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Anyone have luck at estate sales buying mouthpieces?
I bought 3 metal Link tenor pieces today at an estate sale of a player that had passed. - Worst case scenario one could expect the seller is using ChatGPT AI to get pricing on pieces. So a bit of a farce.
Sky high prices but I packaged 3 metal links at a very reasonable price. They came with vintage ligs and caps. The money was going to the players' Grand kids.
If you do not know the difference between the different generations not good to trust AI to price. The fellow had close to 20 STM the vast majority post 80's / 90's.
After play testing a hoard of various pieces over a few hours in the basement I plucked 3 Links that impressed me from the 20 he had.
• FLORIDA STM (no USA) #7
• EARLY BABBITT #6
• STM USA WIDE TIP #7*
FLA < Wide Tip > EB
I am currently playing an old Beechler Bellite 8 tenor piece modified by John Yoakum, a killer piece, not sure if it's still an 8 as stamped but it is amazing and pleasing. I have a drawer full of various STM's I should sell and have played STMs over many years as my main piece. I have a Double Ring opened to a 7** by S Knox and a metal Tone Master opened to a 7* by Doc Tenney for me over 20 plus years ago. These are two of my favourite main metal Otto Link pieces.
I have not been on a STM for a couple of years now so playtesting a table of 20 metal links was eye opening for me.
The biggest surprise was the STM wide tip I bought.
I have had these before and may still have one but this one is something else. It plays huge and barks, takes a ton of air and low resistance. I get why certain pro players go for that huge vintage link sound. I was playing on a modern horn but I had to smirk as to my ears it sounded close to some of the top players I studied and played with. Thing was, they were on MK VI's I wasn't. It just booms. I will be pulling out my Ref 54 and going old school on it. It is an odd piece as it has such a fat body that a standard link ligature would not fit on it. I tested metal pieces using my trustworthy BG L21MJl ligature works on metal alto pieces as well as tenor.
The second piece that also took me by surprise was the EB 6.
It is just killer and totally in my wheelhouse. It has the edge I like in a piece but with that Link vibe. I have a 7 EB I have in my arsenal I selected years ago as it performed better than larger tipped pieces I have. This piece is so sweet it beats that 7 I believe. Just the right amount of resistance, light with edge and it can take a lot of air. A possible keeper once I do a shoot out against the 7. One will be going.
I don't bother measuring mouthpiece openings. I don't care what is stamped on it as it is all in how it plays. I have a Dukoff Miami 9 that plays easier than the two 8's and the 7 I had. I sold the other three and kept the 9.
The last piece was no surprise a 7* Florida no USA.
Played the way I and those who are drawn to them expect. A great piece but not as surprising to me as the other two. I have a 7* Florida in my tool box and will be doing a shoot out with this one to see which I prefer. This piece has more resistance so I will have to compare and maybe change reeds to get a true impression of what it can do.
Tried a load of other pieces Jody Jazz, Meyers, Theo's, Philtone and others I have not played before. I brought one of each model of horn to play test pieces, even my C Mel. It was time well spent and I will contact the seller again in a couple of weeks and see what he has left. The prices will be better.
Pleased with the pieces I was able to buy.
It was sad to see this fellows cherished pieces and horns laid out for sale by family who have no idea or cared about them. Only in what they could sell for.
•
I bought 3 metal Link tenor pieces today at an estate sale of a player that had passed. - Worst case scenario one could expect the seller is using ChatGPT AI to get pricing on pieces. So a bit of a farce.
Sky high prices but I packaged 3 metal links at a very reasonable price. They came with vintage ligs and caps. The money was going to the players' Grand kids.
If you do not know the difference between the different generations not good to trust AI to price. The fellow had close to 20 STM the vast majority post 80's / 90's.
After play testing a hoard of various pieces over a few hours in the basement I plucked 3 Links that impressed me from the 20 he had.
• FLORIDA STM (no USA) #7
• EARLY BABBITT #6
• STM USA WIDE TIP #7*
FLA < Wide Tip > EB
I am currently playing an old Beechler Bellite 8 tenor piece modified by John Yoakum, a killer piece, not sure if it's still an 8 as stamped but it is amazing and pleasing. I have a drawer full of various STM's I should sell and have played STMs over many years as my main piece. I have a Double Ring opened to a 7** by S Knox and a metal Tone Master opened to a 7* by Doc Tenney for me over 20 plus years ago. These are two of my favourite main metal Otto Link pieces.
I have not been on a STM for a couple of years now so playtesting a table of 20 metal links was eye opening for me.
The biggest surprise was the STM wide tip I bought.
I have had these before and may still have one but this one is something else. It plays huge and barks, takes a ton of air and low resistance. I get why certain pro players go for that huge vintage link sound. I was playing on a modern horn but I had to smirk as to my ears it sounded close to some of the top players I studied and played with. Thing was, they were on MK VI's I wasn't. It just booms. I will be pulling out my Ref 54 and going old school on it. It is an odd piece as it has such a fat body that a standard link ligature would not fit on it. I tested metal pieces using my trustworthy BG L21MJl ligature works on metal alto pieces as well as tenor.
The second piece that also took me by surprise was the EB 6.
It is just killer and totally in my wheelhouse. It has the edge I like in a piece but with that Link vibe. I have a 7 EB I have in my arsenal I selected years ago as it performed better than larger tipped pieces I have. This piece is so sweet it beats that 7 I believe. Just the right amount of resistance, light with edge and it can take a lot of air. A possible keeper once I do a shoot out against the 7. One will be going.
I don't bother measuring mouthpiece openings. I don't care what is stamped on it as it is all in how it plays. I have a Dukoff Miami 9 that plays easier than the two 8's and the 7 I had. I sold the other three and kept the 9.
The last piece was no surprise a 7* Florida no USA.
Played the way I and those who are drawn to them expect. A great piece but not as surprising to me as the other two. I have a 7* Florida in my tool box and will be doing a shoot out with this one to see which I prefer. This piece has more resistance so I will have to compare and maybe change reeds to get a true impression of what it can do.
Tried a load of other pieces Jody Jazz, Meyers, Theo's, Philtone and others I have not played before. I brought one of each model of horn to play test pieces, even my C Mel. It was time well spent and I will contact the seller again in a couple of weeks and see what he has left. The prices will be better.
Pleased with the pieces I was able to buy.
It was sad to see this fellows cherished pieces and horns laid out for sale by family who have no idea or cared about them. Only in what they could sell for.
•
