PPT mouthpieces

Mouthpieces Coming very soon...PPT soprano mouthpieces

Thanks for that Tom. I'm looking forward to having a honk on the thing.
 
PPT Review

OK, so the pass-around of the PPT soprano 6 made it to me when I got in from work last night, so here’s a brief review from me.

I tried the mouthpiece using a Rico Jazz Select 2M reed, which I fastened on using a Rovner lig of some sort. It held the reed in place, which is all a lig ever does. >:)I tried playing on a Bauhaus Walstein curvy and a Buescher True Tone. As a control I also used my tried and tested Bari Gold 7 mouthpiece with the same reed.

Initial finding was that the PPT was significantly more resistant to blow. It felt a bit sort of constricted compared to the Bari, which may be partly down to it having a smaller tip opening. The tone was not as bright as the Bari, with an attractive warmth, and a sort of ‘pure’ tone. I rattled through a few straightforward pieces I know well – a few soul bits, Moondance, Harlem Nocturne, God Bless the Child, so I could concentrate on the mouthpiece rather than what I was playing. The more I played it the less resistant it seemed, and it had a good forceful attack, and also plenty of volume when needed. Intonation of the PPT was superb, the best of any sop mouthpiece I can remember playing. It also had a good consistent tone throughout the range, including the higher notes. On the Bari, above high C things thin out and tuning becomes a bit more tricky – much easier on the PPT.

I tried on the Buescher next. Tuning still great, tone a bit brighter than on the BW. However, as the ergonomics of the Buescher are so poor compared to the BW, I went back to that. I think I prefer the tone of the BW anyway.

As a final test I stuck the Bari back on. In comparison, it was much brighter, and easier to blow in the lower notes. Higher up, the Bari was much thinner and less stable.

So, in conclusion, I was very, very impressed. Although I’ve played soprano for a long time, I don’t play it much, and I don’t think I’m much cop as a soprano player, but the PPT helped me play the thing more in tune over more of the range with less effort than my normal mouthpiece. It was a bit of an effort to blow at first, but nothing that I couldn’t adjust to after a few minutes. I liked it, a lot, and I think I may be buying one when they are on sale.
 
Obviously not then. Pete was fibbing.

Anyone know what the new order is then?

Nothing changed, this is the order (based on the order of me getting the PMs, so it's first come first serve:

JonF
Nick Wyver
Dooce
Rhys

I've asked Dooce to send his address to Nick, and Rhys to send his address to Dooce.
 
Thanks. Twas just that you said I'd be getting the mouthpiece from Tom.
 
Nothing changed, this is the order (based on the order of me getting the PMs, so it's first come first serve:

JonF
Nick Wyver
Dooce
Rhys

I've asked Dooce to send his address to Nick, and Rhys to send his address to Dooce.

Oops, looks like I did get it wrong somewhere along the line in the PMs I sent. The order above IS the correct one, so Nick should send his address to Jon, and Jon sends the PPT to Nick

Sorry Nick.
 
Thanks. Twas just that you said I'd be getting the mouthpiece from Tom.

If it is important to receive a mouthpiece from me I could always do that - let me know............;}

Lots of Love
Tom:cool:
 
Thank you for your kind offer - I've never had a Welsh mouthpiece - but I've really got far too many of the damn things already. I hope I hate Pete's offering otherwise I'll have to spend some more money.

Which reminds me.

Anyone (apart from Pete obviously) used the PPT bari in anger?
 
Nothing changed, this is the order (based on the order of me getting the PMs, so it's first come first serve:

JonF
Nick Wyver
Dooce
Rhys

I've asked Dooce to send his address to Nick, and Rhys to send his address to Dooce.

Anyone after me, or shall I just hold onto it for a few years ? :)))

Rhys
 
Having just acquired a BW Straight Bronze AI Soprano I would say that it is definitely darker sounding than its curved equivalent, and my mouthpieces have shifted down a level in terms of darker sounding. Hence I could imagine the PPT sounding more in the region of Berg 60/2 rather than my original 60/1.5 rating. If Pete plays a straight BW then this could contribute to describing this piece as dark.

Kind regards
Tom
 
Interesting that you say the straight one is darker. The general consensus seems to be that curved ones should be darker.

I've not played enough curved ones to form an opinion. Though, if pushed, I could probably rustle one up.
 
My turn now.

All testing was done on a Yanagisawa S6 which I've had for about 30 years, so I'm just about getting used to it.

First job was to fiddle about with reeds to find what I liked best. So I tried Vandoren 2.5 and 3, La Voz med and med hard, Hemke 2.5, Rico Jazz Select 3S. I liked the Jazz Select best so I mostly stuck with that.

The mouthpieces I compared it with were:
Brancher J17 (metal) - my usual mpc.
Yanagisawa 9 (metal)
Dukoff M8
Selmer S80 E
Bari 66 (HR)

First impressions were favourable - easy blowing, nice sound. Quite different sound from the comparison mpcs. Probably closest to the S80 overall but, between these two, I preferred the PPT. The Brancher, Yanag and Dukoff are quite similar in terms of brightness (all loud too), the Bari next, then the PPT and then the Selmer. Ease of altissimo was similar to the Brancher and Yanag (ie. not easy at all - but at least possible). Intonation - not a problem.

Due to the nature of the bands I'm playing in at the moment (quite loud) it's helpful if I can make as much noise with the sax as possible in order to reduce the gain needed with the mike. It helps to reduce feedback problems. The PPT, being noticeably quieter than my usual Brancher, would need more amplification so I'd probably be inclined not to bother. However, in a quieter situation it would be fine.

Would/will I buy one?

Quite possibly. I quite often play classical stuff at home - I used to do quartets but haven't played in one for quite a while - and I would prefer to use the PPT rather than the S80. Not quite so stuffy and a tad more free blowing than the Bari.
 
M The PPT, being noticeably quieter than my usual Brancher, would need more amplification so I'd probably be inclined not to bother.

Would a wider tip be better do you think?
 
Well I guess it would probably be louder. Dunno about better.

I tend to go for wider and if you made different tip widths I'd probably go for the widest. But that's just me - I doubt that approach would suit everybody. :)

However, I did like it as it was for quieter stuff than I'm wont to play in public. A wider tip might spoil that (would it?). Tricky to make a mouthpiece that suits everybody for all occasions.

That's possibly not a lot of help, sorry.
 
Well you have heard the experienced reviewers on the 6, now for a relative beginner's thoughts on the 5:

From the first notes I found his mouthpiece extremely easy & friendly to play with a very clean solid tone - it just sang! Intonation was very good, even for me! As the reed (La Voz med soft) was just removed from my usual mouthpiece & looking a little sorry for itself, various others were tried - Rico 21/2 & 3 (orange box) new La voz etc all playing without effort. Upon changing back to my 'latest' best piece, a Jody Jazz DV 7* I preferred all elements of the PPT. Another few were tried, including the much spoke of Rico (which on my sops have the worst intonation ever) - all without charm. Saxes used were Elkhart curved & straight, both very similar.

I don't play soprano out (with the exception of a quartet in summer holidays & only because I get the melody!!) therefore not having the opportunity to try when concentrating on other things in a band situation - this possibly may reveal a slightly different side...

Did I want to buy another mouthpiece, especially soprano - NO.

Have I bought THIS mouthpiece, well hopefully YES as I asked Pete for first refusal, when they play like this you just have to buy it (well that is what I told the wife!).

Hope this assists..

Geoff
 
Well I guess it would probably be louder. Dunno about better.

What I meant was better in terms of loudness and better if you are used to wider tips. Many/most people find wider tips to be louder.
 
Would a wider tip be better do you think?

Given my experience I would have like to have tried a "7". My two favourites are a Berg 70/1 and the Via Coro is in that zone. Both were freer blowing, and the PPT seemed to suffer in that respect. I would be unlikely to consider a 5 or 6 tip opening.
 

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