Today, I am excited to be reviewing the return of the Brilhart Carlsbad Ebolin alto saxophone mouthpiece released by Conn-Selmer.  These new Brilhart Ebolin alto saxophone mouthpieces are advertised as being made from the same Brilhart Carlsbad-era molds that Arnold Brilhart used in the 1950’s to make these iconic saxophone mouthpieces.

*It’s important to note that these new Carlsbad-era Ebolin alto saxophone mouthpieces are distinct from the mass-produced Brilhart Ebolin mouthpieces of the last 50 years, which strayed from the original Arnold Brilhart Carlsbad design played by so many great players of the past.

Brilhart Ebolin Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece Review

Here is a description of the new Brilhart Ebolin alto saxophone mouthpiece from the Conn-Selmer website description:

The Iconic Brilhart Ebolin alto saxophone mouthpiece has returned for a new generation of jazz musician.  Utilizing the original molds created by Arnold Brilhart, Conn Selmer has masterfully revived the Brilhart “Carlsbad” Ebolin saxophone mouthpiece. Each mouthpiece is engineered to precise specifications, producing a full, resonant tone while giving players the perfect amount of “edge” and carrying power.

Every Brilhart “Carlsbad” Ebolin mouthpiece is 100% manufactured and hand finished in Elkhart Indiana, USA.

Brilhart Ebolin Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece Review

I know next to nothing about the history of Brilhart saxophone mouthpieces so I emailed Ryan Lillywhite (Director of Woodwinds at Conn-Selmer) asking about the history of Brilhart saxophone mouthpieces.   Here is Ryan’s detailed response:

“A legendary figure in the saxophone history books, Arnold Brilhart (1904-1998) began in the 1920s as an in-demand saxophonist and prolific recording artist in New York. Brilhart was frequently heard on live radio performances and eventually recorded on some 30,000 records. He also headed a plastics company where he honed a unique expertise with injection molding technology and specialty plastic composites engineering.

In 1939, fueled by his passion for improving saxophone mouthpieces, he established his own Brilhart Musical Instrument Corporation in Great Neck, New York. As he reminisced in later years, “I started making reeds and mouthpieces because the ones on the market were so lousy” (New York Times, Dec 1 1994).  Brilhart was on a quest for the perfect sound that combined sweet, fat and warm, complemented by enough bite to ring yet not become shrill. 

One of Brilhart’s crowning achievements during the Great Neck era was the creation of the Brilhart Ebolin and Tonalin saxophone mouthpieces, released in 1940. Ebolin, made from a black composite with a white bite plate, quickly became a staple in the saxophone world. With unique facing options, these provided saxophonists a range of tonal options from dark and mellow to bright and punchy. Gene Ammons famously played an Ebolin tenor saxophone mouthpiece.

The Tonalin mouthpiece, distinct in its ivory-white color with black bite plate, was a softer material celebrated for its warm, focused sound and impeccable response. Its versatility made it a favorite among saxophonists across genres and the Tonalin quickly became a favorite of many saxophonists, with notable players like Benny Goodman and Charlie Parker endorsing it.

Brilhart also continued to make a hard rubber model from ebonite, a more traditional mouthpiece material. These had a larger chamber and became the iconic sounds of players such as Zoot Sims.

One notable addition to Brilhart’s lineup during the later Great Neck era was the Personaline series. These mouthpieces, crafted under Brilhart’s personal supervision, offered saxophonists a personalized playing experience with their customizable facings and chamber shapes. The Personaline series showcased Brilhart’s dedication to meeting the individual needs of players and pushing the boundaries of mouthpiece design.

In 1954, Brilhart relocated his company to southern California, marking the beginning of his Carlsbad era. Ebolin and Tonalin mouthpieces were initially made almost identically to those from Great Neck, and in later years the Carlsbad models have a slightly smaller chamber. These are distinguished by a quick response and slightly more “edge” to the sound.

In 1966, the Brilhart Company was acquired by Selmer who continued making and selling the popular mouthpieces. That same year saw the introduction of the Level Air model,  a metal mouthpiece made of stainless steel which had a distinctly brighter sound than other Brilhart tenor sax mouthpieces.

While original Great Neck and Carlsbad era Brilhart mouthpieces are highly sought after, it’s no small chore for a saxophonist to find the right one: not only did vintage Ebolin and Tonalin mouthpieces from this era commonly suffer cracks in the shank, the facings were also notoriously inconsistent in facing and tip opening.

The Brilhart mouthpieces gradually became more generic and, while still being sold and appreciated for decades, drifted from the original professional models that Arnold Brilhart designed.

Then, in 2023, the Selmer company made waves in the industry when they found the original Brilhart mouthpiece molds and reintroduced the true Ebolin and Special mouthpieces back into the saxophone market. This new era is marked by carefully controlled molding and machining, expert hand finishing, and a reworked numbering system that is in line with other mouthpiece brands.  The reissue of these classic mouthpieces is not a revival but an actual rebirth of the original Great Neck Ebolin molds.”-Ryan Lillywhite (Director of Woodwinds at Conn-Selmer) 

Brilhart Ebolin Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece Review

The Brilhart Ebolin alto saxophone mouthpiece came well packaged and protected in a beautifully crafted vintage looking black box with the original Brilhart trademark from 1942 on it (“Brilhart” with a mouthpiece on the left side and a reed on the right side).  On the sides of the box are stickers with the facing number on one side and the serial number of the mouthpiece on the other.

Brilhart Ebolin Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece Review

Inside the box, the mouthpiece is protected on all sides with foam and there is a card with the serial number, finishers name and play testers name on it.   I like this personal touch of having a persons name attached to the quality of the mouthpiece.  It seems to me that this practice would help improve quality standards in many mouthpiece companies that have had, and still have, quality control issues (not naming any names……).  By the way,  can you figure out the name of the person who worked on this mouthpiece from the signature above?    Yeah, neither can I…….

Brilhart Ebolin Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece Review

The Brilhart Ebolin alto saxophone mouthpiece has the classic cursive “Brilhart” logo engraved in white on the top of the mouthpiece with the 7 tip opening engraved in white below the logo.  Below the 7 on the top of the shank is engraved “Ebolin” in white as well.  The serial number is stamped into the body off of the right side of the table.  The serial number is more discreet and is not in white.

Here is a list of the tip opening sizes the Brilhart Ebolin alto saxophone mouthpieces currently come in:

Brilhart Ebolin Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece Review

The Brilhart Ebolin 7 alto saxophone mouthpiece looks great to the eye.  The mouthpiece is smooth and shiny.   The mouthpiece tip rail looks fairly even although the left side of the tip rail is thinner than the right side.   The side rails look functional although there is some waviness and variation in width as they travel towards the tip of the mouthpiece.  The shape of the tip rail was relatively close to the shape of the alto saxophone reeds I used (not exact) and the mouthpiece got suction consistently when testing it with the mouthpiece suction test.

The mouthpiece has a white bite plate that I am told is made of the same plastic material but in white.  I’m not sure what good that does if your teeth are still making contact with plastic, but I always use a mouthpiece patch anyways so it makes no difference to me.

The diameter and beak profile of the Brilhart Ebolin alto saxophone mouthpiece felt very similar to the diameter and beak profile of a typical hard rubber alto saxophone mouthpiece like a Meyer.   The body size of the Brilhart Ebolin alto mouthpiece is also similar to a typical hard rubber alto saxophone mouthpiece as well.

Brilhart Ebolin Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece Review

The window of the Brilhart Ebolin alto saxophone mouthpiece is a bit thinner and longer than a typical Meyer alto sax mouthpiece window opening.  As a matter of fact, as I compare the Brilhart Ebolin mouthpiece to a bunch of my other alto sax mouthpieces on hand, the Brilhart Ebolin has the longest window of any of them (but again, its window is a bit thinner than the others also).

The baffle of the Brilhart Ebolin alto saxophone mouthpiece has a gradual rollover near the tip that rolls over for about an inch and then heads straight down to the smooth chamber floor.  The Brilhart Ebolin chamber looks to be a medium sized chamber and has a unique shape in that the chamber floor is rounded, the side walls are straight but travel inward from bottom to top making the top of the chamber thinner than the bottom.  The roof of the chamber is also rounded and quite thick below the table.

Brilhart Ebolin Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece Review

When first playing the Brilhart Ebolin 7 alto saxophone mouthpiece, my first impression was that it had a powerful core sound that had a brightness to the tone that seemed to carry throughout the room when playing.  The tone had some buzz to it that made it lively and expressive while still having a substantial thickness to the tone.

It was easy to bend notes and apply vibrato and the Brilhart Ebolin mouthpiece responded immediately to changes in dynamics as well as articulation.  This ease of bending and vibrato can easily be heard in the first melody I play on the clips below (On the Sunny Side of the Street) where I bend up to a high C# on the 7th note and then add vibrato to the note.

Brilhart Ebolin Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece Review

The intonation on the Brilhart Ebolin alto saxophone mouthpiece was within the normal expected parameters on my Selmer Reference 54 alto saxophone and the range of the saxophone was very even, smooth and fluid.  These attributes really help the Brilhart Ebolin alto sax mouthpiece sound great when playing fast jazz lines as you can hear in the sound clips below.

The brightness, buzz and crisp tone of the Brilhart Ebolin alto sax mouthpiece gave it an authentic bebop sound.  As I played through my usual Charlie Parker lines on the sound clip, I could feel how that brightness allowed the accented notes in the bebop lines to pop a bit more.  At the same time, the smoothness of the tone from note to note allowed the line to sound connected and flowing while those accented notes really stood out.  I loved that quality while playing the mouthpiece as well as when listening back to the clips.

Brilhart Ebolin Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece Review

The Brilhart Ebolin alto saxophone mouthpiece was about an 8 on my 1-10 volume scale for alto saxophone mouthpieces.  The straight side walls and unique chamber shape seem to allow the tone to be more focused, concentrated and brighter in my opinion.

If you read through the list of players that played Brilhart Ebolin alto sax mouthpieces at the end of this review, you will notice that most of them played in big bands and the one exception to that, Maceo Parker, without a doubt had to be able to cut through the mix in loud situations playing funk music so the Brilhart Ebolin mouthpiece can definitely be pushed to cut through those high volume playing environments.

At the same time, the Brilhart Ebolin alto sax mouthpiece would sound great in smaller settings as well, whether playing in a jazz duo, trio or quartet.  I don’t think I would suggest the Brilhart Ebolin alto sax mouthpiece for classical music because of its brightness, but for a straight ahead jazz gig it would be killer.

Brilhart Ebolin Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece Review

On the sound clips below, I try to give a good range and variety of alto saxophone sounds and textures so that you can hear the Brilhart Ebolin 7 alto saxophone mouthpiece perform in different styles.

For the first clip, I posted the sound clip with a slight reverb added to it so you can hear what the Brilhart Ebolin alto saxophone mouthpiece might sound like with reverb added.  This is actually very close to how it would sound if I played it in my garage, basement or bathroom.   This is also how it might sound in a big hall or room with a natural reverb in it.

I love how the Brilhart Ebolin mouthpiece sounds with reverb, but it sounds just as good on the second sound clip with no effects in my opinion.  This is also very important!  I have played mouthpieces in the past that sounded killer with reverb on the gig, but when I played them in a dry room at home or while teaching I absolutely hated the sound of them.   Trust me, hating your sound at home in a dry room is not something that will inspire you to practice.  You need to find a mouthpiece that gives you a sound in both environments that you absolutely love in my opinion.

Brilhart Ebolin Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece Review

The Brilhart Ebolin alto saxophone mouthpiece is what I would consider a versatile alto sax mouthpiece.   Just the fact that Maceo Parker and Charlie Parker used one is a testament that the Brilhart Ebolin can be used for straight ahead jazz and funk music.  Those are the top two players in both those genres of music so that is quite the endorsement.

Brilhart Ebolin Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece Review

In my opinion, the Brilhart Ebolin alto saxophone mouthpiece is a great alto saxophone mouthpiece if you are a student and looking for a step-up mouthpiece that is affordable.  While playing the Brilhart Ebolin I couldn’t help but think of the many middle school and high school students around the country whose tones would be greatly improved by progressing from their Yamaha 4C mouthpieces to this Brilhart Ebolin alto saxophone mouthpiece.  It has enough volume and brightness to carry through the mix of a band but still carries that classic Brilhart alto saxophone type sound that can help a student develop more maturity and character in their sound.

That’s not saying that the Brilhart Ebolin alto sax mouthpiece is just a “student” mouthpiece in the least.  I’ve read that players such as Maceo Parker, Charlie Parker (he also played the white Brilhart Tonalin model as well), Marshal Royal (Count Basie Band-he supposedly used Brilhart Ebolin 7* with a 4 1/2-5 reed according to his words), Benny Carter, Skeets Hurfert (Dorsey Band, Laurence Welk Orchestra), Russell Procope (Duke Ellington Band), and Brad Leali (Harry Connick, Jr. Orchestra, Count Basie Band, Kennedy Center Honors Band) all played or play Brilhart Ebolin alto saxophone mouthpieces.  This list alone is a testament to the fact that the Brilhart Ebolin alto sax mouthpiece is a great choice and versatile option for professional alto saxophonists as well.

Brilhart Ebolin Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece Review

If you love the beautiful sound and look of the Brilhart Ebolin alto saxophone mouthpiece by Conn-Selmer, you can find them for a very reasonable price (169.00 at the time of this review) on the Sweetwater website. I have agreed to be an affiliate for Sweetwater so if you purchase a Brilhart Ebolin alto saxophone mouthpiece from this link,  Neffmusic will receive a small commission on the sale while your cost remains the same. (This helps to support my site and keep the saxophone related reviews, articles and transcriptions coming to you…..).  Sweetwater even offers the option to pay in three installments as well which is nice.

If you try a Brilhart Ebolin alto saxophone mouthpiece or have any thoughts, comments or questions on this review,  I would love to hear what you think in the comments below.  Thanks,   Steve

*To hear the most detail from these clips it is best to listen to them from a computer with nice audio speakers or headphones rather than from an iPhone or laptop speakers.  It makes a world of difference!

Brilhart Ebolin 7 Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece Review-Rigotti Gold 3 Light Alto Saxophone Reed-Slight Reverb Added

Brilhart Ebolin 7 Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece Review-Rigotti Gold 3 Light Alto Saxophone Reed-Dry (No Reverb)

Today, I am excited to be reviewing the new Morgan Dry Martini Model 18 alto saxophone mouthpiece released by Morgan mouthpieces.  The great alto saxophonist Paul Desmond is quoted as saying, “I think I had it in the back of my mind that I wanted to sound like a dry martini.”, and since the newest alto saxophone mouthpiece from Morgan mouthpieces is inspired by the type of M.C. Gregory Model A 4A 18 alto sax mouthpiece that Paul Desmond used, Morgan mouthpieces named it the “Dry Martini”.

Morgan Dry Martini Model 18 Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece

Here is a description of the Morgan Dry Martini Model 18 alto saxophone mouthpiece from the Morgan mouthpieces website description:

“During the past 40 years of handcrafting saxophone mouthpieces, a fairly common question from customers is, “What model do you have that is similar to the mouthpiece Paul Desmond played?”

For much of his career, Paul Desmond played on a M.C. Gregory Model A 4A-18 alto saxophone mouthpiece.  While we have alto sax mouthpieces that have approached the “West Coast” sound, the Dry Martini Model 18 is the first model we have specifically designed for that tone style.

The “Dry Martini” model is designed by Erik Grieffenhagen.  Erik has spent decades studying and copying M.C. Gregory alto saxophone mouthpieces and has custom-made this style of mouthpiece for many customers in the past.

A few years ago, the Morgan Company acquired a bunch of antique original M.C. Gregory mouthpiece molds and cores. This acquisition included original cores for the M.C. Gregory 18 model alto saxophone mouthpiece.  Using his knowledge of original mouthpieces and by studying the original molds, Erik developed the Dry Martini alto saxophone mouthpiece.

If you are looking for that West Coast “Desmond” sound, then the Dry Martini mouthpiece is the mouthpiece you must try.  It is available in 4 (.063), 5 (.070), and 6 (.075) facings.  Other facings are available as a custom order but we recommend the smaller tip openings with stiffer reeds for the most authentic “Dry Martini” tone.”-Morgan Mouthpieces

Morgan Dry Martini Model 18 Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece

Erik Grieffenhagen encouraged me to try the Morgan Dry Martini Model 18 alto saxophone mouthpiece in a 4 tip opening which is .063″.  If you follow my alto saxophone mouthpiece reviews, you will know that I prefer alto sax mouthpieces with a tip opening between .076-.080 usually, so this .063 tip opening is a considerably smaller tip opening than I am used to.

Here is a snippet from an email I received from Erik about the Morgan Dry Martini Model 18 mouthpiece:

“I’ll tell you a little more about the Morgan Dry Martini alto sax mouthpiece first. We offer two models of chamber size similar to M.C Gregory, a 16 (small chamber) and an 18 (medium chamber).  What I’d like to send is the 18. That’s the size chamber Paul Desmond settled on for the majority of his career.  He also likely played a 4 tip opening or close to it.  That has been our best seller.  The tip is only .063″.   That’s the one I’d like send if you could play something that close, with a reed in the 3-4 range.  It produces the most Desmond like tone imo.  All that said, we offer it in a 5 and 6 tip opening, too, 070″ and .076″.  Given that it’s almost a purpose driven mouthpiece,  I’d like to send you the 4, if you have some reeds that would work, 3 on the harder side are recommended.  Let me know , and I’ll get one out to you asap.”-Erik Grieffenhagen

Morgan Dry Martini Model 18 Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece

The Morgan Dry Martini mouthpiece came well packaged in a beautifully crafted black box with the Morgan logo on it and a gold sticker on the side of the box with the model mouthpiece and tip opening on it.  The mouthpiece was shipped with abundant padding to protect the mouthpiece through the mail.

The Morgan Dry Martini alto saxophone mouthpiece has  a “MORGAN” logo  engraved in gold on the top of the mouthpiece with “DRY MARTINI” engraved below the logo.  On the underside of the shank is engrave “USA” in gold and above that is hand engraved “4-18” signifying the tip size and model number.  Erik told me that the Dry Martini is machined on a five axis mill from German bar stock.

Morgan Dry Martini Model 18 Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece

The Morgan Dry Martini Model 18 alto saxophone mouthpiece looks great to the eye.  The ebonite is smooth and shiny and I don’t see an imperfection anywhere. The tip, rails and table look even, flat, precise and perfectly crafted.  The mouthpiece tip rail and side rails are even and symmetrical.  The shape of the tip rail matched the shape of the Rico and Vandoren alto saxophone reeds I used on the Dry Martini mouthpiece very closely.

The diameter and beak profile of the Morgan Dry Martini alto saxophone mouthpiece felt very similar to the diameter and beak profile of a typical hard rubber alto saxophone mouthpiece like a Meyer.   The body size of the Dry Martini is also similar to a typical hard rubber alto saxophone mouthpiece as well.

The baffle of the Morgan Dry Martini alto saxophone mouthpiece has a slight rollover near the tip but I would consider it to be a low baffled alto mouthpiece.  The Dry Martini chamber looks to be a medium sized chamber and is similar in size to a Meyer alto mouthpiece medium sized chamber.

The Morgan Dry Martini mouthpiece came with a Rovner light ligature but I used a Francois Louis Ultimate alto sax ligature just because I had been using it on another alto saxophone mouthpiece I was trying out.  The 3 1/2 reed and the FL Ultimate ligature played great for me so I didn’t want to jinx it by messing around with ligatures so I stayed with the FL Ultimate ligature for the sound clips.

In preparation for the review I went to a local music store and found some old Rico “Orange” box 3 1/2 alto saxophone reeds to use on the Dry Martini Model 18 mouthpiece.  I recorded the one sound clip with one of these reeds as well as another two sound clips with a Vandoren Java (Red) 3 1/2 reed.

Morgan Dry Martini Model 18 Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece

When first playing the Morgan Dry Martini Model 18 alto saxophone mouthpiece, my first impression was that it had an incredibly beautiful tone to it.  The tone is warm, round and even throughout the range of the saxophone.  I ended up playing a lot of melodies on the three sound clips below as opposed to my usual flurry of fast lines I typically play on sound clips just because the Dry Martini sounded so lyrical and sweet.  The tone is focused and concentrated while also having enough fatness that the tone never gets thin sounding but is beautifully round and full sounding while still having a light floating quality to the sound.

Typically, a 3 1/2 reed would tend to have too much resistance for my liking but with the smaller .063 tip opening the reed blew easily and with just enough resistance that it still felt comfortable to me.  The tone was easy to manipulate with dynamics, vibrato and bends.

Morgan Dry Martini Model 18 Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece

One interesting point I would like to write about is that when listening to Paul Desmond, I have always been amazed at how he could play in the top register of the saxophone while keeping his tone so warm and pretty.  Most alto saxophone mouthpieces I have played tend to get a bit brighter in tone and louder as you play in that higher register but Paul Desmond always seemed in complete control of that register.  His tone always stays within certain volume parameters and always seemed warm and light.  Although, I could attempt to sound like this on various alto saxophone mouthpieces, it was always a struggle to contain and limit the volume and brightness from appearing in those high notes.

Morgan Dry Martini Model 18 Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece

While playing the Morgan Dry Martini Model 18 alto saxophone mouthpiece, I finally understood more of the mechanics of how Paul Desmond was able to attain that high register beauty of tone.  The Dry Martini alto mouthpiece with the .063 tip opening and 3 1/2 alto saxophone reed can only be pushed to a certain level volume wise.  This is certainly not a lead alto saxophone mouthpiece at this tip opening (probably why I don’t recall Paul Desmond playing lead alto in a big band).  I would say the Morgan Dry Martini is about a 5 to 5 1/2 for volume on a 1-10 volume scale.  The Dry Martini mouthpiece keeps that top register controlled and limited in volume by it’s very design and the smaller tip opening.  Some may view this volume limit as a weakness but if your goal is to achieve that “West Coast”, Paul Desmond type of laid back cool tone, this is one of the main strengths of the Morgan Dry Martini alto saxophone mouthpiece.

Along those same lines, the high register is also limited with how bright it will get.  I found that even when I pushed more air through the Dry Martini it would get louder but still stay wondrously warm sounding like Paul Desmond’s sound which I really loved and marveled at.

The intonation on the Morgan Dry Martini Model 18 alto saxophone mouthpiece was excellent up and down the saxophone and the mouthpiece was a great match for my Selmer Reference 54 alto saxophone.

My impression was that the smaller tip opening of the Dry Martini alto sax mouthpiece also made the articulation clean, crisp and light as well.

Morgan Dry Martini Model 18 Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece

On the sound clips below, I try to give a good range and variety of alto saxophone sounds and textures so that you can hear the Morgan Dry Martini Model 18 alto saxophone mouthpiece perform in different styles.  There are three unique sound clips that I have included below with reverb added as well as dry (no reverb).

The first and second sound clip below is a recording of me playing a bunch of random lines and ideas like I usually do with a dry recording (no effects) on the sound and then another clip with reverb added.   I try to run through a variety of bebop lines, jazz melodies, articulations and miscellaneous ideas up and down the range of the horn that you can listen to to get an idea of how the Morgan Dry Martini Model 18 alto saxophone mouthpiece sounded and performed for me.

Morgan Dry Martini Model 18 Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece

The third and fourth sound clip is of me playing mostly just the types of melodies Paul Desmond was known for with a slight reverb added on the fourth clip and no reverb on the third clip.   While recording this sound clip, I kept thinking, “What would Paul Desmond play?”.  I played some melodies that came to mind but I have to admit that my vibrato is very different than Paul Desmond’s vibrato.   I wish I had the time to spend a week trying to copy that beautiful vibrato and his other inflections but I don’t have that kind of time these days.

The last two sound clips is one I added a week after recording the first two clips with a harder old Rico 3 1/2 orange box alto saxophone reed.  Like the other sound clips, the first has a no reverb added and the second clip is the same but with reverb.  When I listen to this clip it sounds a bit different than the other four clips in that the tone is a bit reedier because of the slightly harder reed.

Notice that in all these clips, the Morgan Dry Martini sounds just as beautiful in the “dry” recording as the recordings with reverb added.  I actually like the “dry” recordings more.   This is a testament to how good the Morgan Dry Martini alto saxophone mouthpiece sounds naturally in my opinion.

Morgan Dry Martini Model 18 Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece

In my opinion, the Morgan Dry Martini alto saxophone mouthpiece is a perfect alto saxophone mouthpiece for those of you looking for that “West Coast” Paul Desmond type alto saxophone sound. Obviously, you don’t just put the Dry Martini mouthpiece on and immediately transform to Paul Desmond, but for me, as I was playing the “Dry Martini” with my own licks and style, I could hear that Desmond tone in the sound.  It’s like that “Dry Martini” Desmond sound is in there and just needs to be sussed out and nurtured.  If the Desmond sound is your ideal then the Morgan Dry Martini alto mouthpiece definitely steers you in that direction of alto saxophone sound.

If you love the beautiful sound and look of the Morgan Dry Martini Model 18 alto saxophone mouthpiece by Morgan mouthpieces, you can find them for sale on the Morgan website.

If you try a Morgan Dry Martini Model 18 alto saxophone mouthpiece or have any thoughts, comments or questions on this review,  I would love to hear what you think in the comments below.  Thanks,   Steve

*To hear the most detail from these clips it is best to listen to them from a computer with nice audio speakers or headphones rather than from an iPhone or laptop speakers.  It makes a world of difference!

Morgan Dry Martini Model 18 Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece-Vandoren Java Red 3 1/2 Alto Saxophone Reed-Same Clip as Above-Dry (No Reverb)

Morgan Dry Martini Model 18 Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece-Vandoren Java Red 3 1/2 Alto Saxophone Reed-Slight Reverb Added

Morgan Dry Martini Model 18 Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece-Vandoren Java Red 3 1/2 Alto Saxophone Reed-Same Clip as Above-Dry (No Reverb)

Morgan Dry Martini Model 18 Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece-Vandoren Java Red 3 1/2 Alto Saxophone Reed-Slight Reverb Added

Morgan Dry Martini Model 18 Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece-Old Rico Orange Box 3 1/2 Alto Saxophone Reed-Dry (No Reverb)

Morgan Dry Martini Model 18 Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece-Old Rico Orange Box 3 1/2 Alto Saxophone Reed-Slight Reverb Added

Here are a couple of other great examples from other alto saxophone players of the Morgan Dry Martini Model 18 in action:

Today, I am excited to be reviewing the new NJS Hummingbird 8* (.115) bronze tenor saxophone mouthpiece made by a young mouthpiece maker named Nick Stahl from the Seattle area.  This review wasn’t going to happen but then Nick Stahl sent me a few tempting photos that were too much for me to resist and I had to try this NJS Hummingbird tenor saxophone mouthpiece……….

NJS Hummingbird 8* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

I have to be honest in saying that I very rarely accept mouthpieces from new mouthpiece makers these days.  I usually get an email about once a month from someone who is an aspiring mouthpiece maker asking if I would try their saxophone mouthpiece out to see what I think.  I usually decline because 1.) I have so many sax mouthpieces already on my desk waiting to be reviewed and just don’t have the time to play test every mouthpiece and 2.) Many times, young mouthpiece makers are usually still working on figuring out the whole mouthpiece making skill and they are just looking for my opinion or confirmation that they are on the right track.

When Nick initially reached out to me, I was ready to compose a response saying I didn’t have time to try his new mouthpiece when I clicked on a link he provided with photos of the saxophone mouthpiece he had been working on.   I was honestly blown away by the photos of the mouthpiece he created.  Even though I had never heard of Nick Stahl, I decided to respond that I would be willing to try out this beautiful looking mouthpiece.

The NJS Hummingbird Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece Name Inspiration

Here are some words about Nick Stahl and the NJS Hummingbird tenor saxophone mouthpiece from the first email Nick sent to me just so you can get a sense of who Nick Stahl is and the concept behind this tenor saxophone mouthpiece.

“My name is Nick Stahl, I’m a saxophonist and aspiring mouthpiece maker from the Seattle area. I’m writing to see if I could send you one of my mouthpieces to try, and possibly review.

I’ve been playing the saxophone for 16 years, I graduated from CalArts with a BFA in jazz performance in 2019, and moved back to the Seattle area at the start of the pandemic. I’ve used the past three years to learn metal casting and mouthpiece facing/making, and it has become a second love for me.

I’m at the point where I’m ready to try to turn it into a small business, which is something I want to approach with sincerity and honesty (especially with a Guardala-style mouthpiece). I want people to really get their money’s worth with a good playing, good looking, gimmick-free saxophone mouthpiece, where the price is reflected in the amount of work and care that went into it. 

I’ve been working on creating a Guardala-inspired handmade tenor saxophone mouthpiece that is warm, not too bright, does not compromise any register of the horn, and can be pushed without the tone breaking up. What I have settled on (for La Voz medium reeds) is a .115 tip opening, long (54) elliptical facing, rounded-over baffle, scooped sidewalls, and a medium chamber. They are single-piece high quality castings, made from lead-free silicon bronze, which are then extensively hand finished. The mouthpieces are entirely made by me, I do everything from alloying my own bronze, to the casting, to the finishing. Each NJS mouthpiece comes with a ligature and a cherry wood box, both of which I also make, and a polishing cloth.”-Nick Stahl

NJS Hummingbird 8* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece Box

Here is another great quote from the NJS website on the NJS Hummingbird tenor saxophone mouthpiece:

“The NJS Hummingbird mouthpiece is a Guardala inspired, handmade tenor mouthpiece designed to be warm, moderately focused, and symbiotic with the player. Each one is meticulously crafted and extensively playtested by me. I’ve played Guardalas for nearly all of my years on tenor, and too much of the time found myself struggling to keep my sound from getting too bright and thin. The NJS Hummingbird is my solution, maintaining character and power from a Guardala, while being richer, warmer, more controllable, and better responding. They are set up to enable the player to really sculpt their sound, sounding better and better the more they are played.”-Nick Stahl

In the above photo is the wooden box that the NJS Hummingbird tenor saxophone mouthpiece comes in.  It is evident that Nick is very detail oriented and a craftsman as well as an artist.  As you can see in these photos, the NJS mouthpiece comes well packaged and protected.  Besides being in these beautiful boxes, the boxes were shipped with ample padding around them in a shipping box as well.

NJS Hummingbird 8* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece Box

NJS Hummingbird 8* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece Box

As the NJS Hummingbird mouthpiece is made of unplated bronze, Nick sent me a few tips before I even received the mouthpiece in the mail:

NJS Hummingbird 8* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

The NJS Hummingbird tenor saxophone mouthpiece looked just as amazing and beautiful in person as it did in the photos.  It’s one of those mouthpieces you get and then you spend ten minutes just admiring its beauty because you are afraid to play it and put a mark on it in any way.

NJS Hummingbird 8* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

The NJS Hummingbird tenor sax mouthpiece looks terrific to the eye.  The tip, rails and table look even, flat, precise and well crafted.  The mouthpiece tip rail and side rails are even and thin, and the shape of the tip rail perfectly matches the curve of the saxophone reeds I used.  The thinness of the rails remind me of the thin rails Dave Guardala was known for using on his mouthpieces back in the day.

NJS Hummingbird 8* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

One concern I had from looking at the photos as well as admiring the NJS Hummingbird tenor sax mouthpiece in person was the “duckbill” beak of the mouthpiece that you can see in the photo above. (Nick has told me that he also makes the NJS Hummingbird with a Guardala height beak as well)

A “duckbill” beak describes a mouthpiece that has a beak that is really low in height and has a shape to the beak similar to the shape of a duck’s beak.  The NJS Hummingbird beak is super low in height compared to most metal tenor saxophone mouthpieces.   I can confidently state that it is the lowest beak I have played on a metal tenor saxophone mouthpiece. I have stated a number of times on this website that I do not like “duckbill” mouthpiece beaks so I was worried that this would be a problem for me.

NJS Hummingbird 8* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

After receiving the NJS Hummingbird mouthpiece (and before I had even played it), I sent Nick Stahl an email asking, “Do you really like the low duckbill beak profile?”  I found his response interesting so I have included it here:

NJS Hummingbird 8* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

As I had anticipated, the duckbill beak felt very strange to me at first.  The height of the beak made it feel kind of like I was playing a soprano saxophone mouthpiece but this big tenor sax sound was coming back to my ears.

Over time, as I played the NJS Hummingbird mouthpiece non-stop over the next couple of weeks, I did get used to the lower beak profile and really ended up loving it.

I found that getting used to the lower beak profile and the different jaw position while relaxing my embouchure really was the key as Nick described.  Once I relaxed, the lower beak profile felt even more comfortable than a regular height tenor sax mouthpiece beak profile to me.  Relaxing the embouchure allows the reed to respond more freely and the sound of the mouthpiece becomes much bigger, fuller and more resonant.

NJS Hummingbird 8* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

The baffle of the NJS Hummingbird 8* tenor saxophone mouthpiece is of medium high height.  The baffle is long and gradually rolls over before descending down into the medium chamber.  The sidewalls on either side of the baffle are straight until the point where the baffle rolls down into the chamber.  At that point the sidewalls are scooped out as the baffle descends into the chamber area.

For comparison sake, I compared the NJS Hummingbird to two other high baffled tenor mouthpieces I own.  Compared to the Liu Shizhao Pilgrimage MB tenor saxophone mouthpiece, the baffle of NJS Hummingbird is a bit lower and not as long as the Pilgrimage mouthpiece.

Compared to my Retro Revival Double Ring tenor sax mouthpiece, the baffle of the NJS Hummingbird mouthpiece is also lower and slightly shorter before it rolls over and descend down into the chamber.

The lower and shorter baffle of the NJS Hummingbird mouthpiece led me to believe that the NJS Hummingbird wouldn’t be as bright as the Pilgrimage or RR Double Ring tenor sax mouthpieces which are two of my brighter tenor saxophone mouthpieces in my collection and when I started to play the NJS Hummingbird I found my assumption to be correct.

NJS Hummingbird 8* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

The NJS Hummingbird mouthpiece chamber looks to be what I would consider a medium-large sized chamber although Nick describes it as a medium chambered mouthpiece.   The roof of the chamber is of average thickness as you can see in the photo above.

I found the NJS Hummingbird tenor sax mouthpiece to play great with stronger tenor saxophone reeds of 3 or 3 1/2 strength.  Usually on a .115 tip opening tenor sax mouthpiece, I would use a 2 1/2 strength reed but because the NJS Hummingbird mouthpiece has a longer elliptical facing of 54, I believe it can be used with harder reeds like 3 or 3 1/2 strength reeds.

The BSS (Boston Sax Shop) Black Label  3 1/2 strength tenor saxophone reed I used on the first two sound clips below played amazingly well for me.  The BSS Black Label reeds are normally a darker sounding reed but they could get pretty bright and powerful on the NJS Hummingbird mouthpiece.

Nick had suggested that I try a Lavoz medium tenor saxophone reed as that is his favorite reed on the Hummingbird mouthpiece so I ordered a box of those to try as well.

I included two clips using the Lavoz medium reed which are clips 3 & 4 below.  The Lavoz medium reeds had a very different tone for me that was much warmer and darker than the BSS Black label 3 1/2 reed clips.

NJS Hummingbird 8* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

As I stated above, the NJS Hummingbird 8* tenor saxophone mouthpiece played incredibly well.  The mouthpiece was powerful and in your face when pushed but I didn’t find it overly bright and edgy like I have felt about Guardala tenor sax mouthpieces I have tried in the past.

The tone seemed focused and concentrated in power while keeping the core to the sound and the tone didn’t thin out in the higher register.  When pushed the NJS Hummingbird would get a bit brighter but it’s EQ sounded like it had more mid frequencies rather than the typical high frequency boost most high baffle mouthpieces have at louder volumes.

At first, I felt like the lower beak was throwing off my tongue position or oral cavity shape and I started to bite to get the altissimo notes.  I quickly realized what I was doing, relaxed and then worked on voicing those altissimo notes with overtones while remaining relaxed and quickly got comfortable with how those notes needed to be voiced with this mouthpiece.  After this adjustment, the altissimo range was easy to get and play on the NJS Hummingbird mouthpiece.

On the subject of overtones, I have to say that the NJS Hummingbird tenor saxophone mouthpiece plays exceptionally easy when playing overtones.  In a couple of the clips, I play some Breckeresque overtone lines and was surprised with how easily they were produced.   Usually I have to really work on voicing those overtones to come out correctly and with the NJS Hummingbird mouthpiece I felt like I just put my fingers down and the overtones popped out really effortlessly and in tune.

NJS Hummingbird 8* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece (Patina forming on Bronze-Patina can be wiped off with included polishing cloth)

The intonation on the NJS Hummingbird 8* tenor saxophone mouthpiece was very good and the mouthpiece was a great match for my Selmer Super Balanced Action tenor saxophone (from the 50’s).

The evenness and smoothness of notes throughout the range of the saxophone was nice when playing fast lines.  The NJS Hummingbird mouthpiece sub-toned beautifully as well down in the lower range of the saxophone.

NJS Hummingbird 8* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece with Included Ligature

The NJS Hummingbird 8* tenor saxophone mouthpiece had a good amount of power and volume when pushed.  I would say the volume was about a 8 1/2-9 when pushed on my 1-10 volume scale.  It wasn’t as loud and bright as some higher baffled tenor sax mouthpieces are when pushed to maximum volume, but where those mouthpieces can tend to get thinner sounding and excruciatingly brighter the louder they get, the NJS Hummingbird mouthpiece retains it’s nice full bodied tone that is thick and full sounding as it gets in that louder range.

Of course, part of what carries the sound through the mix of a loud band is the brightness of your sound so seeing how the NJS Hummingbird mouthpiece would perform  on the gig can only be tested in a live setting with a band to see how the Hummingbird’s tone carries through the mix of the band.  In my home studio, The NJS Hummingbird tenor saxophone mouthpiece seemed to have plenty of power and projection at it’s disposal.

NJS Hummingbird 8* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece with Included Ligature

On the sound clips below, I try to give a good range and variety of saxophone sounds and textures so that you can hear how the NJS Hummingbird 8* tenor saxophone mouthpiece performs in different styles.  There are four sound clips.

The first sound clip is a demonstration of the altissimo register of the saxophone while playing some “bluesy” type lines.   I added reverb to the sound so you can hear how the mouthpiece might sound through a sound system with some reverb added to the mix like on a live gig.

The second sound clip below is a recording of me playing a bunch of random lines and ideas like I usually do with a BSS Black Label 3 1/2 reed. This sound clip has no reverb or any other effects added to the sound so you can hear how the NJS Hummingbird sounds without effects.

Clips 3 & 4 are more mellow sound clips demonstrating the warmer side of the NJS Hummingbird tenor sax mouthpiece with the Lavoz Medium tenor saxophone reeds.

NJS Hummingbird 8* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

In my opinion, the NJS Hummingbird 8* tenor saxophone mouthpiece is a great tenor sax mouthpiece for those of you looking for a tenor sax mouthpiece that is inspired by the Guardala concept but with less of a baffle to it.  The NJS Hummingbird still provides power and focus but without the strident brightness that can many times accompany high baffled saxophone mouthpieces.  As I demonstrate in the sound clips, the NJS Hummingbird mouthpiece can sound great for straight ahead jazz paying as well as more popular music like funk or pop music.

Nick Stahl did an absolutely incredible job creating this mouthpiece.  His artistry and craftsmanship are evident from his work.  I am looking forward to seeing more of his mouthpiece work in the future.

If you like the sound and look of the NJS Hummingbird 8* tenor saxophone mouthpiece by Nick Stahl, you can find them at the Nick Stahl Music website.

If you try a NJS Hummingbird 8* tenor saxophone mouthpiece or have any thoughts, comments or questions on this review,  I would love to hear what you think in the comments below.  Thanks,   Steve

NJS Hummingbird 8* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece – Boston Sax Shop Black Label 3 1/2 Reed-Reverb Added 

NJS Hummingbird 8* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece – Boston Sax Shop Black Label 3 1/2 Reed-No Effects Added

NJS Hummingbird 8* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece – Lavoz Medium Reed-Reverb Added 

NJS Hummingbird 8* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece – Lavoz Medium Reed-No Effects Added 

Today, I am excited to be reviewing the new Soprano Planet Open Sky SL soprano saxophone mouthpiece released by Joe Giardullo at Soprano Planet.  SL stands for Steve Lacy and this soprano sax mouthpiece is modeled after Steve Lacy’s personal mouthpiece that Joe Giardullo had for about a year after Steve Lacy’s death.  Of course, Steve Lacy’s soprano sax mouthpiece was a 12 tip opening (.096) and most soprano player’s probably could not handle that large of a tip opening so Joe made his Open Sky SL soprano saxophone mouthpiece with a .075 tip opening which is much more manageable for most players.

I have to admit that for whatever reason, I have not listened to much Steve Lacy in my 50+ years of living so I am not only curious to check out the Open Sky SL soprano saxophone mouthpiece but some Steve Lacy recordings as well (I’m playing Steve Lacy “Soprano Sax” from 1958  and Gil Evans & Ten “Just One of Those Things” as I type this review……).

Soprano Planet Open Sky SL Soprano Saxophone Mouthpiece

Here is an email I received from Joe Giardullo explaining the Open Sky SL (Steve Lacy) soprano saxophone mouthpiece concept:

“The new mouthpiece, which I call the Open Sky SL (after Steve Lacy) is designed with no baffle at all. That means the chamber shape rules completely. The chamber is medium. It has a similar throat as Steve Lacy’s mouthpiece, which was a kind of race-track oval.

The short story is this: I’ve finally nailed down the real source of the short lived Otto Link Tone Edge model mouthpiece that Steve Lacy played. Turns out, there are four great soprano mouthpiece designs all made from the same blank, which was produced by Riffault. Of course, the Riffault soprano saxophone mouthpieces, and all the stencils, were made from that blank.  As was the rare Brilhart ARB soprano sax mouthpiece, the old Beechler soprano sax mouthpiece (20 years ago and earlier) and the short-lived Otto Link Tone Edge soprano mouthpiece that Steve Lacy played.

That gave me the idea for producing the Open Sky-SL soprano saxophone mouthpiece.  I wanted to stay away from a huge tip, because there are still too many players that think tip size is so significant, which it really isn’t.  I made a few prototypes and .075 produced all the aspects that made Steve Lacy’s soprano saxophone mouthpiece so amazing, only instead of requiring # 1 1/2 reeds, this .075 played with ease on # 2 1/2 and even # 2 reeds.

The aspect that gives it the complete flexibility that Steve Lacy’s mouthpiece had is the complete lack of a baffle, which was what Steve’s mouthpiece had as well. Not even a hint of a baffle. It plays dark or bright or anywhere in between, according to what the player needs. It centers the tone back in the throat/oral cavity of the player, so there is quick and smooth transitions always available.”-Joe Giardullo

Soprano Planet Open Sky SL Soprano Saxophone Mouthpiece

The Soprano Planet Open Sky SL soprano saxophone mouthpiece came well packaged with a ligature, cap and two Marca soprano sax reeds that Joe felt played well on the Open Sky SL soprano sax mouthpiece.  The reeds were size 2 and 2 1/2 but felt too soft for my tastes on the Open Sky SL soprano saxophone mouthpiece.  In retrospect, as I type this and listen to Steve Lacy playing in the background, I realize that using the softer reeds would probably have given me a sound that is closer to Steve Lacy’s soprano sax sound as he sounds like he is using a soft reed in the recordings I am listening to.

The ligature looks a lot like a Brancher ligature and I really dug this ligature on the Open Sky SL mouthpiece.   I asked Joe what it was and this was his response:

“I stumbled on that ligature at a music confab in France years ago. It looks like the one sold by Brancher. But when I compared them in terms of sound, I liked this ligature better. The plate is slightly smaller and has a different pattern in terms of interacting with the reed. I have no idea why ligatures do what they do, but I am convinced that it has to do with sympathetic resonance with the vibrating reed/ligature/mouthpiece combination.

It’s like when you strike a tuning fork and just hold it in your fingers, the sound is barely audible. But, anchor the end on a table or hard surface and the sound explodes in volume and resonance. Even if you hold the fork to a sheet of paper held in mid-air, the sound gets louder and fuller. So, that’s my guess on the ligature: they certainly can make a difference, for better or, sometimes, for worse.

But, I liked that one and started importing them for my mouthpieces.”-Joe Giardullo

Soprano Planet Open Sky SL Soprano Saxophone Mouthpiece with Ligature

Here is a description of the Soprano Planet Open Sky SL soprano saxophone mouthpiece from the Soprano Planet website:

“The OPEN SKY SL soprano saxophone mouthpiece is an absolute amazing mouthpiece with NO BAFFLE at all, just like the legendary mouthpiece that inspired its creation: the mouthpiece played by the great Steve Lacy. There is no baffle! The mouthpiece opens up directly into the medium chamber and ends with a “racetrack” shaped throat, like Steve Lacy’s mouthpiece. You’ll be amazed when you play it.

The new OPEN SKY SL soprano sax mouthpiece is a working man’s version of the legendary mouthpiece played by Steve Lacy. It has all the qualities that made that mouthpiece so special and it’s been produced for soprano players that want the freedom, flexibility, feel and sound world that we love about Steve Lacy’s sound and spirit.

Here is a part of an email from a player in Great Britain. I think he nailed the thing that makes the OPEN SKY SL a powerful and utterly unique soprano mouthpiece:

Recent discoveries led me to recognize that I could use my OPEN SKY 2 blank as a basis for this new piece, allowing me to design the ultimate chamber shape and size, things that made Steve Lacy’s mouthpiece so special. I played Steve Lacy’s mouthpiece many times and had it in my possession for almost a year after he passed in 2004. I knew it well then and I know it well now.

But, with a # 12 tip opening, that legendary mouthpiece would pose a lot of challenges for most players. As you know, it takes much more skill to play very light reeds well  than it does to play firmer reeds. Steve played on # 1 1/2 and even # 1 reeds at times.

With the OPEN SKY SL soprano saxophone mouthpiece, I was able to bring the tip opening down a lot so that the mouthpiece would play with moderate strength reeds.

I am currently making this mouthpiece with a .075 tip, which is about a #9 tip, and it plays easily with # 2 1/2 reeds. The intonation is solid throughout the range of the horn, the altissimo is quick and singing, it subtones with ease and it is flexible in terms of sound and texture.

Like Steve Lacy’s mouthpiece, there is no baffle at all. It’s one of the things that makes this piece sing as it does. The same air delivery that plays the lowest notes will play the highest notes with no workarounds requires. Like a lyric soprano singer, it’s all one, perfect continuum, from bottom to top.”-Joe Giardullo

Soprano Planet Open Sky SL Soprano Saxophone Mouthpiece

The Soprano Planet Open Sky SL soprano saxophone mouthpiece is made of quality hard rubber (ebonite).  It comes in one tip opening of  .075 which is about a 9 tip for soprano saxophone mouthpieces. The Soprano Planet Open Sky SL soprano saxophone mouthpiece has “Open Sky SL” and “Soprano Planet” labeled on the top of the mouthpiece.  I don’t see any tip opening markings or any other markings on the mouthpiece.

The table looks flat and even.  The side rails look fairly even although the left rail has a bit of a waver to the inside line of the left rail.  The tip rail is a bit uneven with the left side of the rail being thinner than the right side (photo below). In my mind, this kind of unevenness doesn’t really matter as long as there is enough tip rail there for the reed to seal, which it does.

Soprano Planet Open Sky SL Soprano Saxophone Mouthpiece

Joe Giardullo describes the Open Sky SL soprano sax mouthpiece as having no baffle and I see very little signs of one.  As I examine the baffle under the light, I believe I do see a very slight roll to the baffle where the low baffle rolls a little bit to then decline into the medium chamber at a steeper angle but it is very subtle.  From the tip down to the chamber, the baffle looks pretty darn straight.

Besides the tip rail being a little thinner on one side than the other, there are some other markings that show that this mouthpiece has been worked on by hand including some marks in the hard rubber at the bottom of the baffle and some marks in the wall of the bore as well.

The tip rail curve has an outer curve that is a bit steeper on the edges than the more gradual outer curves of my soprano reeds (Vandoren Java, Roberto’s Winds, BSS,  Rigotti) but the reeds sealed well and always got suction.

Soprano Planet Open Sky SL Soprano Saxophone Mouthpiece

The side walls of the Open Sky SL mouthpiece look and feel straight to me. The roof of the chamber is thick which I would assume helps to squeeze the air into and through the medium chamber and through the oval throat shape that exits into the larger bore of the mouthpiece.   Joe Giardullo describes the chamber as “race track” shaped.  It’s like a circle with the high point and low point being stretched away from the circle slightly to make it oval shaped.

Soprano Planet Open Sky SL Soprano Saxophone Mouthpiece

Once I found the right strength reed for me which was a Roberto’s Winds 3 soft soprano saxophone reed, I was ready to go.  The Soprano Planet Open Sky SL mouthpiece had a big powerfully crisp sound to it right out of the gate.  I was surprised by how much power I could get out of it by blowing a little harder.  With soprano mouthpieces, I am always concerned about resistance and back pressure but the Soprano Planet Open Sky SL mouthpiece had no uncomfortable resistance while I was playing it.

While blowing less air, the Open Sky SL mouthpiece produced a lighter more delicate soprano saxophone sound but when I pushed more air through the mouthpiece the Open Sky SL produced a more in-your-face fat tone that you could shade to be more aggressive or really fat and beautiful sounding.  I try to demonstrate these contrasts in the sound clips below.

Soprano Planet Open Sky SL Soprano Saxophone Mouthpiece

The intonation on the Soprano Planet Open Sky SL soprano saxophone mouthpiece was excellent and I detected no issues intonation-wise while playing.  The Open Sky SL mouthpiece played easily throughout the range of the soprano saxophone from low Bb up to the higher notes.   I particularly liked how the high notes really had a fat resonance and “singing” quality to them.  I could also easily sub-tone notes on the lower end of the soprano saxophone.

Soprano Planet Open Sky SL Soprano Saxophone Mouthpiece

The Open Sky SL responded well to vibrato, dynamics and bending of the notes as well as “voicing” of the notes.  I really believe Joe Giardullo is on to something special with the “no baffle” aspect of this mouthpiece allowing the player to mold and shape the sound.  I have a similar experience on my Lamberson J7 tenor saxophone mouthpiece that has little to no baffle yet I have played Top 40 gigs on that mouthpiece and it can really wail as far as volume and brightness when pushed in that direction.   The Soprano Planet Open Sky SL soprano sax mouthpiece is similar in that regard.

The Soprano Planet Open Sky SL soprano saxophone mouthpiece responded cleanly and quickly to articulation and the tone was even and resonant throughout the range of the soprano saxophone.

Soprano Planet Open Sky SL Soprano Saxophone Mouthpiece

On the sound clips below, I try to give a good range and variety of soprano saxophone sounds and textures so that you can hear the Soprano Planet Open Sky SL soprano saxophone mouthpiece perform in different styles. I have provided three sound clips below.

The first is a sound clip with reverb added that I think sounds amazing.  You can hear the resonance, fullness of tone and beauty that the Open Sky SL soprano mouthpiece provides in this sound clip.   Although the reverb is added to the clip, it provides the listener an idea of how the Soprano Planet Open Sky SL mouthpiece might sound for them in a recording studio with effects or while played in a big hall, or room with a lively natural reverb.

Soprano Planet Open Sky SL Soprano Saxophone Mouthpiece

The second sound clip is a clip of me playing with a bit more volume and energy at times.  The tone is fuller, fatter and brighter sounding.  I love how the Open Sky SL mouthpiece could be pushed to a louder volume but I felt no bad resistance or back pressure while playing.  As I mentioned earlier, this is really important to me because of medical reasons.  There are many soprano mouthpieces that give too much resistance when played at full volume and I find my throat and head filling up with back pressure.  This has adverse effects on my health and luckily the Open Sky SL soprano sax mouthpiece has none of these negative effects on me.

As far as soprano mouthpiece volume goes, I felt like the Soprano Planet Open Sky SL could really provide ample volume when pushed and the more you pushed the volume the fatter the tone would get which is a real nice side benefit.

The third sound clip is a demonstration of the Open Sky SL soprano mouthpiece with a lighter tone at a more medium volume.

Soprano Planet Open Sky SL Soprano Saxophone Mouthpiece

I would have thought the more open .075 tip opening would have felt a bit too open for me as I usually play .070 tip openings on the soprano saxophone but I honestly didn’t notice the .005 increase in tip opening size.  The Open Sky SL soprano mouthpiece felt incredible easy and effortless to play at the .075 tip opening.

The Open Sky SL soprano saxophone mouthpiece really struck me as a mouthpiece design that allows the player to really shape and mold the sound to their particular tastes.   I would really suggest listening to all of the clips below because I found the sound of the mouthpiece would change  depending on how I wanted to play and if you just listen to one section of a sound clip you won’t get the full picture of how varied the Open Sky SL soprano sax mouthpiece can sound.

Soprano Planet Open Sky SL Soprano Saxophone Mouthpiece

In my opinion, the Soprano Planet Open Sky SL soprano saxophone mouthpiece is a great soprano saxophone mouthpiece for those of you looking for a soprano sax mouthpiece with very little baffle whose tone can be molded and shaped to your desires.  It can be played with energy and a brighter sound that is fat and in-your-face or it can be played with a warmer more laid back beautiful sound.  The sound spectrum you get with the Open Sky SL soprano sax mouthpiece is really up to you.

Due to this fact,  I believe the Open Sky SL is a soprano mouthpiece that the player should spend ample time with.   Sure,  you could buy an Open Sky SL mouthpiece, slap it on and go to the gig but my experience from playing this mouthpiece over the last month has taught me that there are multiple layers and unexplored dimensions to blowing this mouthpiece that leave the possibilities open for the player to discover through playing, experimentation and time.   That makes playing the Soprano Planet Open Sky SL soprano sax mouthpiece all the more exciting to play in my mind.

If you like the sound and look of the Soprano Planet Open Sky SL soprano saxophone mouthpiece by Joe Giardullo, you can find them for sale at Soprano Planet.  Joe Giardullo has been excellent with responding to questions so if you have any, reach out to him through his website.

If you try a Soprano Planet Open Sky SL soprano saxophone mouthpiece or have any thoughts, comments or questions on this review,  I would love to hear what you think in the comments below.  Thanks,   Steve

*To hear the most detail from these clips it is best to listen to them from a computer with nice audio speakers or headphones rather than from an iPhone or laptop speakers.  It makes a world of difference!

Soprano Planet Open Sky SL Soprano Saxophone Mouthpiece-Roberto’s Winds 3 Soft Soprano Saxophone Reed-Reverb Added

Soprano Planet Open Sky SL Soprano Saxophone Mouthpiece-Roberto’s Winds 3 Soft Soprano Saxophone Reed-No Effects Added

Soprano Planet Open Sky SL Soprano Saxophone Mouthpiece-Roberto’s Winds 3 Soft Soprano Saxophone Reed-No Effects Added

Today, I will be reviewing three Selmer S80 classical tenor saxophone mouthpieces of different tip openings that I was able to borrow from a local music store.  My goal is to see how they perform for my style of saxophone playing.  To be fair, the Selmer S80 tenor saxophone mouthpieces were designed for classical tenor saxophone playing so the whole premise for this review is not really fair to the S80 mouthpieces.  At the same time,  I know there are a fair share of high school students out there trying to play jazz on a Selmer S80 tenor sax mouthpiece so I thought this review might be informative for them.  Let’s give this review a shot and see how the Selmer S80 tenor sax mouthpieces play for me.

The last time I tried one of these Selmer S80 classical tenor sax mouthpieces was in college about forty years ago.  Although my memory is patchy on a lot of things these days, I still remember my response to trying that Selmer S80 C* tenor saxophone mouthpiece all those years ago, I didn’t like it at all!  As someone who was listening to Michael Brecker, Bob Berg and Bob Mintzer at the time, I remember thinking that the Selmer S80 saxophone mouthpiece didn’t have close to the power, brightness and projection I was looking for from a tenor saxophone mouthpiece.  In fact, to my young developing ears, the Selmer S80 sounded way too dark and dull for the sound I was looking for at the time.  Now, forty years later, I was curious to try these Selmer S80 tenor saxophone mouthpieces again and see if my opinion of them has changed after forty years.

Selmer S80 C* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

The Selmer S80 tenor saxophone mouthpiece is widely known as a classical tenor saxophone mouthpiece.  It is described on the Selmer website as having a very warm grained, broad and full toned sound.  The three Selmer S80 tenor saxophone mouthpieces I borrowed were a C*, an E and an F.   Here are how those tip openings measure out according to the Selmer website (these are pre-2012 S80 mouthpieces):

Selmer S80 C*= 1.90 mm (.075″)

Selmer S80 E= 2.10 mm (.083″)

Selmer S80 F= 2.30 mm (.091″)

If you were to measure from the tip of the mouthpiece to the break where the mouthpiece starts to bend away from the reed, this would be the facing curve length. Facing curve lengths are most commonly measured in half millimeters, so a standard tenor facing length of 50 would be 25mm.

The facing curve on these three Selmer S80 tenor saxophone mouthpieces is listed as 24 mm which is a 48.  These three Selmer S80 mouthpieces were made before 2012. The Selmer S80 tenor mouthpieces made after 2012 have an even shorter facing curve length of 23 mm which is a 46 (for an excellent article on these Selmer S80 mouthpiece changes check out “A Selmer C* is a C* is a C* – or is it?” by David Kessler.)  Most of the tenor saxophone mouthpieces that I have reviewed here at Neffmusic have facing curve lengths of 47-54 with most mouthpiece facings curves averaging around a 50 length.

Here is a great informative quote about facing curves from the BSS (Boston Sax Shop) website:

“With a longer facing curve, the reed is more flexible because the fulcrum, or break, is moved back, giving you more leverage against the spring of the reed. As a result, a longer facing curve offers less overall resistance, more efficiency and easier sub-tone. However, there is a downside if you go too far. The mouthpiece begins to feel mushy, loses its crispness of articulation and altissimo suffers.

In comparison, a shorter facing curve is like moving the fulcrum up, presenting less leverage on the spring of the reed. This gives the mouthpiece more cooperative resistance, as it takes more force to seal the reed which makes altissimo easier, gives you more control of articulation and presents the feeling of ‘pushing against something’. However, shorter facings often suffer from harsh low notes and are hard to play loud.”

Selmer S80 C* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

The three Selmer S80 tenor saxophone mouthpieces were in relatively good condition although these three mouthpieces had been used as trial mouthpieces for students who wanted to try them at the local music store so there is some wear and tear on them.  All three mouthpieces sealed well with the Boston Sax Shop Silver Label 3 1/2 tenor saxophone reeds I used on them.  I used a different reed on each mouthpiece just to avoid issues that might occur by using the same reed on different facing curves.

The diameter and beak profile of the Selmer S80 tenor saxophone mouthpieces is very close to the diameter and beak profile of a typical hard rubber tenor saxophone mouthpiece and the beak height felt very comfortable while playing.

All of my saxophone ligatures that fit comfortably on hard rubber Otto Link tenor saxophone mouthpieces fit on the Selmer S80 tenor saxophone mouthpieces.  I chose to use the Sax Clinic SVC Tonus Mundi String Ligature that I reviewed last year for this review.

The Selmer S80 table, rails and tip rail looked even and well balanced.   The baffle looks to have a quick rollover baffle near the tip and then what I would describe as a concave low baffle floor that you can see clearly in the photo below.  This concave baffle floor is not common on jazz tenor saxophone mouthpieces. Most jazz saxophone mouthpieces with rollover baffles have a rollover baffle that starts high near the tip and gradually curves down to the chamber area of the mouthpiece.   As you can see below, the Selmer S80 mouthpiece has a concave curve that immediately curves low and then slides down as it travels through the chamber to the square exit into the round bore area.

The Selmer S80 tenor mouthpieces have straight sidewalls that travel from the tip of the mouthpiece to the square entrance to the round bore of the mouthpiece.  The square entrance isn’t really an entrance to the chamber area but seems to me to be more of a square exit from the chamber area into the bore of the mouthpiece. The roof of the chamber looks relatively thick to my eyes.

Selmer S80 C* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

Before I even played the three Selmer S80 tenor saxophone mouthpieces,  I had to wonder what effect that concave low baffle would have on the sound.  In general terms, I have described a regular baffle like a ski slope that speeds up the air to travel faster over the peak of the baffle and then speed down the ramp of the baffle towards the chamber area.  This creates more brightness and power to the sound.

In this case, the concave low baffle floor would seem to have the opposite effect by slowing down the air and creating more darkness and warmth and less power perhaps.  I’m sure those reading this with more scientific knowledge can add more details to my layman’s description of saxophone sound production and acoustics………

In general,  I have never been a fan of square chambers.  I know this will sound rudimentary but I have always been of the opinion that round chambers produced a round sound.   Square chambers produced a square and boxed in sound.  Scooped sidewall produce a richer and rounder, more 3 dimensional sound while straight side walls produce a more one dimensional focused and pure sound.  Even as I type this, I think it sounds pretty simplistic but I have experienced these characteristics more times with these variables than I can mention so I tend to think this way now.

Selmer S80 C* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

The hardest reed I had on hand to try these mouthpieces was a BSS (Boston Sax Shop) Silver Label 3 1/2 tenor saxophone reed.  I chose the Silver Label BSS reeds on purpose just to liven up the sound and perhaps give the tone a little more brightness and edge.  Although the BSS 3 1/2 reed felt a bit soft on the Selmer S80 C* tenor mouthpiece, it felt very comfortable on the Selmer S80 E and F tip openings.

My first impressions of the Selmer S80 C* upon playing it was that it was way too small of a tip for me.  This is of no surprise as I usually play tenor mouthpieces that have a tip opening of .100-.115 on average and the Selmer S80 C* has a tip of .075 which is even smaller than the .080 tip opening I prefer on an alto saxophone mouthpiece.

Selmer S80 C* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

The Selmer S80 C* had a warm tone that seemed to lack the higher partials in the tone that I am used to in my tenor saxophone tone.  Players are always seeking out “warm” and “dark” mouthpieces and the Selmer S80 definitely fits in that category in my opinion.

The smaller tip opening really made it easy to whisper the notes and lines at a ppp dynamic level very easily.  On the other side of the volume spectrum, I had a hard time pushing the Selmer S80 C* to a louder volume like I am used to.  It seemed like it would get to about 5 or 5* on the 1-10 tenor saxophone volume scale and kind of hit a wall for me in regard to volume.

Selmer S80 C* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

Another characteristic I noticed when trying to push the mouthpiece louder was that unlike many tenor saxophone mouthpieces that get brighter the more you push the volume, the Selmer S80 C* just seemed to get more of an increase in the mid-range of the EQ as opposed to the treble side of the EQ.   I wasn’t really a big fan of this mid-range boost in tone personally.

The Selmer S80 C* tenor sax mouthpiece really felt at home at softer volumes for me.  When pushed, it would become more heavy sounding and at times had an edgy and nasally midrange quality to the tone.

Selmer S80 C* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

The Selmer S80 E tenor saxophone mouthpiece had a bit more “oomph” and focus to it than the S80 C* mouthpiece.  I could get more volume out of the E tip opening but the volume was still less than what I am used to from a tenor saxophone mouthpiece.  Maybe around a 6 or 6 1/2 on the tenor mouthpiece volume scale from 1-10.

One characteristic I noticed on all three mouthpieces was that the altissimo range was hard to play with volume.  I seemed to get the notes in that range easily when I backed off of the volume but if I tried to really push the volume on the high notes they would tend to break and I would lose them.   If you seem to notice that the high notes seem softer in volume than I usually play, that is why.

Selmer S80 C* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

The Selmer S80 F tenor saxophone mouthpiece had about the same volume available as the S80 E mouthpiece. I found the tone to be richer and more spread in tone than the E tip opening S80 mouthpiece. It seemed a little closer to an Otto Link type of tone but the tone still seemed boxed in and locked in if you will.  Like the notes were more resistant to bending and manipulation by me.  This might very well be because of the shorter facing curve.   If you think about it, a shorter facing curve will be harder to bend and manipulate the reed where a longer facing curve will give you more of a gradual bend so that you can bend the reed easier and manipulate the tone.

Even though I felt like I could put more air through the F tip opening, I still felt like it was around that 6 1/2  volume level and I couldn’t push it past that point very easily.

Selmer S80 C* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

The intonation on all three S80 mouthpieces was excellent and all three mouthpieces had to be placed pretty far on the neck cork to be in tune.  I’ve heard that these mouthpieces are great for classical music because they have excellent intonation.

The low notes were good but again, they weren’t exactly what I hear in my head when imagining tenor saxophone low notes.  What I mean by this is that I like more of a round sound from the low notes whether I am playing straight or sub-toning.  The Selmer S80 mouthpieces played the low notes fine but again, this analogy probably stinks, but the low notes sounded boxy to me.  Like the low notes are very defined and prepackaged within set borders.

An Otto Link round chamber type of mouthpiece seems to have more of a round tone in the low notes and if you push the volume the round circle of rich tone seems to expand outward to fill the room.  The square chamber of the Selmer S80 tenor saxophone mouthpiece seems to get more concentrated and mid-range heavy when you push it louder but in my mind the tone doesn’t seem to escape the square borders of the sound.  (Feel free to add you own unique descriptions of what you hear and feel in the comments below because I’m not sure I am conveying my thoughts adequately……)

The shorter facing curve definitely seemed to make the low notes a little bit harder to jump to without honking a bit more than I am used to.  I noticed this quite a bit on the second line of Donna Lee where the line jumps down from a low F to a low B.

Selmer S80 C* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

On the sound clips below, I try to give a good range and variety of saxophone sounds and textures so that you can hear the Selmer S80 C*, E and F tenor saxophone mouthpieces perform in different styles.  There are six sound clips, two for each tip opening.

For each of the three Selmer S80 mouthpieces, I play one long sound clip which is my usual mix of varied lines, melodies and ideas I usually play when reviewing mouthpieces.  There is no reverb or effects on each of these sound clips.

On the second shorter sound clip for each mouthpiece, I attempt to play some altissimo and bluesy type lines a bit louder and more aggressively.  I added reverb to these examples so you can hear how the Selmer S80 might sound with reverb or in a room with a natural reverb in it.

Selmer S80 C* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

So, in my opinion, can you play jazz on the Selmer S80 tenor saxophone mouthpiece?  Sure, you can do whatever you want, but I would say for me, “No way!”

First of all, the Selmer S80 tenor saxophone mouthpiece is a tenor sax mouthpiece suited more for the classical genre.  The timbre of the tone is so dark that I think I would have a really hard time cutting through the volume of a band when soloing.   Even when pushed to full volume, that increased mid-range boost of EQ in the tone would just get swallowed up in a live performance with electric instruments in my opinion.   Secondly, playing these three mouthpieces, the Selmer S80 mouthpieces don’t have the powerful dynamic range that I am personally looking for in a tenor saxophone mouthpiece when playing jazz.  Thirdly, the altissimo range doesn’t come close to providing the wailing volume I need to cut through the mix on a gig.  Fourthly, I prefer a richer tonal pallet of colors in the sound of the tenor saxophone than I hear in the Selmer S80 mouthpieces.  The E and F tip opening were certainly closer to what I like in a tenor saxophone sound but for me but they still didn’t fully reach the rich sound that I was looking for while playing.

For classical music, many classical tenor saxophone players have played the Selmer S80 tenor saxophone mouthpiece through the years and sounded terrific so in that genre of music it has proven its value and excellence.  This review is more about my impressions in using the S80 for my personal style of jazz and modern saxophone playing.

If you have tried a Selmer S80 tenor saxophone mouthpiece or have any thoughts, comments or questions on this review,  I would love to hear what you think in the comments below.  Thanks,   Steve

Selmer S80 C* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece-Boston Sax Shop Silver Label 3 1/2 Reed-No Effects Added

Selmer S80 C* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece-Boston Sax Shop Silver Label 3 1/2 Reed-Altissimo Reverb Added

Selmer S80 E Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece-Boston Sax Shop Silver Label 3 1/2 Reed-No Effects

Selmer S80 E Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece-Boston Sax Shop Silver Label 3 1/2 Reed-Altissimo Reverb Added 

Selmer S80 F Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece-Boston Sax Shop Silver Label 3 1/2 Reed-No Effects

Selmer S80 F Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece-Boston Sax Shop Silver Label 3 1/2 Reed-Altissimo Reverb Added 

*Not too long after I posted my opinions on whether the Selmer S80 tenor saxophone mouthpiece could be used to play jazz,  “Tryptykon” on SOTW (Sax on the Web) posted this video of Elijah Easton playing what looks like a Selmer S80 tenor saxophone mouthpiece.  I don’t know what the tip opening is, but he is certainly playing jazz on it!   So it can be done!