This is a Drake vintage resin soprano mouthpiece. It is called the “Son of Slant” in reference to a vintage Otto Link Slant soprano mouthpiece. Here is the description from the Drake website of the mouthpiece:
The design of this mouthpiece has been modeled after the Otto Link Slant model, with a few modifications to help facilitate better stability of pitch and greater projection. The floor slope has been raised and extended. Amazing warmth and depth to the tone with a great expressive range. Featuring beautifully under cut walls and a chamber dimension larger than the shank diameter with a carefully contoured roll over baffle.
Drake Son of Slant Soprano Saxophone Mouthpiece
This mouthpiece has a .065 tip opening which is what I prefer on soprano. It has a pretty large chamber in it. Larger than most of the soprano mouthpiece I have tried. The only mouthpiece I have tried with a bigger chamber was a Morgan 6LC mouthpiece that I tried once. The bigger chamber gives it a bigger fatter sound in my opinion. Not bright at all, more on the dark side of things in my opinion. At the same time it has a nice ring to the tone that I really enjoyed. If I had to pick one word to sum up the sound of this mouthpiece it would be “sweet”. Check out the Drake website for more info on this soprano mouthpiece. Let me know what you think. Steve
Lovely sound!! I think is a relly great piece
Beautiful sound, Steve. What ligature were you using? Do you think a Vandoren Optimum would fit it?
I think I sis use my Vandoren Optimum on it. I can’t remember how it fit though…………
Steve did you ever try any of the Drake Mouthpieces with the resin lig that comes with it?
Yes but I liked my ligs better.
What did you not like about the ligs?
I like being able to adjust where on the reed the ligature is placed. Sometimes I put it closer to the front of the reed, sometimes I put it near the back. With the round circle ligs you don’t have a choice you slide it on until it stops and that is where it is. I like more freedom.
compare to warburton j series,which one is more centered and focus,and which one has more resistence?
I’m sorry to say that I have no idea. It’s been awhile since I played these and I’ve sent them back since then…………Sorry. I remember they both played well but I can’t remember what the differences were.
Sounds great!
Which soprano do you have? Any comment on intonation, what’s your usual piece? Reeds for soprano? 🙂 Thanks!
I have a Yamaha soprano from the 80’s YSS-62 I believe. Most of the time I use a Theo Wanne Gaia right now. Although that piece is brighter than many of the soprano pieces I have played. I use Vandoren Java 3 1/2 reeds.
Would you say this is the darkest soprano mouthpiece you have on here, especially with regard to the higher notes? Love the sound.
Yes, I think it is the darkest I have played. I’m glad you liked it. Thanks, Steve
You’re in the clear again, Steve, and your clips proves their great worth once more (though their effect on my account balance is less happy). I just got a Son of Slant soprano, and it is exactly what I have been looking for for ages: just that bit darker and more mellow than my other favorites like the Aizen LS. It’s also amazingly reed-friendly and powerful, and great in the upper register. For once I really think I’ve found the dream soprano mouthpiece, so you can stop tempting me with any more new ones! Well, for the time being… Many thanks.
Andy
First two tracks here have the Drake in action for the first time last week:
http://www.soundclick.com/bands/default.cfm?bandID=953052
Not up to Steve’s level, but they give some sense of what the mouthpiece sounds like with a band.
Andy
This is my dream soprano mouthpiece. It does everything I want, especially in the upper register, where it plays more easily than any other soprano mouthpiece I’ve ever had. It is dark, but powerful, and very easy to blow.
Horn was Yanagisawa S991, RJS 2 reeds (also works well with Vandoren ZZ 2 reeds). Been playing for more than 40 years.
Hello I have a Yamaha YSS475 want to improve their sound is very metallic. My other saxophones Vintage and use nozzles are generally based on Otto Link Slant Sig
Your tip will give me that result?
What is the value and the cost of shipping by UPS or DHL to Argentina?
This video sax and mouthpiece that were recorded?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PGTw-6s_kOo&feature=player_embedded#!
thanks
I was using a Yamaha YAS62 Soprano with a Theo Wanne Gaia mouthpiece in that video. I’m not sure what other questions you are asking?
I love the sound of this Drake on soprano ! and heard also Andy and love the tone. I wish I could get one to try before buying blindfold. The best mpc for soprano – which is my third instrument after tenor and alto – was a short shank vintage soloist but it was refaced by Marco Collazzoni ( Borgani chief technician) it was huge in opening by soprano standards: a 2 mm ( Ignore what that is in thousands of inches) but played with extreme facility and in tune, while Im normally used to 0.065 inches opening on soprano. Second best is my present 6* schreiber hr mouthpiece that comese standard on keilwerths, and is marked with that brand. Sweet/darkish sound, not buzzy and not squeeqy, which I hate in sopranos’ sound
sorry folks, for the above post I used a YSS 475 ist series and various 2 and 2.5 reeds, and later an Eastman silver curved soprano very well copied fro
m a yani 901, down to the last screw… and sufficiently in sound.
Just to say that I still have not even thought about any other soprano mouthpiece since getting the Drake, which for me is a first. I change tenor mouthpiece with monotonous regularity, but have actually bought a spare SoS. The Drake NY alto has had the same effect, and I have just started on a Drake NY Metal Tenor H, which is also a standout.