Today, I have another Peter Ponzol M2 Stainless Steel tenor mouthpiece for review. I did a review of one of these a year or two ago but the sample clip I played of it was done in my garage. Since then, i have had a few people ask if I can do another one that is recorded in the same way as all my other clips. Here it is…………..
The problem with the other review clip is that it was done in a big garage with a lot of natural reverb in the sound from the big garage. The other clips on my website are recorded in a small dry studio. It’s hard to compare mouthpiece clips when they are recorded in different environments so I am doing another take of the Ponzol M2 SS . This one is done in my same studio as all the other mouthpiece clips. I’m using the same microphone and am the same distance from the mic as all the other clips so you can compare how it sounds to the other clips. Let me know what you think. Steve
Audio Player
Steve, did you find the tonal quality and playability between the three stainless M2’s you trialed(the pass-around and the first one you bought) and this one to be the same or were there noticable differences? In other words, if you bought an M2stainless, would it be just about the same as another M2 stainless or do you need to trial more than one to get a ‘winner”.
All 3 of the M2 SS mouthpieces were exactly the same to me. They all played great.
Steve, for me the SS just shades it over the M2 gold but its close, they both sound great
My vote is for the M2 Stainless. Very full sounding. My Main piece is a M2 110s in brass. I also have a M2 Plus 110 brass that I rarely use. The new 110 M2 in stainless is on the wish list for sure. Jim
Steve!
Thanks for the “sonic spa.” You sound great on this ponzol. I really enjoyed listening to you! I would love to try to stainless m2 plus for a session this week. :)WD
Will Donato
Innervision Records
http://www.willdonato.com
I love the way this mouthpiece fits in the mix with both my relatively loud worship team at church as well as any blues/rock gigs I do.When th volume goes down, it has just the right amount of buzz and subtone to make me really enjoy the sound it produces. With a softer, thicker sounding reed, it is quite lush sounding for jazz style standards .Sometimes it sounds too bright when I’m practicing alone at home, but in the” real world” of playing with other instruments, often loud groups, it cuts through in a very good way, and that brightness gets tamed to a degree where it can beome a pretty singing tone. I bought this one used from you ,Steve, so I rated the value at a 5. Compared to the price of other somewhat brighter sounding but considerably more expensive pieces I have tried, it is still a great value new.
Steve what recommendations do you make for this mouthpiece in genre
R&B or Jazz ?Could this mouthpiece work in both styles.How does this mouthpiece compare to the Warburton LA model?How does this compare to the Warburton 12 degree model tenor metal mouthpieces ??
Thanks
As I said in another post, I don’t remember much of the 12 degree. I’d have to go back and look at the pictures and listen to the clip to remember what it sounded like which you can do yourself. The M2 is a great medium of the road piece. I did play that one on a number of gigs and it sounded great in both styles. I prefer it’s sound to the Guardalas or Dukoffs that I have found thin and strident at times. The SS M2 is loud full and thick sounding. On jazz it is a brighter than an average Otto Link type sound but it’s not overly bright at all. You just have to lay back a little bit. I did meet an older gentleman in a music store that had the most amazing jazz tone on tenor. Lush and beautiful. I asked him what he was playing on and it was a Gold M2. I was amazed and asked how he got such a dark lush sound from it. He didn’t even know it was considered a bright loud mouthpiece. He said he just tried it and got a beautiful dark tone out of it and has been playing it ever since. I will say that he was playing at about 1/3 of the volume that I play at and that was his normal laid-back volume so that would have something to do with it also.
Compared to the LA……………I consider the LA and the Ponzol M2 to be pretty close in brightness. The LA is more free blowing and has a fatter wider sound to it. The M2 is fat compared to a Guardala but not as fat as the LA. That being said………..many time when a mouthpiece has a huge fat sound you lose some of the focus in the sound. I think the M2 has more direct focus. It’s a like you play and the sound shoots out of the sax and it’s a listener in the head. A tighter more direct sound. the LA shoots out and isn’t as direct a hit. It more envelopes the listener in the big round sound. I hope that makes sense. I think the 12 degree was more direct and focused like a Guardala or Dukoff. Very focused and tight sound. I like a little bit of fatness to the sound like the M2 or LA though.
Thanks so much for the great site Steve. I just ordered a used one from Woodwind and Brass after hearing you on it. I know mouthpieces don’t necessarily sound the same between players (and I’m nowhere near your level) but when you played a Berg similar to mine and sounded very close to my sound (which I’m unsatisfied with), and this sounded exactly like what I was going for, I had to take a chance!
Strange experience
I have bought a Ponzol M2, and tried it on my Martin Magna, which is my favorite tenor saxophone. It sounded more or less like a Link. I then pulled out a rather rare Ponzol designed tenor saxophone from my collection. It was build by Keilwerth for Buffet Crampon, just before the member of board decided that they would not produce saxophones for others, so very few, around 10 were ever made. Anyway…
When I put the M2 on the Buffet-Crampon, it really sang, nice top, and beautiful undertones in the deep register.
Hence my question, could the Ponzol designed saxophone have been designed according to internal tonal register Mr. Ponzol liked ?
And therefore the mouthpiece works so well on his design ?
I believe we all have an internal tonal register we are searching for when selecting saxophones, mouthpieces, ligatures and reeds.
Kindest regards
Bo Meyer