• 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
  • SUPPORT
You are here: Home / Reviews / Mouthpiece Reviews / Alto Mouthpiece Reviews / Alto High Baffle Reviews / Westcoast Sax MOAM .085 Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece Review

Westcoast Sax MOAM .085 Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece Review

October 11, 2017 by Steve 3 Comments

Today, I am reviewing the Westcoast Sax “MOAM” alto saxophone mouthpiece.  You might remember that I reviewed the Westcoast Sax “MOFO” tenor mouthpiece last year. Matt Lee at Westcoast Sax is always picking interesting and understated names for his mouthpieces and this is no exception.  The name MOAM stands for the “Mother of all Mouthpieces”.  I believe he got the idea for the name from MOAB (Mother of all Bombs) which was in the news quite a bit as the most powerful non-nuclear bomb the US has. I like Matt’s description below where he says it has an explosive sound!  Hahaha………

Matt let me borrow two prototypes of his new MOAM tenor and alto mouthpieces that have not been gold plated yet to review.  The tenor sax mouthpiece is a .105 tip opening and this MOAM alto sax mouthpiece is a .086 tip opening.

Westcoast Sax MOAM Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece

The mouthpiece is designed and sold by Matt Lee and Theo Wanne. If you don’t know Theo’s work, it is amazing.   I have reviewed a ton of mouthpieces by Theo Wanne over the years and they were all great.  Not a defect, scratch, bad finish, uneven rail or tip in all of them. His attention to detail is amazing.

The MOAM alto saxophone mouthpiece is no different.  The engraving is bold and beautiful.  The table, rails, tip and baffle look precise and perfect also. Although these prototypes are raw brass and not gold plated yet, you can bet that the gold plated versions will look even more amazing.

The baffle on the MOAM is unique in that I haven’t seen a baffle configuration like this before in all the mouthpieces I have reviewed.  It has a very high straight baffle that angles slightly as it travels away from the tip.  Then slopes up a bit and then continues straight until it hits the chamber. That upward slope adjustment in the middle of the baffle is what I don’t see very often. (I did see a variation of it once before on a Mark Spencer Silver Tenor Mouthpiece that I reviewed in the past)

Westcoast Sax MOAM Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece

Here’s a description of the MOAM mouthpieces from the Westcoast Sax Facebook page:

The MOAM (Mother Off All Mouthpieces) displays a contemporary sound with explosive power, color, and depth. From Beautiful Ballads to Screaming Solos… “The MOAM allows the player complete freedom of expression and is down right a blast to play.” Matt Lee

Matt Lee personally designed The MOAM Mouthpiece with a medium facing (Super Responsive), thin rails, bullet style baffle, and a medium chamber. Theo Wanne is the master at bringing my inspiration and vision to life.

The MOAM is made by mouthpiece Guru “Theo Wanne” right here in the USA. Quality and Craftsmanship is at the highest level. Each mouthpiece is made out of 24K Gold Plated Brass.

If you are looking for a mouthpiece that allows you full expression, emotion, and a personalized sound… Look No Further!

MOAM Mouthpiece Sizes:

Soprano Sax – #7 .065 and #8 .070

Alto Sax – #7 .080 and #8 .086

Tenor Sax – 7* .105 and #8 .110

I will have 10 Mouthpieces per tip opening available. Grand total of 60 Mouthpieces. Please allow 45 days for delivery… mouthpieces are in line for  production at Theo Wanne as we speak. Anticipated Delivery Date will be around 10-31-2017

All Mouthpieces will be made out of 24K Gold Plated Brass. Soprano $450 – Alto $475 – Tenor $500 – Includes a Rovner SS Ligature, Cap, and Mouthpiece Bag.

* Regular Price Items: Include a 5 day return policy (You pay shipping both ways if you return) and must be returned in Brand New Condition (No Scratches or Flaws) No Exceptions. Also Includes: Cap, Rovner SS Ligature and Mouthpiece Bag

* Pre-Order Items: No Returns or Exchanges due to the $100 Discount. Cap and Rovner SS Ligature Not Included. You can add the Cap and Ligature for an additional $25. Mouthpiece Bag is Included.

Receive Special Artist Pricing of $100 off if you Pre-Order + Free Shipping in the USA. Expected Delivery October 31st.

PM or Call 951-805-5611

Cheers, Matt Lee (General MoFo)

Westcoast Sax MOAM Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece

I found the MOAM alto saxophone mouthpiece to be pretty bright and edgy when pushed hard.  It has a ton of power when played full throttle and takes all the air you can give it.  When I laid back more I still found it bright but less edgy.  The tone for me was reminiscent of that classic Dave Sanborn sound that we have all heard.

I tried to give you a variety of styles in the clip below so you can hear how the MOAM would sound in those styles.   For me, it sounds most at home in that “Sanborn” smooth jazz, pop type of genre. I start the sound clip below off with that more “Sanborn” type sound.

It could be used on bebop for a less traditional type of sound also.  At 2:55 on the clip I played a part of a Charlie Parker solo at a medium volume as an example.  I think it sounds pretty good!

Westcoast Sax MOAM Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece

Right now, the MOAM alto saxophone mouthpiece is only made in two tip openings (.080 and .086).  Although I reviewed the .086 tip opening, I think I would prefer the .080 tip opening as I feel more comfortable with that tip opening.  Matt says he will send me a .080 tip when they are done so I hope to review that tip opening also and we can compare the sound clips to each other.

I used a Vandoren Java (green box) 2 1/2 reed on the MOAM alto mouthpiece and a generic metal ligature.  I have also used this same ligature on Guardala sized mouthpieces to give you an idea of how big it is.

Westcoast Sax MOAM Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece

I’ve provided two samples of the same clip below.  One is a clip with added reverb and the other is a dry clip in a moderate sized room.  I think it’s important to add the reverb clip just so people can get a sense of what the sound is like with a little bit of that added affect since the added reverb tend to soften the edge a bit.

The MOAM alto saxophone mouthpiece by Westcoast Sax is a great example of a well crafted high baffle alto mouthpiece.  If you have been on the search for an alto sax mouthpiece that will give you a bright edgy sound with power this is a great one to consider.

Congratulations to Matt Lee and Westcoast Sax for creating the MOAM mouthpiece! If you are interested in the MOAM you can call Matt at: 951-805-5611 or Email: WestCoastSax@Yahoo.Com.  You can also order directly from the Westcoast Sax website, Westcoast Sax Facebook page or Matt Lee’s Facebook page where he also has more audio samples and videos of this mouthpiece.

Let me know your thoughts in the comments below and if you get a MOAM saxophone mouthpiece be sure to come back and let us know what you think below……..Thanks!!

https://cdn.neffmusic.com/2017/MOABAltoReverb.mp3

 

Westcoast Sax MOAM Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece-Added Reverb

https://cdn.neffmusic.com/2017/MOAMAltoDry.mp3

 

Westcoast Sax MOAM Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece-Dry

Disclosure: I borrowed the prototype MOAM mouthpiece for the review above and sent it back to Westcoast Sax immediately afterward. Matt did say he would send me a free sample of the MOAM alto sax mouthpiece once they are released. Regardless, I only review mouthpieces that I enjoy playing and believe will be good for other saxophone players to try also.  Steve

Filed Under: Alto High Baffle Reviews, Alto Mouthpiece Reviews Tagged With: alto sax, jazz saxophone, Matt Lee, MOAM mouthpiece, Theo Wanne, westcoast sax

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. AvatarMatt Wickam says

    October 11, 2017 at 1:02 pm

    Thanks for doing the review Steve! U sound great as always. Cheers, Matt

    Reply
  2. AvatarJohnny Blas says

    October 11, 2017 at 2:19 pm

    Both Mouthpiece sounds Great

    Reply
  3. AvatarIzzy Armstrong says

    October 20, 2017 at 12:37 pm

    So glad I have .086 on order! This is right my alley, and should compliment my Mindi Abair .086 very well-

    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

Hey Steve, My name is Jason Freese and I play keyboards and sax in the band Green Day.  I grew up taking sax lessons from Eric Marienthal when I was a kid and got out of it for a long time. I ran into you on youtube while searching for sax stuff. I bought a whole bunch of your lessons and have been loving it! Thanks! Here is my wikipedia so you can see the albums I’ve played on….Thanks again. It’s sparked my interest in practicing again.   Jason
Jason Freese (sax player for Green Day)
I bought Steve’s dominant bebop book and took a couple of online lesson from him. I really appreciated Steve’s careful listening of what I wanted to get done in a lesson and his clear, concise ideas on next steps to improve my playing and musical interpretation.  His mastering  the Dominant Bebop Scale has lots of exercises to use a scale that addresses the largest percentage of chords I come across in pop/blues music. The dominant V7.  Needless say it has improved my playing.  I teach and a… Read more
Keith
Hi Steve, I can’t express just how much I appreciate your teaching. My playing has improved so much over the past year since I have been studying and practicing with your lessons. It is possible to teach an old dog new tricks, these lessons are proof! Thanks, Michael Byington
Michael Byington
I would like to say that in the last year my sax playing has progressed loads from your lessons. I have had a sax for about 20 years and dabbled with lessons from a few teachers and have learnt very little from them. As you have said in your lessons many teachers tell you to use the blues scale and leave it there, not even showing you the resolution points!!. I am now believing I can in time become a good improviser.
Thanks again,
Shane
Shane
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

I want to thank you again, because, not only are you an inspiration to listen to, you are a fine teacher!

I have been teaching sax and other winds for over 20 years, and you give me that “push” to give my students more!

Mark Peotter

Mark Peotter
Hi Steve, I live in a gorgeous but rural area of Oregon-no music store within 80 miles. Your lessons are my lifeline!  Truly the best there are anywhere online. Love your playing. Love your teaching.  Thanks again. Ed
Ed Woodmansee
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
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
Thanks so much for putting all this great learning material out there. I don’t often have the time to take a lesson with a teacher, so the ability to download lessons is really invaluable. My playing has improved enormously (I think :)) – and the lessons are so varied there’s always something to be inspired by. Incredible value too!
Roger

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!

Approach Note Velocity Book
Approach Note Velocity

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

  • Alfonso on Drake FG (Freddie Gregory) Model Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece Review
  • Steve on Drake FG (Freddie Gregory) Model Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece Review
  • Alfonso on Drake FG (Freddie Gregory) Model Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece Review
  • Steve on Meyer Bros New York Connoisseur Series Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece Review
  • Francesco Todeschini on Meyer Bros New York Connoisseur Series Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece Review

Top rated products

  • Mastering Major Diatonic Patterns (Digital PDF Book)
    Rated 5.00 out of 5
    $14.99
  • 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

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