Mouthpieces New MPC Day

[Tony K]

Just a quick note. Got a new 10mFan Classic II (Ultem) 7** and I'm loving it. I've also got a 10mFan Showtime II 8*. Love them both,

 

[Jeanette]

Enjoy

Jx

 

[Ivan]

Just a quick note. Got a new 10mFan Classic II (Ultem) 7** and I'm loving it. I've also got a 10mFan Showtime II 8*. Love them both,

How do you find playing 7** vs 8* ? Or are they too similar to make a difference?

 

[MarkSax]

Can you compare the 10mfan with a Link STM fir example? I’ve always wondered if they are worth the price they sell for.

 

[Tony K]

How do you find playing 7** vs 8* ? Or are they too similar to make a difference?

Hi Ivan, I find them both really easy to play. I bought the Showtime in January and was expecting the 7** to suit me best, but the 8* played so easily and was very expressive. It's by far the best mpc I've tried. I'm loving the 7** Classic. I'm not sure there's that much difference in playability, it plays like a dream too just a dad bit darker.

 

[Tony K]

Can you compare the 10mfan with a Link STM fir example? I’ve always wondered if they are worth the price they sell for.

I have a refaced OL STM 6* that's been opened to 7*. I struggle a bit with it to be honest. It's much quieter and I find it harder work than either of the 10mFans. I've been through a few: Theo Wanne metal Gaia 3 7*- which I had a love hate relationship with, Vandoren V16 both T8 40's metal and T7 HR, Yanagisawa metal 7, Theo Wanne Slant sig 2 8. I've still got the Slant sig although I find its less forgiving than either of the 10mFans and sometime it blows like a whistle although I love its brightness and grittiness. I sold the others. I have to say I've found the two 10mFan's have worked best for me. I bought the Showtime new and the Classic recently on eBay (impulse buy -don't ask why). The Showtime is brighter and louder than the Classic. Don't ask me to choose only one to keep as I'd be happy with either and am blessed to own both. For me personally, on my journey with the tenor, yes the money for the 10mFan was worth it because either of them are reliable for me which means I can just focus on the learning / playing the music rather than worrying about whether I'm going to foul a note.

With reference to the Gaia 3. I chirped on it occasionally which was definitely a problem with me. Every time someone else played it, they sounded amazing on it and never had the problem. It was a lot more brighter and louder than either of the two 10mFans and bags of character of its own. I'm sure if I'd have persevered with it, I would have overcome whatever bad technique I had that made me occasionally chirp on the high notes or mess up my flutter-tonguing, but I found I never had any issues when I tried the Showtime and so I sold the Gaia to fund it.

The Classic sounds more similar to my [modern] STM than the Showtime - which has a brighter sound. Both are much louder.

 

[Jules]

Those Showtime pieces are absolutely gorgeous. They are one of the very few pieces we got in the shop which we all fell in love with, The Classics are no slouch either but its the massive dynamic potential of the Showtime that really blews us all away

 

[Ivan]

Those Showtime pieces are absolutely gorgeous. They are one of the very few pieces we got in the shop which we all fell in love with, The Classics are no slouch either but its the massive dynamic potential of the Showtime that really blews us all away

And I see on your shoppe website the mouthpiece comes with a Free 12-Point Professional Set-up

I imagine the professional set-up goes something like,

1. Make sure right mouthpiece with right number of stars in box
2. Put box in envelope
3. Lick envelope
4. Stamp and address
5. Send
6....

Wot are the others?

 

[Jules]

And I see on your shoppe website the mouthpiece comes with a Free 12-Point Professional Set-up

I imagine the professional set-up goes something like,

1. Make sure right mouthpiece with right number of stars in box
2. Put box in envelope
3. Lick envelope
4. Stamp and address
5. Send
6....

Wot are the others?

You've got me intrigued there= wheres it saying that?

 

[Jeanette]

You've got me intrigued there= wheres it saying that?

10MFAN Showtime Ebonite Tenor Mouthpiece - Gen II

This piece is a beautiful crossover between warmth and power at the same time! This meticulously crafted mouthpiece is characterized by its focused and open sound, offering a perfect balance of warmth, additional punch, bright tones, and a touch of sizzle. Its versatility makes it an outstanding...

www.sax.co.uk

Jx

 

[Veggie Dave]

Really, really want to try a 10mfan Showtime ... and a PPT, too.

 

[Ivan]

Really, really want to try a 10mfan Showtime ... and a PPT, too.

I recommend trying PPT

I have pootled around with tenor 8☆ then 9☆ then off to a couple of nice Morgan Fry pieces and now back to the 9☆ PPT which for me, simply, has more

Additionally what's not to like about a hand finished mouthpiece? And what's not to like about the profits going to charity?

 

[Tony K]

View attachment 14418

10MFAN Showtime Ebonite Tenor Mouthpiece - Gen II

This piece is a beautiful crossover between warmth and power at the same time! This meticulously crafted mouthpiece is characterized by its focused and open sound, offering a perfect balance of warmth, additional punch, bright tones, and a touch of sizzle. Its versatility makes it an outstanding...

www.sax.co.uk

Jx

I don't remember a 12 point check when I bought it, but I'm sure I pushed the boundaries on how much patience the London staff at Sax co had whilst I was trying different MPCs out . I suspect one of their 12 point tests might have been wondering where else it would fit.

 

[s.mundi]

When you fall in love with a mouthpiece, it's a divine feeling. Congrats!

 

[Alex9]

So would you say the 10mFan Classic can project as well as the Showtime? I'm looking for a dark MP for my new tenor and my list is long, but I'm leaning towards The Classic. Is Ultem very different to the HR? Thanks!

 

[Tony K]

Hi Alexandra,

I ought to state at the start that I'm selling both my 10mFan Classic & Showtime. But for good reasons...

Prior to replying, I played both my Classic & O/L STP this morning. I bought the STP (6*) s/h however the table wasn't flat and I struggled with it. The rails weren't great either. The table had a slope which meant the reed wasn't flat and I ended up paying someone to sort it. I also had it opened to a 7* and it now plays better. However, I've not touched it since I bought the 10m Classic (7**). Similar character - that lovely mellow Jazzy tone - but so much better engineered. It plays really well throughout the range and projects better. My STP sounds like someone turned the volume down. I can play softer on the Classic but can't play any louder on the STP. The Classic trounces the STP. I love the Ultem. I heard no difference between it and HR. I just love the way light plays on it.

The 10mfan Showtime (8* HR) is a tad brighter and like the Classic is flawless in both build quality and playability. It's 8* and brighter so yes it does project a bit more but the Classic certainly holds it's own volume wise. The reason I'm selling both is that I recently bought a 10mfan Chameleon (7**), also in Ultem, which suits me better. It's more on the rocky / raunchy side of Sax. It can do mellow jazz but not as well as the Classic / Showtime because its way much brighter, but that wasn't what I bought it for. I bought the 10mFan Chameleon knowing that both the Classic and Showtime were superb and had every confidence it would be too. I had intended to keep them all, however, the other reason for now selling is that I recently bought an expensive new laptop and Focusrite two channel interface so I can do some recording and I also now want to buy some monitors. So I need some cash and something(s) had to go and I decided the Chameleon was all I needed right now.

Kind Regards,
Tony.

 

[Alex9]

Thanks for the informative reply @Tony K , really helpful and interesting to read about relatable mouthpiece "journeys" as I like to call them!

I think "The Classic" sounds like the right piece for me. For a number of reasons, I'm getting the TWO10 Yanagisawa tenor (I was set on the bronze but it wasn't for me after a trial) so I want to darken up the tone of the brighter brass Yany. I'm after a Getz/Hawkins/Prez sound so I'll see if The Classic can get me close. I have a naturally dark tone, on alto too, so we'll see how it goes. Later I'll add something metal with a bit more bite!

Does anyone know where I can order an Ultem Classic in the UK to trial? Most shops only have HR. Mark (10mFan) and I have emailed but I'd rather avoid trialling a piece from the US. (He seems like a lovely guy - got back to me straight away and was really helpful).

Hope you enjoy your new purchases Tony! I had a choice between a much-needed new laptop or a new tenor and went for the latter. The laptop can wait!

 

[sax panther]

@Alexandra - Richard hamer at South Wales woodwind sells 10mfan pieces and offers a 7 day postal trial. Not sure if he has any ultem pieces but it would be worth asking him.

I'm really tempted by a chameleon...I like the idea of a rollover baffle piece that can get loud and bright.

 

[Tony K]

Hi,

I bought my Chameleon direct from Mark in the US. He kept me informed all the way and contacted me after to see how I was getting on with it.
However, it was an expensive way of buying it. Paypal add their own currency conversation charge too.

Chameleon (Tip Size: 7** = .108, Mouthpiece Material: Orange Ultem)​	$385.00 USD​	1​	$385.00 USD​

Discount: -$0.00 USD Postage and packaging: $45.00 USD Total: $430.00 USD Exchange rate: 1 GBP = 1.19490 USD Amount you'll pay (transaction currency): £359.86 GBP

You should also be aware that I also had to pay an additional £93.61 to import it into the UK!

Parcel Force handle all UK import fees and you have to pay them before they deliver. If you do buy ensure you state that it's a gift.

My fees broke down as:
Customs Duty £10.95
Excise Duty £0
Import VAT £70.66
Clearence fee £12.00

Ouch!

So it cost me around £450 to buy directly.

Tony.

 

[Alex9]

@Tony K Well, it's worth it if you've now got a piece you love and you'll play for years to come. Enjoy!

Those additional fees though - ouch! I had the same thing when I ordered direct from Theo Wanne. Fees were over £110, slightly mitigated by a discount on the mouthpiece and a good gbp/usd conversion rate at the time.

Maybe I'll do some trials of the HR piece from a UK retailer first!