Mouthpieces Absolute passaround?

[Ivan]

Just don't be tempted by instruments you don't have: a baritone mouthpiece is useless without a baritone sax. And a baritone sax is often useless.

Says the once-professional baritone sax player!

 

[Bolding]

Here's my impressions:

I'm very impressed with the ST Alto piece, the baffle shape & bullet shaped chamber really looked intimidating. Anyhow, as soon as i started playing this illusion was broken, it wasn't exactly my usual sound, but not far from either!

It is a very versatile piece IMO, it can go from a whisper subtone to roaring growl, with incredible control!

I thought initially that a 7* would be a little too big, but the design of the absolutes make them very free blowing, still, it was easy to maintain the whispery subtone that i love.

I'm not gonna comment on projection, as i don't know enough about it, to really say anything meaningfull.

The sound however gave all sorts of impressions, semi-bright, very lush, and crisp when played softly. But when played with power it can sound very bright, with an easily controlled egde.

All in all a wonderfull piece, wich is clearly made out of high grade materials & has been crafted by master mouthpiece makers.

The Absolute resin i will not review, as i could not remove the piece of plast hanging in the window, i don't think it would be a fair assesment..
Even thought it played very lovely, I'm not going into details. Sorry!

My friend on soprano informed when i recieved the pieces, that he wasn't gonna be able to participate. But I'm still waiting for a response from the tenor, who we're supposed to come & test them yesterday with me...

If he doesn't come by tonight, I think I'll ship the mouthpieces tomorrow to the next participant, doesn't seem right that so many great pieces just lays here unused..
Anyhow, I'm sorry that i haven't been able to review the Sop & Tenors so far..

 

[trimmy]

some news from Denmark?


🙂

He's still partying

Oh the party's over !!

 

[Targa]

some news from Denmark?
🙂

Especially for @Jeanette:
The Copenhagen Post - Danish News in English

 

[Jeanette]

Especially for @Jeanette:
The Copenhagen Post - Danish News in English

Nansense if you ask me 🙂

I'll keep a note of that for future threads

Jx

 

[Nick Wyver]

I'm not gonna comment on projection, as i don't know enough about it, to really say anything meaningfull.

That's alright. Nobody does.

 

[Bolding]

So, who's next in line for the magic box? 🙂

I thought I'd give my mate a second chance to come and try the tenor, as i really think the ST could be the thing hes been looking for.
But he hasn't responded in any way or form, so forward it goes!

I also want to thank Absolute & the mods, who made this passaround possible.
It's been a very nice opportunity & experience, thanks to you all!

 

[kevgermany]

I think they need to go to Aldevis for the Cardiff Meet. Suggest you PC him.

 

[aldevis]

Ideally it should go to @c9off
Could you please send your address to bolding?

If not, @Nick Wyver
We still have five weeks before Cardiff, where I will meet @griff136

 

[c9off]

suggest @Nick Wyver first, then to me, I will then hand deliver to @griff136 Thursday 19th (or 12th if he is not there) November @ Myalls Croydon?...

@aldevis ?

 

[Nick Wyver]

They're here now. I've had a quick honk on all of them.
More intensive honking tomorrow.

 

[Nick Wyver]

Please bear in mind that this is all terribly subjective and I hate trying to put saxophone sounds into words.



Soprano

I'm using a Yanagisawa S991 and comparing with PPT 7, Yanagisawa metal 9, Bari ebonite 66 and Selmer S80 E.

First go with a RJS 3S. Both easy blows with a 3S and no tuning problems. They have different shank sizes though which is a little surprising. I didn't like the sound of the metal one much – just something about it and not really bright enough for me. I much preferred the resin one despite it being not as bright as any of the comparison mpcs. It'd make a good classical one for me. The reed now has 8 little dents in it from the 2 different sized ligs.

More tootling with other reeds (Vandoren, La Voz, Superial Classique) didn't change my opinion.



Alto

Keilwerth SX90R and Ponzol Custom Delrin 85, Ponzol Vintage 85, Rousseau 5R.

RJS 3S again. Blowing and tuning no problem. No comparison with the Custom – neither are remotely screamers. I didn't like the metal one again (not exactly a classical sound but nowhere near as bright as I'd like) but this time the resin one was the brighter of the two – roughly the same as the Vintage but a freer blow.

The resin one sounded excellent with a Superial 3.



Tenor

Keilwerth Shadow and PPT resin 9*, Guardala MBII, Francois Louis T 285 SP.

RJS 3M too soft for the metal one so I found a Superial 3 that worked ok. I liked them both. The metal one was comparable to the PPT (surprisingly similar) and the resin one to the FL. Both free blowing and no tuning issues. Large shanks needed padding on the cork.



Baritone

Yanagisawa B900 and PPT 8*, Jody Jazz DV9 and Berg Larsen steel 115 1 SMS.

RJS 3M a tad soft but I have an old box of LaVoz hard which suited it far better. Not as gutsy as the PPT or the JJ (unsurprisingly) but it'd make a good replacement for the Berg. Tuning fine again but it didn't like my '37 Conn Crossbar. Not a hope in hell of playing that in tune with it but, to be fair, it hates most modern mouthpieces.



I didn't get on with the ligatures. They work fine when in place but I found them a bit fiddly to get right and I didn't like the screw grip (too slippy and sharp edges - I prefer the round Rovner variety). I assume the digging of holes in soprano reeds was just faulty ligs, the other sizes didn't do it.

 

[Absolute]

Thanks for your review, Nick
the marks of the soprano reed are due simply to the fact that you have closed the ligature too much.
😉

 

[Alphorn]

Nick, I am suprised by your review. It as diametrically opposed as it gets to my own impressions. The metal pieces were all on the bright side for me and I wonder what I would do with a brighter piece like the ST+ version of the Absolutes. I wouldn't call the soprano steel a screamer but the alto is close to it and it was for me brighter than the resin alto.The baritone being a good replacement for a Berg puzzles me. I blew it against a Berg 115 SMS 2 and there is no way it even comes close to it.

As you are a much, much more experienced player maybe it comes down to the individual skills. But what I really learn here is, that any description of gear on the web is very subjective and might differ between players. You need to test it yourself to know if it fits you. I am glad I have done so as I am now a proud owner of a metal soprano 6 and a metal alto 6*.

Alphorn

 

[aldevis]

Nick, I am suprised by your review. It as diametrically opposed as it gets to my own impressions.

One of the important aspects when reading a review, is having an idea of the reviewer's musical taste.
I am not surprised by Nic's review. He would probably find an ST+ "just bright enough", while I find "too bright" mouthpieces that most players would find pitch dark.

Very interesting that the pieces' tuning works for Nick too.

 

[kevgermany]

Thanks for your review, Nick
the marks of the soprano reed are due simply to the fact that you have closed the ligature too much.
😉

I'm not so sure. I did notice, and mention, that the feet on at least one of the sop ligs were not sitting flat on the reed - there doesn't seem to be enough rock built in to where the feet and the screw meet. Net result is that instead of the whole foot pressing on the lig, the edge presses on and digs in.

 

[Nick Wyver]

One of the important aspects when reading a review, is having an idea of the reviewer's musical taste.
I am not surprised by Nic's review. He would probably find an ST+ "just bright enough", while I find "too bright" mouthpieces that most players would find pitch dark.

Quite.

Reed choice makes quite a big difference too. It's very difficult to compare a piece that requires a 2.5 (open) to one that requires a 3.5 (close). With a 2.5 reed the more closed one is going to sound brighter than it ought and with a 3.5 reed the open one is going to sound stuffy and hard to blow. If you use the correct reed for the mouthpiece then you have to take into account reed variation in the overall sound. It's really quite difficult.
Having said that, there is less variation in the sound of reeds than there is (generally) in the sound of mouthpieces, so you can just about get away with it.

 

[Alphorn]

He would probably find an ST+ "just bright enough",

That' what I thought. Nick is a bright player.

Alphorn

 

[Targa]

while I find "too bright" mouthpieces that most players would find pitch dark.

Such as?

 

[aldevis]

Vintage links