Here is a fairly new Phil Barone tenor saxophone mouthpiece. This is the “Jazz” model and is a 7*(.105) tip opening. I believe this is a 2009 model although there is no date on it (his older mouthpieces had dates engraved on the side of them). I have owned 5-6 Barone mouthpieces over the years and I was very curious to try these new models that Phil is making. I received this with a Barone Hollywood model to try out………….
As you can see from the pictures, this looks to have a lower baffle than the “Hollywood” model. I really loved this mouthpiece. It had a very unique sound to it that was hard for me to describe. It had a fat lushness to it but at the same time had some brightness in the sound. It also had a considerable amount of power to it when I pushed it that was nice. Out of the Barone mouthpieces I have owned, the “Jazz” model has been my favorite of all the models. This one seems a little brighter than I remember the others being that I played years ago but it still has that core sound that is unique to Barones. I’ve always wondered if it has something to do with the tip rail as Phil’s tip rail and corners have a unique look to them from every other mouthpiece out there. I went into a little bit of “Fried Bananas” by Dexter Gordon on the sound clip and really like the way it sounds. Phil’s website is www.PhilBarone.com if you want to read more about his mouthpieces…………Enjoy!
Audio Player
Very nice-plenty of color and power.
Nice and husky! Kinda has a lockjaw davis vibe to it
Steve
I listened back and forth between the Hollywood and the
Jazz model. The Jazz model definitely sounds darker and
huskier than the Hollywood which I liked also but I prefer the Jazz model. I had a NY 7* but at the time I felt it was too resistant and sold it and I just bought a Jazz 7* model and am eagerly awaiting it’s arrival. Funny how our mouthpeice mood swings from year to year!
I should add that we saxophonists are fortunate to have you reviewing these great mouthpieces on your site.
thanks!
What a great sound. I have the same mouthpiece…now I have something to work towards for the rest of my life
Thanks so much for taking the time to build this resource Steve!
I love the sound of the this jazz model mouth piece..I really would like to know whats your reed set up.
Thanks, Mike
To be honest, I’m not sure because that was so long ago. If I had to guess I would say that it was probably a Java 2 1/2 or 3 because that is what I mainly play.
Thank you Steve,
Very helpful,Cheers
Steve,
Do you treat Barone pieces differently when you play them. I mean, do you put more mouthpiece in you mouth or blow harder than usual. I ask this because I have an oldish NY 7* and a new Hollywood 7 and I just cannot get any life out of them, whereas I am managing a STM link 7* (Tenney Custom) pretty well
By the way, thanks for your great blog and lessons.
Antonio
Nope. The Barones I have played I have played the same as every other mouthpiece I play. Of course every mouthpiece is different so some I will take a little more into my mouth etc………….but I don’t remember the Barones being any different for me. I have played a few that weren’t as good as others. The first review on this site was of a Barone that I had problems with. Like you I remember I couldn’t get any volume out of it. Just kind of dead for me. I sent it to get refaced which made it a little better but I ended up selling it anyways. I have played other Barones that were loud and responsive and killer. I remember a few Jazz models that were really great. Good Luck.
hey Steve,
i’ve heard some great reviews on barone mouthpieces, and have been looking into buying one in the future…
but i’m not sure what tip opening to get. What does a larger / smaller tip opening do to the sound? I’m coming from a yamaha 4c, and would consider myself a intermediate player, (student). Thanks a lot!
Are you talking about tenor or alto? If alto I usually have students move to a 5-6* mouthpiece. If tenor I usually have them go with a 6,6* or 7. You don’t want to jump to bigger tip too fast. I’ve had students try to go from a 4C to a 8 tip opening and they had a really hard time. The jump was just to great and they had a hard time adjusting. A smaller tip only lets so much air through the mouthpiece. Usually the larger the tip the more air you can push through so many times you can play louder with a larger tip but like everything in life there are trade offs. With a larger tip you might lose some control and many times students have a tough time with intonation on a larger tip. A smaller tip might not be as loud but it’s a more focused centered sound usually. A smaller tip can be controlled more easily many times. A 6*-7 would be a safe bet. Gives you the best of both worlds. I personally prefer 7* now a days but I spent about 10 years on a 7 around my college days. Good Luck. Steve
This mpce sounds great. I also had a jazz model 7* which for me was the most comfortable metal piece I have played.
Rich in overtones with a great balance between highs and lows. Articulation was superb. It was the sort of mpce that gave one confidence to try out more difficult things musically.
My problem with it though was that I could not get as raw as I like to play (think Ayler / Brotzmann) which is necessary in the context I tend to find myself playing. Great for everything else though.
Hey Steve
I know it’s been a really long time since you’ve played this mouthpiece, but do you remember how much volume you managed to get out of this? Thanks.
Hi Jake,
I could get a lot of volume out of this mouthpiece BUT…….the Jazz models can be pretty dark. I used to have one I absolutely loved! Dark lush sound. Played it on a few gigs and for jazz it was amazing but when I tried to play it on loud Top 40 kind of stuff it was too dark to cut through. It was plenty loud but it didn’t have those highs in the sound that you need to cut through the mix of a loud Top 40 band. I’ve had that experience with some great darker Otto Links also. They played great but on the the gig I couldn’t hear myself at all………….
Hi Steve
Really liked your sound clip on this piece. I just got a Barone J8 and have to say it is very good. Plays with just the right amount of resistance for me. Gets bright when pushed. Can be loud and cutting, darker and husky. I hope I never ding this unique looking tip rail. Just ordered an L12 rovner light to try and find a lig that fits. Heck, this mpc played great with a piece of electrical tape for a lig. It feels like it is challenging me to play faster, try more expression. So far it’s both a beauty and a beast!
Dave
Hi Dave, I love the Barone Jazz models. I find that a simple two screw metal soprano ligature works great on the shape and size of the Barone mouthpieces. Steve