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D’Addario Select Jazz Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece

September 12, 2014 by 20 Comments

Today,  I am reviewing a new mouthpiece from D’Addario called the Select Jazz alto saxophone mouthpiece.    I heard about the D’Addario Select Jazz model from a friend of mine who ordered one from Sax Quest and was blown away by it.  His email and raves were enough to rouse my curiosity and review one of these so here it is……………..

D’Addario Select Jazz Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece

The D’Addario Select Jazz is advertised as being a mouthpiece that captures the feel and tone of the legendary mouthpieces from years past………. Here is a snippet from the Saxquest website about the D’Addario Select Jazz mouthpiece:

Saxquest is super pumped to be able to present the latest in great hard rubber mouthpieces for alto sax.  This is the new Select Jazz Alto Sax mouthpiece by D’ Addario. We have been play testing these pieces extensively and put them side by side with our best vintage Meyer’s and have been blown away every time. These pieces are made from high quality rod hard rubber. Their build features a medium opened chamber with a medium facing length, available in 3 facing sizes 5, 6 and 7.  
 
The Select Jazz mouthpiece plays with a strong and very rich core sound. Its full warmth is consistent and balanced across the entire range of the instrument. The low end response as well as the ease and clarity of the altissimo register is notably exceptional. Its superb flexibility allows the piece to be used in a multitude of musical situations. Rather you are looking for a warm jazz sound or are in need of more cut for lead work the Select Jazz is a fine choice.  
 
Listed Below are the Mouthpiece spec by D’Addario 
 
-D5M .073” (1.86mm)
-D6M .078” (1.98mm)
-D7M .083” (2.10mm)
  • 100% precision-milled, vintage-inspired jazz mouthpieces
  • The Select Jazz line is milled not molded, from solid rod rubber, using D’Addario’s precise computer-controlled mouthpiece-making technology
  • Classic sound and response, with even intonation across the entire range of the saxophone
  • Features medium chambers and facing lengths
  • Available in three tip openings: 5, 6, and 7

The Select Jazz alto saxophone mouthpiece looks great to the eye. The side rails and tip are nicely cut and even.  The D7M model that I have looks to have what I would call a medium-low rollover baffle on it.  The baffle slides down smoothly into what I would consider a medium small chamber. (It looks a little smaller than a JVW Meyer medium chamber as I compare the mouthpieces side by side)  The side rails are slightly scooped out and look smooth and even.  The roof of the chamber is thicker and also similar to my JVW Meyer as I compare it by eye.

D’Addario Select Jazz Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece

The D’Addario Select Jazz played well with a Java 2 1/2 reed on it.  The .083 tip seemed to favor a softer reed for me.  I tried a few 3’s of different brands but they felt too stiff for my tastes.   I used a Vandoren Optimum metal ligature on the sound test also.

For me,  the Select Jazz had a classic Meyer sound to it.   It definitely leaned to the brighter side of tone for me.  The tone had a nice tight core to it and a dryness and lightness to it.   I had no problem getting a classic bebop sound out of this mouthpiece.  It was smooth throughout the range of the horn and the intonation was excellent.   I could get a respectful volume out of the Select Jazz also which is nice.

D’Addario Select Jazz Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece

My only negative about the Select Jazz is that the bore of the mouthpiece is smaller than most alto mouthpiece bores.  I have probably 10 alto mouthpiece in my office now and they all fit on my alto neck pretty similarly.  The Select Jazz is quite a bit tighter.  This is nothing a little cork grease won’t fix but is kind of a pain if you plan on playing other mouthpieces. (My fix in case you don’t know it is to dip the cork into boiling water for 2 seconds.  The heat expands the cork back to it’s original size……..)

D’Addario Select Jazz Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece

I think D’Addario has done a great job recreating a great Meyer vibe at a reasonable price.   At this moment, the Select Jazz alto mouthpiece is retailed at 149.00 at  Saxquest.com.   That is a great price for this mouthpiece in my opinion.   I wish I could have had a mouthpiece like this to choose from when I was a student in high school many years ago.

I haven’t tried the 5 and 6 Select Jazz but I am also curious as to how they compare and play.   I would imagine that they are a bit brighter and even more focused sounding.  I would have no problems recommending this alto mouthpiece to some of my high school alto students looking for that next step up mouthpiece…………..

D’Addario Select Jazz Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece

If you like the sound of the D’Addario Select Jazz alto saxophone mouthpiece clip below and the mouthpiece catches your interest then give it a try.  You can get more information and purchase the D’Addario Select Jazz to try at www.saxquest.com Tell them Steve sent you………….!!

Let me know what you think in the comments below. Thanks, Steve

D’Addario Select Jazz Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece

Filed Under: Alto Medium Baffle Reviews, Alto Mouthpiece Reviews, Mouthpiece Reviews Tagged With: , , , , ,
Steve About Steve

Steve Neff has been playing and teaching saxophone and jazz improvisation around the New England area for the last 30 years. He is the author of many effective jazz improvisation methods as well as founding the popular jazz video lesson site Neffmusic.com.

Comments

  1. Avatar Larry Weintraub says
    September 17, 2014 at 5:55 pm

    Steve: This mpc definitely has a Meyer type sound to it. It sounds like you could play lead in a big band, or 2nd alto. In addition it sounds like it is a good combo mpc in both the bebop and swing styles.

    In addition this mpc is only $149.00 so it is relatively inexpensive. This makes it a good choice for high school or college student or even a pro looking for a inexpensive good choice of a alto mpc.

    Reply
  2. Avatar Cameron Ross says
    February 10, 2015 at 10:54 pm

    I bought one of these at SaxQuest a few months ago (D6M). I was able to get a great sound with a V16 size 3. It’s on the bright side with a great core sound. Response is great from the bottom to the top of the horn.

    Reply
  3. Avatar Erik Cloud says
    March 20, 2015 at 1:11 pm

    I have the 5M, .73 tip opening. Best MP I’ve played. I think it blows away other MP’s in the $300-$500 range. My biggest complaint with some of the other companies trying to replicate the vintage NY Meyer sound is that the all sound thin to me. They’re missing a richness to their sound. This D’Addario is an excellent piece.

    Reply
  4. Avatar Erik Cloud says
    March 20, 2015 at 1:12 pm

    Hey Steve, here are some guys from Rico playing the D’Addario and talking about the piece. https://youtu.be/HbtGE_MjyUw

    Reply
  5. Avatar Daniel Sgattoni says
    January 29, 2016 at 9:46 pm

    Did you use java green box or red filed reeds in this test?

    Reply
    • Steve Steve says
      January 29, 2016 at 10:26 pm

      Daniel,
      If they were Vandorens then it was the Java Green Box. I hate the red box Javas. I have no idea why but every time I try the red box Javas I can’t stand them………..

      Reply
  6. Avatar Bob Sanders says
    August 1, 2017 at 12:40 pm

    I have played tenor for years and decided to obtain an alto. I purchased a vintage Buescher 400 from Saxquest and decided to try
    the Select Jazz mpc along with the vandoren Java 21/2 green box reed. I have always used metal on my tenor and decided to try
    something different on the alto. Glad I did. Love the sound and wished I had this mpc ten years ago on a Selmer series 80 I think?
    Put a Bobby Dukoff D7 silverite mpc on it and it was nothing short of awful!

    Reply
  7. Avatar Mark Corazza says
    December 28, 2017 at 12:48 am

    Great mouthpiece, relatively free blowing with rich sound. Much better than many other more expensive mouthpieces. My only gripe is that I had to send it off to have the bore increased so I can use it along with other mouthpieces. This one squeezes the cork down so every other mouthpiece is too loose.

    Reply
    • Steve Steve says
      January 11, 2018 at 10:11 am

      Mark, Yes, I agree about the bore. I really hope they fix that! I don’t have one now for that reason. I can’t play and review other pieces if I have a piece that crushes the cork down to nothing every time I use it……Steve

      Reply
  8. Avatar Egil Furre says
    January 3, 2018 at 4:43 pm

    I just got a brand new Alto D’addario D7M Jazz Select on my refacing workbench. I haven’t played it yet but startet to measure it and found that it has a perfect flat table and facing curve. I have never seen any mpc that perfect directly from the factory.

    Reply
    • Steve Steve says
      January 11, 2018 at 10:03 am

      Egil, Thanks for sharing that. That is a good sign. I hope they continue to keep their quality and standards that high. Steve

      Reply
  9. Avatar Steve Buckley says
    January 3, 2019 at 5:34 pm

    I would like to get a mouthpiece to replace a 1980’s Otto Link 6*. Which D’addario would you recommend as the closest match, 6 or 7?
    Steve Buckley

    Reply
    • Steve Steve says
      January 5, 2019 at 12:08 pm

      Steve, You could go either way. I think a 6* Otto Link alto mouthpiece is .080 (according to Theo Wanne’s tip opening chart) The D’Addario 6 is .078 I believe and the 7 is .083 from what I have read online. Me personally, I would go with the 6 as .080 is the top tip opening I feel comfortable with (I can go higher if the baffle is high though). Either way, both are pretty close. Steve

      Reply
  10. Avatar Alexandra Willats says
    October 2, 2019 at 7:18 am

    Hi. Does anyone know if they’ve resolved the small bore issue? I’ve got a Yanagisawa AW010 and want to be sure it will fit, without modifying my sax!

    Reply
  11. Avatar Glen Manby says
    March 22, 2021 at 3:34 pm

    Hi Steve, pleased to report that D’Addario seem to have resolved the small bore issue: the D5M I just received in the post today has a pretty normal size bore – in fact, it is ever so slightly looser than my 2 Meyers and my Drake Phil Woods!!

    Reply

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