Macsax Bob Sheppard Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

Today, I am reviewing a new MacSax tenor 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, FJIII tenor mouthpiece and Bob Sheppard alto mouthpiece which were all great. This mouthpiece is the Bob Sheppard Signature tenor saxophone model. The one I’m play testing today has a 7* tip opening which is .105.

Macsax Bob Sheppard Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

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

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

Drawing inspiration from the classic Slant Links, this mouthpiece adds many custom features to meet Bob’s artistic demands. Made from pure hard rubber, the mouthpiece features a large round chamber, open throat, and an extremely gentle roll over baffle. The facing curve was designed to allow the player to have great control even at the extreme ranges of dynamics.

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

“This new Sheppard model by MACSAX improves on the tradition of vintage Otto Link “Slant Signature” pieces by providing more flexibility and dynamic range. I can push this mouthpiece to the limits or whisper in a ballad. We not only achieved my expectations, we developed a mouthpiece that will enhance the sound for any player” said Bob Sheppard.

Bob also says this about his signature tenor mouthpiece on his website:

“I’m very excited about the new “MACSAX® Bob Sheppard Signature Tenor Mouthpiece.” After working for over a year with expert mouthpiece technician Eric Falcon, I believe that we created something special. I’ve always been interested in the complexities of sound production from both the human element and equipment side. Anyone who has visited my home studio could tell you about my mouthpiece, ligature and horn collection. With passion for tone and a lifetime of experimentation, I have learned to understand the various ingredients that go into the sound production chain.Over the years, I have experienced considerable success in helping players of all ages diagnose their habitual embouchure and equipment related sound issues. I often notice players developing terrible habits using setups that actually interfere and hamper the player. However, the search for a compatible mouthpiece setup is like finding a needle in a haystack and sorting through the wide array of mouthpiece choices can be confusing, frustrating and costly.Initially I was searching to create a mouthpiece that sounded thicker than my vintage Dukoff, but during the development stage, Mike Crouch of MACSAX® felt confident that the signature model could prove to be a consistent and dependable option for players in search of the mouthpiece holy grail. With warm complexity, large dynamic range and fast articulation, I’m confident jazz players are going to enjoy playing this mouthpiece. I invite you to drop me a line if you try it; let me know what you think.”

Macsax Bob Sheppard Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

The Macsax Bob Sheppard model looks great. The facing , tip and rails look excellent. The baffle has a slight roll over to 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. The tip rail matched the shape of my reeds exactly.

Macsax Bob Sheppard Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

Now to the playing of the piece………… I will say first off that this mouthpiece is said to be inspired from Slant Links. I can hear and feel that when I play this mouthpiece. It had a warm, thick, hearty sound that can be huge when you really blow. I have felt this way about the great HR links I have played in the past also. The sound can be gigantic and fill the room but you really have to have a lot of air and support to drive it.

As with Slant Links, the Sheppard Mouthpiece has more of a spread full sound than a focused sound. I relate a focused sound to the idea of the sound coming out of my bell and shooting straight across the room to the far wall. A spread sound is more like the sound comes out of the bell and spreads in every direction from the bell of the horn. You get this big wash of tone and sound. (I know that imagery might not be perfect but that is how I think about it)

I would consider this a great “jazz” mouthpiece. I felt it was leaning more to the darker side of the spectrum with it’s thick, warm and rich sound. Like my HR link………I wouldn’t choose this mouthpiece to bring on a loud R@B gig but on a jazz gig it would perform nicely.

Macsax Bob Sheppard Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

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 tenor mouthpiece. Congratulation to Eric Falcon, Macsax and Bob Sheppard for coming up with a great tenor mouthpiece.