This a Ralph Morgan MLL 8* tenor saxophone mouthpiece. This use to be a ML model but the owner of the piece sent it to Erik Greiffenhagen to have the chamber made larger so now it is a MLL model. The tip opening of this mouthpiece is an 8* which for a Morgan is a .105. With the larger chamber I have to admit that I like this mouthpiece even more than when it was an ML. It has a big sound and the mouthpiece feels like it is vibrating when I play it. You would think with the bigger chamber it would be less powerful and darker but it feels more powerful to me. The bottom range notes are just lush and full sounding with a nice crispness to them. There seems to be a husky full quality to the notes that I love. The upper range rings nicely and it plays very smoothly and evenly all over the horn.
I wish I could spend more time with this piece but I have to send it back to the owner. This would be a great all round mouthpiece for all styles of music. I could get pretty darn loud with it. I think I will have to order one of these………… Let me know what you think. Steve
Audio Player
Wow! I love that sound. I just emailed Eirk G to ask about having my Morgan 7M opened up in a similar fashion. I’ve never really been happy with the medium chamber. It just sounds too thin to my ears. It’s got good core, but not enough depth – especially in the low end of my horn.
i noticed the same thing with my morgan, it sounds great and is really easy to play but compared to a good link it just seems like the sound is not nearly as fat and complex. would getting the chamber enlarged make the sound fatter? ive been thinking about either getting the morgan refaced or saving up some money for an early babbitt hr link.
Which Morgan do you have? I don’t really like the M’s that much but prefer the L chambers. The MLL was terrific. Big, fat juicy sound with lots of character.
i actually have an 8L .100 that i switched to from a 7* .105 otto link hr. the morgan sounds less fat and i guess you could say more focused. could this be a result of the smaller tip opening or is it more likely the size/shape of the chamber?
apparently the morgan has a more oval shaped chamber, while the links chamber is circular.
i think it is both. the smaller tip gives it a more focused and centered sound and the Morgan L does seem slightly smaller in chamber than the Links i have owned.
Hi Steve,
Do you remember how does the Marc Jean Ligature fit on the piece? I’m thinking of getting a lig for the Morgan but it has a slimmer profile so I’m not sure whether I should get a standard size rubber Tenor lig or buy a custom fit one from Marc?
Thanks,
Jack
No, sorry I don’t remember. I’m not even sure if I had the Morgan and the Narc Jean at the same time…………
Thanks anyway Steve, and your clip above did say you had the Marc Jean but of course this clip was made a while back….
I do have another quick question though Steve, did you ever play any Morgan Alto mouthpieces?
Thanks for the great site,
Jack
Oh OK. I must have had the MJ lig then but I don’t remember if I tried it on the Morgan MLL?? Sorry. I don’t think I’ve played a Morgan alto mouthpiece yet. I might of way back but don’t remember specifically. I do vaguelly remember trying an Excaliber and thinking it was way to bright for my alto but that’s all I can remember. I don’t think I tried another one since then. I would like to.
This is the current piece I play on. I find it very fluid mouthpiece and it is able to blend very well in horn ensembles and with vocalists. Although, I’ve found it to be a little limiting in funk and rock settings where it gets covered up by electric guitar and keys. Thanks for the review and sound clips!
it is better to 9M or 9ML ?
Denis, I like the ML much more than the M model. It has a bigger thicker sound to my ears.
thank you for help, Steve
hello, Steve. tell me please what to pay my attention, what is better?
RPC 115B Tenor
Theo Wanne – Brahma 9 HR Tenor
Morga 9ML
thank you for help
I can’t say which of these is better for you as they all have different sounds and play different. All 3 are great mouthpieces. You have to try them for yourself to decide which one you like the best.
Could you compare this and the Bunte TM42?
It would be hard to compare these two mouthpieces just because it has been so long since I played both of them. They were both easy to play. I remember the Morgan had a bigger more spread sound to it. The TM42 had more of a direct focused sound.
Just to make sure I understand your post from 6-29-2010… you say that the Morgan L (the largest-chambered Morgan) seems slightly smaller in chamber than the Links you’ve owned? And thinner (less “fat”) sound as well?
Yes, that is how I feel about the Morgans in general. I do think the MLL had a chamber that was enlarged so I got a bigger fatter sound out of it. The MLL is larger than a Morgan L from what I remember although it has been a long time so you might want to check with the mouthpiece guys to confirm this……….
Say – Looks like Morgan has updated their line, any new reviews in the pipeline? The’ve got the “Excalibur”, and the “Jazz” and the “Vintage”…
Phil, Actually, Junkdude just contacted me about reviewing some Morgan pieces. I think they are sending an Excaliber alto mouthpiece for me to review. Last time I tried one was in the early 2000-2003 range I think so I am excited about trying one again. Back in the day these Morgan pieces had quite the “buzz” about them. Steve