Westcoast Sax MOAM .081 Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece Review

Today, I am reviewing the Westcoast Sax “MOAM” .081 alto saxophone mouthpiece.  You might remember that I reviewed a non-plated MOAM alto mouthpiece that had a .086 tip opening last fall. 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 Matt 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 last year. I like Matt’s description below where he says it has an explosive sound!  Hahaha………

Westcoast Sax MOAM Alto and Tenor 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 bunch of mouthpieces by Theo Wanne over the years and they were all great.  Not a defect, scratch, bad finish, uneven rail or uneven 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. The gold plating looks amazing and perfect!

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 and Tenor 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

All Mouthpieces will be made out of 24K Gold Plated Brass. 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

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 moderately bright and edgy when pushed hard.  The .081 I am playing for this review seemed a bit more focused compared to the .086 I reviewed last fall.  It has a ton of power when played full throttle and takes all the air you can give it.  The tone also seems more round and less edgy than the .086 in my opinion.  I think it has a sweeter sound to it than the .086 MOAM did. (Feel free to compare for yourself.……)

In the sound clips below,  I tried to give you a variety of styles so you can hear how the MOAM alto mouthpiece would sound in those styles.   You could do a pop gig easily on this mouthpiece.  It also gives a nice bright bebop tone when played in that style.

The MOAM alto sax mouthpiece has good intonation and articulation is great on it.  I found the tone to be resonant and focused.  Although it is definitely on the brighter side of the alto sax tone spectrum the tone was beautiful and full in my opinion.

Westcoast Sax MOAM Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece

I used a Rigotti Gold 2 1/2 strong on the MOAM alto mouthpiece and a generic Rovner ligature.  I have also used this same ligature on Guardala sized mouthpieces to give you an idea of how big it is.  I personally prefer some of the Rovner ligatures on high baffle mouthpieces because I feel like the fabric ligatures can take a little bit of the edge off the tone that those mouthpieces sometimes have.

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.

Westcoast Sax MOAM Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece

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 alto saxophone mouthpiece be sure to come back and let us know what you think below……..Thanks!!

Westcoast Sax MOAM .081 Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece-Added Reverb

Westcoast Sax MOAM .081 Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece-Dry