• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Website of Steve Neff

  • BLOG
  • SHOP
  • MY ACCOUNT
  • RAVES
  • CONTACT

Search Neffmusic

You are here: Home / Reviews / Mouthpiece Reviews / James Bunte ARC (Allard Reso Chamber) Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece Review

James Bunte ARC (Allard Reso Chamber) Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece Review

December 8, 2020 by Steve 13 Comments

It looks like December is “Reso” month here at Neffmusic as I have three reproductions of Otto Link Reso Chamber tenor saxophone mouthpieces sitting on my desk to review this week.   I have a Getasax Reso tenor mouthpiece that is a copy of an Otto Link Reso Chamber 5 mouthpiece with a Freddie Gregory Mark II 7 facing curve applied to it. A Getasax Reso FG Special that is a copy of an Otto Link Reso Chamber that was refaced by Freddie Gregory, and the third sax mouthpiece is the one I am reviewing below which is a James Bunte reproduction of an Otto Link Joe Allard Reso Chamber tenor saxophone mouthpiece.

James Bunte ARC (Allard Reso Chamber) 7* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

This is a bit overwhelming for a guy that has never played an original Otto Link Reso Chamber tenor saxophone mouthpiece before.  The most notable player that I know that played one for many years was Seamus Blake.  If you check out any of his recordings from the 1994-2017 time period, I believe those are all on an Otto Link Reso Chamber tenor saxophone mouthpiece. (I believe Seamus Blake plays on a hard rubber Ted Klum tenor sax mouthpiece now but am not sure when he switched or why)

Otto Link Joe Allard Reso Chamber Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece that was the inspiration for the James Bunte ARC mouthpiece

Today, I am reviewing a James Bunte ARC (Allard Reso Chamber) tenor saxophone mouthpiece.  James Bunte is one of my favorite mouthpiece refacers I have dealt with.  I have played a number of mouthpieces he has refaced as well as created, and all of them played incredibly well for me. I have a lot of trust in James Bunte and know from our history that when he tells me a mouthpiece is amazing, it is!

When James told me he had a new tenor saxophone mouthpiece in the works that was “really special”, I immediately paid attention.  We talked on the phone and he told me all about this amazing Joe Allard Reso Chamber Otto Link tenor saxophone mouthpiece that he had refaced for Chase Baird (an amazing NYC tenor sax player).

He was very excited about this mouthpiece!  He described it to me as having a complexity of tone and power that he had never encountered in an Otto Link Reso Chamber tenor saxophone mouthpiece before.   You can see the original Otto Link Reso Chamber mouthpiece in the photo above (notice it is engraved “Joe Allard Model”) and the two photos below:

Otto Link Joe Allard Reso Chamber Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece (look at that baffle!)

Otto Link Joe Allard Reso Chamber Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

Here is how James Bunte described the ARC (Allard Reso Chamber) tenor saxophone mouthpiece to me:

When Chase Baird (tremendous NY tenor player) sent me this Joe Allard Otto Link Reso Chamber to reface, I was astounded by the power, clarity, and complexity of the sound. This version of the Reso seems to be quite different from others I have played over the years.

I had this Reso mouthpiece measured and my new ARC mouthpiece is CNC machined out of the best rubber rod stock I can get. I hand finish all the facings, baffles and rails. I am VERY proud of the result!-James Bunte

James Bunte ARC (Allard Reso Chamber) 7* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

The James Bunte ARC (Allard Reso Chamber) tenor saxophone mouthpiece came to me engraved with the word “Nuit” (night in French) on the shank of the mouthpiece.  This was the original name of the mouthpiece but James told me that he wasn’t very crazy about that name. He wasn’t sure what to name it so when I hung up the phone I started thinking of names.  A little while later, I texted James just spitballing, “Since it is a copy of an Allard Reso Chamber, what if you call it ARC?”  He loved the idea and the name ARC was born!

The James Bunte ARC (Allard Reso Chamber) tenor saxophone mouthpiece looks great to the eye.  It is a dark glossy hard rubber that James Bunte says is the best hard rubber rod stock he could find.  The tip, rails and table look even, flat and well crafted.  The tip rail is nice and thin, and it’s shape is very close to the shape of my Rigotti Gold tenor saxophone reeds.

The baffle of the James Bunte ARC (Allard Reso Chamber) tenor saxophone mouthpiece is a substantial rollover baffle as you can see in the photos. James Bunte described the baffle as “A pronounced baffle lower than an EB (Early Babbitt) ..but higher than any Slant I have seen”.

The beginning of the mouthpiece baffle reminds me of that flat part of a ski slope after you jump off of the lift. As it starts to rollover, the baffle heads downward at a straight angle into the mouthpiece chamber.  The curved sidewalls come inward a bit as the baffle descends into the chamber so that the baffle floor narrows a bit as it progresses.

The baffle levels out a bit at the bottom of the mouthpiece chamber (again, like a ski slope). The opening to the mouthpiece chamber looks to be a large sized chamber that is similar in size to a typical hard rubber Otto Link mouthpiece chamber.  The roof of the mouthpiece chamber under the table is a medium thickness.

The sidewalls are scooped out nicely until they get to the chamber where they are carved out even more to round out the chamber.  Typically, scooped out side walls tend to help produce a fatter more spread tone and straight side walls seem to add more focus to the tone in my experience.

James Bunte ARC (Allard Reso Chamber) 7* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

The James Bunte ARC (Allard Reso Chamber) tenor saxophone mouthpiece was reed friendly and that caused me some issues just because I couldn’t figure out which saxophone reed to record a sound clip with.

The whole purpose of the sound clip is to give the listener an idea of how a sax mouthpiece sounds and plays for me so maybe they can get an idea of how the mouthpiece might play for them.  When I experiment with different reeds and get different response and tonal shadings it gets harder to choose which reed to use.

For this review, I have chosen to provide three sound clips with three different saxophone reeds:

  • Robertos 2 1/2 Hard Reed-I just got a supply of these delivered and this was the first reed I took out of the box.  It played great and was exactly what I was looking for.  It was similar in strength and feel as the Rigotti Gold 3 Light but had a thicker and more complex tone to it.
  • Rigotti Gold 3 Light Reed-These are my brighter option for reeds. This one felt similar to the Robertos 2 1/2 Hard as far as strength but was brighter and had more buzz in the tone.  (The palm keys can sometimes get too thin and bright for me with these reeds depending on the mouthpiece.)
  • BSS (Boston Sax Shop) 3 Reed-This was the hardest reed I played with the ARC mouthpiece. It has a bit of a thicker and more hearty tone to it but also sounds like a harder reed to me.  I know a lot of guys love the hard reed sound so I have included it. (I also tried a BSS 2 1/2 but it felt way too soft for this mouthpiece.)

James Bunte ARC (Allard Reso Chamber) 7* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

The James Bunte ARC (Allard Reso Chamber) tenor saxophone mouthpiece played great.  It is very different than a high baffled mouthpiece and I had just reviewed a Sakshama Branford Marsalis mouthpiece that was about as high baffled as you can get.  Moving to the James Bunte ARC tenor saxophone mouthpiece was like a night and day difference.

With a high baffle piece, you can almost sigh into and it will play.  You put a medium amount of air into and the windows start shaking and neighbors start complaining. A mouthpiece based off of an Otto Link Reso Chamber tenor saxophone mouthpiece requires a good amount of air and support compared to a high baffled mouthpiece.  Usually the transition from a high baffled mouthpiece to an Otto Link type tenor saxophone mouthpiece takes me a few days of playing and about 4-6 hours.  I did just that and then recorded the sound clips below when I felt comfortable.

James Bunte ARC (Allard Reso Chamber) 7* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

The James Bunte ARC (Allard Reso Chamber) tenor saxophone mouthpiece had a balanced tenor sax tone that leaned to the darker side on the tenor saxophone tone spectrum to me.  The tone is thick and warm with just enough sparkle and brightness to make the tone more interesting.

Usually we just describe tone with words like dark or bright which can be confusing all by themselves.  The ARC tenor sax mouthpiece also brings words like character, richness and complexity to the tone description.  These are even harder to describe.  All I can say is that these words come to mind when I listen to a saxophone tone and hear depth, layers and overtones.  These are some of the things I hear in the sound clips below.

The low notes were full, thick and robust with a tone that was rich and beautiful. The low notes could be played with a sub-tone which made them lush and pillowy sounding or you could play the low notes with a regular airstream and get a clear, full and round low Bb that filled up every corner of the room with richness.

The intonation on the James Bunte ARC (Allard Reso Chamber) tenor saxophone mouthpiece was very good and the ARC mouthpiece was a great match for my Selmer Super Balanced Action tenor saxophone (from the 50’s).

The evenness and smoothness of notes throughout the range of the saxophone was nice when playing fast lines also.  The character and thickness of tone seemed to blend well as I played faster lines throughout the range of the saxophone.  I think you can hear this smoothness in the fast technical lines I play on the sound clips below.

James Bunte ARC (Allard Reso Chamber) 7* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

The altissimo register of the saxophone was easy to produce on the James Bunte ARC (Allard Reso Chamber) tenor saxophone mouthpiece and the notes were easy to control and manipulate. I think that nice rollover baffle near the tip is responsible for that!

The altissimo is slightly different with each of the saxophone reeds I used, but I think with all three reeds, the notes up in that range have a roundness to them that is really beautiful.

The rollover baffle provides a surprising amount of power when pushed but the tone still remains fat and round to my ears. The brightness increases but it stays within certain parameters and didn’t get away from me.  It’s enough to play with more force and power but I wouldn’t want to use it for a Brecker Brother Tribute band if you know what I am saying…….

James Bunte ARC (Allard Reso Chamber) 7* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

On the sound clips below, I try to give a good range and variety of saxophone sounds and textures so that you can hear the James Bunte ARC (Allard Reso Chamber) tenor saxophone mouthpiece perform in different styles.

My personal favorite of the three clips was the first one with the Roberto’s 2 1/2 hard saxophone reed. It seemed to combine the elements I liked about the harder BSS 3 reed with the playability that comes from a reed that feels absolutely perfect in strength.

The BSS 3 saxophone reed clip is definitely a harder reed for me.  The tone sounds thicker and louder just because I had to blow harder due to the harder reed.  I also think the harder reed gives this sound clip more edge and volume.

The Rigotti Gold 3 Light saxophone reed was an interesting change from the other two clips. There were some interesting elements in the sound clip that made me think some of you who like a brighter sound might dig it more.  The tone sounds lighter, more delicate and with more highs in the tone to me. I think the fast playing was the smoothest with this saxophone reed.

James Bunte ARC (Allard Reso Chamber) 7* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

In my opinion, the James Bunte ARC (Allard Reso Chamber) tenor saxophone mouthpiece is a great tenor saxophone mouthpiece for those of you looking for a sax mouthpiece with a tone that leans to the darker side of the tenor saxophone tone spectrum but has some kick and a little bit of brightness when you push it.

It is a great hard rubber jazz mouthpiece that would be great for straight ahead jazz playing.  As always, I know people will email me and ask “Hey Steve!  Would this work in my funk band or rock n’ roll band?” and I will  head you off by saying that this would not be the mouthpiece I would play for those types of gigs! (but if you want to go for it, let me know how it goes…..)

James Bunte just redesigned his website and you can buy one of these ARC tenor saxophone mouthpieces at jamesbunte.com,  You can also contact James Bunte by email at jamesbunte@gmail.com if you have any further questions abut this mouthpiece.

If you try a James Bunte ARC (Allard Reso Chamber) tenor saxophone mouthpiece or have any thought or comments on this review,  I would love to hear what you think in the comments below. Thanks,   Steve

P.S.  I am also working on reviews of the two Getasax Reso mouthpiece reproductions that should be out later this week.  If you are curious about those and want to compare all three reviews and sound clips with each other they will be out shortly……..

https://cdn.neffmusic.com/2020/ARCRob2.5H.mp3

James Bunte ARC (Allard Reso Chamber) 7* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece- Robertos 2 1/2 Hard Reed-No Effects Added

https://cdn.neffmusic.com/2020/ARCRig3L.mp3

James Bunte ARC (Allard Reso Chamber) 7* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece-Rigotti Gold 3 Light Reed-No Effects Added

https://cdn.neffmusic.com/2020/ARCBSS3.mp3

James Bunte ARC (Allard Reso Chamber) 7* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece-BSS (Boston Sax Shop) 3 Reed-No Effects Added

Disclosure: I received the sample mouthpiece mentioned above for free in the hope that I would try it and perhaps review it on my blog. Regardless, I only review mouthpieces that I enjoy playing and believe will be good for other saxophone players to try also. Steve

Filed Under: Mouthpiece Reviews, Tenor Medium Baffle Reviews, Tenor Mouthpiece Reviews Tagged With: ARC, chamber, James Bunte, Joe Allard, Reso, review, sax mouthpiece, 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. AvatarAlan Burton says

    December 8, 2020 at 11:37 pm

    The third clip sounded a little brighter than the other two with a little more definition to the notes, with more note separation. Good sounding piece! Sounds very similar to my Retro Revival Tru Res 7*.

    Reply
  2. AvatarPeter Berlau says

    December 9, 2020 at 4:39 am

    Hi Steve,
    afaik the Mouthpiece from Seamus Blake is broken so he need a new Mouthpiece and bought a Ted Klum, no idea which model he

    Reply
  3. AvatarIan Bumstead says

    December 9, 2020 at 7:24 am

    Great review as always Steve, I’d certainly be curious to play test an ARC alongside the reso I bought from James a few years ago – the ARC sounds like it may have a little more gas! (FWIW It was my main piece, I used it for everything; jazz, r’n’b, pop – and I definitely got vetoed by one band-leader for being “too jazz”…).

    When the strengths line up what’s your impression of the differences and similarities between the BSS and Roberto’s reeds? I’ve recently been comparing them, alongside Francois Louis’s which I think are in the same ball-park. I’m still a bit undecided, maybe the RW are more focused where the BSS are a little more spread? (I seem to change my mind each time I play a FL, sometimes they feel the darkest, other days the brightest…).

    Thanks,
    Ian

    Reply
    • SteveSteve says

      December 9, 2020 at 9:52 am

      Ian, I plan on doing a reed comparison article between all of the Rigotti cane reeds I have here. I have only tried one Roberto’s reed so far so I am not ready for a comparison yet but it should be interesting. Steve

      Reply
  4. AvatarIan Bumstead says

    December 9, 2020 at 9:59 am

    Terrific! I’ve been through pretty much all of them recently – Rigotti Gold, Classic, Francois Louis, BSS, Roberto’s, Ishimori, Lupifaro Evo and Cardinali – so I’ll be really interested to read your thoughts!

    Peter, I believe Seamus Blake now plays a Focus Tone Tonamax 0.118 opening with Roberto’s reeds.

    Reply
    • SteveSteve says

      December 9, 2020 at 10:06 am

      I have these reeds to compare:
      Rigotti Gold
      Rigotti Classic
      BSS
      Roberto’s
      Woodstone
      Lupifaro Evo

      I never heard of Cardinali and I don’t have any Francois Louis. I might just do a comparison between Rigotti Gold, BSS and Roberto’s to make it simpler but we will see……

      The challenging part will be deciding which mouthpiece to use and then finding a good example of each reed to use on the mouthpiece. Then I can try to compare them……..

      I have some AW reeds from Germany that are pretty good but I don’t think those are made by Rigotti.

      Reply
  5. AvatarIan Bumstead says

    December 9, 2020 at 10:54 am

    That’s a pretty comprehensive list! Streamlining it a little may save your sanity (my girlfriend will attest to that!)

    The Cardinali unfiled reeds are the same design as the original Lupifaro reed – Luca Cardinali confirmed this to me personally (he has modified the file-cut from the old white-box Lupifaro’s). Luca subsequently left Lupifaro to make his own instruments and reeds whilst Lupifaro modified their cut to make the Evo. In my view they’re not far apart, the Evo being even buzzier, with a little less core. Back on topic – I used to find the Lupifaro’s were a great match for my Reso – but not so much for my Ted Klum Florida.

    I agree the AW’s don’t look to be made by Rigotti, they’re shorter than all the Rigotti-stencils for one thing.

    I look forward to your reed review!

    Reply
  6. AvatarJOHN R ZANGRANDO says

    December 9, 2020 at 4:52 pm

    I guess Im a hard reed sound guy . I like the BSS #3 sound by far. I use a BSS #3 or LaVoz med hard on my Klum Floroda7*, Drake NY jazz 8 or Wanne slant sig 2 #8. Core sounds very solid on #3test.

    Reply
    • SteveSteve says

      December 9, 2020 at 4:55 pm

      See, it’s good I included the sound clip with the harder reed!

      Reply
  7. AvatarHoward Brown says

    December 9, 2020 at 7:19 pm

    The BSS clip sounds best to me, much stronger sound than the lighter reed, but still retains the color of the piece. Just as an aside, to John Zangrando, I used to see you play with Blues Farm in NJ about 43 years ago. We knew each other, but I wouldn’t expect you to remember. Hope you’re well!

    Reply
  8. AvatarU. says

    January 16, 2021 at 11:22 am

    This mouthpiece is great !
    I bought one.

    U.

    Reply
  9. AvatarSteve Borcich says

    July 30, 2022 at 2:59 pm

    I agree with you that the Roberto’s reeds sound the best overall. I’m going to try his alto sax reeds soon. I’m wondering why you didn’t also use the BSS Gold ligature with the Rigotti Gold reeds in the 2nd clip. This might partially explain why the Rigotti reeds have a lighter tone. Other than this I though it’s an excellent comparison. The James Bunte ARC mouthpiece sounds like a great jazz mouthpiece. I’m wondering if he makes mouthpieces like this for alto sax as this is my main instrument. Kudos on a job well done, Steve!

    Reply
    • SteveSteve says

      July 30, 2022 at 3:19 pm

      Steve, No reason for using the other ligature. Usually, I just grab whatever ligature is sitting on my desk and I didn’t think about the fact that I used the BSS ligature on the other clip. The ARC is a great jazz mouthpiece in my opinion! I know James Bunte makes the 42 alto mouthpieces but I don’t of any others he makes.

      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

Just to say thanks for your advice and lessons.  I’ve just read your amazing story.  I really appreciate what you do in regards to teaching.  I have bought a couple of your lessons and frankly they’re undersold.   I’ve learned much more with these two lessons than with 2 years of sax teachers.   Thanks so much………..
Mike
Absolutely the best learning experience in my 40 years of playing.These books are awesome!!
Alfred LaBella
It is so refreshing to have a great player, who can provide lessons and examples in a manner which is understandable to most any enthusiastic saxophonist who is ready to improve. not just the, do this, do that, memorize this, memorize that… while all that is absolutely necessary, you go on to give reasons and examples to explain and validate why you have to do all of these things, the benefits, if you will… that is the key for me, you tell, explain, demonstrate, explain some more, you give perso… Read more
Cedric
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
I’ve been a member of Steve’s site for about six months now and the difference it has made to my playing is immeasurable. The (many) benefits of this membership are that you can have lessons at time convenient to you, they work out A LOT cheaper than face-to-face lessons with a teacher of the same calibre and you can replay them ad infinitum. I don’t know how many times have I had lessons in the past where I’ve ended up covering the same concepts when really a ‘replay’ of the last lesson would h… Read more
Nick

Never really had lessons before just kinda worked things out on my own. Was in a rut but your lessons are really helpful in opening melodic possibilities. Ur an awesome resource to the saxophone community. Thanks for sharing. 

Anthony
I just started looking at my lessons and I have to say, dude you are awesome.  I ABSOLUTELY will learn from you!  I started the tenor about 1 ½ yrs ago and have since picked up an alto, and more recently a soprano.  I spend most of the time on the tenor, followed by soprano, and have only gotten to the alto a few times.  I think I’ll be sticking with tenor.  I’m having a great time and hope one day to play well enough to get regular gigs.  I’ve been playing keys for about 35 years (… Read more
Wil

I must say again how much I appreciate all your material. Including the video tutorials. It help keep me focused and knowing what to aim for. And your laid back teaching style appeals to me too. 

Thanks

P

P

Steve,

I have played for many years and have enjoyed going “back to the basics” in some of your lessons!  You have such a gift for explaining concepts.  As I have gotten older, some of the basic things have gotten muddled because I just play, not knowing why.  As I refresh myself with “why”, it increases my confidence and expands my playing.  Thank you so much for using your gift!  You are a blessing!

Julia
I have found your videos and publications inspiring and your contribution to the world of saxophone playing is immense. Paul
Paul
I can see from your instructional videos that you are a fantastic teacher – one that can truly relate to all ages – humble yet very positive in approach – never coming across as superior and yet so totally capable of demonstrating the principles and techniques that you seek to impart to the students. I have gained so much confidence in my playing from “pouring over” time and again these invaluable lessons. Invaluable not only in musical content, but also in human interaction content. I am absolu… Read more
Ron
Steve’s monthly lessons are entirely valuable. Without brow beating, he tells you all the stuff you deep down know you really should be working on, instead of just relying on the same old patterns. In spite of the fact that you’re taking a video lesson, Steve’s presentation is comfortable and “real”. In a little more than a year, he’s developed a library of lessons that seem to offer any player a lifetime’s worth of practice material. I’m just glad I stumbled upon it.… Read more
Grant

Steve,  Just want to say thanks for all you are doing for all of us. I’ve learned more from you than anyone else in my 40 years of playing.

If you can give some tips on One Note Samba, Ceora, and Wave… that would be cool.  I really like learning how you apply your concepts to actual songs!

Have a great year,

Kevin Ledbetter

I've learned more from you than anyone else in my 40 years of playing.
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
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
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

Hello Steve,

I just want to say thank you so much for your unbelievable work, it is just mind opening, thanks for sharing it.

Wolfgang from Berlin

Wolfgang from Berlin
I am a music book junkie and I have to say that your books are the most clear, user friendly, and helpful books I own.  They are my absolute favorites and I only wish I had them years ago.  I wouldn’t change a thing about the experience I had in acquiring my degree at Berklee, but my playing has perhaps grown more in the time I’ve spent buried in your books and lessons.  Keep up the great work!!! Thanks, John
John
I want to let you know that your instructional material is transforming my playing.  It is an immense pleasure to learn and play now, and I can’t tell you how grateful I am. The instructional material I got from you is by far the best of any I own (and I have over 100 books, DVDs, and what not). I literally can’t thank you enough! Deric
Deric
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)
Steve really changed my way of practicing: I got a whole lot of new ideas for my playing the tenor.  His lessons are really helpful, give a lot stuff to practice and give clear answers to complicated stuff.  Steve has a lot of humor and I wish I had laughed so much in my former days with the horn.  All topics, from Blues to Approach note are dealt with clearness that wet ones appetite to play and practice that great ideas.
Uwe
I have NEVER seen material like yours.  Amazing!!
Jerry
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
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!

Featured Video Lessons

  • Mastering the Dominant Pentatonic Sound over a Blues (Digital PDF Book) Mastering the Dominant Pentatonic Sound over a Blues (Digital PDF Book)
    Rated 5.00 out of 5
    $19.99 Original price was: $19.99.$14.99Current price is: $14.99.
  • The Secret to Modern Outside Jazz Lines Lesson-Minor The Secret to Modern Outside Jazz Lines Lesson-Minor $9.99
  • Creating Modern II-V-I Lines with Simple Pentatonics Lesson 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 The Best Embouchure for Tone, Intonation and Endurance Lesson
    Rated 4.91 out of 5
    $9.99
  • The Secret to Altissimo (no one has ever told you about before) Lesson 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!

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

  • Bebop Scale-Altered Scale II-V-I Practice Lesson Bebop Scale-Altered Scale II-V-I Practice Lesson by Noah
  • Mastering the Dominant Pentatonic Sound over a Blues (Digital PDF Book) Mastering the Dominant Pentatonic Sound over a Blues (Digital PDF Book) by Andy
  • Mastering the Dominant Pentatonic Sound over a Blues (Digital PDF Book) Mastering the Dominant Pentatonic Sound over a Blues (Digital PDF Book)
    Rated 5 out of 5
    by Russ
  • Creating Modern II-V-I Lines with Simple Pentatonics Lesson Creating Modern II-V-I Lines with Simple Pentatonics Lesson
    Rated 5 out of 5
    by Timothy
  • The Best Embouchure for Tone, Intonation and Endurance Lesson The Best Embouchure for Tone, Intonation and Endurance Lesson
    Rated 5 out of 5
    by Ray Holland

Footer

Recent Comments

  • Arya Boustani on Otto Link Super Tone Master V 7* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece Review
  • Steve M on Otto Link Super Tone Master V 7* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece Review
  • Giuseppe C. on Theo Wanne Essentials Jazz 7* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece Review
  • Arya Boustani on Otto Link Super Tone Master V 7* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece Review
  • Gerrit Schwab on Otto Link Super Tone Master V 7* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece Review

Top rated products

  • Mastering the Major Bebop Scale & Sound (Digital PDF Book) Mastering the Major Bebop Scale & Sound (Digital PDF Book)
    Rated 5.00 out of 5
    $14.99
  • Tune of the Week-Softly as a Morning Sunrise Lesson Tune of the Week-Softly as a Morning Sunrise Lesson
    Rated 5.00 out of 5
    $9.99
  • The Style of Dexter Gordon-Lady Bird Lesson 1 The Style of Dexter Gordon-Lady Bird Lesson 1
    Rated 5.00 out of 5
    $9.99
  • Tune of the Week-Days of Wine and Roses Lesson Tune of the Week-Days of Wine and Roses Lesson
    Rated 5.00 out of 5
    $9.99
  • Tune of the Week-Invitation Tune of the Week-Invitation
    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 © 2005–2025