added

Today, I am reviewing the new Otto Link LA model tenor saxophone mouthpiece made by JJ Babbitt. The Otto Link LA tenor saxophone mouthpieces are advertised as being a fusion between the classic Otto Link DNA and a modern, West Coast design as described in this quote from the JJ Babbitt website:

“The Otto Link LA tenor saxophone mouthpiece is unlike anything ever offered under this iconic brand name, creating a fusion of classic Otto Link DNA with a modern, West Coast-inspired design. It’s a testament to JJ Babbitt’s century-long commitment to innovation, blending the warmth and robust low end of Otto Link’s traditional sound with a new layer of clarity, edge, and focused projection. Meticulously crafted to support the needs of today’s saxophonists, this mouthpiece excels whether you’re blending seamlessly into an ensemble or standing out with a powerful solo. Its design redefines the saxophone’s voice, inviting players to explore their unique signature sound while preserving the essence of Otto Link and expanding into new sonic territories with more cut, clarity, and character than ever before.”

That is quite the quote to peak a saxophone players interest! I know I’m curious about the Otto Link LA tenor saxophone mouthpiece after reading that. Let’s get to the review!

Otto Link LA 7* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

I received the Otto Link LA 7* tenor saxophone mouthpiece directly from JJ Babbitt along with two of the new Otto Link metal tenor saxophone mouthpieces, the Otto Link Super Tone Master V 7* tenor sax mouthpiece and the Otto Link Super Tone Master Florida V 7 tenor saxophone mouthpiece. All three tenor saxophone mouthpieces were packaged well and came with metal ligatures and mouthpiece caps.

The Otto Link LA 7* tenor saxophone mouthpiece looked like you would expect a hard rubber Otto Link tenor sax mouthpiece to look. There is a scroll band that circles the upper body of the mouthpiece and the top of the mouthpiece has “Otto Link” and “LA” engraved into the hard rubber in gold. The tip opening of 7* is engraved on the corner of the mouthpiece body to the right of the table.

Otto Link LA 7* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

Here is how the JJ Babbitt website describes the new Otto Link LA tenor saxophone mouthpiece (including the paragraph I used to start off the review):

Crafted from high-quality hard rubber, the Otto Link LA tenor saxophone mouthpiece retains the iconic Otto Link “core” sound that saxophonists have cherished for decades, offering a signature richness and depth in the lower registers ideal for smooth jazz lines and resonant tones. But when the music calls for more, the LA shifts into an extra gear, delivering a level of cut, edge, and focused projection unlike anything we’ve ever created. This mouthpiece transforms effortlessly from a warm, mellow timbre to a powerful voice that can pierce through any ensemble, providing the flexibility to command the stage with precision. It’s this fusion of classic Otto Link DNA and modern design that makes the LA a true revolution in saxophone sound.”-JJ Babbitt Website

Otto Link LA 7* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

Here is a further description of the Otto Link LA mouthpiece that is further down the page on the JJ Babbitt website:

A Fusion of Classic “Core” with Modern Edge & Brightness

“The Otto Link LA tenor saxophone mouthpiece is designed for ultimate versatility and innovation, transforming the saxophone’s voice with its ability to shift seamlessly between smooth, warm tones and a bright, dynamic edge. Whether you’re blending into the ensemble or cutting through the mix with a commanding solo, this mouthpiece adapts to every musical moment, setting a new standard in performance. It preserves the essence of Otto Link’s robust low end while exploring new sonic territories that offer more cut, brightness, and character than ever before, providing saxophonists with a tool that effortlessly transitions from subtlety to power.

With its robust, warm low end and powerful upper register, the Otto Link LA tenor sax mouthpiece stands apart from other designs by offering an extra “gear” that delivers punch, edge, and focused projection when pushed; something brand new for hard rubber Links. Its ability to produce a bright, cutting tone without losing the depth and warmth of its foundation makes it a versatile choice for a wide range of styles. Built for contemporary musicians, the LA blends traditional craftsmanship with modern design, resulting in a distinctly “West Coast” sound that is both versatile and forward-thinking. Elevating performances with both subtlety and power, the Otto Link LA is more than just an evolution; it’s a revolution in how saxophonists express their musical voice, pushing the boundaries of what’s possible while staying true to its iconic legacy.”-JJ Babbitt Website

Otto Link LA 7* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

The Otto Link LA tenor saxophone mouthpiece looks well made and the table, side rails and tip rail look within normal parameters to the eye. The side rails and tip rail do look a bit wider when compared side by side with some of the other modern hand faced hard rubber mouthpieces on the market but nothing that is unusually wide.

The side rails flare out towards the tip of the mouthpiece making them slightly wider than the reed in that area near the tip which I am not a big fan of because it makes lining up the reed on the table a bit more complex. Due to the tip being slightly wider than the reed, you can line the reed up to the right, to the left, or just down the center. It is not really that big a deal once you find the location of the reed that works the best for you. My Early Babbitt Otto Link 7* has flared out side rails like this as well.

The tip rail is close in shape to the curve of my Rigotti cane saxophone reeds that I use (BSS, Rigotti Gold and Roberto’s Winds are all Rigotti cane reeds) but the Rigotti cane reed tip shape curves at a sharper decline on the outside edges of the tip than the curve of the tip rail on the Otto Link LA 7* tenor saxophone mouthpiece. Regardless of this, all the tenor sax reeds I used for this review sealed well when performing the suction test and played great for me.

Otto Link LA 7* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

The baffle of the Otto Link LA 7* tenor saxophone mouthpiece is what I would consider a medium-high baffle height. It travels a little less than 1/2 of an inch and then descends at a greater angle towards the rear of the mouthpiece chamber. The entire run of the baffle from the tip to the chamber is curved from side to side. The beginning 1/2 inch of baffle has a slight curve to it and then when the baffle begins its descent to the chamber, the curve is more pronounced. The mouthpiece side walls are scooped out as they head towards the chamber as well.

There is also an area in the baffle that has a curve at the 1/8 mark that follows the shape of the tip rail curve and then looks to roll-over slightly until it gets to that 1/2 inch point where it looks to roll-over again more substantially for the baffles sharper descent into the chamber area.

What I found most interesting about the Otto Link LA mouthpiece was that it is just not a clone of another hard rubber Otto Link tenor sax mouthpiece like an Early Babbitt or a Slant Signature model. I have played a ton of hard rubber Early Babbitt tenor saxophone mouthpieces over the years and the Otto Link LA tenor saxophone mouthpiece has a unique design compared to an Early Babbitt mouthpiece in my opinion.

The Early Babbitt tenor saxophone mouthpieces are known for having that unique “clam shell” shape in the baffle area that is so recognizable in hard rubber Early Babbitt Otto Link tenor sax mouthpieces. The Otto Link LA in essence has what looks like two clam shell baffles. One about 1/8 of an inch from the tip rail and another about 1/2 an inch from the tip rail. I appreciate JJ Babbitt not just rehashing an old design but coming up with new design for the LA tenor saxophone mouthpiece.

The mouthpiece chamber is what I would consider a medium to medium-small chamber and the bottom floor of the chamber looks to be scooped out slightly when the light hits it at the right angle. The chamber looks to have the same diameter as the bore of the mouthpiece although the baffle is traveling through the chamber as it descends so that descending baffle is taking away some of that chamber volume. The roof of the chamber is pretty thick in my opinion.

Otto Link LA 7* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

The Otto Link LA 7* tenor saxophone mouthpiece played great with a variety of reeds. For the sound clips below, I used a BSS (Boston Sax Shop) #3 1/2 Silver Box reed, a BSS (Boston Sax Shop) #3 Silver Box reed and a Rigotti Gold 3 light reed.

I tried a bunch of other reeds and strengths on the Otto Link LA tenor saxophone mouthpiece and although I can usually make a 2 1/2 strength reed work on a 7* tip opening, I couldn’t find a 2 1/2 strength reed that worked well on this Otto Link LA 7* tenor sax mouthpiece. All the 2 1/2 tenor saxophone reeds felt too soft for my tastes on the Otto Link LA tenor saxophone mouthpiece.

Otto Link LA 7* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

The Otto Link LA 7* tenor saxophone mouthpiece played with a thick tone that could be pushed to be much brighter when desired. The LA mouthpiece also had tons of power and volume available when pushed. JJ Babbitt did a great job with the baffle height and profile because this new LA tenor mouthpiece really can straddle that fine line between a respectable jazz tenor saxophone sound that is thick and full of character but also had a respectable “in your face” Michael Brecker type of tenor sax sound when pushed.

On my mouthpiece volume scale from 1-10, I would say that the LA model tenor saxophone mouthpiece gave me a solid 10 on that scale. That is unusual because most of the hard rubber Otto Link mouthpieces I have reviewed in the past, didn’t go that high on the rating for volume. I would have to check my past reviews but I don’t remember any. Maybe an Early Babbitt? I’m not sure. I would imagine that this increased volume and power is due to the baffles unique configuration and the medium-small chamber.

Otto Link LA 7* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

The tone of the Otto Link LA tenor saxophone mouthpiece was thick, full, fat and textured at lower and medium volumes but with more air added the tone could get more focused and brighter while still remaining thick and full sounding. That is important because many mouthpieces that can be pushed to get much brighter can tend to get thinner and edgier in tone. The LA 7* tenor saxophone mouthpiece was an exception to this.

The intonation on the Otto Link LA model tenor mouthpiece was very good and within the normal parameters on my Selmer Super Balanced Action tenor saxophone.

The altissimo range of the saxophone was easy to achieve and get around in. I think the higher baffle profile really does make it easier to get the altissimo notes and play with expression up in that higher register of the saxophone.

The low notes were full, thick and sub-toned beautifully. At full volume, the low notes sounded thick and full of character and while sub-toning they had a beautiful velvety quality to the tone that was nice and lush sounding.

Otto Link LA 7* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

The range of the saxophone was smooth and even and the Otto Link LA tenor saxophone mouthpiece sounded smooth on fast lines throughout the range of the instrument. Articulation was fast and crisp and the tone could be easily manipulated with bends and vibrato.

Each of the clips below provides a slightly different take and sound related to the different strength of reeds used. Check out all three clips and listen to the differences in sound that each of the reeds provides. I included clips on all three reeds because I like aspects of all three clips and find the differences interesting to listen to.

Otto Link LA 7* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

In my opinion, the Otto Link LA 7* tenor saxophone mouthpiece is a great hard rubber tenor saxophone mouthpiece for those looking for a classic hard rubber Otto Link kind of tenor saxophone sound that can be full and thick with character, on jazz standards or in an ensemble, but can also provide the player with tons of volume and brightness when pushed for more modern music.

That being said, the LA Otto Link is a tenor sax mouthpiece in its own category. I don’t think I have played a hard rubber Otto Link that can sound so authentic on jazz standards but also perform so well on an R&B solo. In my experience, usually a typical hard rubber Otto Link will either lean towards a dark and warm sound or it will lean towards a brighter sound. The hard rubber Otto Links I have tried usually lean one way or the other and I have usually ended up selling them because they are either too dark in tone or too bright in tone. The Otto Link LA hard rubber mouthpiece gives you the best of both worlds in one mouthpiece in my opinion.

I will say that as I tried the Otto Link LA 7* tenor saxophone mouthpiece for this review, I imagined being able to try this mouthpiece back in the 80’s & 90’s when I was searching for a tenor saxophone mouthpiece. I would have been incredibly excited to try an Otto Link hard rubber tenor sax mouthpiece like this back then. The Otto Link LA mouthpiece is very different than the many hard rubber Otto Link tenor sax mouthpieces I tried out in the 80’s through the 2000’s that is for sure. Otto Link did a great job with this new LA series tenor saxophone mouthpiece!

If you like the sound and look of the Otto Link LA model tenor saxophone mouthpiece by JJ Babbitt, you can find them for sale at Sweetwater. I have agreed to be an affiliate for Sweetwater so if you purchase an Otto Link LA tenor saxophone mouthpiece from this link, Neffmusic will receive a small commission on the sale. (This helps to support my site and keep the saxophone related reviews, articles and transcriptions coming to you…..). Sweetwater even offers the option to pay in three installments as well which is nice.

If you are lucky enough to play an Otto Link LA model tenor saxophone mouthpiece or have any other thoughts or comments, I would love to hear what you think in the comments below. Thanks, Steve

**Otto Link LA 7* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece – Rigotti Gold 3 Light Reed**

Otto Link LA 7* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece – Rigotti Gold 3 Light Reed-No Effects

Otto Link LA 7* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece – Rigotti Gold 3 Light Reed-Altissimo with Reverb Added

**Otto Link LA 7* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece – Boston Sax Shop Silver Box 3 Reed**

Otto Link LA 7* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece – Boston Sax Shop Silver Box 3 Reed-No Effects

**Otto Link LA 7* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece – Boston Sax Shop Silver Box 3 1/2 Reed**

Otto Link LA 7* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece – Boston Sax Shop Silver Box 3 1/2 Reed-No Effects

Otto Link LA 7* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece – Boston Sax Shop Silver Box 3 1/2 Reed-Altissimo with Reverb Added

Disclosure: I received the sample mouthpiece reviewed above for free in the hope that I would try it and perhaps review it on my blog. I also receive a small commission when you purchase from the link provided in this review that helps to support this site. Regardless, I only review sax mouthpieces that I enjoy playing and believe will be good for other saxophone players to try also. Steve

Today, I am excited to be reviewing the new Selmer Jazz Tribute 7* tenor saxophone mouthpiece released by Selmer Paris a few weeks ago. Ryan Lillywhite, the woodwind category manager at Conn Selmer, reached out to me and asked if I would be interested in reviewing the new Selmer Jazz Tribute tenor saxophone mouthpiece. After seeing the stunning photos he sent, I couldn’t resist the opportunity to test it out. Just a week later, the Jazz Tribute 7* tenor saxophone mouthpiece arrived at my doorstep, ready for an in-depth evaluation.

Selmer Jazz Tribute 7* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

Here is a description of the Selmer Jazz Tribute tenor saxophone mouthpiece from the Sweetwater website description:

The Jazz Tribute signifies the importance of jazz to Selmer Paris, a company whose world-class saxophones are deeply interwoven with the history of the genre, while acknowledging the tenor’s status as the quintessential “jazz” horn. Although the Jazz Tribute excels in acoustic jazz settings, it is not a conventional design by any means — nor is it your typical “power blaster” metal mouthpiece. While hard rubber mouthpieces have traditionally been the go-to for playing comfort and a rich, full sound, tenor players have increasingly turned to metal mouthpieces for sheer power, projection, and the ability to cut through a busy arrangement. But what if you could have it all? Enter the Jazz Tribute. Crafted from premium high-grade brass with a gleaming gold-plated finish, this mouthpiece offers exceptional durability, along with strong projection and sonic brilliance. But it’s the sophisticated engineering behind its design that helps it deliver remarkable fullness, roundness, and warmth that belies its metal construction.

Years in development, the Jazz Tribute benefits from a meticulous, cutting-edge design and manufacturing process informed by advanced materials science, computer-aided CNC machining, and 3D optical inspection to achieve an exacting level of precision. Drawing on its expertise in acoustical engineering and fruitful collaborations with professional tenor players, Selmer has produced a mouthpiece that both complements and exploits the distinctive voice of the tenor sax. The result is one of the most versatile metal saxophone mouthpieces ever created. Perfect for everything from small-combo jazz to a diverse range of modern music styles, the Henri Selmer Paris Jazz Tribute combines sonic density with extraordinary clarity and comfortable ease of play. It’s this outstanding versatility that makes the Jazz Tribute a standout among metal tenor mouthpieces. With the right reed and embouchure, it will accommodate just about any musical setting.

Located within Selmer’s Mantes-la-Ville workshops, digitally controlled facilities maintain uncompromising quality standards. Here, Jazz Tribute mouthpieces are meticulously milled on modified machinery formerly used by the Swiss watchmaking industry. To ensure unit-to-unit uniformity, this precision equipment is calibrated to tolerances of less than 0.03mm. In addition, a high-resolution 3D optical quality control machine scrutinizes every design parameter, guaranteeing the mouthpiece you get will be perfect and play flawlessly. The result of Selmer’s fastidious attention to detail is a mouthpiece that provides supreme playing comfort and optimal expressive malleability.

Available in three tip opening sizes to suit your playing predilections, the Jazz Tribute comes as a complete set with a specific ligature and mouthpiece cap. Inspired by the coveted ligatures of Maison Selmer, this exclusive ligature boasts a new beveled design that seamlessly adheres to the contours of the mouthpiece to exude elegant aesthetics and deliver superior performance. The cap, specially designed for this set, benefits from the same refined design ethos. A complete, high-performance package, the Selmer Paris Jazz Tribute represents a fabulous value among today’s high-end mouthpieces.

Selmer Jazz Tribute 7* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece (Selmer Paris Photo)

The Selmer Paris website also adds this information about the Selmer Paris Jazz Tribute tenor saxophone mouthpiece:

Inspired by the legends who shaped the golden era of jazz, the new Jazz Tribute mouthpiece is designed for today’s players who cherish jazz’s traditions while shaping its future. This metal tenor mouthpiece stands out for its balanced sound, combining timbre and roundness. Ideal for jazz and modern music, it provides a rich sound density while remaining easy to play. Made from high-quality brass with a gold-plated finish, this mouthpiece ensures exceptional durability and sound quality, along with remarkable brilliance and projection.

An exclusive ligature and cap are supplied with the Jazz Tribute.

This mouthpiece is available in 3 openings for a single table length (36 mm / 1.42 in.):

7* (2.67 mm / 0.105 in.)
8 (2.80 mm / 0.110 in.)
8* (2.92 mm / 0.115 in.)

Selmer Jazz Tribute 7* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece (Selmer Paris Photo)

The Selmer Jazz Tribute tenor saxophone mouthpiece is made of brass which is then beautifully plated in gold (I have actually heard that the Jazz Tribute mouthpiece is brass which is plated with copper first, then silver and then gold but I haven’t confirmed this yet). It comes in three tip openings of 7* (.105″), 8 (.110″) and 8* (.115″).

The Selmer Jazz Tribute tenor saxophone mouthpiece comes in a nice black velvet bag that is inside a beautifully designed cardboard box with what looks like mouthpiece engineering drawings and measurements all over the box. The tip opening of 7* is listed as well as the table length of 36 mm (1.42 inches). As was true for the Selmer Jazz Flow alto saxophone mouthpiece, table length, is referring to the facing curve length. The Selmer Jazz Flow alto mouthpiece was advertised as 30mm long but when I questioned Ryan Lillywhite about this extremely long facing curve when preparing that review, he replied, “In a nutshell, normal humans use the .0015 gauge to read the length of a facing curve but Selmer Paris looks at their CAD model which tells you where the first micron starts to curve. So if you had a .0000001 gauge it would get close to the 30 mm facing curve length.” I reached out to Ryan Lillywhite again for this review and he informed me that the same is true of the Jazz Tribute tenor mouthpiece and if you measured it with a .0000001 gauge it would be close to the 36 mm facing curve length listed on the box.

All this being true for the Selmer Jazz Tribute mouthpiece would mean that to us mere mortals who have to use a .0015 gauge to measure a facing length, the facing length of the Selmer Jazz Tribute tenor saxophone mouthpiece would come out to about 29-30 mm which is a much longer facing curve on a tenor saxophone mouthpiece than I have encountered before (I have heard from two trusted sources that have measured the facing curve at 30 mm length). Most of the tenor saxophone mouthpieces I have reviewed here at Neffmusic have been between 23.5 mm (shortest facing curve I have tried) and 27 mm (longest facing curve I have tried). Needless to say, a 30 mm length facing curve is really long on a tenor saxophone mouthpiece.

The Selmer Jazz Tribute mouthpiece chamber is listed on the box as round. There is no description of the size of the chamber on the box but later in the review I describe the chamber size as large to extra-large.

Selmer Jazz Tribute 7* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece (Selmer Paris Photo)

The Selmer Jazz Tribute tenor saxophone mouthpiece has the “Henri Selmer Paris” logo beautifully engraved in black on the top of the mouthpiece with “Fabrique en France” (made in France) engraved below it. The words “JAZZ TRIBUTE” are engraved on the side of the mouthpiece in what looks similar to the jazz font I use for writing music notation in Finale. The tip opening of 7* is machine engraved on to the middle of the mouthpiece table. The black engraving on the rich gold plating looks very classy and absolutely incredible.

The shank of the Selmer Jazz Tribute tenor sax mouthpiece is understated and simple. Whereas many metal mouthpieces have engraving around the shank of some sort, there is no engraving or design on the shank of the Jazz Tribute tenor saxophone mouthpiece. The outside diameter of the shank is narrower than the main body of the Jazz Tribute mouthpiece and the understated curved design of the shank actually seems to draw more attention to the main body of the Jazz Tribute tenor saxophone mouthpiece.

Selmer Jazz Tribute 7* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece (Selmer Paris Photo)

The Selmer Jazz Tribute tenor sax mouthpiece comes with a Selmer gold ligature that looks very similar to the older Selmer 404 silver ligatures that I love so much. This new Selmer Gold 404 ligature (let’s call it that for this review) varies from the original Selmer 404 silver ligature in that it is beveled (angled) so that the top of the ligature sits further back on the top of the mouthpiece than the bottom of the ligature is on the reed. When the ligature is tightened down firmly and at full tightness there is still room for the screws too tighten more if needed which is good in case the ligature stretches out over time like many of my Selmer 404 silver ligatures have. The new Selmer 404 gold ligature fits smoothly and perfectly on the Jazz Tribute tenor saxophone mouthpiece and looks great!

The Selmer Jazz Tribute tenor sax mouthpiece also comes with a beautiful gold Selmer mouthpiece cap that fits over the mouthpiece when it has a reed and ligature on it to protect the reed and mouthpiece. I am personally a bit nervous about sliding a metal mouthpiece cap over any metal mouthpiece just because it increases the chance of damage to the tip of the mouthpiece in my opinion. I have done gigs in dark nightclubs and after a few drinks during the gig, I went to put my metal mouthpiece cap on my mouthpiece and accidentally put some substantial dings into the tips of some of my favorite metal mouthpieces in the past. I write all this just to make the point, “Be very careful when putting on metal mouthpiece caps” (Especially in the dark after you have had a few drinks…..).

Selmer Jazz Flow 7 Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece

The Selmer Jazz Tribute tenor saxophone mouthpiece looks amazing to the eye as you can see in the photos. The gold plated brass is smooth and shiny and I don’t see an imperfection anywhere. The tip, rails and table look even, precise and perfectly crafted. The mouthpiece tip rail and side rails are even and symmetrical. The shape of the tip rail matched the shape of the different reeds I used on the Jazz Tribute mouthpiece very closely.

The baffle of the Selmer Jazz Tribute tenor saxophone mouthpiece has a slight curvature from side to side so that the middle of the baffle is slightly lower than the outside edges of the baffle. The baffle travels about 3/8’s of an inch before it rolls over smoothly into a steeper decline towards the rear of the mouthpiece chamber.

The chamber looks to be a large to extra-large sized chamber. Compared to a typical Otto Link Super Tone Master tenor mouthpiece chamber the Selmer Jazz Tribute mouthpiece chamber is larger but not as large as a Theo Wanne extra-large chambered tenor mouthpiece or a typical NY Otto Link extra-large chamber.

The bottom of the mouthpiece chamber is scooped out slightly so that the bottom of the chamber is lower than the bottom of the bore of the mouthpiece. The side rails are scooped out but travel inwards as they head towards the chamber area and then expand outwards as they enter the chamber area. The roof of the chamber is nice and thin to accommodate the larger chamber.

Selmer Jazz Tribute 7* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

The diameter and beak profile of the Selmer Jazz Tribute 7* tenor saxophone mouthpiece is very close to the diameter and beak profile of a typical metal Otto Link tenor saxophone mouthpiece. It felt very comfortable to me as I was play testing it. The body size of the Jazz Tribute tenor sax mouthpiece is similar to a typical metal Otto Link tenor saxophone mouthpiece as well.

I tried a variety of reeds with the Selmer Paris Jazz Tribute tenor saxophone mouthpiece including Rigotti Gold, BSS, Roberto’s Winds, SYOS and Vandoren Java tenor saxophone reeds. I decided to record the sound clips on a BSS (Boston Sax Shop) Silver Box #3 tenor saxophone reed.

One important aspect I noticed about the Jazz Tribute tenor saxophone mouthpiece I received is that it had a concavity to the table that went from the bottom of the window to right above where the tip opening is engraved on the bottom of the table. I could see the effect of this concavity every time I took a reed off of the table as I would see a substantial amount of saliva or condensation in the middle of table from the bottom of the window all the way down the middle of the mouthpiece table.

With new reeds, it got suction and performed well, but with used reeds it was pretty rough going. They would either not get suction at all from the beginning or lose suction five to ten minutes into playing. I was thinking the concavity down the middle of the table was causing used reeds to not seal on the mouthpiece but I communicated with Benjamin Allen who thought it was more likely the extremely long facing curve length of around 30 mm that was causing the issue. All of my used reeds have been used on mouthpieces with a much shorter facing curve and have formed to those curves so trying to find a used reed that would work on the Selmer Jazz Tribute mouthpiece’s longer facing curve was difficult. That being said, new reeds worked fine and sealed well so I would think if I spent some time flattening the used reeds they should work on the Jazz Tribute mouthpiece as well.

Selmer Jazz Tribute 7* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

When first playing the Selmer Jazz Tribute tenor saxophone mouthpiece, my first impression was that the Jazz Tribute produced a darker more spread tenor saxophone sound at lower to medium volumes. At full volume, the tone would get a bit brighter and a bit more focused sounding but I would still consider the tone to be more on the darker and warmer side of the tenor saxophone tone spectrum.

When I describe a saxophone tone as more spread, I am describing a saxophone tone that is on the other side of the spectrum from a typical Guardala focused type of tenor saxophone tone. That Guardala “high baffle” focused type of saxophone tone is like a laser beam. It is condensed, concentrated and often times, much more powerful. A more spread tenor saxophone tone has more depth and width to the tone. Many times, it has more character and warmth to it as well. Instead of the tone being in a tight concentrated ball of projecting sound it is more spread like a cloud or blanket of sound that fills the room in a different way. The Jazz Tribute tenor saxophone mouthpiece has this spread saxophone tone that I am describing. That type of tone is great for jazz playing and especially sweet for ballad playing.

Selmer Jazz Tribute 7* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

The Selmer Jazz Tribute tenor saxophone mouthpiece had thick and lush low notes that sounded fat and full. Whether playing the low notes at full volume or in sub-tone, I really enjoyed the warm and fat low end of the saxophone with the Jazz Tribute mouthpiece.

The high palm key notes of my tenor saxophone were full and round sounding as well. Sometimes these notes can tend to sound thin and edgy when played softly but I found those notes to sound beautiful at softer volumes which I really enjoyed. You can hear examples of those notes I am describing in the first phrase of the first sound clip below when I go up high.

The altissimo range was easily accessible with the Selmer Jazz Tribute tenor mouthpiece as you can hear in the third sound clip below. Interestingly, I found the altissimo range of notes to sound unique compared to other tenor saxophone mouthpieces I have reviewed here on the site. I’m not sure how to explain it though. It’s like the altissimo notes are more restrained or subdued. Usually when I play in the altissimo range on the saxophone, some notes break away from me a bit or feel like they are about to. The altissimo range on the Selmer Jazz Tribute tenor sax mouthpiece felt like those notes were more “under control” or “locked in” if that makes sense. Listen to the third clip below and see if you can hear what I am trying to describe.

The articulation on the Selmer Jazz Tribute tenor saxophone mouthpiece was not as crisp and immediate as I find the articulation on tenor saxophone mouthpieces with a shorter facing curve and I assume that is because of the longer facing curve length. In general, I find that shorter facing curve lengths lend themselves to a crisper more immediate style of articulation while the longer facing curve lengths lend themselves to a more legato and smooth style of articulation. I think of Dexter Gordon’s style of articulation when thinking of the way longer facing curves articulate. (Matter of fact, Dexter Gordon reportedly had a 27 mm long facing curve according to Sebastian Knox, which is a pretty long facing curve as well)

As an example of this articulation, when you listen to the first sound clip below, it is hard to hear the articulation in the lines I am playing. I am articulating like I always do on these lines but the articulation is more muted and legato sounding to my ears. It almost goes unnoticed when listening to the sound clip because of this. I actually like this “understated” articulation and again……it reminds me of Dexter Gordon’s articulation.

Selmer Jazz Tribute 7* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

The intonation on the Selmer Jazz Tribute tenor saxophone mouthpiece was very good up and down the saxophone and the mouthpiece was a great match for my Selmer Super Balanced Action tenor saxophone. The extra-large chamber size really brought down the pitch of the notes that can tend to be sharper on my SBA tenor saxophone with mouthpieces with smaller chambers and more baffle in them.

The evenness and smoothness of notes throughout the range of the saxophone when playing fast lines made the notes smooth and silky while playing fast. The Selmer Jazz Tribute tenor saxophone mouthpiece responded immediately to emotive manipulations such as dynamics, bends and vibrato. The combination of those two elements with the spread and fat tenor saxophone tone made the Jazz Tribute tenor mouthpiece a lot of fun on ballads.

Selmer Jazz Tribute 7* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

The Selmer Jazz Tribute 7* tenor saxophone mouthpiece was perfect for me at the 7* tip opening. I would imagine the 8 and 8* opening to be even more spread sounding as that is usually what I experience when I go up in tip openings from a 7* but you would have to try those tip openings out yourselves to find out what they are like.

The Selmer Jazz Tribute tenor saxophone mouthpiece had an average amount of power and volume when pushed. I would say that the Selmer Jazz Tribute mouthpiece could get me to a comfortable 7 in volume when I really pushed it. Although that volume is fine for most settings, small group jazz playing or even big band playing, I would not classify the Selmer Jazz Tribute as a tenor sax mouthpiece that would be great when competing with loud electronic instruments in funk, R &B or pop settings where you need to cut through the mix during a very loud gig. The combination of a darker more spread sound is usually not best in those kinds of settings but you would have to try the Selmer Jazz Tribute tenor saxophone mouthpiece yourself in those settings to find out if I am right or not.

Selmer Jazz Tribute 7* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

On the sound clips below, I try to give a good range and variety of tenor saxophone sounds and textures so that you can hear how the Selmer Jazz Tribute tenor saxophone mouthpiece performs in different styles and volumes.

The first sound clip below is a recording of me playing a bunch of random lines and ideas like I usually do with no effects on the sound. This is just the sound of the Jazz Tribute tenor sax mouthpiece dry. I try to run through a variety of bebop lines, jazz melodies, articulations and miscellaneous ideas up and down the range of the saxophone so that you can listen and get an idea of how the Jazz Tribute tenor saxophone mouthpiece sounded and performed for me.

The second sound clip is of me playing the melody of “When I Fall in Love” with some reverb added to the sound.

The third clip is my typical altissimo range sound clip with reverb added so you can hear how the Selmer Jazz Tribute mouthpiece sounds with more volume up in that higher range of the saxophone.

The fourth clip was added shortly after I posted this review live. I had the thought that if the facing curve was so long, maybe I should be playing the Jazz Tribute mouthpiece differently to adapt to the longer facing curve. I put the same reed on it that I recorded the other clips with and took quite a bit more mouthpiece so my bottom lip was closer to that breaking point where the facing curve breaks away from the table and I got a lot more volume out of the Jazz Tribute mouthpiece. I was actually surprised by how much more volume. I’m wondering if my normal embouchure position was perhaps dampening the reed because of where the longer facing curve breaks. It was a bit uncomfortable for me to take that extra mouthpiece in my mouth but the tone seems bigger to me. I think I like it more. What do you think?

Selmer Jazz Tribute 7* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

In my opinion, the Selmer Jazz Tribute tenor saxophone mouthpiece is a great tenor sax mouthpiece for those of you looking for a tenor sax mouthpiece that can play with a classic warm round jazz tenor saxophone sound that is full and fat sounding while giving the player easy expression and a warmth of tone with a bit of brightness added. As the name states, the Selmer Jazz Tribute tenor sax mouthpiece is a tribute and salute to all the great jazz tenor saxophone players who came before. I would certainly have loved to hear Coltrane, Dexter or Sonny Rollins on the Jazz Tribute to see how they would have sounded on it.

If you like the sound and look of the Jazz Tribute tenor saxophone mouthpiece by Selmer, you can find them for sale at Sweetwater. I have agreed to be an affiliate for Sweetwater so if you purchase a Selmer Jazz Tribute tenor saxophone mouthpiece from this link, neffmusic.com will receive a small commission on the sale while your cost remains the same. (This helps to support my site and keep the saxophone related reviews, articles and transcriptions coming to you…..). Sweetwater even offers the option to pay in three installments as well which is nice.

If you try a Selmer Jazz Tribute tenor saxophone mouthpiece or have any thoughts, comments or questions on this review, I would love to hear what you think in the comments below. Thanks, Steve

Selmer Jazz Tribute 7* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece-BSS (Boston Sax Shop) Silver Box 3 Tenor Saxophone Reed-No Effects Added

Selmer Jazz Tribute 7* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece-BSS (Boston Sax Shop) Silver Box 3 Tenor Saxophone Reed-When I Fall in Love-Reverb Added

Selmer Jazz Tribute 7* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece-BSS (Boston Sax Shop) Silver Box 3 Tenor Saxophone Reed-Altissimo-Reverb Added

*I just added the clip below a few hours after I posted this review. It’s interesting because right before I posted the review, I had the thought that if the facing curve was so long, maybe I should be playing the Jazz Tribute mouthpiece differently to adapt to the longer facing curve. I put the same reed on it that I played above and took quite a bit more mouthpiece so my bottom lip was closer to that breaking point where the facing curve breaks away from the table and I got a lot more volume out of the Jazz Tribute. I was actually surprised by how much more volume. I’m wondering if my normal embouchure position was perhaps dampening the reed because of where the longer facing curve breaks. Let me know what you think of the added clip below…….

Selmer Jazz Tribute 7* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece-BSS (Boston Sax Shop) Silver Box 3 Tenor Saxophone Reed-Taking more mouthpiece in my mouth-No Effects Added

Disclosure: I received the sample mouthpiece reviewed above for free in the hope that I would try it and perhaps review it on my blog. I also receive a small commission when you purchase from the Sweetwater website using the link in the review above that helps to support this site. Regardless, I only review sax mouthpieces that I enjoy playing and believe will be good for other saxophone players to try also. Steve

Today, I am reviewing another tenor saxophone mouthpiece from SYOS mouthpieces in France. This is the SYOS Gabi Rose signature model 8* deep purple tenor saxophone mouthpiece I will be reviewing.

SYOS Gabi Rose Signature Series 8* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

The SYOS company hit the saxophone mouthpiece scene a few years ago and immediately caught the world’s attention by producing these really bright colored 3D printed saxophone mouthpieces. I must admit, that at first, I was very skeptical of plastic 3D mouthpieces, but after reviewing quite a few SYOS mouthpiece (20 SYOS mouthpiece reviews to date) over the years (SYOS Mouthpiece Reviews), I have come to respect the SYOS business model and the quality and playability of the SYOS saxophone mouthpieces I have tried out.

SYOS Gabi Rose Signature Series 8* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece (photo by Dan Visintainer)

This Gabi Rose signature model tenor saxophone mouthpiece I am reviewing today is bright purple and is an 8* tip opening. Although, I requested the 8* tip and bright purple color for this mouthpiece review, the SYOS Gabi Rose model mouthpiece can come in any of nine tip openings from 5-9 and in a variety of ten attention getting colors.

The SYOS website describes the SYOS Gabi Rose as:

“This SYOS Gabi Rose tenor saxophone mouthpiece has a rollover baffle a little higher than usual, which gives an extra punch to the sound. With a medium chamber Gabi’s piece is bright and edgy without excess. It keeps some warmth and flexibility.”

Gabi Rose plays with a 7* tip opening although I am reviewing the 8* tip opening today.

SYOS Gabi Rose Signature Series Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece Characteristics

Before we get to the playing of the SYOS Gabi Rose tenor sax mouthpiece, let me give you a few tidbits of info from the SYOS website on these SYOS saxophone mouthpieces.

First, you choose what saxophone you play. Soprano, Alto, Tenor or Bari Sax
Second, you choose whether you are a beginner, intermediate or professional sax player
Third, you choose what type of music you play (you can pick more than one category)
Fourth, this is the coolest part, you choose your sound preferences. There is a slider for tone that goes from very dark to very bright. You can choose where in that tone spectrum you feel you would like to be. There is also a slider to choose how powerful you want to be. The slider goes from soft to powerful. Now here’s the coolest part because as you are reading this you might be confused about how you might choose what you want or you might be confused about what your preferences are. SYOS gives you a bunch of examples with sound clips! How cool is that? The following list of player are listed and rated for tone and power. Ben Webster, Chris Potter, Coleman Hawkins, Dexter Gordon, Joe Henderson, Michael Brecker, Sonny Rollins, Stan Getz and Wayne Shorter. (Can I just point out at this point, how awesome Chris Potter must feel about being included in this list!)
You click “Submit” and wait by your mailbox for your custom mouthpiece that will answer all your dreams to be delivered.

SYOS Gabi Rose Signature Series 8* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

Here is a few comments about the material SYOS mouthpieces are made from in case you are curious:

The plastic we use to make SYOS mouthpieces has been certified non-toxic in laboratory (EN 71 and CE 1907/2006 standards). In fact, the same kind of plastic is used to make toys for children, which can be put in mouth without any risks. At the opposite, with the “ebonite” plastic, some sulfuric acid releases are observed when the mouthpiece is old, which gives it a yellow-green color.

And finally, here is a quote about the manufacturing process and how the minute details affect your tone which I found interesting:

SYOS Gabi Rose Signature Series 8* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

Ok, so let’s get to reviewing this SYOS Gabi Rose 8* tenor sax mouthpiece I received. The mouthpiece came in the usual SYOS drawstring bag and was well protected in the package it came in. SYOS did not send a slide on ligature with the mouthpiece because they are probably aware that I am not a big fan of slide on ligatures by this point. (I’ve mentioned it in almost every SYOS review…….)

The SYOS Gabi Rose tenor saxophone mouthpiece felt really light as you would expect a plastic mouthpiece to feel. The table had a little bit of texture to it that I could feel with my fingers and you can see in the photos. Whatever process they use to make these sax mouthpieces does leave some texture marks on the mouthpiece. You can see fine lines going across the table and fine lines going down the baffle as if the machine that cut the mouthpieces left these lines on the plastic. This texture does not effect the sealing of the reed to the mouthpiece on all the SYOS mouthpieces I have reviewed though so I personally wouldn’t worry about it.

SYOS Gabi Rose Signature Series 8* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

The SYOS Gabi Rose 8* tenor saxophone mouthpiece looks well made. The table, rails and tip rail look pretty even to the eye. The curve of the tip rail matches pretty closely with the curve of my tenor saxophone reeds although the outside corners of the tip rail do extend a bit further than the width of the reed but it is nothing to be concerned with as the reed passes the suction test perfectly.

The baffle is what I would consider a medium high baffle that is about an inch long. At that point, the baffle rolls over and then continues at a greater angle down towards the rear of the mouthpiece chamber. That baffle slope, through the chamber, has a slight curve to it from side to side and the baffle floor narrows as it descends towards the baffles termination at the rear of the chamber.

The beginning of the baffle behind the tip rail is interesting because it starts descending at a lower angle and then hits that curved line which is a little bit higher. This creates an indentation in the baffle right behind the tip rail which is about 1/8th of an inch long. I have sometimes seen this occurring when players and or mouthpiece craftsmen add baffles to mouthpieces. The baffle after that 1/8th inch line is almost like an added baffle in shape and size.

I would describe the mouthpiece chamber as a medium to medium small chamber. From the bore end of the mouthpiece, the chamber looks smaller than a typical Otto Link sized chamber. When you look from the front of the mouthpiece, it is pretty easy to see how the baffle cuts through the chamber floor to make the chamber even smaller. The mouthpiece chamber is definitely smaller in diameter than the bore of the mouthpiece.

The sidewalls are scooped out nicely from the tip to the chamber area. The sidewalls look to angle in slightly as they connect to the medium-small chamber on the sides.

There is a nicely engraved S (SYOS) on the top of the sax mouthpiece and a Gabi Rose signature on the side of the saxophone mouthpiece. The tip opening is marked with a 8* on the bottom side of the shank of the mouthpiece.

SYOS Gabi Rose Signature Series 8* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

The first tenor saxophone reed I tried on the SYOS Gabi Rose 8* tenor saxophone mouthpiece was a Rigotti Gold 2 1/2 Strong tenor saxophone reed. The Rigotti Gold reed played great on the Gabi Rose mouthpiece and is the reed I used for the sound clips below. The 8* tip opening (.115) played really well with the 2 1/2 Rigotti Gold reeds!

SYOS Gabi Rose Signature Series 8* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

I found the tone of the SYOS Gabi Rose signature 8* tenor saxophone mouthpiece to be darker and warmer than many of the other SYOS tenor saxophone mouthpiece I have tried. I think the only other SYOS tenor sax mouthpiece I have played in this darker side of the tone spectrum was the SYOS Tivon Pennicott tenor saxophone mouthpiece. Unfortunately, it has been so long since I tried the Tivon Pennicott mouthpiece that I can’t remember enough about it to really compare that mouthpiece to this Gabi Rose tenor mouthpiece.

While this mouthpiece did have a some brightness to the tone when pushed, it still retained a beautifully fat tone that had a warmness that was complex and rich. This balance of the warm, complex and rich with the slight brightness made the brightness more balanced and beautiful to listen to in my opinion.

SYOS Gabi Rose Signature Series 8* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

Usually, mouthpieces with this type of baffle and chamber have a low end that is wanting, but the SYOS Gabi Rose mouthpiece had a gorgeously fat low range of the saxophone that I really enjoyed. The fatness and warmth of tone really helped the fast lines to sound smooth and the notes flowed together like butter.

The higher baffle and medium-small chamber definitely gives this mouthpiece some nice power and focus when the mouthpiece is pushed. The SYOS Gabi Rose signature model has a nice brightness when pushed while still remaining warm and fat but one of the best attributes of this mouthpiece is that the high notes and altissimo notes didn’t get all thin and weak sounding. They still retained a thick, full core to their tone and were round and full sounding.

SYOS Gabi Rose Signature Series 8* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

The SYOS Gabi Rose tenor saxophone mouthpiece is a great mouthpiece that balances on that fine line between a fat, warm tone with added brightness and power for jazz playing. Check out my sound clips below of this SYOS Gabi Rose tenor sax mouthpiece and decide for yourself.

If you like the sound and look of the Gabi Rose signature model 8* tenor saxophone mouthpiece by SYOS, you can find them at the SYOS website. (Neffmusic also gets a small commission from each sale when you use this link which helps support this website).

The SYOS website has a ton of artists and signature models available so if the Gabi Rose model isn’t your cup of tea, there are a ton of other saxophone mouthpieces to choose from. Or, like I wrote above, you can be courageous and go for a custom sax mouthpiece made specifically for you. The amazing thing is that SYOS has a 30 day return policy which is unheard of in the sax mouthpiece industry.

If you have played or end up playing a SYOS Gabi Rose Signature tenor saxophone mouthpiece or have any other thoughts or comments about this review, I would love to hear what you think in the comments below. Thanks, Steve

SYOS Gabi Rose Signature Series 8* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece-Rigotti Gold 2 1/2 Strong Reed-No Reverb Added

SYOS Gabi Rose Signature Series 8* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece-Rigotti Gold 2 1/2 Strong Reed-Short Altissimo Clip-Slight Reverb Added

Gabi Rose Playing the SYOS Gabi Rose Signature Series 7* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

Get·A·Sax GS Freddie Gregory Super Deluxe MARK II Copy Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece Review

Get·A·Sax GS Freddie Gregory Super Deluxe Mark II Copy Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece-7 Tip Opening

**Get·A·Sax GS Freddie Gregory Super Deluxe Mark II Copy Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece-7* Tip Opening**

Get·A·Sax GS Freddie Gregory Super Deluxe Mark II Copy Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece-8 Tip Opening

SYOS Max Ionata Signature Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece Review

Phil-Tone Rift Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece Review

1.) Phil-Tone Rift Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece-SYOS Arcane #3 Reed-Soft Volume

2.) Phil-Tone Rift Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece-SYOS Arcane #3 Reed-Soft Medium Volume

3.) Phil-Tone Rift Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece-SYOS Arcane #3 Reed-Medium Volume

4.) Phil-Tone Rift Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece-SYOS Arcane #3 Reed-Loud Volume

5.) Phil-Tone Rift Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece-SYOS Arcane #3 Reed-Loud Volume-Reverb Added

KPoudavoff Florida Double Ring Otto Link Copy Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece Review

KPoudavoff Florida Otto Link Copy Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece Review

KPoudavoff Zimberoff Dukoff Hollywood 7* Copy Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece Review

KPoudavoff Zimberoff Dukoff Hollywood 6* with Dexter Gordon’s Facing Curve Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece Review

Retro Revival Modern Line Cutting Edge Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece Review

Geller Blackbird Ebonite Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece Review

SYOS Take the A Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece Review

10mFan Cabernet Octagon Series Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece Review

Boston Sax Shop E-Series 7* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece Review

Can You Play Jazz on a Selmer S80 Classical Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece?

**Selmer S80 C* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece**

Selmer S80 E Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

Selmer S80 F Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

NJS Hummingbird 8* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece Review

Claude Lakey 7*3 Original Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece Review

Les Becs d’Autan Florida Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece Review

Otto Link LA Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece Review

A Fusion of Classic “Core” with Modern Edge & Brightness

**Otto Link LA 7* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece – Rigotti Gold 3 Light Reed**

**Otto Link LA 7* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece – Boston Sax Shop Silver Box 3 Reed**

**Otto Link LA 7* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece – Boston Sax Shop Silver Box 3 1/2 Reed**

Selmer Jazz Tribute 7* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece Review

SYOS Gabi Rose Signature Series Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece Review