Hello everyone, my name is Mikeysax from Puerto Rico. Throughout the years i've been trying different gear looking for different sounds and comfort. Gear such as mouthpieces, necks, ligatures, reeds, etc. I know we've all gone through this. Even more when these days almost anything can be purchased online. But, sometimes buying mouthpieces online without any idea on how they can actually sound and play is a gamble. So, in this post what I'm trying to do is give you an idea on the types of sounds different mouthpieces can have.
I'm uploading some photos with some historical info. and some audio clips of me playing these mouthpieces here at home in my sax studio. I have a lot of mouthpiece some which I have purchased over the years and others that I've traded amongst many friends of mine. Some are hard rubber, metal, ebonite, plastic, wood and sterling silver. I'll be uploading the audio clips as soon as I record them.
I'm test playing these mouthpieces playing a concert F major scale and playing simple patterns and phrases that I enjoy putting together in my playing. I hope this post helps you in any future with your doubts on mouthpieces as many others have helped me. Please feel free to contact me with any questions, doubts, observations, etc. I'm also available for private saxophone lessons online via the videochat or for those who live in Puerto Rico. Thanks.
Here, I've uploaded some soprano mouthpiece pictures and audio clips. I recorded these clips without any effects, not even reverb that way you could here the sound as clean as possible. I'm using the same vandoren java #3 reed from the green box with the vandoren optimum ligature. I'll be uploading the rest as soon as I record them. Thanks again.
HR Vandoren S15 top
Vandoren HR S15 inside
mp. clip:
http://mysaxtalk.com/advanced-music/albums/92/song_id/151/popout/1
HR Lebayle jazz #8 top
Lebayle HR Jazz #8 Inside
mp. clip:
http://mysaxtalk.com/advanced-music/albums/92/song_id/151/popout/1
Berg Larsen HR 70/0/M top
Berg Larsen HR 70/0/M inside
mp. clip:
http://mysaxtalk.com/advanced-music/albums/92/song_id/151/popout/1
Brancher wood L15 top
Brancher wood L15 inside
mp. clip:
http://mysaxtalk.com/advanced-music/albums/92/song_id/151/popout/1
Handmade Guardala Studio top
Handmade guardala inside
Handmade Guardala biteplate
mp. clip:
http://mysaxtalk.com/advanced-music/albums/92/song_id/151/popout/1
Gary Sugal Liebman mp.
Gary Sugal Liebman inside
mp. clip:
http://mysaxtalk.com/advanced-music/albums/92/song_id/151/popout/1
HR Meyer JVW top
HR Meyer JVW inside
mp. clip:
http://mysaxtalk.com/advanced-music/albums/92/song_id/151/popout/1
Modified Rico Royal custom epoxy baffle top
Modified rico royal epoxy baffle inside
mp. clips:
http://mysaxtalk.com/advanced-music/albums/92/song_id/151/popout/1
Soprano HR Selmer S90 200 Soprano mp. (refaced by Angel RafMartinz in NYC)
Selmer HR S90 200 inside
Theo Wanne HR #7 Gaia soprano mouthpiece
inside:
Audio clips coming soon!!!
Alto Mouthpieces:
Aizen NY #7 (refaced by Angel Rafmartinz in NYC) top
Inside:
Audio clip:
http://www.mysaxtalk.com/advanced-music/albums/154/song_id/266/popout/1
Vandoren Jumbo Java Alto mp. A45
Inside:
audio clip coming soon!!
Tenor Mouthpieces:
This is a custom Brendan Tibbs solid silver mouthpiece. I had this mouthpiece made over a year ago. The mouthpiece maker is from Australia, Brendan Tibbs. It's solid silver these mouthpiece are great for rock and fusion types of music. I use it when I need to make a lot of noise. It's usually in a bigger tip opening but, I asked him to make it in this tip size I feel comfortable on tenor around this tip opening. This is the model mouthpiece that Mike Brecker used to use when he was with Paul Simon on tour and Brendan Tibbs made this model for him. On Brendan Tibbs' website he has photos of the interview with Brecker and a lot of information on his mouthpieces. He's a great guy, very responsible and his work is top notch. These mouthpieces are'nt cheap but, I think mine was worth every penny. The website is
http://www.tibbs-vision.com/tibbs/index.htm, check him out he's a great mouthpiece guy. The video of Mike Brecker playing it is on youtube also his solo at around 2:00:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=46bkXgxb66E
Here's a video clip of me playing of me trying out a few reeds on a solid silver Brendan Tibbs Studio mouthpiece. It's a .105 tip opening. The reed is a Rigotti 3S. Let me know what you think. His website is at:
http://www.tibbs-vision.com/tibbs/index.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HZwafz-wl4Y
audio: http://mysaxtalk.com/advanced-music/albums/94/song_id/164
Solid Silver Brendan Tibbs Custom studio .105
Engraving:
Inside Baffle:
mp. clips coming soon!!!!
Gary Sugal KWII custom Reface by Brian Powell:
This is a Gary Sugal mouthpiece I bought a few years ago. A Kirk Whalum II high step baffle piece. I did'nt feel too comfortable when using it on some gigs. So I sent it out to Brian Powell from mouthpieceguys.com. I asked him to fix the mpc. side rails I felt were'nt even, he thinned out the tip, the baffle had these weird lines and the overall reed response on the mouthpiece was very tricky which he fixed. This mouthpiece is very bright and plays great and comfortable in all registers. I think the mouthpiece just rocks now all because of Brian's work he's a cool guy to work with and understands all your needs. I usually use this mouthpiece on modern fusion gigs cause it's a very loud candidate. Check out the audio clip in the link below after the pictures. I'm playing on this mouthpiece with a vandoren java reed. Let me know what you think. Take care.
mp. clip: live in Hotel San Juan, PR. 2010. KWII mouthpiece, Keilwerth SX90R
http://mysaxtalk.com/advanced-music/albums/94/song_id/161/popout/1
Guardala King Refaced by Mojo and Brian Powell
mp. clips coming soon!!!!!!
Saxscape downtown studio custom .105
Video clip:
http://mysaxtalk.com/videos/45/416
audio clips coming soon!!!!
Vintage Dukoff D8*
mp. clip: Live with Carribean Jazz in Mayaguez Jazz Festival 2008 Dukoff D8*, Yamaha YTS-61
http://mysaxtalk.com/advanced-music/albums/94/song_id/162
Here's the video link:
http://mysaxtalk.com/videos/45/395
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hTfltDhKwfw
Vintage HR Meyer 6S
This is a vintage Meyer mouthpiece in a 6 Small chamber facing.
mp. clip live in my graduation recital: Hr meyer 6S, silver winslow lig. and yamaha YTS-61
http://mysaxtalk.com/advanced-music/albums/24/song_id/49/popout/1
Here's a video clip of me trying out this mouthpiece on my Keilwerth SX90R tenor:
http://mysaxtalk.com/videos/45/397
Here's the audio clip: http://mysaxtalk.com/advanced-music/albums/94/song_id/163
-Gary Sugal Super Gonz II tenor mp. #6 top
vintage 3/2001 mouthpiece
Inside:
Audio clip coming soon!!!
Dukoff tenor D8 (silverlite material) This mp. plays big a birght but the material looks terrible after some time they do play great though.
Inside:
Audio clips coming soon!!!!
Theo wanne datta 7
Gary Sugal Super Gonz II silverplated: This mouthpiece belongs to a friend of mine. His name is Angel Merced he works refacing mouthpieces at Roberto's woodwind shop in NYC. His work is top notch. This mouthpiece plays very easily and sounds very bright.
audio clips coming soon!!!
