Mouthpieces For Links Fans Only!

[Two Voices]

My hunt for the perfect mouthpiece to accompany my ‘Two Voices’ Tenor is over! I am playing one of Morgan Fry’s own designed mouthpieces. It looks and plays beautifully!

It is CNC machined and hand-finished mouthpiece which is has been Gold-Plated with Nickel underneath. Its appearance puts me more in mind of the Otto-Link Tone Master without the ligature ridge. It has a square Ruby coloured bite plate. Very similar style to that found on the Lebayle pieces.

It plays very much like a Florida Vintage Link with a similar voice but the sound is more centred. The piece has a huge dark and smooth tone. I found the response superb top to bottom. The high notes are solid with the altissimo being clean and lively! The subtone I’m getting from the bell notes is simply awesome!

Morgan reckons these pieces play a bit bigger so my 9* (0.125”) is more like a #10 (0.130”). But I don’t find that! In fact I think it plays even easier than my 8* Link!

I have no idea what Morgan is calling these mouthpieces yet!

I’ll try and post some pics this weekend!

 

[Fraser Jarvis]

[SIZE=3 [QUOTE]The high notes are solid with the altissimo being clean and lively! The subtone I’m getting from the bell notes is simply awesome![/

Not bad for someone who has only been playing for a few months;} i wish i could get them high notes

 

[johnboy]

Hi Paul, how about a sound clip as well, that would be really useful ;}

John.

 

[Two Voices]

Not bad for someone who has only been playing for a few months;} i wish i could get them high notes

Long Notes and plenty of practice! Having said that I found rolling my bottom lip away from the tip of the reed really helped too!

Hi Paul, how about a sound clip as well, that would be really useful ;}

John.

No means to record at the moment John. Will be getting a Zoom H2 very shortly though! ;}

 

[Fraser Jarvis]

Long Notes and plenty of practice! Having said that I found rolling my bottom lip away from the tip of the reed really helped too!

Ah, right i'll give it a shot then....

 

[Morgan Fry]

Thanks for the kind words, Paul.

Morgan reckons these pieces play a bit bigger so my 9* (0.125”) is more like a #10 (0.130”). But I don’t find that! In fact I think it plays even easier than my 8* Link!

Resistance is a funny thing, you know. Your 9* (.124) plays with what I feel is medium amount of resistance, slightly more than a good Link. But what I think people get with dead pieces like a bad Link is a sort of psycho-acoustic resistance -- the tone is so muffled and lacking in overtones that you instinctively blow a ton to get enough of the overtones you're trying to hear, so it feels like you're always working hard --you are, but only because you're always playing so hard.

But when you get a piece that plays properly and has a full, rich sound, you don't have to work nearly as hard to get the overtones that you want to hear out of it. So even when you have a little more back pressure, it still feels easier to play.

 

[kevgermany]

I've been reading this and wondering.... If Nick Wyver has/had this experience and it's put him off for life.

 

[Two Voices]

Resistance is a funny thing, you know. Your 9* (.124) plays with what I feel is medium amount of resistance, slightly more than a good Link. But what I think people get with dead pieces like a bad Link is a sort of psycho-acoustic resistance -- the tone is so muffled and lacking in overtones that you instinctively blow a ton to get enough of the overtones you're trying to hear, so it feels like you're always working hard --you are, but only because you're always playing so hard.

But when you get a piece that plays properly and has a full, rich sound, you don't have to work nearly as hard to get the overtones that you want to hear out of it. So even when you have a little more back pressure, it still feels easier to play.

Thanks for the clarification Morgan! It does sound exactly what happened to me!

I've been reading this and wondering.... If Nick Wyver has/had this experience and it's put him off for life.

It's a possibility ...

 

[ManEast]

Hi
Looking foward to seeing some pics. Could you please include some of the inside of the piece.

 

[Two Voices]

Okey dokey, here are four images showing the mouthpiece best I can. I should have used flash but I haven’t got any batteries charged.


So far I have play it with a François Louis "The Ultimate" Ligature, FF Padded Tensing Ring and a BG Revelation Jazz Ligature. I prefer the BG at the moment!



EDIT: I have managed to included the images on the post now.

 

[kevgermany]

Nice shots Paul, I think you're better off without flash for this sort of thing, unless you've got big diffusers/brollies or a light tent. So I'd guess flash wouldn't improve things.

That does look a bit like a link. Sounds like you've got a monster piece there. I like the red bite plate.

 

[ManEast]

M.Fry M.P

Thank you very much Paul. That looks like my kind of mouthpiece.
" Fine work from Morgan Fry !"

 

[Andante cantabile]

Morgan reckons these pieces play a bit bigger so my 9* (0.125”) is more like a #10 (0.130”). But I don’t find that! In fact I think it plays even easier than my 8* Link!

Just reading these numbers is enough to give me a dizzy spell. But your example shows how hard it is to advise players on mouthpieces without on-the-spot observation.

 

[Chris98]

That looks like a lovely mouthpiece, tempted... me? never... okay maybe a little, although I've not got any where near competent on the two pieces I have, so I'll admire it from a distance. I'm guessing if Morgan's full custom hard rubber version is coming in at around £300, that CNC metal piece has got to be... well a lot more.

So it's been seven days Paul, and I'm curious to know how your getting on with it, it's quite a set up you've got there and you should be having a lot of fun.

Best wishes,

Chris

 

[Two Voices]

Thanks Chris! I’m certainly having fun!

I’m setting down with my set-up now, preferring the François Louis "The Ultimate" (Gold Plated) Ligature and Rico La Voz MS Reeds. The BG Ligature makes the piece too dark for my tastes. It’s a really easy piece to play and my sound is developing on it nicely as I adjust to it. It’s so different to my Modern Link. I’m hoping to get some sound clips up shortly. Just don’t know what to play. I was thinking of just running some scales so people could hear the range top to bottom rather than playing a score to a backing track.

It is a pricey piece at £495 but not as much as a Dave Guardala or Theo Wanne mouthpiece and I can have it in a larger tip size! If I’m still playing in years to come then it’s a good investment!

Happy blowing,

Paul

 

[Chris]

Just don’t know what to play. I was thinking of just running some scales so people could hear the range top to bottom rather than playing a score to a backing track.
Paul

Paul, You can always post both scales and a head from a standard:welldone. Scales to show us the top and bottom end of the sax, a head to show us the sax in a live situation. 90 sec's for the scales. Then a couple of min's for a head to a standard..

Just a thought ;}

Chris

 

[Fraser Jarvis]

Just don’t know what to play. I was thinking of just running some scales so people could hear the range top to bottom rather than playing a score to a backing track

Just play some of that stuff you practice on Douglas beach whilst watching those ferries come in Paul...))

B.T.W. Is Busheys still there on the front, i heard it got shut down? spent many a drunken hour in there

I like your new avatar by the way.....very cool.:welldone

 

[MartinL]

Is it Paul playing on the beach when the ferry is trying to dock in the fog.. ))

 

[daveysaxboy]

Very pretty piece,looks alot my old Theo Wanne Durga which cant be bad.

 

[daveysaxboy]

sound clips is a must.Stop buying really nice expensive lush gear and buy a zoom,cant blame you though