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You are here: Home / Reviews / Mouthpiece Reviews / Tenor Mouthpiece Reviews / Tenor High Baffle Reviews / JodyJazz ESP 7* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

JodyJazz ESP 7* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

March 3, 2010 by Steve 31 Comments

Here is a JodyJazz ESP 7* (.105) tenor saxophone mouthpiece.  These are made by Jody Espina who has a huge variety of mouthpieces that he makes at www.jodyjazz.com.  I borrowed this from a good friend of mine.  These mouthpieces come with what’s called a “spoiler”.  It is a black wedge that you slide into the mouthpiece and it locks into place against the straight sidewalls of the mouthpiece.   Extending from the back of the wedge is a 1 inch long thin metal strip.  From what I’ve read about these “spoilers’, the wedge acts like a temporary baffle that you can put in to brighten the sound and give you extra volume when needed.  The metal strip acts like a secondary reed that vibrates and increases the sound even more. I’m not sure if this last part is true but I do know that it does what it is advertised to do.

When the spoiler in inserted this piece doubles in volume and brightness.  I use to own one of these about 7-8 years ago and I played it with the spoiler in all the time for all sorts of gigs.  This was a great piece to go to for those loud R@B gigs where you had to cut through but it sounded just as good on the laid back jazz sets.  Although I prefer a link type mouthpiece now,  I like that you can get bright and loud with the ESP but it’s sound remains very fat!  It doesn’t get thin at all.   I recorded two clips with this mouthpiece.  One is with the spoiler in and the second one is without the spoiler.  You can hear the difference for yourself.  Let me know what you think.

ESP with Spoiler

https://www.neffmusic.com/images/mp3/ESPSpoiler.mp3

ESP without Spoiler

https://www.neffmusic.com/images/mp3/ESP.mp3

Filed Under: Tenor High Baffle Reviews, Tenor Mouthpiece Reviews Tagged With: Jody Espina, Jodyjazz ESP, mouthpiece review, tenor mouthpiece

Steve

About Steve

Steve Neff has been playing and teaching saxophone and jazz improvisation around the New England area for over 30 years. He is the author of many best selling jazz improvisation methods as well as founding the popular jazz video lesson site Neffmusic.com.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. AvatarHoneyboy says

    March 4, 2010 at 9:12 pm

    Those sound great. To my ear, the spoiler sample sounded darker than the one without the soiler. I would have thought it would be the opposite but I get the same results with my ESP.It seems counter intuitive.
    I’m glad you did this comparison. I always wanted to hear how you sounded on an ESP.

    Reply
  2. AvatarHoneyboy says

    March 4, 2010 at 9:16 pm

    Here’s a question: Were you playing on a Vandoren Java on these samples?

    Reply
    • stevesteve says

      March 6, 2010 at 10:20 am

      Yes Vandoren Java 2 1/2

      Reply
  3. AvatarJochen says

    March 5, 2010 at 3:20 am

    Hi Steve,
    after first hearing the comparison I thought that the sound file labeling had been mixed up – the sound seems to be brighter without the spoiler. That’s really surprising!
    By the way, beautiful playing as always…

    Reply
  4. Avatardeolsaxman says

    March 11, 2010 at 4:09 am

    Hi Steve,
    I went back and forth between the two SEVERAL times, and ended up almost as confused as Honeyboy and Jochen.
    For a second or two, I thought the spoiler one had an “edge” over the other…2 seconds later not sure…2 seconds later very close and not sure…
    Probably a more interesting viewpoint is ..Did YOU feel/hear an edge?
    Would ANY of these mps get a different ambience in a studio setup (assuming just moderate effects)? If something like an EQ adjustment could bring out an “edge”, in ADDITION to a great fat sound, you would have the best of both worlds. Whereas if you had an “all edge” (skinny?) sound, that’s all you’d get….But then someone would say “make a different EQ”. Can you make Jr. Walker sound like Plas Johnson in a studio and vice-versa? I’ll bet you can get pretty close.
    OK, now come clean! Did you switch clips?
    BTW, I like the slower long tones thrown in.

    Reply
  5. AvatarMarius says

    March 18, 2010 at 7:01 am

    Hi Steve.
    I play otto link tone edge #5 090 tip. I am loking to bay metal mouthpiece-Peter-Ponzol. Dont know wich one? What is your sugestion? I play smooth jazz and gospel music.And how much are those mouthpiece? thanks Marius

    Reply
    • stevesteve says

      March 18, 2010 at 9:51 am

      I like the M2 a lot. Maybe look for a used one with a .100-,105 tip. It will be bigger than your .090 TE but it has a higher baffle and might not feel as so much of a difference in tip opening.

      Reply
  6. AvatarMarius says

    March 20, 2010 at 4:59 pm

    Hi Steve.
    what is the diference in sound betwenn M2 gold plate and M2 stainlees steel ? Thanks

    Reply
    • stevesteve says

      March 21, 2010 at 1:42 pm

      The M2 gold seems a little brighter to me. The SS has a thicker somewhat darker sound for me.

      Reply
  7. AvatarMarius says

    March 24, 2010 at 2:22 am

    Hi Steve
    what kind of saxophone do you play?

    Reply
    • stevesteve says

      March 24, 2010 at 7:02 am

      I play a Selmer SBA tenor that I play most of the time.

      Reply
  8. Avatarmarius says

    March 24, 2010 at 3:47 pm

    I am tinking to sell my Selmer Mark 7. What Kind of saxophone do you suggest me to buy?. Is enything better? Thanks

    Reply
    • stevesteve says

      March 25, 2010 at 9:28 am

      You have to try other horns. I like the Selmer SBA and Mark VI’s but again you have to try them as there are good ones and bad ones. For new horns the one I like best is the RS Berkeley Virtuoso’s. Great intonation and dark big sound. It’s the only new horn I have tried in the past 10 years that I have liked and would highly recommend.

      Reply
  9. Avatarmarius says

    March 25, 2010 at 11:43 am

    How makes the Rs Berkely Virtuosos?.Where i can find this
    horn. Thanks.
    What is this SBA?

    Reply
    • stevesteve says

      March 28, 2010 at 1:58 pm

      SBA is Super Balanced Action by Selmer. It was made before the Mark VI. If you do a search you can find the RS Berkeley website.

      Reply
  10. AvatarMarius says

    March 27, 2010 at 8:57 am

    Hi steve
    Thank you for great help. I have found all ready the site and the RS Tenor Sax look inexpensive to me comperd with the Selmer. They have on option with high key F#. Do i need that?.Forgive me for all the questions ,i am o missionary in Romania and i dont have nowbady with the experience like you here. Would you buy RS rather than Selmer 54 ? Thanks Marius .God bless you.

    Reply
    • stevesteve says

      March 28, 2010 at 1:57 pm

      Yes I would get the RSBerkeley over a Selmer 54. I’ve played a number of the Selmers and didn’t really like them.

      Reply
  11. AvatarMarius says

    March 29, 2010 at 1:20 am

    Thanks o lot Steve

    Reply
  12. AvatarMarius says

    April 1, 2010 at 1:03 am

    Hi Steve
    Did you ever try Tenor Keilwerth Sx-90 ? Are they preety much like Selmer ?

    Reply
    • stevesteve says

      April 1, 2010 at 12:01 pm

      I have tried them in the past. They were OK but I wasn’t blown away by the one I tried. It didn’t have that core sound I love in old Selmers.

      Reply
  13. Avatarmarius says

    April 13, 2010 at 2:05 am

    Hi Steve.
    What is your price range for o good metal tenor mouthpiece?

    Reply
    • stevesteve says

      April 13, 2010 at 5:57 am

      I’m not sure what you are asking? The most I have ever paid for a mouthpiece is 850.00

      Reply
  14. AvatarMarius says

    April 14, 2010 at 1:36 am

    Hi Steve
    I am looking to buy a metal mouthpiece.Do you have any for sale ?

    Reply
    • stevesteve says

      April 14, 2010 at 8:18 am

      Not right now. All I have for metal are some great links but I’m not willing to part with any of them yet. Steve

      Reply
  15. AvatarNeil Wright says

    April 26, 2010 at 8:02 pm

    Typical Jody Jazz: The baffle centers the sound and I prefer it over the setting w/o the baffle, but I don’t really like either one. Too bright and upper-midrangey for my taste. Several of my sax students have bought these and their band directors have requested that they DON’T use them because they’re too loud and don’t blend with a section. We’re talking high-schoolers here… I think the problem is that Jody’s m’pieces are like musclecars and can be too much to control for anyone who’s embrouchure is not so well developed. The reason the kids like them is that they’re incredibly powerful, in tune and blow altissimo like nobody’s business, so they make average players feel like above average players… I suppose that’s a good thing, but I still don’t like the tone of Jody’s stuff very much.

    Reply
  16. AvatarGB says

    March 5, 2016 at 9:12 pm

    Hi Steve,
    I have been playing 3 years as of February 1, 2016. I play a tenor Yamaha Custom EZ and use a #3 Vandoren V16 Reed, with Jody’s DV which was only purchased a year ago. I am looking for immediate gratification of deeper tone without purchasing the Jody NY at least within the next year. If I purchase the spoiler, which one do you recommend with the DV, the classic or ESP and why? While I have your ear, to help me better achieve the darker sound I am looking for, someone suggested that I go back to a 2 1/2 sized reed; do you have an opinion bested on the limited information I provided you? Thank you in advance for taking the time to respond.

    Reply
    • SteveSteve says

      March 9, 2016 at 8:50 am

      GB,
      I’m have little to no experience with the Jody Jazz DV model or NY. I tried a DV in a music store I believe and remember it being really bright for me. I have heard the NY is darker but haven’t tried one. Steve

      Reply
  17. AvatarPavel says

    October 30, 2019 at 7:17 am

    Very nice and versatile sound. I like the sound in low dynamics – still warm and smooth! I am curious how it would work for me in loud dynamics if it won’t be too bright and loud. Great test, thanks Steve!

    Reply
    • SteveSteve says

      October 30, 2019 at 4:57 pm

      Pavel, I don’t think it was too bright and loud in loud environments but it did seem to bright for me on softer jazz sets over time. I thought it was perfect for loud dance sets though……. Steve

      Reply

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