• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Website of Steve Neff

  • BLOG
  • SHOP
  • MEMBER’S AREA
    • JOIN
    • FAQ
    • MEMBER LOGIN
    • Member Monthly Lessons
    • Member VIP Area
    • Member-Practicing with Neff
    • Member-Brecker Alternate Fingering Lessons
    • Member-Killin’ Altissimo Lick Lessons
    • Member-Monster Lick of the Day
  • RAVES
  • CONTACT
You are here: Home / Reviews / Mouthpiece Reviews / Alto Mouthpiece Reviews / Alto Medium Baffle Reviews / Macsax Bob Sheppard Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece

Macsax Bob Sheppard Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece

November 12, 2012 by Steve 9 Comments

Today, I am reviewing a new MacSax alto saxophone mouthpiece that is made by Eric Falcon.  I have reviewed a number of other mouthpieces in the past that were made or refaced by Eric Falcon including the LA and FJIII tenor mouthpieces which were both great.  This mouthpiece is the Bob Sheppard alto saxophone model.  The one I’m play testing today has a 6 tip opening which is .078.

Macsax Bob Sheppard Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece

Here is what is said about the Bob Sheppard Alto Saxophone mouthpiece on the Macsax website:

The Bob Sheppard Signature alto mouthpiece is the result of a collaboration between Bob Sheppard and Eric Falcon of MACSAX ®.

Drawing inspiration from the classic New York Meyer Bros., this mouthpiece adds many custom features to meet Bob’s artistic demands. Made from pure hard rubber, the mouthpiece features a classic medium round chamber and an very gentle roll over baffle. The facing curve was designed to allow the player to have great control and flexibility even at the extreme ranges of dynamics.

The result is a mouthpiece with a thick, rich, and vibrant sound at any dynamic.

Available in these facings:

  • 5 (.072”)
  • 6 (.078”)
  • 7 (.083”)
  • 8 (.090”)
Includes a Rico H Ligature and cap.


Macsax Bob Sheppard Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece

The Macsax Bob Sheppard model (I typed BS model at first but that just didn’t sound right………)  looks great.  The facing , tip and rails look perfect.  The baffle has a long and gentle slope  through the chamber to the bore of the mouthpiece.  The mouthpiece has that smell that genuine hard rubber has which is a good sign as I love how “real” hard rubber mouthpiece play usually.

Macsax Bob Sheppard Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece

Now to the playing of the piece…………   I will say first off that all of Eric’s mouthpieces that I have played have been pretty freeblowing.  This mouthpiece is the same.   It is advertized as having a .078 tip opening.  Usually on that tip I will use a 2 1/2 or 3 reed.  Which one I use depends on the curve that is being used.  On this mouthpiece,  I tried a 2 1/2 and it was way too soft.  I then tried a 3 and that still felt too soft.   I then tried a 3 1/2 which are usually too hard on .078 tips for me and that felt just a little soft.  Needless to say, I could tell it is a very efficient facing curve.   If I had a 4 reed I would have tried one of those.  I ended up using the 3 light Rigotti Gold because I liked how that one responded for me.

Macsax Bob Sheppard Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece

The mouthpiece played great for me.  After doing so many mouthpiece reviews, I feel like I’m repeating myself with all the praise but the truth is that there are a ton of great mouthpieces out there today.

The Bob Sheppard mouthpiece leaned towards the brighter side of things for me.  When I first started playing it the first thing that popped into my head was the tone of David Binney.   I have most of Dave Binney’s  recordings and when I was playing this mouthpiece the tone and character of the sound reminded me of his tone and sound.  The high register and a bright singing quality to it.  The low register was fat and thick sounding.  It has beautiful character to the sound.  Lots of projection and power with this mouthpiece.   The intonation was very good also.   I felt like I could be very expressive on the mouthpiece also.

If you like the sound clip and would like to give one of these a try, you can order one on the Macsax website.    There is also a Youtube clip there of Bob Sheppard himself sounding great playing this alto mouthpiece.   Congratulation to Eric Falcon, Macsax and Bob Sheppard for coming up with another great alto mouthpiece.

https://public.neffmusic.com/SheppardAlto1.mp3

Filed Under: Alto Medium Baffle Reviews, Alto Mouthpiece Reviews Tagged With: Alto Saxophone, Bob Sheppard, Eric Falcon, MacSax, sax 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. AvatarJack Li says

    November 13, 2012 at 1:07 am

    Hey Steve,
    Just wondering how high is the beak on the Bob Sheppard mpcs?
    Jack Li

    Reply
    • stevesteve says

      November 13, 2012 at 11:14 am

      Jack, The beak is a little higher than my Meyer and Woodstone mouthpiece. I didn’t find it awkward or uncomfortable at all though. The only reason I noticed is that after I played the Sheppard piece I put on the Woodstone and it felt like the beak was lower. I played the Sheppard piece for a few days so I think I got used to it’s beak.

      Reply
  2. AvatarJack Li says

    November 14, 2012 at 2:18 pm

    Hey Steve,
    How would you compare the beak of the Bob Sheppard to the Ted Klum Acoustimax? and how would you compare how they play?
    Thanks,
    Jack

    Reply
    • stevesteve says

      November 15, 2012 at 1:56 pm

      Hi Jack, I don’t have them side by side so I can’t test them next to each other. I can’t remember too much about the beak or playing characteristics of the Acoustimax. Sorry. I’d have to go listen to the sound clip and read my review again which is probably what you have already done. All I remember is I really liked the Acoustimax (but later sold it) and now I really like the Sheppard alto piece. Sorry I can’t be more specific.

      Reply
  3. AvatarJack Li says

    November 18, 2012 at 5:03 pm

    Hey Steve,
    It’s cool, I always get a lot out of your site.
    How would you compare the Bob Sheppard to your Ishimori mouthpiece though?

    Reply
    • stevesteve says

      December 1, 2012 at 1:24 pm

      Hi Jack, The Sheppard alto mouthpiece is a little brighter than my Ishimori. The Ishimori has a fat dense core to the sound. More of a rounder sound I think. Both play great for me.

      Reply
  4. AvatarBrian Friedman says

    January 21, 2013 at 6:34 pm

    Have you tried the macsax D alto sax mouthpiece. If so what do you think of it. I noticed it cost quite a bit less than the Sheppard model. My other question is why a mouthpiece with a .78 tip opening would need a stiff reed? Thanks, Brian F

    Reply
    • stevesteve says

      January 22, 2013 at 1:55 pm

      Hi Brian,
      I have reviewed the Macsax D alto mouthpiece on this site. If you do a search for Macsax in the top right search box it should come up. It’s been a long time since I tried it so I can’t really compare it to the Sheppard mouthpiece (my memory isn’t what it used to be……….) I think the Sheppard alto piece needed a harder reed because of the facing……..that is my guess. Something about the facing curve makes it easier to play a harder reed. Steve

      Reply
  5. AvatarGil says

    August 12, 2013 at 5:35 pm

    Nice! More players just need to find that kind of meat and soul in the sound of an alto.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

Cart

Subscribe to the Neffmusic Newsletter for the latest reviews and best deals delivered straight to your inbox every month. Join now and you will also receive my 40 Ultimate Michael Brecker Licks free!

Select list(s) to subscribe to


Thanks for joining!


NEFFMUSIC PRINTED BOOKS

Testimonials

I am a music book junkie and I have to say that your books are the most clear, user friendly, and helpful books I own.  They are my absolute favorites and I only wish I had them years ago.  I wouldn’t change a thing about the experience I had in acquiring my degree at Berklee, but my playing has perhaps grown more in the time I’ve spent buried in your books and lessons.  Keep up the great work!!! Thanks, John
John
Thank you for all the educational information you provide.  I am a classically trained musician.  Professionally, I am a 4th and 5th grade band teacher.  I have played piano and sax for many years, but now I am starting to gig out more. I have always improvised by ear in the past. I have gotten by with my strong sense of pitch, rhythm and melodic contour. However, I want to go deeper. I want to play with a greater variety of melodic and rhythmic ideas to pull from.  I have studied to gain a … Read more
Ray
Steve’s monthly lessons are entirely valuable. Without brow beating, he tells you all the stuff you deep down know you really should be working on, instead of just relying on the same old patterns. In spite of the fact that you’re taking a video lesson, Steve’s presentation is comfortable and “real”. In a little more than a year, he’s developed a library of lessons that seem to offer any player a lifetime’s worth of practice material. I’m just glad I stumbled upon it.… Read more
Grant
Thank you for the wealth of helpful lessons you’ve provided over the years.  I truly feel as though it has improved my playing more than the 4 years I spent at Berklee… and that’s not a slight on the school as I loved my experience there.
John
John
I’m an experienced player in the pop/soul/funk areas of music and, previously, classical.  Over the decades I’ve been playing, I’ve always felt that I could do what I needed in those styles of music.  However, recently I began to feel limited by my use of the same old licks. When I discovered Steve Neff’s website, and heard the audio examples based on the exercises in his books, I realized they were what I needed.  I purchased all of them and have been working on them since.  It’s very hard work… Read more
Paul
Just a brief note to compliment you on your teaching skills and in particular for the honesty of your lessons.  I am a returning alto sax player in my 50’s and I was looking for a no nonsense, straight to the point kind of guidance. I had intended to email you with a few questions regarding the use of the bis key but then I noticed that there was a lesson on that specific topic and after viewing it,  all my questions were answered. I once took a group lesson with a well known professional sax … Read more
Patrick

Steve,

I have played for many years and have enjoyed going “back to the basics” in some of your lessons!  You have such a gift for explaining concepts.  As I have gotten older, some of the basic things have gotten muddled because I just play, not knowing why.  As I refresh myself with “why”, it increases my confidence and expands my playing.  Thank you so much for using your gift!  You are a blessing!

Julia

Hi Steve,

First, I want to thank you for all of your great lessons. They are like a “For Dummies” version of all the books on my shelf. The lessons break things down into manageable pieces, and give me the confidence that I’m practicing the right pieces. I’m starting to make progress.   Thank You,   Kim

Kim
I just joined Neff Music last month. I can’t tell you how excited I’ve been to be able to pick back up on lessons. I’ve been in a rut and you got me out! I’ve especially appreciated the Lesson Path section. It was so clear I knew exactly where to jump in and start. Many many thanks!
Karin
I like so many other subscribers feel so encouraged by Steve’s learning techniques; you will enjoy reading the comments of praise others have left as you too will feel that you share a common view and path. I feel very lucky to have come across Neffmusic and that feeling will remain with you as you search through a treasure trove of learning materials on offer, you will quickly find the lessons that you are suited to. You will instantly recognize the unparalleled quality of Steve’s teaching … Read more
Stephen

Featured Video Lessons

  • The Secret to Modern Outside Jazz Lines Lesson-Minor $9.99
  • Creating Modern II-V-I Lines with Simple Pentatonics Lesson
    Rated 5.00 out of 5
    $9.99
  • The Best Embouchure for Tone, Intonation and Endurance Lesson
    Rated 4.90 out of 5
    $9.99
  • The Secret to Altissimo (no one has ever told you about before) Lesson
    Rated 4.75 out of 5
    $9.99

Now over 600 video and audio lessons to choose from!
BECOME A MEMBER TODAY AND SAVE BIG ON EACH LESSON!

Mastering the Blues Scale Vol. 2-Dominant Chords
Mastering the Blues Scale Vol. 2-Dominant Chords

Free Lessons

  • Free Lesson on The New Ultimate II-V-I Primer-Major Keys
  • Free Video Lesson on Mastering Altered Pentatonics
  • Free Video Lesson on Mastering the Blues Scale Volume 1 & 2
  • Free Video Lesson on Mastering the Dominant Bebop Scale and Language Book 1 & 2
  • Free Video Lesson on Approach Note Velocity Book

Recent reviews

  • Mastering Altered Pentatonics (Digital PDF Book)
    Rated 5 out of 5
    by Dino Govoni
  • Mastering the Bebop Scale Review-Blues in All Keys Lesson 1
    Rated 5 out of 5
    by Steve Nye
  • Devastating Minor Lines for Jazz and Funk Soloing (Digital PDF Book)
    Rated 5 out of 5
    by Mark White
  • Devastating Dominant Lines for Jazz and Funk Soloing (Digital PDF Book)
    Rated 5 out of 5
    by Mark White
  • The Best Embouchure for Tone, Intonation and Endurance Lesson
    Rated 5 out of 5
    by Christopher Lutyk

Jazz Improvisation Books

Mastering Altered Pentatonics
Mastering Altered Pentatonics
Devastating Dominant Lines for Jazz & Funk
Devastating Dominant Lines for Jazz & Funk
Mastering the Minor ii-7b5 V7b9 Bebop Scale
Mastering the Minor ii-7b5 V7b9 Bebop Scale
Dominant Bebop Scale Book
Mastering the Dominant Bebop Scale
Mastering the Dominant Bebop Scale-Book 2
Mastering the Dominant Bebop Scale-Book 2
The New Ultimate II-V-I Primer (Major)
The New Ultimate II-V-I Primer (Major)
Mastering Major Diatonic Patterns
Mastering Major Diatonic Patterns
Devastating Minor Lines for Jazz & Funk
Devastating Minor Lines for Jazz & Funk-Thirty 5 Star Reviews!!!
Mastering the Blues Scale Vol. 2-Dominant Chords
Mastering the Blues Scale Vol. 2-Dominant Chords
Best II-V-I Patterns Book
Best II-V-I Patterns
Approach Note Velocity Book
Approach Note Velocity
Mastering the Blues Scale Vol. 1-Minor Chords
Mastering the Blues Scale Vol. 1-Minor Chords
Major Bebop Scale Book
Mastering the Major Bebop Scale & Sound

Footer

Recent Comments

  • Steve on Phil-Tone Rift Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece Review
  • Josh on Phil-Tone Rift Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece Review
  • Arya Boustani on 10mFan Celebration Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece Review
  • Steve on 10mFan Celebration Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece Review
  • Arya Boustani on 10mFan Celebration Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece Review

Top rated products

  • Mastering The Dominant Bebop Scale Lesson 1
    Rated 5.00 out of 5
    $9.99
  • In A Mellow Tone Dominant Bebop Solo Lesson
    Rated 5.00 out of 5
    $9.99
  • Harmonic Minor Seventh Chords Lesson
    Rated 5.00 out of 5
    $9.99
  • Devastating Minor Lines for Jazz and Funk Soloing (Digital PDF Book)
    Rated 5.00 out of 5
    $14.99
  • Playing Outside-NEW Altered Pentatonic Lesson
    Rated 5.00 out of 5
    $9.99

Product tags

alto sax alto saxophone approach notes audio lesson bebop scale beginner beginner saxophone blues blues licks blues patterns blues scale blues scales diminished scale dominant chords ear training fundamentals II-V-I improvisation jazz improvisation jazz lines jazz patterns jazz sax jazz saxophone jazz standard jazz standards licks Mastering the Blues Scale Michael Brecker modern improv modern improvisation online lesson patterns playing outside practice habits reading music sax basics sax lessons saxophone scales smooth jazz steve neff tenor sax tenor saxophone video lesson video lessons
  • Instagram
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • SUPPORT

Neffmusic © 2023