Otto Link MPC compare - five 70's vintage Early Babbitt's vs one 50's Florida no USA

[mrpeebee]

Hi all,

I decided to record 'Just Friends' (the current TOTM on the other forum) on all my five 70's metal Otto Link Early Babbitt mouthpieces and (as a reference) my 50's Florida no USA 10* (my main mouthpiece). Took a fast backing (200 bmp in F concert) and mixed one chorus of each individiual mouthpiece take into a new mixed take with six solo chorusses (total length 5:15 minutes).

The used mouthpieces are an EB 8 (refaced from a 7) and four never refaced EB's with tip size 8*, 10, 10* and 12. The head is played on two EB's (16 bars each), after that 6 solo chorusses of 32 bars (at 0:44, 1:22, 2:00, 2:38, 3:17 and 3:56). The closing theme (at 4:33) is also played on two EB's (16 bars each). All mouthpieces are played with the same La Voz medium reed and Selmer SBA tenor.

- 'Just Friends' (five EB's - one Florida no USA - La Voz medium):
http://soundclick.com/share.cfm?id=12461842

Who can spot the Florida and identify the correct sequence of the different EB tip sizes in this mixed take?
And which sound do you prefer (if you hear any differences)?

Enjoy 🙂.

 

[AndyWhiteford]

Re: Otto Link MPC compare - five 70's vintage Early Babbitt's vs one 50's Florida no

maybe it's just me, but i hear you fighting the mpc / tip opening on the first improv solo, and on the final melody chorus.
Some nice sounding stuff in the middle, very Paul-Gonsalves.
No chorus stands out as being a "Florida" or must-have mouthpiece, to my ears, ymmv.
Plus.... 10* and 12 seem pretty extreme tip openings for tenor links. i didnt even know they made a 12.
I played an old 8 STM for 15 years+, (on Selmer SBA, Mk6s, Conn NWIIs ) . i'm now winding back down in size , 5 thou at a time...
-A-

 

[mrpeebee]

Re: Otto Link MPC compare - five 70's vintage Early Babbitt's vs one 50's Florida no

maybe it's just me, but i hear you fighting the mpc / tip opening on the first improv solo, and on the final melody chorus.
Some nice sounding stuff in the middle, very Paul-Gonsalves.
No chorus stands out as being a "Florida" or must-have mouthpiece, to my ears, ymmv.
Plus.... 10* and 12 seem pretty extreme tip openings for tenor links. i didnt even know they made a 12.
I played an old 8 STM for 15 years+, (on Selmer SBA, Mk6s, Conn NWIIs ) . i'm now winding back down in size , 5 thou at a time...
-A-

Andy, thanks for having a listen, your comments are appreciated 🙂.

I normally play an Otto Link 10* Florida mouthpiece, but have all kind of tip openings in my collection (from 4* to 12). Adapting in reed strength is the trick to play them with the most comfortable feel. In this compare I played all mpc's (with tips from 8 to12) on the same reed, which was actually a bit too soft for the smallest tip (8) and too hard for the biggest tip (a 12, which was made as a custom order by Otto Link as requested by the previous owner, Otto Link's normally don't go higher then tip 10*). The first mouthpiece from which you found I was fighthing the mpc was actually the 8 tip, which is a bit too small for me to control very well with the used reed strength.

That are some nice horns you have. A Link 5 can sound very good too, but my sweet spot is between 8* and 10*. The bigger tips don't close down in taking in all the air I want to put in and give me more volume compared to smaller tip mouthpieces. I often need the volume playing as first tenor and main soloist in a loud big band (mostly without using a mic).

Thanks again for your comments 🙂.

 

[B Flat]

Re: Otto Link MPC compare - five 70's vintage Early Babbitt's vs one 50's Florida no

I'm going to say it was the Florida around 3:50 for about 45 seconds or so.
I heard it in other places also I think.
Some of the pieces I found a little too Dark at times but that may have been more due to the strength of reed used more than anything.
All sounded very good though, and I would expect no less from you Peter.
Nick.

 

[mrpeebee]

Re: Otto Link MPC compare - five 70's vintage Early Babbitt's vs one 50's Florida no

I'm going to say it was the Florida around 3:50 for about 45 seconds or so.
I heard it in other places also I think.
Some of the pieces I found a little too Dark at times but that may have been more due to the strength of reed used more than anything.
All sounded very good though, and I would expect no less from you Peter.
Nick.

Thanks Nick 🙂.

You have a good ear (and know my playing from the other forum). The Florida was indeed played in the last solo chorus (starting around 3:56), but not at other places in this mixed take.

You're also right about the reed remark: it was actually a bit too hard for the bigger tip EB's (10* and 12), making them sound darker then they will with a softer reed. Funny was that the Florida 10* played full strength with the same reed, but that's probably because the (old) reed was completely shaped and accustomed to this mouthpiece (my main mouthpiece).

 

[AndyWhiteford]

Re: Otto Link MPC compare - five 70's vintage Early Babbitt's vs one 50's Florida no

I think i was trying to say that I might find it difficult to jump between an 8, a 10 and a 12 on the same recording session, you're a braver man than I am. It takes me a while to adjust to different pieces to the point that I'm comfortable on them, and i try to match 'feel' or 'resistance' across soprano / alto and tenor (and clarinet) .
I can't actually remember what age my own old link mpc is,
I remember trying to follow that OttoLink dating chart , and getting lost ;-)

So here's me on otto link 8 , Selmer SBA tenor , from a live show recording a few years - for comparison, i guess,
- let the flames begin ;-P



-

-
p.s. I think Selmer-tenor & otto-link-mpc is a VERY versatile combination, when you think of the large number of big-name-players who've used it and who've had very different "sounds".

-andy-

 

[mrpeebee]

Re: Otto Link MPC compare - five 70's vintage Early Babbitt's vs one 50's Florida no

Andy, thanks for your additional post and the clip. Only a very short sax part in the clip (would have liked to hear more of you), but I loved what I heard (very good Link/Selmer sound) 🙂. Fully agree on your remark about how great that combination can be (almost all my tenor hero's played on Link's).

Also fully agree that you have to give a mouthpiece/reed combination proper time to get used too. When I play outdoors I always play the same mpc (Florida no USA 10*, or sometimes a 9 when my reed is to stiff for the 10*). The other mpc's only get some attention when making home recordings (not often, about 1 or 2 times a month). I also give them less then 5 minutes playing time and record most of the time only one take. Not enough for getting the highest quality, but I unfortunately don't have much more time for the sax in this phase of my life (but still enjoy every minute I can play) 🙂.