Mouthpieces PPT Mouthpieces

[Pete Thomas]

EDIT: I've split this thread into two, all the stuff pertaining to the previous passaround is now on the other thread. This thread is for info.

 

[Bobby G]

Pete, when you say the 8 is roughly halfway between a 7 and a 9, how roughly, exactly? Closer to the 7 or the 9?

 

[Pete Thomas]

Pete, when you say the 8 is roughly halfway between a 7 and a 9, how roughly, exactly? Closer to the 7 or the 9?

It seems slightly closer to the 7*, ie maybe it's half away between 8 and 8*.

It's an easier mouthpiece to play than a Link 8*, put it that way.

 

[Pjonah]

Almost tempted to get the old tenor out of the garage!

When you gonna do a Baritone piece Pete?

 

[Taz]

Happy Bunny

Well I've just finished my week with the PPT and I have to say that at first glance I was very impressed. Its a nice looking piece and when added to my tenor it looked superb, although I bet it would look even better on an unlacquered sax! It has a very nice feel to it, solidly constructed and finished off nicely with the letters PPT engraved on the side of it.
As for its playability, well I'm not a very experienced player and I've only ever used three different mouth pieces. The original and very stuffy piece that came with my sax, a Brillhart that Dooce let me have for a while and my lovely Quantum. So the PPT is a little different from all those. My first impression when I actually played it was very pleasing. A smooth full sound and a nice easy blow. I found that subtones were quite easily achievable and playing in a breathy bluesy style was just a breeze. Ben Webster springs to mind and I do love that style of play! I did find that I struggled with volume, I put this down to me though and not the PPT, although as I said, I'm used to a Quantum which is an absolute screamer! I enjoyed my week with the PPT though and feel that if I had a little more time it would definitely grow on me. I think it would suit my busking style better than the Quantum does. All in all, a very pleasing piece and an enjoyable experience. I'll just have to wait and see what Santa brings! ;}

 

[daveysaxboy]

Glad you liked it Taz.Great made piece but not for me ,to much in to high baffle metal piece's i am.I keep trying to tone thing's down but i allways go back to screaming loud.

 

[Taz]

I've watched your videos before Dave and I can see why it's not for you. (Nice altisimo by the way) I also try to tone things down a bit and so quite liked the PPT. I did find it to be quite versatile though.

 

[daveysaxboy]

I've watched your videos before Dave and I can see why it's not for you. (Nice altisimo by the way) I also try to tone things down a bit and so quite liked the PPT. I did find it to be quite versatile though.

Yes i can see how many people will like it for it's versatile playing,sound.It's a great jazzy piece.Yes i am a very loud player,cant help it.I do jazz duo gig's with just guitar and i play soft for them but once i with some band the eye's close and off i go,plug your ear's you been warned.

 

[dooce]

Yes i can see how many people will like it for it's versatile playing,sound.It's a great jazzy piece.Yes i am a very loud player,cant help it.I do jazz duo gig's with just guitar and i play soft for them but once i with some band the eye's close and off i go,plug your ear's you been warned

****, I feel such a wuss. I thought I played loud with my vintage Brilhart Levelair, but the PPT when it got to me was way noisier - but also very versatile and with very good control at the low end. Altissimo is harder work but that's on only an hours aquaintance. Not sure about the aesthetics of the "bronzite" but then aesthetics have got nowt to do with whether it's any good or not. Otherwise, very impressed and could easily envisage a wallet-opening moment.

Surprised there aren't more comments from previous passaround users

 

[AlanT]

Pete -Wow, had a look at the onyxite, beautiful! I've always liked the look of ivory and I'm glad I have one on order, can't wait!

Are the sound-file samples you have on the site still the originals or the new material or is there not enough of a sound difference to re-do?

 

[dooce]

Well I'm about to discontinue the bronzite as a production mouthpiece, we have a new material "Onyxite" which I think is great, like like a dark ivory:

PPT Mouthpieces

Very nice - so many boring black mouthpieces around already, why would you add to them?

Resin/stone composite, eh? So that'll be a bit like those fancy moulded sinks you get in posh bathrooms then? I just read the description of the 8*

"Note the tip is very slightly wider than a normal 8*, but is no harder to play. Probably a bit easier if anything."

I would say you are absolutely spot-on there Pete :welldone

 

[Chris98]

Hi Pete,

On the original (Blue) PPT there looked to be a step between the body and the beak of the mouthpiece, I don’t recall seeing that design feature on the Bronzite and it doesn’t appear on the Onyxite either was I imagining it?

I was initially unsure about the new colour but it's growing on me. Was there a tonal reason for changing the material?

Best wishes, Chris

 

[jonf]

They all probably hated it.

:shocked:

))

I've just passed it on to Dooce, and hadn't got round to posting my impressions of it. I certainly didn't hate it, far from it.

I found it to be very flexible, as Pete suggested it would be. Bright or mellow almost by just thinking about it rather than conciously changing embouchure or anything. Very nice, rich bottom end. It went good and loud as well. Top end of normal keyed notes was good, but I really struggled with altissimo. It seemed to respond very well to changes in pitch and tonguing. Seemed to almost make it easier to play the sax quickly.

I actually quite liked the look of the bronzite, although I found the smooth surface too slippery for a metal lig to be stable on - I used a Rovner which seemed to work better.

So, on balance, a mighty fine mouthpiece. Is it the one for me? Dunno. I think the reason is that I have an intrinsically rather dull tone, and I need something to really pep it up, which is why I'm pretty taken with my RPC. It's a 115B, which would be over-bright for some people, but just suits me. Seems to have just that bit of zing over anything else I've tried on tenor. But, and it's a big but. I don't think I could stand ordering one new (I got mine used) as the very long order time would drive me nuts. If my RPC got broken, I think my first port of call would be a PPT.

So, congratulations to Pete and Ed for creating a great mouthpiece at a very fair price. :welldone And thanks to Pete for arranging the passaround.

 

[Pete Thomas]

Are the sound-file samples you have on the site still the originals or the new material or is there not enough of a sound difference to re-do?

Not really, I don't notice a sound difference, at least no more than you might get from a different reed or ligature position. I do feel the Onyxite gives back a nicer response though, but that could be just my imagination. But I do intend to do some soundfiles of the Onyxite anyway.

Hi Pete,

On the original (Blue) PPT there looked to be a step between the body and the beak of the mouthpiece, I don’t recall seeing that design feature on the Bronzite and it doesn’t appear on the Onyxite either was I imagining it?

Possibly just a trick of the light. I think a very slight extra depth was put into the beak after the first batch though. This was due to some translucency where the beak was very thin. It was not an issue, I rather like it, but Ed thought it best to just build it up very slightly as people don't expect that with a mouthpiece.

However I notice it again with the Onyxite, which is more translucent than the Bronzite or blue. And also with the gold one, which is likely to just be a prototype, unless people feel like paying Guardala prices!

 

[Rogerb]

I think the Ivory colour is nicer than any of the others and don't like the gold one at all.

(Irrelevant, as I don't have a tenor .... but JMO )

 

[Chris98]

Hi Pete,

Thanks for putting up a new sound file of the Onyxite PTT, sounding as good as ever.

Just curious, what was the set up on that, an M2? Onyxite PTT #9?

Best wishes,

Chris

 

[Pete Thomas]

I think that was the Conn 10M, I do have a sound clip of the M2 + PPT Onyxite, which I used on a SOTW Tune of the Month clip here:

http://www.petethomas.co.uk/saxophone-sounds.html

(No Detour Ahead)

 

[Chris98]

I think that was the Conn 10M, I do have a sound clip of the M2 + PPT Onyxite, which I used on a SOTW Tune of the Month clip here:

http://www.petethomas.co.uk/saxophone-sounds.html

(No Detour Ahead)

Pete, do you ever fluff a note? Great playing, and a great sound.

I've not looked at SOTW for a while and had to do a bit of back tracking to see what the SOTW Tune of the Month was all about. It's a great idea and maybe in 20 years time when I've learned a few notes I'll join in. I might see about getting the book so that I can play your part over the backing track as I'm not familiar with No Detour Ahead.

All the best,

Chris (Mooching around with a cold feeling sorry for myself)

Edit: Having looked through the whole thread now I see you went for it without a backing track. It's a great thread and so many people are having a go, it'll be good if it carries on like that as it's really nice to hear what people come up with.

 

[AlanT]

Pete -Wow, had a look at the onyxite, beautiful! I've always liked the look of ivory and I'm glad I have one on order, can't wait!

..and the waiting is over. I received my Onyxite PPT 8* yesterday and couldn't be more pleased! I slipped it on the horn and out came the sound I've been wanting to produce for years but couldn't quite make happen. EVERY NOTE up and down the horn speaks clear and full and the bottom end is to die for! Granted I've only played it for maybe 45 minutes so stay tuned but I don't think my enthusiasm will change. It's just too good. I'd been playing RPC 115B, Vandoren V16 T77 and I have Bergs, Dukoffs, Guardalas, etc. so I'm not comparing it to a Yamaha 4C, theses are all great mp's with great reps but every one (to me) seemed to offer something but lack something else. The PPT may not be for everyone but it appears my sound concept for the sax is very similar to Pete/Ed's because I wouldn't change a thing! :welldone

 

[rhysonsax]

The passaround PPT arrived with me yesterday and I have just had my first play on it this afternoon. First impressions are extremely favourable.

Internally the PPT looks pretty similar to my favourite tenor piece, which is a Lawton 8*BR. No, the BR isn't "BreakfastRoom", but B chamber with a Reflector baffle. That was Geoff Lawton's experiment at relieving the baffle with a small pit immediately behind the tip rail, trying to cut out the highest partials associated with high baffle pieces. (I have attached a couple of pics of the Lawton 8*BR).

Anyway, back to the PPT.... Very easy blowing, so it obviously has a good facing curve on it - as does every Pillinger piece I have played. I was surprised how little of the mouthpiece I had to take into the mouth, otherwise the sound seemed to deaden out.

The PPT has lots of volume and plenty of edge when pushed. I think I will have to try harder reeds to get the best out of it.

I did wonder whether the baffle was a tad too high for me, but perhaps I would be better off with the 9* size. There is a basic metal lig with the piece, but I got on much better with my Vandoren Optimum lig.

I am sorely tempted to get one of these as a back-up to my favourite Lawton. And that new Onyxite looks intriguing.

A couple more days playing and then the PPT will carry on its journey, bringing joy to tenor players everywhere.

Any news on PPTs for alto, soprano or bari ?

Rhys