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Mouthpieces Kanee Mouthpiece Pass-Around - Alto pieces reviews

I’m suffering withdrawal symptoms. I experienced so much joy playing with the New York 6 that I’m saving up to buy one.
For me, the passaround is a brilliant way to play and test mouthpieces. If I take a trip to London it costs me £25 before I’ve even got to the shop and then there’s my worry that I can’t really spend a lot of time playing many pieces or hear the benefits.
I have a Yas280 sax and I found that the Kanee mouthpiece I enjoyed the most, gave it a very mellow and effortless sound. I can sometimes struggle with the bottom end of the alto but not with this mouthpiece.
 
Hi guys, hope I haven't missed the boat on this one? Would love to try some alto pieces out again. My D'Aaddrio Select Jazz is a nice piece on alto (I love it on tenor mind!) but it just feels lacking in spark for me.
 
Alice said:
I’m suffering withdrawal symptoms. I experienced so much joy playing with the New York 6 that I’m saving up to buy one

For me, the passaround is a brilliant way to play and test mouthpieces. If I take a trip to London it costs me £25 before I’ve even got to the shop and then there’s my worry that I can’t really spend a lot of time playing many pieces or hear the benefits.
I have a Yas280 sax and I found that the Kanee mouthpiece I enjoyed the most, gave it a very mellow and effortless sound. I can sometimes struggle with the bottom end of the alto but not with this mouthpiece.
Click to expand...
Thanks Alice, that's a lovely review!
 
I’m not an alto player. However I do play alto with my students. I found all the alto kanees very free blowing and comfortable. They compare nicely with D’addario SJ 7 which I usually use. I would say the No.6 New York was slight favourite over the others.
 
I couldn't resist a quick blow after playing my sop.

I dug the alto out of the wardrobe and dusted it off. Found some reeds and my Kanee ligature. Oh dear..... My alto embouchure has gone to pot, everything squeaked. However a change of reed and a bit of blowing and things are coming back :)

They seem to like my Lupifaro reed. I won't have much chance to play again until Tuesday so will report back properly after that.

Jx
 
Jeanette said:
I couldn't resist a quick blow after playing my sop.

I dug the alto out of the wardrobe and dusted it off. Found some reeds and my Kanee ligature. Oh dear..... My alto embouchure has gone to pot, everything squeaked. However a change of reed and a bit of blowing and things are coming back :)

They seem to like my Lupifaro reed. I won't have much chance to play again until Tuesday so will report back properly after that.

Jx
Click to expand...
I have never tried a Lupifaro Reed, I may try some as I am not happy with my Rico's at the moment
 
JohnnyFletch said:
That would be great Russ and very much appreciated, I will definitely be taking one of them, I just would love to try the next few sizes up also before committing to which model, if it will be more convenient we'll sort it out to send them to just 1 of us to save on postage if that's more convenient.

It's funny actually, trimmy left me with the mouthpiece I liked for a few days. After he left I had a blow and wasn't feeling it the same as before, thought nothing of it and played it a few more times. Anyway, I thought the piece just wasn't for me after all and was ready to move on with my usual lebayle mouthpiece. As I took the mouthpiece off I noticed the name was Florida, we'd only somehow managed to mix them up and I got left with the wrong one, instead of the studio. When he came to pick it up he had the others with him, I swapped it over for the studio and oh my god, that's the fella for me, it was instant, it just feels great.

Anyway, thanks to trimmy for sorting this, it was a fun afternoon playing with new toys and thanks to Russ for sending them out, can't wait to finalise my piece and get playing on it permanently.
Click to expand...
@JohnnyFletch
I have sent you PC John,

Cheers
Russ
 
Experience: played on and off for 20 years; fairly good standard of playing.
Usual equipment on alto: Yamaha 280 with D'Addario Select Jazz Marble 6 (previously standard 7 model)

Intro
I very rarely get asked to play alto but still have a fondness for playing it (after years learning on one). I've gone through periods where I've spent far too much time messing around with different horns, m'pieces, reeds, ligs, etc. (spend 10's of 000's on expensive gear) and not enough time working on what's important. Hence since I came back to playing I try to keep things simple and reliable equipment wise. Considering their advertised price and CNC machining I thought it would be interesting to test these out.

Summary
I was quite surprised how well-made and playable all mouthpieces were considering the price. It really does make me wonder the margins people like Theo Wanne, Jody Espina and the like are making on some of their product offerings (despite some of the extra work that goes into hand finishing, etc.). I have a general opinion that many of the bigger names in the sax world (not just mouthpieces - everything) just take the p!ss to a large extent price-wise. Saying that, In the past I've found most 'cheaper' mouthpieces to be very unreliable and inconsistent (Beechler plastics/HRs spring to mind in particular!) with the exception of Vandoren and Rousseau. You're still looking to pay up to £130-50 on these unless Amazon is giving them away cheap on occasion. So these Kanee's appear remarkable value on face value.

New York- Hand crafted - Large Chamber 6
I tended to play this one first during each day as my embouchure is accustomed to more open mouthpieces. I play SJ 6/7 pieces on alto which equates to more of a 7/8, and this one felt more like a 5 to me. Played with a variety of Vandoren and SJazz reeds (2.5-3.5). Very nice subdued and mellow sound which reminds me of the plethora of meyer inspired pieces out there (but usually paying tons more money for). It has a really nice warmth to it with a little bit of buzz on the edges when compared with my usual SJ mouthpiece. I would describe mine as more focused and laser-like if that makes sense.

I found it easy and even to play from top to bottom and the altissimo popped out very well considering my embouchure adjustment (I did whack on a harder reed which does help though). I would say it is slightly more reactive to reed positioning on the table (and relative to tip) so may need to spend a bit more time on this part. I've become quite lazy with my SJ and Vandoren pieces as they tend to react similarly wherever (within reason) the reed is.

Dynamic range was good too, being able to play ppp-fff well. Obviously a bit quieter as standard than a 7/8 of course.

Really nice to play I have to say. It must sound good to external ears as well as I had someone knock on the rehearsal studio door to comment on my sound when I was playing this. This would be a very good step up mouthpiece for a less experienced player or indeed for any standard player looking at a slightly smaller tip opening. It has a complexity of sound that your Yamaha 4Cs, platics, etc. just don't give you imo.

CNC edition – New York - Medium Chamber 8
Very similar sentiments as above. It felt more comfortable off the bat as this is the sort of opening I've become more accustomed to. Consequently it was easier for me to control the dynamics. I would describe the top end as a nice and sweet sounding (thinking Don Myrick here!) and the bottom slightly less fuller sounding than my SJ but still very good.

Another very good mouthpiece which was a pleasure to play. You just don't have to fight with these mouthpieces to get a decent response.

CNC edition – Studio 8
Okay, I'm buying this one so that's gives you an idea what I think. This has a lot of punch and focus yet retains a depth of sound you don't always get with high baffle pieces. It's certainly not a paint peeler and I think the large chamber has a lot to do with creating this balance. The high end is really 'there' but not ear piercing and the low end was really quite surprisingly pleasing to play (I grew up playing alto but wanting to sound tenor so I naturally play a lot down there!) You can push a lot of air through this and get a pop solo type sound (think Baker Street or something from the Blow Monkeys) but back off and get a lead alto type sound. I like this versatility.

Tbh I could probably use this as my main alto mouthpiece as it's very versatile imo. I would struggle to play this in a small acoustic setting but I could probably be able to blend into a section without the band leader giving me the evils. My alto influences range from Dave Sanborn to Paul Desmond so I like a mouthpiece that can give me options (as I'm loath to have several mouthpieces). This at least gives me the option to blast out an alto pop solo if required on an electric gig, which my existing SJ may struggle with.

Conclusion
In all honesty I've seen the name of Kanee in the past but simply given it short shrift due to the price (fundamentally) and lack of wide spread availability at major retailers. Something at that price point has to cr@p surely?! Evidently not. Quite frankly I'm super impressed with all these (including the tenors). My only other question would be consistency between pieces. Advanced CNC should remove much of this variability so there's not much else to say, other than to give this company and its products a big thumbs up
 
SaxDon said:
Experience: played on and off for 20 years; fairly good standard of playing.
Usual equipment on alto: Yamaha 280 with D'Addario Select Jazz Marble 6 (previously standard 7 model)

Intro
I very rarely get asked to play alto but still have a fondness for playing it (after years learning on one). I've gone through periods where I've spent far too much time messing around with different horns, m'pieces, reeds, ligs, etc. (spend 10's of 000's on expensive gear) and not enough time working on what's important. Hence since I came back to playing I try to keep things simple and reliable equipment wise. Considering their advertised price and CNC machining I thought it would be interesting to test these out.

Summary
I was quite surprised how well-made and playable all mouthpieces were considering the price. It really does make me wonder the margins people like Theo Wanne, Jody Espina and the like are making on some of their product offerings (despite some of the extra work that goes into hand finishing, etc.). I have a general opinion that many of the bigger names in the sax world (not just mouthpieces - everything) just take the p!ss to a large extent price-wise. Saying that, In the past I've found most 'cheaper' mouthpieces to be very unreliable and inconsistent (Beechler plastics/HRs spring to mind in particular!) with the exception of Vandoren and Rousseau. You're still looking to pay up to £130-50 on these unless Amazon is giving them away cheap on occasion. So these Kanee's appear remarkable value on face value.

New York- Hand crafted - Large Chamber 6
I tended to play this one first during each day as my embouchure is accustomed to more open mouthpieces. I play SJ 6/7 pieces on alto which equates to more of a 7/8, and this one felt more like a 5 to me. Played with a variety of Vandoren and SJazz reeds (2.5-3.5). Very nice subdued and mellow sound which reminds me of the plethora of meyer inspired pieces out there (but usually paying tons more money for). It has a really nice warmth to it with a little bit of buzz on the edges when compared with my usual SJ mouthpiece. I would describe mine as more focused and laser-like if that makes sense.

I found it easy and even to play from top to bottom and the altissimo popped out very well considering my embouchure adjustment (I did whack on a harder reed which does help though). I would say it is slightly more reactive to reed positioning on the table (and relative to tip) so may need to spend a bit more time on this part. I've become quite lazy with my SJ and Vandoren pieces as they tend to react similarly wherever (within reason) the reed is.

Dynamic range was good too, being able to play ppp-fff well. Obviously a bit quieter as standard than a 7/8 of course.

Really nice to play I have to say. It must sound good to external ears as well as I had someone knock on the rehearsal studio door to comment on my sound when I was playing this. This would be a very good step up mouthpiece for a less experienced player or indeed for any standard player looking at a slightly smaller tip opening. It has a complexity of sound that your Yamaha 4Cs, platics, etc. just don't give you imo.

CNC edition – New York - Medium Chamber 8
Very similar sentiments as above. It felt more comfortable off the bat as this is the sort of opening I've become more accustomed to. Consequently it was easier for me to control the dynamics. I would describe the top end as a nice and sweet sounding (thinking Don Myrick here!) and the bottom slightly less fuller sounding than my SJ but still very good.

Another very good mouthpiece which was a pleasure to play. You just don't have to fight with these mouthpieces to get a decent response.

CNC edition – Studio 8
Okay, I'm buying this one so that's gives you an idea what I think. This has a lot of punch and focus yet retains a depth of sound you don't always get with high baffle pieces. It's certainly not a paint peeler and I think the large chamber has a lot to do with creating this balance. The high end is really 'there' but not ear piercing and the low end was really quite surprisingly pleasing to play (I grew up playing alto but wanting to sound tenor so I naturally play a lot down there!) You can push a lot of air through this and get a pop solo type sound (think Baker Street or something from the Blow Monkeys) but back off and get a lead alto type sound. I like this versatility.

Tbh I could probably use this as my main alto mouthpiece as it's very versatile imo. I would struggle to play this in a small acoustic setting but I could probably be able to blend into a section without the band leader giving me the evils. My alto influences range from Dave Sanborn to Paul Desmond so I like a mouthpiece that can give me options (as I'm loath to have several mouthpieces). This at least gives me the option to blast out an alto pop solo if required on an electric gig, which my existing SJ may struggle with.

Conclusion
In all honesty I've seen the name of Kanee in the past but simply given it short shrift due to the price (fundamentally) and lack of wide spread availability at major retailers. Something at that price point has to cr@p surely?! Evidently not. Quite frankly I'm super impressed with all these (including the tenors). My only other question would be consistency between pieces. Advanced CNC should remove much of this variability so there's not much else to say, other than to give this company and its products a big thumbs up
Click to expand...
Thank you very much for the review Don,. I am very pleased you have enjoyed them. The price is kept reasonable by myself and Yu Mao, Yu is the owner of Kanee. As for consistency, I literally check every Mouthpiece using a Magnifying Glass if i see the odd fault, it does happen occasionally, it simply isn't sold. No Mouthpiece suits everyone so anyone buying a Kanee that isn't totally happy, is offered a refund less postage costs.

Keep Blowin'
Russ
 

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