• 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 / Tenor Mouthpiece Reviews / Tenor Low Baffle Reviews / Ted Klum Focustone Standard Model Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

Ted Klum Focustone Standard Model Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

July 18, 2013 by Steve 4 Comments

Today, I m reviewing a Ted Klum Focustone Standard Model.  It has a .108 tip opening.  I am lucky that I could borrow this from a friend on SOTW (Sax on the Web).  This is one of his favorite mouthpieces but he let me have it for a few weeks so I could do a review of it.

Ted Klum Focustone Standard Model Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

Ted Klum’s mouthpieces always look amazing.  On first glance, this Focustone looks a lot like an Otto Link.  It’s got the rings around the shank and although it doesn’t have a ridge on top, it has an outline of the Otto Link ridge that looks a lot like it on first glance.  The table, rail, tip and baffle look beautiful.  This one has a little bit of wear because it is being lovingly played but still looks great. It has a high rollover baffle that slopes down into a large chamber.  The height of the baffle is similar to a baffle you would see in a Florida Link or Early Babbitt metal Link.  The baffle has a scooped shape that you can see clearly in the fourth picture I’ve posted below.  The craftsmanship is perfect.  No ridges or unevenness can be seen anywhere inside the mouthpiece.

Ted Klum Focustone Standard Model Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

The Ted Klum Focustone came with a Brancher metal ligature which I used for these sound clips.  I tried two different reeds on it and am curious about what you the reader thinks of them.  The first is a Rigotti Gold 2 1/2 medium reed.  The second is a Rico Jazz Select 2 hard.  These reeds felt very similar to me when I blew on them but the tone was different for each.  The Rigotti sounded brighter and more buzzy to me.  The palm keys were a bit edgier than the Rico Jazz Select.  The Rico was warmer sounding to my ear.

Ted Klum Focustone Standard Model Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

I think I preferred The Rico Jazz Select on this mouthpiece.  It seemed to have a fuller, fatter sound to me.  Just listen to the beginning of each clip and I think you will agree with me that the Rico reed has a fuller fatter sound than the Rigotti…….

The intonation was very good and the tone was very even throughout the range of the horn.  I could get some nice power and energy out of it on the Rico reeds.  The Rigotti reeds seemed to get edgier and thinner to me when I pushed the volume.

Ted Klum Focustone Standard Model Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

I just did a review of a Navarro Bebop Special tenor mouthpiece on which I played a Rigotti Gold 3 Strong reed. That mouthpiece was also a 7** but the 3 Strong reed felt way too hard and stuffy on this Klum mouthpiece. This proves to me how much difference the facing curve can make.  It’s not all about the tip opening………the rate of the facing curve can also make a huge difference in how a reed responds and plays!  One facing curve isn’t necessarily better than another but they require different size reeds to play…….

Ted Klum Focustone Standard Model Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

The Ted Klum Focustone Standard Model was fun to play. If you like the sound of the clip below and the mouthpiece catches your interest then give it a try. You can contact Ted on his website at http://www.tedklummouthpieces.com/. Tell him Steve sent you………….

Let me know what you think in the comments below.  Also, let me know if you can hear any difference in the reeds…………Thanks, Steve

https://public.neffmusic.com/FocustoneRG108.mp3

Ted Klum Focustone Standard Model Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece with Rigotti Gold Reed

https://public.neffmusic.com/FocustoneRico108.mp3

Ted Klum Focustone Standard Model Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece with Rico Jazz Select Reed

Filed Under: Tenor Low Baffle Reviews, Tenor Mouthpiece Reviews Tagged With: Focustone, sax mouthpiece, Standard Model, Ted Klum, tenor saxophone

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. AvatarAngelo Yodice says

    August 7, 2013 at 10:10 am

    Steve, Thank you for the review. I also liked the sound of the Rico Jazz Select. Did you ever try a Charles Bay or a Marc Jean ligature? Would appreciate any comments on my question. What was your impression on the Brancher lig?

    Reply
  2. AvatarLarry Weintraub says

    August 7, 2013 at 11:30 am

    Steve: I like the sound better w/the Rico Jazz Select. Fuller, more focused and it sounds like you can control it better.

    Reply
  3. AvatarArya44 says

    January 17, 2014 at 11:57 am

    Hi Steve,
    Thanks for demonstrating this and the tip about the reed strength. I’m wondering if the resistance for bending the reed is created by the surface area of the side rails touching the reed, based on the physics the pressure is equal to force decided by the surface area, so basically a thinner side rails would need less embouchure force to keep the reed in proper clearance to the tip to create sound. So if that’s the case, both the facing curve and the side rail thickness would play a role in picking the right reed strength.
    What do you think?

    Reply
  4. AvatarArya44 says

    January 17, 2014 at 12:00 pm

    …the pressure is equal to force “decided” by the surface area…
    Sorry I meant “divided”. I don’t like auto-correct feature in either computer or mobile device 🙂

    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 enjoying your style of teaching, and you’ve done a great job with the videos….good sound quality and well constructed lessons.  Balances the more guitaristic material found on the majority of guitar based programs.  Jazz vocab is what I’m all about at this point in the journey.  I especially dig the fact that you’ve studied with Bergonzi…helps me see his voluminous output in a more bite sized way.

Milton
Thank you so much for the great job you are doing to help further our jazz studies. Though I make my living as a repairer of musical instruments I am a student of jazz and have been fortunate enough to be involved with a big band and a combo for the last several years. As my children began to leave “the nest” I had decided to dedicate the next half of my life to a more serious study of the sax but I didn’t know exactly how I would go about doing this until a friend of mine turned me onto your si… Read more
Jon

I want to thank you for your “Ultimate II-V-I Primer”  which has sent me off on a much better path to improvisation.  The primer and the four bound books I have will keep me busy for a long time.  I like your lessons for two reasons.  The lessons work and THEY ARE FUN.  Thanks again.

Robert

Robert
Your major diatonic patterns book is great. I”m studying the first twenty patterns (first twenty pages) each day with different articulation each day and slowly increasing the tempo each week or so.  There is a noticeable improvement in finger coordination across all keys and its amazing how much more secure I feel on the difficult keys when attempting to play pieces with 5+ flats/sharps. I’m able to sort out the fingerings for these pieces now much more quickly than before, often in one or two … Read more
Geoff
Hey Steve! I hope you and your family are well.  I’m just writing to say thank you so much for all the resources you have made available to the saxophone community. I have been using your material for many years and I always come back to it… in fact I just took a break from practicing to write this…( reviewing “CreatingModern II-V-I Lines with simple pentatonics”.) I am, and continue to be, one of your raving fans! Blessings to you and your family this holiday season! Wishing… Read more
Gerry Aylward
I just wanted to write a thank you note to you for this website. I play and teach saxophone, but I have always been intimidated by the gear aspect. Your website has helped me become a lot more knowledgable. Your knowledge is staggering! I’m telling all my students about your website. Pierre
Pierre
I’ve been downloading your lessons for 4 months now (20 lesson) and I have noticed tremendous growth in my playing thus far! I’m so happy that I stumbled upon your site!
Bob
First, I’m really excited about your materials! This site is a vast resource for any aspiring (and maybe already inspired) jazz musicians. I’m not a sax player, I play mandolin and fiddle, but have been learning jazz and playing weekly with a quintet for the past 6 months and have been struggling with all of the issues you get into in your lessons. I bought several books and lessons and plan to continue with some others as soon as I organize my practice routine. Thanks again for a great site … Read more
Tony Galfano
By the way, BIG COMPLIMENTS to you, Steve! Not only are you a great player, you are also a great teacher! I, too, am a woodwinds player/teacher. I have new inspiration to play and teach because of you. The concepts and “thinking” is similar to what I already learned in College, but hearing you explain and PLAY the concepts REALLY MAKES THE DIFFERENCE! Also, your written patterns are more interesting than other books I have seen! Keep up the good work. I will be recommending your sit… Read more
I will be recommending your site to others!
Steve- I joined your site this month and have downloaded 4 lessons and also purchased your new book and video on diatonic patterns. I just want to say I am very pleased with your approach and teaching techniques. I am getting back into playing after laying off for some time. The information you offer on your site is of great value and I am enjoying being a member. Thank you for what you are doing for the saxophone community.
Tony

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!

The New Ultimate II-V-I Primer (Major)
The New Ultimate II-V-I Primer (Major)

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 10mFan Celebration 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
  • Will T on One Ligature to Rule Them All? Roberto’s Winds Uovo Tenor Saxophone Ligature Review

Top rated products

  • Round Midnight Lesson
    Rated 5.00 out of 5
    $9.99
  • Sax Intonation Lesson
    Rated 5.00 out of 5
    $9.99
  • Beginner Jazz Improvisation Lesson 8B-Tenor Sax
    Rated 5.00 out of 5
    $9.99
  • Tune of the Week-Softly as a Morning Sunrise Lesson
    Rated 5.00 out of 5
    $9.99
  • One Bar Blues Licks and the 12 Bar Blues 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