Mouthpieces otto link comments?

[jeremyjuicewah]

Hi, sorry to raise the mpc chestnut again. I cant try a mpc in spain, it would be a major trek to a good enough store. So I am going to buy one without trying it and I have more or less decided to go for otto link new york 6* B for my Yamaha tenor. I loved the look of the Drakes, but at 500$ bit stiff for blind buying. The 6* tip is equiv to 95 opening. I have had my tenor for 7 months and I still have trouble getting a nice tone lower than D. To be honest, the upper stuffs a bit iffy too. I decided to get a sort of serious mpc since I have never tried one. The best I have is black plastic Selmer, which doesnt do much for me. I dont expect to cure all with a more expensive mpc but I think I will try it out. I have seen them at 180-00 euros. I can always sell it I suppose, donation to charity etc.

But, if anyone knows of any good reason not to buy this thing, be a pal and tell me now, please.
Best wishes
Mike

 

[noelweston]

For what it's worth, I bought a Link 7* New York about 20 years ago, and I've never found a better tenor mouthpiece. I've had 3 different saxes since then, and tried innumerable mpcs, but always end up back with the NY Link in the end. Obviously this is only me, and I do tend to play Link-type pieces on all my saxes, but I'd say it's a good middle-of-the-road piece and worth a try.

Noel

 

[johnboy]

Hi, sorry to raise the mpc chestnut again. I cant try a mpc in spain, it would be a major trek to a good enough store. So I am going to buy one without trying it and I have more or less decided to go for otto link new york 6* B for my Yamaha tenor. I loved the look of the Drakes, but at 500$ bit stiff for blind buying. The 6* tip is equiv to 95 opening. I have had my tenor for 7 months and I still have trouble getting a nice tone lower than D. To be honest, the upper stuffs a bit iffy too. I decided to get a sort of serious mpc since I have never tried one. The best I have is black plastic Selmer, which doesnt do much for me. I dont expect to cure all with a more expensive mpc but I think I will try it out. I have seen them at 180-00 euros. I can always sell it I suppose, donation to charity etc.

But, if anyone knows of any good reason not to buy this thing, be a pal and tell me now, please.
Best wishes
Mike

Mike, hold fire on that! I can bring up a couple of m'pieces for you to try first. One of them will be the excellent Metalite M7.
How did the "Blows Me Away" volume control work out?

John ;}

 

[jeremyjuicewah]

Hi John. Good stuff. Away easter. Have been horribly ill and just could not be bothered carting all the kit down to the car last Tuesday, so went unmiked. It works just fine. What service too! But its not been tried in battle yet.
See you soon then John,
Best wishes to you and Carol,
Mike
PS. Ordered the reed finishing system. Have in-laws in the US and its on its way to me now.

Noel, thanks for the input. I have tried to find out as much as poss from others and on the interweb thing, and I read very good things about this and that it is a mellow sounding bit of kit. You seem to bear it out.
Mike

 

[kevgermany]

Links got a reputation for poor finishing. If you can find one, try one of Morgan Fry's Floridated links. Really easy to play, wonderful sound, and he puts back everything the new ones don't have. Seem to have disappeared from his web site, but maybe someone here's got one they're willing to part with.

 

[ManEast]

Links got a reputation for poor finishing. /QUOTE]




The Jody Jazz HR 7*
straight out of the box 1. Consistancy of quality/finish.
2. versitility and 3. have yet to find a tenor sax that this doesn't work well on ... inc large bore horns.

Start out with a 2 - 2& half Green Java. If your sax has no leaks you should find low D - Bb just fine.

 

[Two Voices]

I love the sound of the Otto Links and have a few. None are as bad as most make out. However my mouhpiece from Morgan Fry is brilliant. Love it. If you do get the New York I would send it to Morgan and have him Floridated it and it'll blow even better.

 

[SopJob]

Hello Mike,

I bought a Link 6* ebonite for tenor about 25 years ago. I remember that the dealer said, even at that time, that the finishing was sometimes lousy. He is a sax player himself, and I guess he picked a really good one for me. It was my third mouthpiece including the Yamaha that came with my instrument. Since then, I never wanted anything else. It's my one and only.

I think it's the same as with Selmer saxophones. I remember the decade of Selmer bashing, when many people said they were crap, but I always found it a very widespread instrument among professionals, and that includes the SA 80s. There must be a few ones that are really good.

Regards,

Frank.

 

[jeremyjuicewah]

Thanks to all. All read, all absorbed. Thinking time. I have a Morgan Fry for my alto, bought it right here, but I want a metal mpc. I will have a look on their website. Looked at e bay, nowt good there. I did cheekily bid 50 euros for a Selmer Jazz, but the blighter wont deliver to Spain. Whatever I do, I'll put the feedback on. I dont know what Floridating comrises, but I am going to check that too.
Best wishes
Mike

 

[ManEast]

Hello Mike,

I bought a Link 6* ebonite for tenor about 25 years ago. I remember that the dealer said, even at that time, that the finishing was sometimes lousy. He is a sax player himself, and I guess he picked a really good one for me. It was my third mouthpiece including the Yamaha that came with my instrument. Since then, I never wanted anything else. It's my one and only.

I think it's the same as with Selmer saxophones. I remember the decade of Selmer bashing, when many people said they were crap, but I always found it a very widespread instrument among professionals, and that includes the SA 80s. There must be a few ones that are really good.

Regards,

Frank.

+ 1 to all of that Frank.

I found one...Just one SA 80 tenor that played very well.

P.S. I played an Metal Otto Link 8 (but feels like a 7) New Vintage ?? looks a bit like a tone master !
It belongs to Saxlicker. That is a very nice Piece ...I could work with that!

Here - http://www.sax.co.uk/acatalog/Otto-Link-Vintage-Metal-Tenor-.html

 

[Fraser Jarvis]

Tried a few links, including the "Floridated" one i bought from Morgan, and to be honest, while his was an improvement i didn't really like any of them much, cant get on with Meyers either....but i guess thats just me.

 

[TomMapfumo]

I once took my Otto Link mouthpiece to Disneyland Florida but it didn't play any better. Do always have a look at the Sax on the Web "Marketplace" for a cheaper Link mouthpiece and get it sent to Spain via your relatives if there is ever a problem. Alternatively contact my mate in the US who is selling said mouthpiece at €127! :http://www.sax-ccessories.com/products/78/OTTO_LINK.html

I play a Phil-Tone Eclipse which recently came second in the list of 9 tenor sax mouthpieces listed below (a blind vote). It features several Links. http://www.neffmusic.com/blog/2008/10/poll-of-my-9-current-mouthpieces/

Happy hunting!

 

[milandro]

buying a modern Otto Link STM and hoping it will be a good mouthpiece without trying it beforehand has odds just marginally better than the average lottery. I wouldn’t do it.
What I would do (if I really wanted a Link) is to buy a cheap one (there are second hand ones on line that are cheap , I have fond some for as little as 60€) and then send it to be refaced and improved by a well known refacer , especially if I would have one close to where I live , if that option was not available I would commission someone well known to be working well on these mouthpieces and provide him with clear indications of the facing that I want and the type of sound that I am seeking.

But I wouldn’t just buy one on line because the chances that it would be working for me would be minimal

 

[kevgermany]

... I have a Morgan Fry for my alto, bought it right here, but I want a metal mpc.

Mike, the Fry Floridated Link I have is a metal STM, gold plated. Time for my practice, I think I'll play that one for a change.

 

[johnboy]

Mike, the Fry Floridated Link I have is a metal STM, gold plated. Time for my practice, I think I'll play that one for a change.

I bought one of those 14 years ago. It was so bright, I couldn't tame it! So I gave it away.

John ;}

 

[TomMapfumo]

So, why do you want a metal mouthpiece, if that is not an intrusive question - is it size, sound or what? I have played 5 - Link NY, Barone Jazz, Link RG, Runyon Quantum and Berg Stainless Steel 95/1 (still have the latter 2). They are smaller in the mouth but I have not noticed a different sound particularly, and have several ebonite mouthpieces that can play darker, brighter, quieter and louder in various degrees.
Just curious.

Kind regards
Tom

 

[aldevis]

Links got a reputation for poor finishing.

I agree. You could happen to find a good one in a shop (not online), but it never happened to me on tenor.
Milandro's idea of the refacer is good, but you need a refacer around you.


On the same concept of the ebonite link: Jody Jazz (if Thomann.de has them you can return it if you do not like it) or, much better: Pillinger NYT (my very favourite).

The only metal might be the Fry. A colleague of mine just bought one and claims it plays better than anything else commonly available. I haven't tried it yet.

Price wise, I support ebonite.

 

[Paul Warner]

For years I played a metal 6* link on tenor, a late 80`s model, and always found it a superb, easy blow. Since then I have mostly moved to Yani m/p`s for very high and very consistent quality. Think I`d only buy a Link if I had several to choose from.

 

[jeremyjuicewah]

yeah, suffiecient doubt, so thanks for that. I have to do some thinking. Original prob still there, cant try one out, cept for Johnboy. Bless him.

 

[aldevis]

yeah, suffiecient doubt, so thanks for that. I have to do some thinking. Original prob still there, cant try one out, cept for Johnboy. Bless him.

You never get enough doubts:
There is a guy named Freddie Gregory living in Spain. I have no idea how much he charges, but he is a legend. I am sure someone here has a contact.