Retro Revival Tru-Slant Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece Review

August 30, 2019 by Steve 13 Comments

Today, I am reviewing another Retro Revival tenor saxophone mouthpiece called the Tru-Slant. This is a tenor sax mouthpiece modeled after the Otto Link Slant Signature hard rubber tenor saxophone mouthpieces from the 60’s. These tenor saxophone mouthpieces are made by Joel Peskin (iReedMan) and Bob Sheppard at Retro Revival. In the past I have reviewed a few of the other Retro Revival sax mouthpiece models such as the Super D Florida tenor saxophone mouthpiece, the Super D New York tenor sax mouthpiece and the New Yorker alto saxophone mouthpiece.

Joel and Bob have started a company called Retro Revival in which they produce replicas of great vintage saxophone mouthpieces from the past. When Joel started the company they started with two sax mouthpieces. The New Yorker alto sax mouthpiece which is an exact copy of a New York Meyer Bros mouthpiece (that I reviewed last year) and the other was a metal tenor mouthpiece called the “Super D“,which is advertised as a replica of a great double ring Otto Link tenor mouthpiece. As of the writing of this review they now have seventeen different saxophone mouthpiece models available on their website. Wow! They have been busy!

Retro Revival Tru-Slant Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

For any of you that visit Ebay regularly, you probably know that finding an Otto Link Slant Signature tenor saxophone mouthpiece in good condition can be a costly endeavor. These saxophone mouthpieces can cost in the ballpark of 1200-2500 dollars depending on what condition it is in. I think we would all be thankful if someone came up with a less costly alternative where we could get a mouthpiece of the same quality and playability without going broke. The aim of these Retro Revival saxophone mouthpieces is just that!

Leading up to the creation of the Tru-Slant tenor sax mouthpiece, Joel says that Bob and he played through their collection of Slant Signature hard rubber Otto Links to find the absolute best one. Although this sounds like an arduous process, they came to an agreement about which Slant Signature to copy and then play tested each trial run to make sure it was what they were looking for. Both Joel Peskin and Bob Sheppard are great sax players in their own right so they knew what they were looking for. What they finally produced is the Tru-Slant tenor saxophone mouthpiece that I am reviewing today.

Retro Revival Tru-Slant Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

The Tru-Slant tenor saxophone mouthpiece came well packaged in a sturdy black cardboard tubing. The mouthpiece was in a velvet bag inside the tubing and was well protected. The tube itself was well packaged and protected in the shipping box it came in.

The first thing I did when I took it out of the box was to compare it to my Otto Link Straight Signature (Slant Blank) tenor mouthpiece. This is an Early Babbitt Straight Signature model with a large font tip opening number on the side. I have been told that these were made from the Slant Signature molds so they are basically a Slant Signature physically although they have a straight signature on them.

The two mouthpieces look very similar in shape when comparing side to side. The Otto Link has a slightly longer mid section and the beak profile looks a bit steeper than the Tru-Slant. They look to be a similar circumference but the Otto Link ahas a slightly wider rear circumference.

The inside of both mouthpieces looks remarkably similar. They both have that “Slant” clam shell baffle. Both baffles look to rollover in the same place. Both baffles look to descend into the chamber at the same angle when comparing by eye. The bore looks to be very close to the same size on both mouthpieces. The side rails are scooped out on both and look almost identical in shape.

The only slight difference that I see is that the baffle of the Retro Revival Tru Slant has what looks like two manufacturing lines that run down the length of the baffle and descend inward towards each other into the baffle. Although the Otto Link Slant blank I have does not have these lines, if you ignore the lines and just look at the actual shape of the baffle, sidewalls and chamber, they look very similar.

Retro Revival Tru-Slant Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

Here’s a quote from the Retro Revival website about the Retro Revival Tru Slant tenor saxophone mouthpiece:

Introducing the “True Slant” our newest replica from Retro Revival. The Otto Link “Tone Edge” Slant Signature tenor mouthpiece is one of the most sought after vintage tenor mouthpiece’s and now Retro Revival has brought it back to life. Like all of our Retro Revival replica’s, the “True Slant” is CnC milled and Precision Finished from the highest quality German bar rubber. This mouthpiece is a joy to play; articulate, colorful, the real thing ! We made sure our “True Slant” has all the special qualities of an original Tone Edge “Slant Signature”.

The history of the Tone Edge spans decades. In the late 1950’s when Otto Link created the “Tone Edge” back in New York, it quickly became the gold standard for the greatest players. The original Tone Edge made in New York had a larger chamber, closer tip openings, only available up to #6 which was stamped on the table. After Otto Link moved to Florida changes took place. ( The tip size stamped on the right side of the table and the Otto Link logo engraved on a 45 degree angle)

This signature angle became the identifying feature that people now refer to as a “Slant Signature”. This Florida model had a higher rollover baffle and tip sizes were available from 5 to 9. This Florida version of the Tone Edge was a true masterpiece and was very popular for many years. When Otto Link re-located to Elkhart IN with their remaining mouthpiece blanks and tooling, the Tone Edge remained excellent for some time, but something happened to the quality and playability. The “Tone Edge” lost its mojo, most likely due to quality control and changes in manufacturing. Our ”True-Slant” is a recreation of the best version of the “Slant” from the good old days. We went through pains taking efforts, play testing many versions of the Tone Edge from our combined collections. We feel very confident that our “True-Slant” is the best replica on the market, offering tip openings ranging from 6-8*. Of course, each and every Retro Revival mouthpiece is play tested to our highest standards.

So, if you’ve been searching high and low for a “Tone Edge, Slant Signature” that really performs from the softest PPP dynamic to the loudest FFF dynamic in the flip of a millisecond with effortless altissimo, our “True Slant” is what you’ve been searching for.