I decided to run a poll for 9 sound clips I just made of my last 9 tenor mouthpieces. I’m having a heck of a time deciding which ones to sell and I figured it would help me to play them side by side and record them. On all 9 clips I’m just playing a simple Bb blues( C for tenor) I’m trying to keep it relatively simple so the clips are similar. Each one was with the same Java 2 1/2 reed and I was standing about 2 feet from the mic. Take a listen and let me know which one you like the best and help me decide. I haven’t even listened to these yet so i haven’t made a decision myself yet. All 9 pieces play great for me but they all have slightly different characteristics to their sound. I could play any of them and be happy I think. I’m doing this as a blind poll because I think when people see a name before they listen they go into it with a pre-conceived idea of what they will like before they even listen. The mouthpieces heard here are a Lamberson J7, Jon Van Wie STM Link with baffle, Brian Powell Modern STM .108, Early Babbit HR Link .110, Phil Tone HR .105, Ponzol SS M2 .110, Modern NY Link Brian Powell refaced to .108(with my own baffle in it), Metal Florida Link Brian Powell refaced to .105, SP HR Link refaced to .110 by Brian Powell
Update: I added 9 more clips of me playing as loud as i can on the pieces. I’d say around 95% so you can hear how they sound playing all out. Obviously, some are better loud and some are better soft I think. I also added 9 clips that were recorded from across the room about 6-7 feet away so you can hear the difference if any from across the room.
Listen………
Which tenor mouthpiece clip do you like the best? (Poll Results)
- Florida STM Otto Link .105 (22%, 74 Votes)
- Phil-Tone Hard Rubber .105 (13%, 45 Votes)
- Ponzol SS M2 .110 (12%, 41 Votes)
- JVW STM Otto Link .110 (10%, 35 Votes)
- EB Hard Rubber Otto Link .110 (10%, 34 Votes)
- Lamberson J7 .110 (9%, 30 Votes)
- They all sound the same to me……….. (7%, 23 Votes)
- SP Hard Rubber Link .110 (7%, 22 Votes)
- Modern NY Link .108 (5%, 17 Votes)
- Modern STM Otto Link .105 (5%, 15 Votes)
Total Voters: 336
Modern NY Link (BP .108 with my own baffle)
Wow! The results for the top three were exactly as I picked them.
I voted for the Florida .105 for overall sound texture. It has a bit of brightness that I like. I was surprised by the Phil-Tone which would be my #2 choice. Thanks for sharing your quest with us.
Stm moderno me parece muy lindo timbre muy parejo
Translation: The modern STM seems very nice to me, a very even timbre.
Results from a “blind” poll would have been more interesting…
It was a blind poll when it first came out but I had to give the answers after awhile. Sorry.
6/4/13
Hi Steve,
I have three of your books and they are an excellent resource for
advanced students as well as pros. I took a listen to samples of the Tenor mouthpieces and since I’m in the market for a good piece, from the poll results I chose in order of preference, the Florida STM 8 .105, SP Link .110, RB HR Link .110 and the Phil Tone HR .105. Question, which one is for sale and how much? By the way, you are one helluva player.
Regards,
Ralph
Thanks Ralph. I already sold the SP Link and the Phil Tone. I still have the EB Link and the florida link but they aren’t for sale right now. Steve